THE ALLIANCE AGAINST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

"A one-time investment that sets you up for success"

For over 40 years, the mission of the Alliance Against Domestic Violence in Chaffee County, Colo., has been to empower individuals beyond domestic and sexual violence through education, services and social change. With offices in Buena Vista and Salida, The Alliance’s advocates offer a 24/7 crisis line and safety planning, advocacy with court processes and protection orders, short-term housing for victims in danger, assistance with rent and utilities, a weekly support group with a therapist, medical care with forensic nurse examiners, and referrals to other community partners.

The Alliance’s Treasurer was familiar with YPTC from her previous experience as CFO for a large nonprofit in Washington, D.C., and recommended YPTC’s services so the Alliance could continue to grow and professionalize. “We’ve been in existence for 42 years and have developed a solid reputation in our community,” explains Shelley Schreiner, Executive Director, “but we were still in a grassroots mentality of a tiny nonprofit when, in fact, our budget had just broken the $1,000,000 mark. Our accounting needs were expanding pretty rapidly and dramatically and we were using clunky, dysfunctional systems that had been cobbled together.”

In addition, the Alliance faces the challenge of getting most of its funding from burdensome federal grants, which have been drying up, necessitating a search for private grants. “I don’t have a finance, accounting or bookkeeping background,” Schreiner notes. “Even though I could hire a staff person to manage these grants I wouldn’t be able to teach her what to do.”

The Alliance reached out to YPTC. “It’s been amazing. The amount of work that has been completed in a short period of time is staggering,” she says. The books were cleaned up, the chart of accounts was updated to better reflect the budget and functional expenses, and the financial reports were streamlined.

“I am so delighted. It just makes staff retention so much easier,” Schreiner adds. I don’t have to worry about people getting frustrated and quitting because the systems aren’t working.”

Schreiner heartily advises other small nonprofits that while the cost of engaging YPTC might seem unaffordable, “It’s really worth the investment. When your financials are in order and you understand them it opens you up to new funding opportunities. YPTC is a one-time investment that sets you up for success. I think it’s completely worth it.”