Bursar Coordination Checklist

The bursar mainly reports to the Center’s Comptroller, but may also perform chores associated with membership and other communication issues. This is possibly a job for someone who plans to spend more time at the Center than most. When one is physically at the Center, one has an idea what needs to be done. The chores are simple, but it is helpful to write them down in a list:

  1. Relate with anyone on the Council and someone from all the other enclaves within DSMC including: Shambhala After Dark, the Morning Meditators, 12-Step, Kasung, MIs and Shambhala Guides, Program Coordinators and Registrars, Communications leads for the Website / Newsletter / database posters / basic-goodness.net list serve.
  2. Routine communications* Take, and answer or forward phone voice mail messages
    • Pull from the USPS mailbox and answer or forward the mail
    • Answer face-to-face questions of new attendees
    • Ensure availability and accuracy of brochures, calendars, etc.
    • Identify and draft content and review formatting for the newsletter
    • Help recruit and train the head on-site registrar
    • Update the Volunteers Manual
  3. Annual filing requirements – Periodically, we need to relate with some governmental entity so they can do their job, including:Board of Equalization – In January, we pay sales tax on the books we sell. Per our arrangement with Penguin Random House, LLC., they do not charge DSMC sales tax with the understanding that we will pay the sales tax on all sales. We generally take the book’s retail price, round up to the nearest integer dollar amount, then add $1 for sales tax and write the total amount on a little round stickie affixed to the back of each book on the community room bookshelf. The BOE reminder goes to me and I send it off to Shelley who computes the amount owed based upon the total book sales for the calendar year. On or before January 31st, she files electronically and sends me a copy. For 2016, we sold $1,873 in books and paid $159 in tax).

    City of Davis – In December, we fill out the City of Davis business license for the following year. When the City mails back to us the actual license, we scotch tape it inside the far-left kitchen cabinet. BTW, as a non-profit, we pay nothing for the license and our business activity classification is “religious activities.”

    Yolo County – By February 15th and along with our landlord, we ensure the filing of two forms to claim our annual property tax exemption due to our church status. The landlord will mail us their completed copy of the “Lessor’s Exemption Claim.” In addition, we will receive from the County, then fill-out, and mail the “Affidavit for Execution by Qualifying Institutional Lessees” form. To be safe, I mail both our’s and a photocopy of the landlord’s form to the Yolo County Assessor / Clerk-Recorder/Registrar of Voters. The final filing date is February 15th for both forms.

    NOTE: Also with respect to the Yolo County Recorder’s Office, DSMC is a non-profit and therefore not required to file a fictitious business name for bank account set-ups, etc.

  4. Pay annual expenses including:Liability insurance – In October or November, we pay Shambhala US ~$150 for our share of the liability insurance policy. For information, contact Church Mutual Insurance Company policy #050005 via email at: [email protected].

    Shambhala US asks that we call the insurance company directly if we ever have a claim. More likely, our call will be to explain we acquired a major asset or if we ever need to get a “certificate of insurance.” When we want to rent someone else’s space, inevitably they will ask that we provide proof of $1,000,000 in liability coverage.

    The Davis Dirt – In April, we pay The Davis Dirt $600/year for our monthly ad located underneath the centerfold calendar.

    Shambhala Day expenses – In December or January, we purchase membership and council pins and practice calendars from Shambhala Media via the credit card.

    Annual donations from DSMC to others – These include Community Meals @$100, Co-Op Holiday Meal @$100, and Sonoma Mountain Zen Center @$100.

  5. Pay the monthly bills including:Rent – We get three invoices (totaling ~$4,500/mo.) emailed to us from Nancy Smith before the 25th each month. We print these out and pay them with three separate checks to be mailed around the 29th of each month.

    PG&E – After the rent, PG&E is the next invoice received each month — the first week of the month and due the middle of the month. We merely pay the ~$3 monthly service charge for most months because we do not pay for A/C or any other electricity; that’s covered in the three rent invoices. Since we do pay for heating (i.e., gas), starting in November we start paying up through April, and we pay as much as $60/mo. in December.

    AT&T – We pay two invoices (totaling ~$75/mo.): the phone / answering machine wifi line via autopay where AT&T sends the expense ~@$25 to our credit card. A separate invoice comes to the Center mailbox for the AT&T Uverse bill. I mail them a check each month @$50+.

    Credit Card – The payee is “Business Card,” and BofA is our vendor. We always pay off the prior month’s balance, whatever that may be, according to the invoice received around the 20th each month. We write them a check.

    If or when a card gets hacked and we need to replace the number, contact AT&T (1-800-331-0500) to update the autopay and have them charge us over the phone for any retroactive costs, if applicable. After several years of zero problems with hackers, in 2017 we were hacked three times on the credit card and once on the debit card, and BofA took care of all of it. NOTE: We will change this so that our bank account is debited directly.

