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We are a not-for-profit religious charity that has historically operated using the gifts and skills of our faithful volunteer base. Like many organisations today that rely on volunteerism, we faced the challenge of a lack of expertise in contemporary electronic accounting processes among our ageing congregation members, and time constraints due to work, family, and life commitments among younger members who had the necessary skills.

Ahead of the retirement of our long-serving Parish Council Treasurer, who had held the role for approximately 50 years, we recognised the importance of dedicating time and resources to identifying and working alongside a suitable person from within the congregation. While we were fortunate to have a trained accountant among us, it became clear that he was unable to commit the necessary time following the birth of his first son. As a result, we began searching the market for an outsourced solution for our accounting, invoicing, and reporting needs.

Volunteer organisations are slow to move! In my role as Chair of the Parish Council and Priest of the Parish, it is my responsibility to work collaboratively with the team to set the vision and to equip them with the necessary tools to move forward.

While our Treasurer had ‘retired,’ he continued for the next eighteen months to diligently maintain the manual ledgers for the 12 or more financial accounts—transferring funds back and forth between accounts by cheque and reconciling them in coordination with the five bookkeepers from each division of our missional social enterprises.

While I had hoped we could begin transitioning to a more comprehensive and accessible financial system, I recognised that it would take time to bring others on board!

The outsourcing of our finances was a daunting prospect for members of the congregation, and it took time to allay their fears regarding the associated costs of accessing the high-level services offered by GBC, as well as the uncertainties of changing a long-established way of managing our financial affairs.

While these concerns initially caused doubt, having now worked alongside Adam and the team at GBC, members of the congregation and the Parish Council feel more confident in interpreting budgets and profit and loss statements, as well as making informed decisions about the sustainable financial management of their faith community and the buildings they steward.

Adam’s high-level expertise across multiple industries, coupled with his visionary strategic thinking in simplifying financial reports and procedures to suit his clients’ needs, was certainly a drawcard. His personable, no-fuss attitude and commitment to ‘getting it right,’ alongside the outstanding work of the GBC team, have been key factors in keeping us engaged!

While not unexpected, the sheer volume of consultative work involved in engaging with our community and the seemingly disparate divisions of our organisation was a challenging process. GBC provided invaluable support during this time by delivering well-considered proposals and detailed information that outlined the scope of their work, while also being readily available to answer any questions throughout the transition.

The team at GBC made the shift from manual to electronic processes seamless by proactively ensuring all our debtors were paid on time and invoices were issued promptly. Another somewhat expected challenge has been the transition from paper to digital systems—while I still come across small collections of already scanned and processed reimbursement and invoice forms, I trust that, in time, we will fully move away from this!

As a result of engaging the expert services of GBC, the Parish Council has increased confidence that our debts are being paid on time. We no longer have to wait for those with the chequebooks to return from holidays before bills are settled! By transitioning from manual to electronic invoicing, payment, and record-keeping, we are now experiencing faster and more efficient financial systems.

The Parish Council also receives regular, detailed financial reports with thorough annotations on the status of our resources. Combined with accurate cash flow forecasts, this has enabled us to make well-informed decisions for sustainable growth into the future.

Adam’s wise counsel on investment portfolios has led to our endowment trust achieving a return of over 12% in the 2024 calendar year. While establishing new systems takes time, I hope that by increasing financial transparency, we will continue to build trust with those who so generously donate to our work and mission, ultimately leading to increased giving.

Oh, where to begin! One major outcome of GBC’s ability to accurately forecast our cash flow has been a renewed sense of energy within the Parish Council to review our properties and explore ways to generate passive income through strategic investment of trust-held funds in development projects. Without GBC’s reporting, I fear we may never have reached this consideration!

I would remind myself that all positive change takes time, energy, and a great deal of grace. I’d tell myself to trust in GBC’s team and take the plunge in establishing systems to secure a financially responsible future for our community.