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Bar News - August 17, 2001 New Hampshire Bar Association Budget Q & A How is the budget created and approved? The Finance Committee, chaired by the president-elect (Peter Hutchins this past fiscal year), works with the management staff to develop a proposed budget based on projections of continued, new, changed or discontinued programming and services. (This year, the Board Committee on Administration of the Bar joined the Finance Committee in the budgeting process.) The proposed budget is presented to the full Board of Governors for approval, and is then presented to the membership through publication in Bar News. Also, a separate information session is held at the Bar Center for member questions and comments. (This year's session is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, August 23.) As the 2001-02 budget called for a dues increase, a vote of the membership was required at a membership meeting to amend the dues reference in the Bar Association's bylaws. Are the financials audited? What do the auditors say? The financials of the New Hampshire Bar Association are audited on an annual basis by an independent CPA firm. For a number of years, the auditors' notes and comments have been brief, expressing no serious concerns. The last audit indicated no negative findings or "reportable" conditions. What is the size of the budget? What are the major components?
Click here for full budget details.
Virtually all activities of the NHBA are service-related; hence a major cost is staffing to carry out those services. Of the 25 full-time and 10 part-time positions in the budget, 10 are grant funded. The total budget for salaries this year represents a 2.5 percent increase over the final approved budget from Fiscal Year 2000-01. Due to the spiraling cost of providing staff with adequate health insurance coverage, the benefits line item experienced a 7.5 percent increase, even after implementation of an employee contribution toward this expense. That's a big budget - how does it affect dues? For the past few years, we have been able to postpone a dues increase by aggressively pursuing sources of non-dues revenue. Last year, the board also approved the use of reserve funds to supplement revenue and delay an increase. However, with some sources of non-dues revenue disappearing and limited opportunities to find new sources to take their place, it became necessary this year to propose that the membership approve only the second dues increase in the last 20 years. Passage of the dues increase at the special membership meeting on June 4 ensured that the Bar Association has the resources to continue providing the types of services our members have come to expect. Why do we make money on CLE? The NHBA CLE program is designed to offer high-quality continuing legal education, specific to New Hampshire law, in a variety of formats and covering a wide range of subject and experience levels to meet member needs - while generating revenue for the Association. The pricing of the programs is generally below market cost, and participant evaluations indicate consistently high quality and value. The CLE Club offers NHBA members a volume discount, and if a member is experiencing financial hardship impacting their ability to attend, they are encouraged to contact the CLE program to inquire about the availability of scholarships. What are Reserve Funds, and how do they work? Reserve Funds are used by many not-for-profit organizations to set aside funds to ensure their long-term viability in the case of unforeseen events, as well as to build funds to pay for future significant capital expenditures or other special projects. This year's budget anticipates setting aside a portion of unspent revenue at the end of the year to reduce the need to increase dues in the 2002-2003 fiscal year.
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