wing banker benefits?

[brasda91]

OK, we've been living under the Nationally mandated Wing Banker program for some time now.  Have we seen any benefit to this?  Have we received any, what is it called, an unqualified audits?  There was a reason or reasons, National required us all to go to the Wing Banker, well, what has it gotten us?  Has National received any grants that has helped the organization as a whole?  I'm extremely ticked that we have been made to do this.  It is nothing but a headache.  I hope by this time, we have seen some benefits of using the program.

[Pumbaa]

Sure more money stays in the bank account!

I'VE BEEN WAITING 2 MONTHS FOR MY $200+!!!

I made purchases, the receipt/ request has been submitted 2x, I am now escalating to the group commander.

[swamprat86]

We have had little if any major issues with WBP in our wing.  Receipts are being paid within 1-2 weeks.  The biggest problem that we have seen is units that do not submit the deposit receipts to Wing.  We have to hunt down the mystery deposit to find the correct sub-account but that is minor overall.  Also having done unit inspections since the implementation, a lot of commanders are happy not having to do annual audits.  They still track the account on their own and compare it to the statement sent by Wing.

[Eclipse]

Smooth sailing from day 1. 

1 week to get reimbursed, less if its a big number and you request expediting.

The extra attention on finances in general has helped in areas involving money not related to WBP as well such as flight reimbursements and special activities.

[N Harmon]

Smooth sailing from day 1. 

This has been my experience as well.

[Al Sayre]

Here are some things to help people get paid faster from someone who signs the checks...

1.)  Submit the check request on the proper form.

2.)  Attach a copy of the receipt, no receipt-no check.

3.)  Make sure the Squadron Commander signs the check request form before it gets sent to Wing HQ.  If the amount is over $200 you also need someone else from the finance committee to countersign the request or it will get kicked back. 

4.)  Keep a copy of the receipt and the check request until you get your check.

5.)  If you haven't received your check within 2 weeks after a proper request was submitted, get on the phone and call someone, don't just sit and stew about it. 

6.)  Wing Banker check requests do not replace CAPF 108's.  It is for non-mission expenses/expenditures.  You don't need a check request to submit for mission expenses on a CAPF 108.  Sending both will just confuse the issue and delay your check while they try to figure out which pot the money comes from. 

[cnitas]

OK, we've been living under the Nationally mandated Wing Banker program for some time now.  Have we seen any benefit to this?  Have we received any, what is it called, an unqualified audits?  There was a reason or reasons, National required us all to go to the Wing Banker, well, what has it gotten us?  Has National received any grants that has helped the organization as a whole?  [rant removed] I hope by this time, we have seen some benefits of using the program.

Aside from his local difficulties getting reimbursed, can anyone speak to his main questions? 

[Pumbaa]

Must not be NY....

[RADIOMAN015]

Frankly, I think the entire programs need to centralized  to national headquarters & the computer system changed a bit.

Change the system to allow squadrons to input the potential payments into the web based on line Accounts Payable system, where it would remain as payment pending until source document was received.   There would be a batch# assigned by the system  for each session & a source document control# (assigned by the system) would be penciled in for each document.  Units would than fax everything to a toll free number immediately after input.  The items would be reviewed and authorized for payment & the check would be printed & sent to the appropriate payee.  Payments to members would be required within 3 business days after receipt of the documents.  (That's what is customary in business, and by various state law normally have to reimburse employees in a timely manner (two weeks is NOT a timely manner).

Units would also be authorized a petty cash fund (not to exceed $250.00) and the petty cash fund custodian would be required to account for the funds with a payment form/signature & copy of the    

Receipts could be handled in the same way (as a separate batch# & document #) National Headquarters would have to "sweep" correspondent bank accounts, probably twice each week to put into the national account.

It would also be easy for units to reconcillate with various reports that they could run off the web based system.

You would save on audit fees (no travel), you would have a staff of accounting clerks, that could readily fill in IF one individual was out sick and/or on vacation, supervised by a professional accountant.
RM

[RADIOMAN015]

OK, we've been living under the Nationally mandated Wing Banker program for some time now.  Have we seen any benefit to this?  Have we received any, what is it called, an unqualified audits?  There was a reason or reasons, National required us all to go to the Wing Banker, well, what has it gotten us?  Has National received any grants that has helped the organization as a whole?  [rant removed] I hope by this time, we have seen some benefits of using the program.

Aside from his local difficulties getting reimbursed, can anyone speak to his main questions? 

Looking at the CAP Hq staff directory I don't see a position for Grant Writer/Coordinator, so apparently they aren't aggressively looking for grants, otherwise you would see someone well versed in grant writing employed.  HOWEVER, they might be using fee based free lance/indepedent contractors or some members have come forward to help.

