Being Good Stewards of God’s Resources

This post was written by Dave Helman, CFO of CURE International. 

You may be surprised to know that—even as a CPA—the daily discipline of maintaining proper accounting records and standards isn’t always the never-ending thrill ride you might expect it to be. Don’t get me wrong! Numbers are, in fact, quite fun. And I’ve always wondered why everyone else doesn’t seem to get as excited as I do by a good ole spreadsheet or analysis. To each their own, I guess.

At CURE International, we have the amazing privilege of seeing God perform miracles every day. You probably know about CURE if you are reading this, but if you don’t, check out cure.org/curekids and pick a story—any story—and you’ll see how God is working.

As I prepare financial statements, review budgets, process checks, and perform any number of other “non-thrilling” tasks, I’m truly thankful that I get to play a small role in the lives of these kids and their families. I take the responsibility of managing the gifts that are so generously given to CURE very seriously. CURE has been a member of the ECFA (Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability) for more than 18 years. Recently, we had the opportunity to have an ECFA onsite review performed. This review resulted in CURE being found to be in full compliance with the ECFA Seven Standards of Responsible Stewardship. CURE is also a platinum-level Guidestar participant and has received a four-star rating from Charity Navigator, which indicates that “CURE exceeds industry standards and outperforms most charities in its cause.” Additionally, CURE has an annual, independent audit performed that can be viewed on our website. We strive to maintain a high-program expense percentage in order to maximize the impact of each dollar that CURE receives.

We are grateful for these acknowledgements. We have taken many steps to ensure we are being good stewards of CURE’s resources. CURE is also committed to continuing to improve in our financial management and to being transparent with our partners and friends. If you have questions about CURE’s finances and our financial accountability, feel free to reach out to me directly: [email protected].

As we know, “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” Hebrews 12:11. The daily discipline involved in managing finances isn’t always pleasant, but we are seeing the harvest that results in the faces of the kids that we get to meet everyday. Thank you for your support and for the impact that your gift makes in lives of those we serve!

Pictured above: Tori, Bridget, and Kristen from our Advancement & Donor Support teams with symbols of some of our financial accountability achievements.