Shela Ecobiza, BSN, RNBC, Treasurer of Metro Houston and SCR representative to the BaFC stated, “As a new member of PNAA Budget and Finance Committee and my first membership to a committee in the national level, it (BaFC) gave me a better understanding about the financial stability of the organization. There is a transparency in the disbursement of the budget. It gave me a better appreciation of the importance of our membership dues. What impressed me the most is that the committee is very active in assisting local chapters in financial facet of hosting a conference.” This year, BAFC Members Elsie Enriquez-Maerina, Marley Nicolas and Fe Praiswater reviewed the income and expense report of the regional, national and internation- al conferences and identified several improvement opportunities, which include using the financial report template provided to host chapters. Janet Paguigan, BSN, Treasurer of Cincinatti/Northern Kentucky chapter and NCR’s representative to the committee added, “As a new member in a national committee and coming from a new chapter (PNA Cin-NKy), I now understand how the financial budget is being allocated and what are the important roles of the BaFC to the PNAA. I know there is much to learn about establishing a stable fi- nancial budget for our chapter and how to deal with financial issues. I am excited to be a part of the BaFC be- cause I know I can learn more from the most experienced mentors.” The enthusiasm of the new members in sharing their local chapter experiences gave this committee a brand new outlook and a much greater sensi- tivity to the needs of the members of the association especially around our fiduciary responsibility. 
 

While PNAA remains financially stable and viable, the question most members asked at the national and local level is about their membership dues and how it is spent. For the year 2014, membership income, which accounts for 54% of the total PNAA income, is dedicated towards projects and initiatives that bring val- ue to the members and PNAA as an association. The funding allocation and proceeds, by which the fund is distributed, will make a member proud to be part of the association. For example, awards and scholarship budget allocation for 2014 was the highest amount dispersed during the last five years, in which PNAA mem- bers receive CARE Excellence Award and PNAA Scholarship and Leadership Scholarship program. PNAA also sponsored Filipino nurses for the Curriculum Concurrency project in the Western Region. 
 

Major projects comprise the majority of the expenditures for 2014. These are the expenses incurred by the association for education, meetings, conferences and committee projects and initiatives. Majority of the speakers for the International, National Convention and Regional conferences were paid for by PNAA. In 2014, two issues of the journal (TPNAAJ) and four editions of the PNAA newsletter (Inside Edition) were dis- tributed to members. Additional budget was also assigned to the Sunshine and Bereavement initiative for this year.

Members also would like to know how the dues are safe guarded by the Treasurer and members of the Finance and Budget Committee. Decisions made are collaborative and involves all members of the com- mittee and the PNAA EB. There are policies, procedures and guidelines that govern their decision-making. This year the Sunshine and Bereavement Policy was added and is used by some chapters as a resource mate- rial in developing their local chapter’s guideline. There were eight recipients of PNAA’s Sunshine and Be- reavement Fund for 2014. With the assistance of Grace Diaz-Font and Marley Nicolas, co-chairs of Sunshine and Bereavement Fund Committee, PNAA was able to reach out to members in a timely basis. Elsie Enriquez- Maerina also suggested a Needs Assessment Survey of our local treasurers. She developed the survey ques- tions, which will be distributed to chapter Treasurers via Survey Monkey in April. A webinar for the Circle of Treasurers and interested Executive Board Members is planned in May 2015. Topics will include Budget Plan- ning and Approval Process, Conference and Convention Hosting and Our Fiduciary Responsibilities: What Board of Directors Need to Know. Results of the Needs Assessment Survey will be analyzed to isolate future webinar topics that are important for the Treasurers and Members.

The goal of the current administration is for membership recruitment and retention. Like Shela fur- ther stated, “Being a local treasurer, membership committee is considered one of the generating income committees that makes the organization afloat. With the yearly membership dues, we can provide different educational activities that are relevant to our professional development and networking. It assists any under- takings that will benefit the members and the community”. Therefore, the BaFC team took a logical approach to show members the importance of PNAA membership by articulating PNAA expenditures that add value to PNAA and are subsequently earned by PNAA members. Each dollar amount of membership dues is spent wisely. The efficient use of PNAA funds are shown in details in the succeeding illustrations, Figure I, II, III. Moving forward, the BaFC team is geared to bring the PNAA membership and the local chapter closer to the events at the national and regional levels. This is made possible by the continued support received by PNAA from its members and officers who continue to Lead, Empower and Transform! Let’s do it!!!