    AutoPay – Because of the multiple hacks to our credit card, we switched over to having AT&T phone (as opposed to Uverse) paid via automatic withdrawal from our bank account. This charge is generally under $30/mo.

    Copyland – We have an account and we like paying these very helpful locals. If someone at the Center needs something copied, we either do it or send them off to Paul at Copyland. While the normal bill is under $50, we have paid over $300 when there is a program cost, or new or revised chant book, etc.

  6. Pay periodic expenses including:Shambhala International – Via credit card, we pay Shambhala International for on-line hookups for Shambhala Day, Harvest of Peace, and pre-recorded “Shambhala Online” programs. Patti handles most of these charges.

    We pay Vajradhatu Office – Kalapa Media (formally Shambhala Media?) for the purchase of “things.” We purchase in-house published books, and Shambhala Day membership and Council pins, and practice calendars. We pay an “International Transaction Fees” @3% on these purchases. NOTE: The emailed invoices printed out after finishing these on-line transactions generally overstate the cost showing up on the next credit card statement. Either Halifax is over-estimating the transaction fee from our credit card company, or over-estimating the shipping costs, or subsequently giving DSMC a discount since we are a Shambhala Center (sometimes we don’t end up paying for shipping). Or maybe it has to do with Canadian vs. US dollar exchange rates.

    NorCal Shambhala – DSMC pays a $350 monthly amount via autopay to NorCal Shambhala. Shelley controls this transaction. Payments made to Shambhala International are then paid by NorCal.

    Penguin Random House, LLC – We have an account (#2318050000) with Penguin as they are the distributors of Shambhala Publications and many other publishers. To keep the bookstore and library fed, and to handle requests from teachers about to host a class that has required or suggested reading, we order over the phone (1-800-733-3000) the book’s ISBN, or lacking that, the book’s title and author. At the end of the call, the operator gives us a confirmation number and mails the books the bursar’s house, and sends the invoice to that same address for payment via check.

    Penguin’s expenses are more than covered by book sale revenues over time since we pay them half the suggested retail price. In contrast, Shambhala Media and some other Sakyong books cost the full retail price.

    U.S. Postal Service – We mail a few newsletters each month and the occasional package. This is the one expense when the bursar uses the Center’s debit card, as he refuses to cave to their requirement that he sign the back of the Center’s credit card. USPS does not care about IDs when someone uses a debit card.

    Program expenses – Always at the request of the Program Coordinator, the bursar pays expenses such as advances, stipends, registrant refunds, and expense reimbursements. Also, sometimes, DSMC shares expenses with another Center that requires writing a check when the other Center paid the original expense.

    Scholarships – Occasionally, the Council will approve a distribution from the Scholarship Fund so that a member can attend a program off-site. These must be documented in Council meeting minutes for audit purposes.

    Key deposit refunds – Since 2015, we keep track of all keys distributed to members. When someone returns a key, we refund that person’s key deposit of $50 or whatever was negotiated at the time of distribution. The log (lime green folder) sits alongside the wooden box of keys in the Library’s middle cabinet. The electronic version of the log is kept by Fernando Fierro as he is the Membership Coordinator. There are plans to store a copy ibn the cloud.

    Reimbursements – Anyone at the Center might hand the bursar a receipt or invoice for reimbursement for anything. The bursar should carry blank checks in one’s wallet to be able to reimburse on the spot. Your Sangha comrade really appreciates being paid immediately, if that’s at all possible. Retain all receipts by calendar year to document the monthly email of disbursements to Shelley, the Center Director, the A/R and Registrar volunteers.

  7. Take inventory and purchase things – Things run out, including: lamp oil, matches, incense, name tags, pens, and yellow stickies, etc. These expenses can be paid via credit or debit card by the Center Director or bursar, or we will reimburse the purchaser via check upon presentation of receipts to the bursar.Note that the morning meditators group retains their own small fund. In addition to buying their breakfast staples, the morning group generally purchases out of their funds the paper towels, kleenix, tea, coffee, coffee filters, cough drops, toasters, coffee pots, hot water kettles, etc. as this group is the prime user of all these items.
  8. Other Expenses – Other non-routine expense items might include paying Shambhala Publications, Inc. for rights to re-broadcast Ani Pema’s Yarne programs; a shrine object needs replacing or upgrading; getting the front door re-keyed or fixed; purchasing window blinds, etc., etc. . . .
  9. Documentation – The bursar sends a monthly email to the Comptroller documenting all expenses for the prior month. For each transaction, include the check number, date, payee name, purpose for the expense, amount, and a reference number pointing the way to all supporting documents. Lastly, identify any known issues for her attention and cc: the Center Director, Accounts Receivable and Program Accounting/Registrar volunteers.All transactions in the email should be documented (in my case, documentation is stored in a three-ring binder) and also in the check register (also stored in the three-ring binder). The three-ring binder and all blank check stock not in possession of the Comptroller sit on the bursar’s man-cave in the closet’s middle shelf.