Become a GFOA Member

1 Become a GFOA Member RESOURCE | EDUCATOR. FACILITATOR | ADVOCATE. #GFOA Welcome! Thanks for taking the time to learn more about the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) and the benefits of membership. Our mission is to promote excellence in state and local government financial management. We are a resource, an educator, a facilitator, and an advocate for our members nearly 20,000 finance officers across the United States and Canada. These officers work for: Cities, towns, and municipalities County governments School districts, colleges, and universities Special districts and utilities Public employee retirement systems States and provinces Federal agencies Private-sector organizations GFOA also offers student memberships. GFOA works tirelessly to provide our members with best practice information around accounting, auditing, budgeting, capital planning, debt management, financial reporting, pension and benefit administration, and treasury and investment management.

2 Become a GFOA Member to get involved, enhance your skills, improve your profession, and take your career to the next level. Please feel free to contact me at or tweet me Christopher P. Morrill Executive Director/CEO. LEARN MORE Read GFOA's Professional Code of Ethics at 2 Resource | Educator | Facilitator | Advocate Join Your Peers Membership in GFOA comes with benefits that help you advance your career and move your government forward. It also comes with access to a network of nearly 20,000 peers, all working to resolve similar issues and make their governments better. Career Benefits Receive Member discounts on Obtain how-to instruction on publications, training seminars, the a wide range of financial topics annual conference, and GFOA's Enhance your technical skills awards for recognition programs Broaden your knowledge and Direct technical inquiries to GFOA. deepen your expertise professional staff Achieve professional recognition Coordinate efforts with colleagues Annual Student Develop leadership skills Scholarships Network with peers GFOA sponsors five scholarships to recognize and support outstand- Government Benefits ing full- and part-time students Receive relevant and timely who are preparing for a career in content that will enhance your state or local government finance.

3 Job performance More than $90,000 in scholarships is awarded annually. 3. Find Yourself in GFOA. Where GFOA Members Are Located Member 's Specialized Knowledge 59%. of members have a CPA. 47%. of members have an advanced degree MORE THAN. 700. are Certified Public Finance Officers 0 1-50 51-100 101-225 226-350 351-600 (CPFO). OVER 600 (As of ). Areas of Responsibility Accounting | Auditing | Budgeting Capital Planning | Debt Management | Economic Development Financial Reporting | Information Technology | Payroll Purchasing | Revenue Collection | Treasury Management 4 Resource | Educator | Facilitator | Advocate Member Employment Chief Financial Officer (Finance Director) 46%. Comptroller/Controller/ 17%. Accounting Manager Accountant 12%. Analyst (Budget/Management) 8% Individuals Budget Director 7%. interested in government Treasurer 6%. finance as a Chief Executive Officer 4%. (City Manager, Executive Director) profession should pursue GFOA's CPFO designation.

4 The study Where Members Are Working materials and exams are challenging, but they provide a critical framework CITY, TOWN, COUNTY for understanding OR VILLAGE 25% the existing, and 52%. ever-growing, complexity of government finance.. Betsy Schaffer, OTHER SPECIAL SCHOOL STATE/ CPA, CPFO. DISTRICT DISTRICT PROVINCE. 13% 5% 3% Assistant Auditor-Controller, County of Santa Barbara, California HIGHER RETIREMENT. EDUCATION SYSTEM. 1% 1%. The results are from the 2017 GFOA Member survey. #GFOA 5. We Can Be Your Resource Standing Committees GFOA has seven standing commit- tees that advise specific areas of government finance and develop GFOA's public policy positions, recommended practices, and advisories. The standing committees meet twice a year, and are limited to 25 GFOA members each, selected through an application process and appointed by GFOA's president. By formulating new policies, raising professional standards through rec- ommended practices and advisories, and offering technological solutions, these committees provide practical information to GFOA members.

