Highlights
The GAR Report is a monthly summary of membership numbers by chapter. In the Chapter Recognition Program, up to 3,000 credits are available in the Membership Section in the areas of Base Growth, New Member Acquisition and Retention.
The GAR lists chapters by size (Group A = 300 or more members; Group B = 150-299 members, etc.). We also publish a GAR by region. It may be useful to see how individual regions compare. Don’t remember what the columns and numbers mean? Read a detailed explanation of the GAR Report.
Mark Your Calendar
March 26—Emerging Issues at FASAB and GASB audio conference
March 31—Academic scholarship application deadline
April 4—National awards nominations due
April 23—Improving Government Transparency through Citizen-Centric Reporting audio conference
May 14—The Anatomy of Ethical Slips in Government audio conference
Nuts and Bolts of Constructing a Four-Page Citizen-Centric Report
Momentum continues to build! More and more governments are seeing the importance of this type of reporting to their citizens. It does not take a super-human effort to put a four page report together. Most, if not all, of the information is readily available on government websites and in published reports.
Please share this program with your members at your next chapter event. We have a PowerPoint presentation that you can use and we can send to you bulk copies of completed reports to hand out.
Please contact Susan Fritzlen for any of these materials. Check out the entire program, including completed reports on AGA's website.
Chapter Transfer Reports
Have you ever looked at your chapter membership report and noticed that you lost or gained a few members? AGA’s online Chapter Transfer Reports will help you track AGA members who have requested to transfer either in or out of your chapter. Simply sign on to Members Only and click on the link for “Chapter Transfer Reports” and choose your chapter from the drop down menu.
Free Event Advertising!
Reach out to members and nonmembers alike through AGA’s Training Opportunities calendar. You can post information about your chapter or regional events for no charge.
Coming Soon! AGA's Web Blog Starts April 1
Beginning April 1, AGA will sponsor a daily web blog where participants can post a brief essay on a government financial management or accountability issue and check back during the day to answer questions posted by readers. Have something you want to say? Looking for a forum to dialogue with your colleagues? Look no further! We're registering "guests" for April right now. Join the fun by e-mailing Marie Force, director of communications, to get on the schedule. Mark your calendars for April 1, and have your coffee with AGA every morning.
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March 2008, Volume 3, Issue 3
AGA Welcomes Three New Chapters!
AGA’s National Executive Committee approved three new chapters at its February 20 meeting, bringing the total number of chapters to 94. We want to welcome the Mid-Ohio Valley, Charleston, WV, and Northern Nevada chapters to the AGA family! Congratulations and thank you to everyone that helped make these chapters possible.
2007–2008 Member-Get-A-Member We Have a Dream Campaign in Full Bloom!
 With Spring right around the corner, the 2007–2008 Member-Get-A-Member Campaign is entering its final stretch. With nature bringing new life before us, now is the perfect time to recruit new AGA members! Recruiting your colleagues will not only help their careers blossom, but you can benefit as well! That’s right, recruit new AGA members this program year and you could win big.
Recruit 10 or more members by March 31, 2008 and have your name placed into a fishbowl drawing for trip for two to anywhere in the Continental U.S. or Caribbean (airfare and hotel only). Recruit 10 members, get one chance at the drawing, recruit 16 members, get seven chances and so on. The more members recruited, the more chances to win!
The member who recruits the most new members from May 1, 2007 through April 30, 2008 will be AGA’s Recruiter of the Year and will receive a FREE trip (roundtrip airfare and registration) to the 57th Annual Professional Development Conference (PDC) in Atlanta. The Top Recruiter of Early Career members will be rewarded with a BOSE Wave Music System (valued at $499).
AGA Research Program —2008 Survey
AGA’s Corporate Partner Research Advisory Group is conducting an online survey to ascertain member thoughts about current and future government financial management issues. AGA Corporate Partner Grant Thornton LLP is administering the survey. All responses are anonymous, and the results will be presented at the 2008 PDC in Atlanta.
