Non-profit organizations do a lot of good in the community, and Heidi Brauer helps them do it right.
She started out as a part-time accountant at the Federation of Calgary Communities in 1983, and soon saw that the community associations and other non-profits needed help with their books.
“So I started designing courses in bookkeeping for them, geared to community associations, also for gaming, for grant accounting,” she said.
It’s a big job for some little organizations, with grants, gaming income, fees and donations to keep track of, and much of the work done by volunteers.
Heidi started an audit program and started educating community associations on how to follow the laws for non-profit fundraising.
“They have to account for their grant funding,” she said. “Also they do a lot of fund raising like bingos and casinos and this money has to be spent according to approved objectives.”
The Federation now has four full-time auditors who look up to Heidi as a mentor.
“Her knowledge of material for not for profit is beyond anything I've ever worked with, anyone that I've ever worked with. She knows the rules, she knows how to communicate the rules,” said Nancy Murdoch, FCC Auditor.
“When I first came to the Federation things weren't very easy. Actually it was really tough. And there were times when I thought what am I doing, why are we here? And Heidi's attitude of we can do it, we can do anything, made me believe we can,” said Leslie Evans, Executive Director of the FCC.
For all she's done for Calgary community organizations for more than three decades, Heidi Brauer is our Inspiring Albertan this week.
