Member Benefits

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Welcome to the premier organization of government finance professionals in Michigan.
Our goal is to promote excellence in government finance.

Established in 1938, the Michigan Government Finance Officers Association (MGFOA) mission is to unite finance professionals for the purpose of providing effective and professional financial management of public entity resources; to promote and support the professional development of its members; and, in partnership with other organizations, collaborate to promote the use of financial and governance best practices in the management of Michigan public entities.

MGFOA is proud to be affiliated with the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA).

Benefits of Membership

  • High quality educational programs in public finance at affordable cost;
  • Analysis of pending legislation and updates on new public acts impacting governmental units;
  • Information on new federal and state regulations impacting local government finance;
  • Details on newly proposed accounting standards and implementation guidance on all existing standards;
  • News on technological advances and collaborative initiatives in the public sector;
  • Opportunity to interact with other public finance professionals throughout the State of Michigan;
  • Multitude of professional and social interaction opportunities.

Our Members:
MGFOA Public Sector members are practitioners in all areas of finance in state and local government. Associate members are CPA's, bankers, brokers, consultants, lawyers, educators and others concerned with local government finance and committed to promoting the objectives of MGFOA. MGFOA averages over 600 members representing nearly 500 communities.

Opportunities to Interact and Learn from other Members:

Mentoring
Under the MGFOA mentoring program, each new member is assigned an experienced member to become a resource of information about the organization and best practices in the profession.

Committees
Active participation in the Association is afforded through the following Standing Committees, which members are encouraged to join:

  • Mentoring and Membership Committee
  • Professional Development Committee
  • Accounting Standards Committee
  • Strategic Planning Committee
  • Legislative Committee
  • Technology Resource Committee

Education

The following cost effective continuing education opportunities are available throughout the year:

  • The annual one-day Spring Seminar
  • The annual three-day Fall Training Institute
  • Introduction to Public Finance (half-day session preceding Spring Seminar)
  • Back-to-Basics (a package of three one-day seminars) covering:
    • Fundamental Elements of Governmental Accounting
    • Governmental Budgeting
    • Public Financial Statements
  • Advanced Governmental Finance (a package of four one-day seminars covering topics targeted by the GFOA Certified Public Finance Officer Program), including:
    • Governmental Accounting, Auditing and Financial Reporting
    • Cash Management and Investments
    • Operating and Capital Budgeting
    • Capital Planning and Debt Management
  • Other current topics

Webinars
MGFOA partners with the Michigan Association of Certified Public Accountants (MICPA) to host webinars on a periodic basis.

  • Check the Calendar of Events for dates and times.
  • The recordings of these webinars are available within the Members Only section of the MGFOA website.
  • Once purchased, members will have unlimited access to the recordings as long as they are a current member.

Fall Institute Scholarships
In addition, MGFOA provides scholarships through an application process to help defray the cost of attending the annual Fall Institute.

MGFOA Website
A wealth of information is available on the MGFOA website, including:

  • Easily accessible news and updates conveniently located on the front page of the site;
  • An upcoming events calendar conveniently located on the front page of the site;
  • Contact information for our board and Executive Director
  • A link to Policies & Procedures for Key Financial Functions developed by the MGFOA Accounting Standards Committee is contained within the Members Only Resources section of the website and covers key financial functions including:
    • Budgeting
    • Fund Balance
    • Capital Assets
    • Grants Management
    • Investments
    • Debt Management
    • Payroll
    • Ethics
    • Purchasing
    • Financial Reporting
  • Helpful links to State agencies and other professional associations

Online Forums
A variety of online forum topics are housed within the Members Only section of the MGFOA website. These forums allow our members to:

  • Keep up with changes in accounting and legislation;
  • Discuss, learn from and share best practices with fellow MGFOA members;
  • Ask questions and participate in discussions based around topics that are relevant to your career interests and needs

Job Board
Members are welcome to review active job postings as well as submit job openings.

Professional and Social Interaction Opportunities:

  • Front Porch Forum - ‘Forum’ is defined as a public meeting place for open discussion or voicing of ideas. Held each quarter; the purpose of the Front Porch Forum is to bring together our Finance Directors and Finance Managers to engage in executive level discussions regarding local government finance, management and leadership.
  • Networking Events. The Board of Directors creates an annual event to encourage networking and socializing. Again, this is a good forum for interchange of ideas.
  • Michigan Reception - Michigan Reception is held each year at the national GFOA convention, usually held on Sunday. It’s a chance for the Michigan delegation to get together, relax and get to know each other better, while enjoying an interesting setting in the host city.