Again, regardless of you audit standing, any GRANTS have very specific instructions on accounting for funds, generally it means a central location where disbursements are made & appropriate source documents are maintained to justify fund usage (available for audit or even sent to the grantor in order to get additionally funding increments).  CAP had the capability (at every level in the organization) to do this even before the wing bankers program.   
RM

[Pylon]

While an unqualified audit might help in getting certain grants, it's also not a bad thing to aim to achieve an unqualified audit for its own merits.  Every non-profit should be aiming to have an unqualified audit.   It means excellent financial stewardship.

As a donor in general, I like to see proper oversight of dollars and stewardship of existing money and resources before they can make the case to me that they need a check from me.  I always read 990's and annual reports before I give to a charity.  I recently stopped giving to my biggest charitable recipient because of what I learned about their stewardship of existing financial resources.  I disagreed with how money was being allocated and have since stopped my recurring gift to their Foundation.

Civil Air Patrol being able to account for all of our dollars, from the $10 Cadet Snuffy paid for his squadron dues to the $1M contracts from the AF is a worthwhile goal, regardless of any opportunities for grants.

As for Wing Banker itself, it's usually about 2 weeks for me to receive my check. I have no complaints.  If anything has ever held up a reimbursement, it was on my end.  And Pumbaa, that's in New York Wing.  Our Wing administrator is very efficient at turning around properly prepared requests.

[lordmonar]

Smooth sailing from day 1. 

This has been my experience as well.

+2

Sure there are some hang ups....but from a squadron perspective...no more finance reports, no more managing bank accounts, no more have to account for the money on hand.

From an organisational stand point...we eliminated one of the big leaks to CAP funds.....Member X pocketing the funds and then walking away.

As for local delays....those differ from wing to wing.....I send in my check request with all the proper signatures and wing sends me a check.  Takes a month or so.  I would not wait much longer...and you should be able to go straight to you wing banker instead of going up the chain.

[NIN]

Wing Banker has been pretty good for us.  My finance officer is a commercial pilot and has time during the week to drop off check requests, etc, so we get expedited handling just based on getting the paperwork to wing quickly.  (never mind that wing HQ is about 425m from our Armory. I can toss a little indirect fire their way if I need to light a little fire!)

The problem I've seen is that the feedback loop is.. lacking. Our wing finance officer isn't getting us reports in a real timely way, and that's making my finance officer, who is a real stickler for making sure we know up to the minute where we are, crazy!

The numbers are fine, the "request to check" time is fine, and the overall program has been A-OK.  Just some minor improvements, overall, I think.

[Timbo]

I only had one major issue now that I think about it.  My telephone bill was not paid on time even though it was a recurring bill and I submitted it to Wing almost a month out from the date due.  It was entirely wings fault and they paid the late finance charges that resulted.

[brasda91]

I don't have any problems with being refunded.  KY Wing is very prompt on reimbursing me.  That's not what I'm after.  What is National gaining from requiring all of us to use the WBP?  Are we receiving any grants?  What is the reason to require all of to use the WBP if there is no benefit for us as a whole.

I have ordered over $600.00 worth of supplies over the last few weeks.  I had to get a credit card in order to pay for it.  I wouldn't ask any member to come up with that much money and wait to be reimbursed.  I have another $200.00+ order I will be placing in the next week or two.  We have the funds available, it's just impossible to get to them prior to the purchase.  That's what's so frustrating to me.

I do like not having to worry with the financial reports every year, but I would rather have my checking account back and be able to purchase supplies right then using the squadrons funds right then.

Sounds like we have been forced into this program and National is doing nothing to make it worth our while.

[Pylon]

I don't have any problems with being refunded.  KY Wing is very prompt on reimbursing me.  That's not what I'm after.  What is National gaining from requiring all of us to use the WBP?  Are we receiving any grants?  What is the reason to require all of to use the WBP if there is no benefit for us as a whole.

As I said in my last post, CAP is receiving tremendous benefit.  Stop thinking of this in terms of grants (yes, CAP for whatever ridiculous reason justified needing this for grants when they proposed the program).   Wing Banker is an extremely needed control whereby CAP as an organization can finally account for all of our money down to the squadron level.  We could never do this before.  It provides accountability that an organization of our size should be exercising with our resources.

I have ordered over $600.00 worth of supplies over the last few weeks.  I had to get a credit card in order to pay for it.  I wouldn't ask any member to come up with that much money and wait to be reimbursed.  I have another $200.00+ order I will be placing in the next week or two.  We have the funds available, it's just impossible to get to them prior to the purchase.  That's what's so frustrating to me.

That's you or your chain of command not using the system correctly.  Squadrons can be issued credit cards.  If you have these types of purchases, you should have a squadron credit card.  Finance committee approves the purchase, you put in on the squadron card, wing banker pays the bill.   This is not complex.

