Thank you for your commitment to biblical standards of ministry integrity and accountability. Stories of triumph begin with trust, and the ECFA seal is the gold standard for donors looking for accountable organizations that share their Christian values. We are honored to partner with you as your ministry pursues its Christ-honoring mission.

Now that your organization has achieved ECFA accreditation, you may wonder how to maintain that status. Well, your annual accreditation renewal due date is based on the end of your organization’s fiscal year. It will be January 31 (for fiscal years ending in April–September) or July 31 (for fiscal years ending in October–March). Since you are familiar with ECFA’s Seven Standards of Responsible Stewardship™ and the documents we review, rest assured the process is really quite simple. In fact, it’s as easy as 1-2-3. 

Step 1: Form

Complete your Annual Membership Renewal (AMR) form. You can easily find this by logging in to your organization’s customized ECFA member dashboard. Even better, much of the information will be pre-populated based on our records. Simply make any updates and fill any gaps, and you’re done with Step 1!

Step 2: Fee

We help you find your fee fast at renewal in your dashboard, but you can always check out our most updated fee schedule online at your convenience. Then just submit payment electronically through your dashboard or by mail. Any changes needed based on your church’s attendance or nonprofit’s revenue? No problem! Just let us know and we’ll be glad to help.

Step 3: Financial Statements

You have been through our membership approval process, so the documents we’re looking for at renewal will likely sound familiar. Also, we work to be sure identifying and uploading these statements are as simple as possible on your member dashboard. But please know that questions are welcome. Our friendly and knowledgeable Membership Accountability team is here to help every step of the way. 

Regardless of your organization’s size, we will ask you to upload or in some other way submit financial statements that include:

• A statement of financial position as of the end of the reporting period (also referred to as a balance sheet)
• A statement of activities for the reporting period (also referred to as a statement of revenues and expenses)
• Expenses reported by their functional classification in the statement of activities, a statement of functional expenses, or the notes to the financial statements
• A statement of cash flows for the reporting period
• Accompanying notes to the financial statements

The level of engagement you will need from an independent CPA for these statements depends on your organization’s revenue for the year. If your organization had a total annual revenue of:

• $3 Million or more, then an Audit prepared in conformity with US GAAP/GAAS standards is required.
• $2 Million to $3 Million, then at least a Review prepared on the GAAP, accrual, or modified cash basis is required.
• $2 Million or less, then at least a Compilation prepared on the GAAP, accrual, or modified cash basis is required.

That’s it. You’re done! If we have questions or need additional information, we’ll contact you. And if you have questions, thoughts, or any other matters that come up along the way in the accreditation renewal process, please do not hesitate to contact us.

By the way, we don’t want to just offer you the seal and walk away until it’s time for the next annual accreditation renewal. ECFA offers everyone within your organization access to resources to help them perform their jobs at the highest level. 

Please check out the Knowledge Center, e-Books, webinars, tax guides, and more that are accessible through your member dashboard. Please let us know, too, if other members of your organization’s staff would like to log-in to find these resources. We’re here to help! Our desire is to be an active partner helping your organization maintain a trusted reputation among givers and others in your community so you can focus on reaching the world for Christ.