5 Research GFOA conducts ongoing research Publications on implementation of best practices GFOA maintains an extensive inven- in public-sector finance and can tory of books, e-books, guides, and help address specific problems other resources on governmental faced by governments with focused, accounting, auditing, and financial custom research projects. Research reporting; capital finance and debt reports, white papers, and case administration; financial management studies are posted at and and budgeting; public retirement and cover topics such as budgeting, benefits administration; and treasury performance management, and investment management, which long-term financial planning, are available for purchase with healthcare cost-containment, debt Member discounts. management, process improvement, and technology. 6 Resource | Educator | Facilitator | Advocate PLUS! Access to Best Practices GFOA best practices are recognized by finance Technical officers, elected officials, and Advisory Services and other government Technical information, products, leaders as the standard and services are provided to GFOA for excellence in the members and others interested in financial management governmental accounting, auditing, of governments.

6 Financial reporting, and the prepara- Our complimentary tion of state and local government suite of best practices, budget documents. At the heart which are available at of Technical Services' activities , are seven professional recognition covers financial policies, programs, a technical inquiry service, accounting and financial publications, educational materials, reporting, budgeting and and courses written and presented financial planning, capital by staff. planning and economic development, debt Consulting Services management, financial Advisory services for state and local management, pension governments on a variety of topics and benefit administration, are available to GFOA members. and treasury and GFOA is the leading provider of investment management. guidance for local governments on The best practices planning, procuring, and implement- are developed by GFOA. ing technology projects to support Standing Committees, business process improvement.

7 Made up of members recognized by their peers Websites as leaders in the public Visit to search training finance field. GFOA. opportunities, best practices, also provides a number resource centers, and award of resources specifically programs criteria and winners. designed to assist in Access case studies, templates, the implementation and best practice examples of best practices. for school budgeting at For more information or assistance, go to 7. We Can Broaden Your Knowledge Training Programs Certification GFOA offers training events on a The Certified Public Finance Officer host of topics across the country. (CPFO) program was started by They include CPE-accredited GFOA in 1997 to help standardize national training seminars and the core knowledge needed immersion courses, interactive for public finance. Earning the internet training, and web-streaming designation of CPFO provides a events. On-demand e-learning well-recognized credential that opportunities are also available.

8 Verifies participants' knowledge Courses are developed and taught in the main disciplines of govern- by public finance specialists and ment finance. Candidates complete are offered at the beginner, a home-study program and are intermediate, and advanced levels. required to pass examinations on each of five modules (governmental Annual Conference accounting, auditing, and financial Thousands of public finance reporting; operating and capital professionals gather each year budgeting; debt management;. for this three-day conference to treasury and investment manage- share ideas, develop technical and ment; and retirement and benefits, managerial skills, view new prod- risk management, and procurement). ucts, and network with peers from Exams will be offered throughout across the country and around the year. the world. Participants can select concurrent sessions, discussion The CPFO program is governed groups, and preconference training by GFOA's Council on Certification.

9 Seminars to customize their own Technical and administrative educational curriculum. support is provided by the Radford University Governmental and Nonprofit Assistance Center. 8 Resource | Educator | Facilitator | Advocate Joining GFOA was one of the best decisions I. have made in my career. This organization has continuously guided me and has been a part of my governmental accounting foundation from the staff level through my current 50. senior leadership role.. Melinda Gildart, UP TO. CPA, MBA. first-time annual conference Controller, Chicago Board attendee scholarships per state of Education, Illinois or province are awarded to first-time annual conference attendees who are GFOA active government members. ALMOST. 1,700. recipients have been In an era when available awarded the scholarship since time and resources its inception four years ago. continue to be scarce, membership in GFOA. constitutes professional LEARN MORE development with a about this opportunity: purpose.

10 E-mail firstannualconference William Jones City Administrator, Mequon, Wisconsin #GFOA 9. We Help You Stay In Touch Awards for Recognition Member Networking Programs GFOA facilitates several networking Seven award programs are groups focused on different types of sponsored by GFOA to encourage, governments for members to discuss facilitate, and recognize excellence challenges, share lessons learned, in financial reporting, budgeting, and interact with peers. Member and other aspects of financial interest groups include: Alliance for management. More than 6,300 Excellence in School Budgeting, governments participate in the Small Government Forum, Urban award programs each year: Forum, and Utility Forum. Award for Best Practices in Government Finance Community College Budgeting Review Award for Best Practices Government Finance Review (GFR). in School Budgeting is GFOA's bimonthly membership Award for Excellence in magazine. It publishes articles on Government Finance the forefront of the public finance Award for Popular Annual profession and the expanding role Financial Reporting of the government finance officer.