To encourage responses to the survey, AGA will give the chapter with the highest response rate a cash award of $300; second highest will receive $200 and third will receive $100. The award will be based on the number of responses received per chapter divided by the total registered membership of a chapter. Please be sure to enter your chapter’s name when you fill out the survey.
Thanks for your help in promoting the survey. If you have any questions about AGA’s research initiatives, please contact AGA’s Director of Research Anna Miller.
Take the CGFM Examinations Before the PDC
 AGA is once again offering a great opportunity to take the CGFM Examinations and earn your CGFM before the 57th Annual Professional Development Conference (PDC) in Atlanta, GA. We are offering a two-day Intensive Review Course on Thursday, July 24, and Friday, July 25, 2008, and an opportunity to take the CGFM Examinations on July 26–27, 2008. The cost of the course is only $249 for qualified participants, and it offers 18 CPE hours. Special Bonus: The CGFM Examinations are offered at no cost to course attendees.
More information and a registration form for this event are available on the AGA website. If you have any questions, please e-mail Crystal Vanison or call 800.AGA.7211, ext. 316.
March is CGFM Month!
 To recognize the CGFM Program and its accomplishments, AGA has declared the month of March of each year as “CGFM Month.” Read the official AGA Proclamation. This initiative has been a great example of AGA leadership and teamwork and continues to help spread the word about the CGFM Program! View the proclamations received so far .
Sectional Leadership Meeting—Section 2
Invitations for the Section 2 Sectional Leadership Meeting (SLM) scheduled for May 2–3 in New Orleans, LA, were sent last week. If you are a Chapter President, Regional or Sectional leader in Section 2 and didn’t receive this invitation, please contact Jessica Jones or call 800.AGA.7211, ext 317. We look forward to hosting you in New Orleans.
Sectional Leadership Meeting—Section 3
Invitations for the Section 3 Sectional Leadership Meeting (SLM) scheduled for May 16–17 in Reno, NV, were sent last week. If you are a Chapter President, Regional or Sectional leader in Section 3 and didn’t receive this invitation, please contact Jessica Jones or call 800.AGA.7211, ext 317. We look forward to hosting you in Reno.
Note that other SLM notices will be going out in the next several weeks.
Call for AGA National Awards Nominations
AGA’s National Awards Committee is now accepting nominations for 13 national awards that recognize the leaders advancing our profession and setting the standards of excellence. These awards will be presented during AGA's Professional Development Conference & Exposition in Atlanta, GA, July 27-30, 2008. In many cases, individuals do not have to be members of AGA to be eligible. All nominations are due no later than Friday, April 4, 2008. View the list of awards here.
New IRS Filing Requirements—E-Postcard Now Available!
Beginning in 2008, small tax-exempt organizations that previously were not required to file a Form 990 (or 990-EZ), Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax, because their gross receipts were normally $25,000 or less, will now be required to file an annual electronic notice. Many AGA chapters fall within this category and will be required to file the annual electronic notice by the 15th day of the fifth month after the close of the tax period. This filing requirement applies to tax periods beginning after Dec. 31, 2007.
The notice will require you to provide the following information: organization’s legal name, mailing address and website, EIN, name and address of principal officer, fiscal year, verification that the organization’s annual gross receipts are still normally $25,000 or less, and indicate whether the organization has terminated (no longer in business).
The form required to file all this information is called 990-N (e-Postcard) and it is already available. Please click here to find out more information.
Now Accepting 2008 Academic Scholarship Applications
Are you or a family member pursuing undergraduate or graduate studies in disciplines such as accounting, auditing, budgeting, economics, finance, information technology or public administration? If so, consider applying for an AGA national academic scholarship today!
Each year, AGA National awards:
- Up to four $3,000 full-time merit scholarships to AGA members and their family members,
- One $1,000 part-time merit scholarships to AGA members and their family members, and
- One $3,000 community service scholarship.
The deadline for receipt of applications is March 31, 2008. Learn more.
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