DALLAS TWP. — Fred Croop, Ed.D., M.B.A., professor of business at Misericordia University, was recently elected to a three-term on the Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations (PANO). His term begins in January.
PANO is a statewide organization that serves and advances the nonprofit sector through advocacy, collaboration, education and other services in order to improve the overall quality of life in Pennsylvania.
Croop has been an advocate for all-volunteer, nonprofit organizations for many years. In 2015, the Department of Business at Misericordia University, under his direction, developed the Internal Controls and Federal Tax Exemption Basics for All-Volunteer Organizations Resource Manual. The manual is available via a free download online for all-volunteer organizations, such as volunteer fire departments, youth recreation leagues, parent teacher organizations, and more. The complete manual is available at www.misericordia.edu/nonprofitcontrols.
He also has been touring the state in recent years, offering informational sessions in collaboration state and local elected officials to outline the importance of developing basic internal accounting controls for all-volunteer organizations in the community, such as volunteer fire departments, ambulance services, youth organizations and more. The presentations focus on nonprofit organizations that do not have employees, where it is more difficult to develop and implement standard internal controls to safeguard finances and assets.
Croop also has been working with representatives of the state Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) to develop a Financial Management Guide for Volunteer Emergency Service Organizations. Once the guide is developed and fully implemented, all-volunteer organizations will be required to follow the best practices outlined in the manual in order to be eligible for grant funding from DCED.