If you don't want to make the purchase with your own credit, then don't.  But don't ignore what options have been provided for you and blame National instead.  If your chain of command refuses to request a squadron credit card, then don't blame national -- blame your chain of command for your inconvenience.

I do like not having to worry with the financial reports every year, but I would rather have my checking account back and be able to purchase supplies right then using the squadrons funds right then.

Sounds like we have been forced into this program and National is doing nothing to make it worth our while.

Again, if you use the system with all of the provisions it has allowed for, you shouldn't notice one bit of difference in inconvenience from the old system to this one.   Before you submitted receipts for reimbursement to your squadron finance officer, now it's the exact same procedure and documentation needed but you send it to the wing administrator instead.

National doesn't need to make it "worth our while."  Their primary concern in this issue is the stewardship and accountability of CAP resources and money, not your convenience.  It's a worthwhile goal by every accounting standard in the non-profit world.

[Eclipse]

Having an unqualified audit allows us to go after the grants that require them, I think we are only just turning the corner on getting there.  IIRC there was some mention that there are units still not converted and wings not properly executing, so while we're well on our way, we may not be there yet.

I was a very vocal skeptic about the WBP, even taking heat at the Region level for comments I made here.  I was wrong, and if anything its made our universes easier.

As Pylon says, its not just about the grants, etc., its about fiscal transparency and security.  We don't have to worry about the goobers stealing thousands from the pizza sales anymore.

You can also request the money up front through the same process as you would request the reimbursement.
Submit the estimate as a check request with the explanation as to why its needed in advance.

If you can't front $600 worth of supplies.  Don't.  If checks take too long, address it up the chain, even to the point of filing a complaint.  1-2 weeks is completely acceptable and would mean you'd likely see the cash before you get your credit card statement.  More than that and you have a right to whine.

There are those of us here who front thousands each year for encampments and related activities, and don't have much sympathy for people front a few hundred voluntarily and then complain about it as a systematic problem.

Pylon: not all states allow unit credit cards.

[brasda91]

If you can't front $600 worth of supplies.  Don't.  If checks take too long, address it up the chain, even to the point of filing a complaint.  1-2 weeks is completely acceptable and would mean you'd likely see the cash before you get your credit card statement.  More than that and you have a right to whine.

1-2 weeks is acceptable to me.

There are those of us here who front thousands each year for encampments and related activities, and don't have much sympathy for people front a few hundred voluntarily and then complain about it as a systematic problem.

That's great that you are in a financial state to do that.  Maybe the hundreds to me is the thousands to you.  These are supplies that help our members save money.  No I don't have to place such orders.  But it is a small token of help to them.

[FW]

OK, we've been living under the Nationally mandated Wing Banker program for some time now.  Have we seen any benefit to this?  Have we received any, what is it called, an unqualified audits?  There was a reason or reasons, National required us all to go to the Wing Banker, well, what has it gotten us?  Has National received any grants that has helped the organization as a whole?  I'm extremely ticked that we have been made to do this.  It is nothing but a headache.  I hope by this time, we have seen some benefits of using the program.

First of all, it was the Board of Governors who mandated the wing banker after a careful study and, an experimental trial period using a few wings.
Secondly, FY 2008 was the first full year all wings used the program
Thirdly, this will be the first year CAP gets that "Unqualified Audit".
As Pylon as so well described things; we have an excellent accounting of all our resources due to the program and, are now poised to be considered among the "responsible" non profits.  What happens next is any body's guess.

[Eclipse]

There are those of us here who front thousands each year for encampments and related activities, and don't have much sympathy for people front a few hundred voluntarily and then complain about it as a systematic problem.

That's great that you are in a financial state to do that.  Maybe the hundreds to me is the thousands to you.  These are supplies that help our members save money.  No I don't have to place such orders.  But it is a small token of help to them.

The point wasn't to belittle the contribution you're making, but either you can swing it or you can't, if its a hardship enough to be worried if you ever see the money, you should leave it for someone else.

[Pylon]

Pylon: not all states allow unit credit cards.

And I would say, again, you cannot blame Wing Banker Program for that.  Current financial regulations under Wing Banker allow for almost any scenario:  request money in advance for planned cash purchases, credit cards for impromptu purchases, checks direct to merchants, and reimbursements for all member-bought items.

If your wing further restricts you because they're unwilling to allow units the full breadth of available options, that's not a failure of wing banker program; that's an issue to take up with the command making those restrictions.

[Eclipse]

Pylon: not all states allow unit credit cards.

And I would say, again, you cannot blame Wing Banker Program for that. 

Agreed - My wing CC has been kicking around a wing policy on credit cards for a while, but apparently none of the units has considered them important enough to push it.

Not a WBP limitation.