Accounting Team Attends FAOG Conference

On Sunday, September 8th, at 5:27 am, the accounting team (Marla, Sally, and Derrick) flew out of Manhattan, Kansas, to attend the annual FAOG Conference in Charlotte, NC. FAOG stands for Finance, Administration, and Operations Group. It is a conference geared towards Community Foundations focusing on the three areas mentioned.  

We were given an opportunity to collaborate with other community foundations across the United States in various settings. From collaborating over dinner at Chima Brazilian Steakhouse while having all-you-can-eat grilled meat (and fruit) brought to your table. Collaborating and dining at the NASCAR Hall of Fame Museum, surrounded by actual cars and NASCAR memorabilia. To rooftop dining and so many other collaboration opportunities, it was a very memorable experience.

Also, in typical conference fashion, we got to listen to great speakers in the finance and accounting realm to provide us with insight and tips to better our current processes. Some sessions included Accepting Complex Assets, DAF Regulations with Implementation and New Innovations, Budgeting Models, Crunching Numbers, and Crushing Audits. In addition, we took part in a peer group session with an open mic to provide best practices per community foundation.  

The main takeaway from our accounting team was being able to bounce our business practices off of other community foundations and their strategies, collaborate with vendors, and see what other options are available to make our jobs easier. Also, Marla got a chance to see the NASCAR museum. I think she is a little fond of NASCAR! Derrick was a big fan of feeding his face, so he got to eat all the meat he wanted at a Brazilian restaurant. It was hard to say no in the end! In addition, we gained a lot of knowledge from this experience and look forward to applying it to GMCF.