Finance for Synods

Synod treasurers, administrators and bookkeepers:

This information is for you to use in fulfilling your responsibilities for financial reporting and remittance of funds to the ELCA Office of the Treasurer.

You have the responsibility for four primary financial communications with the churchwide organization:

• Mission Support Intents. Annually synods are asked to submit their Mission Support Intent Form to the Office of the Treasurer by the deadline listed on the form. Revisions to mission support sharing should be submitted using the Mission Support Intent Revision Form. It is preferable that both forms be submitted electronically via email to synodremittance@elca.org.
• Mission Support Intent Form
• Mission Support Intent REVISION Form


• Annual operating budgets and year-end results. Synods are asked to submit annual operating budgets and year-end results to the ELCA Office of the Treasurer. The Synodical Budget/Actual Form provides the data in a consistent format so that trends in synod revenue and expenses can be accurately and fairly compared and analyzed.
• Synodical Budget Submission Form
• Synodical Budget Submission Guidelines


• Audited financial statements. Synods are required to provide the Office of the Treasurer with their audited financial statements on an annual basis.

Please mail audited financial statements to:
ELCA Office of the Treasurer
Attn: ELCA Controller
8765 West Higgins Road
Chicago, IL 60631

 

• Synod Monthly Remittances. The following resources have been developed to help synods make monthly remittances to the churchwide organization:
  • Synod Remittance Advice System
  • Synod Remittance Advice Manual
  • Synod Gift Data Export Tools
  • ACH Withdrawal Form
  • Synod Remittance Advice System Form
  • SRAS Tutorial

  Please mail Synod Remittance payments to:
  ELCA Synod Remittance
  P.O. BOX 71256
  CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60694-1256 

Applications and Tools:

Synod Gift Export Tools for the Synod Remittance Advice System

The following Microsoft Windows-based programs may be used to extract gift data from your synod's accounting software needed for import into the Synod Remittance Advice System:

• ACS Technologies Software - Synods Gift Export Tool for ACS Version 10.x
• ACS Technologies Software - Synods Gift Export Toolfor ACS Version 11.x
  These custom utilities easily extract data from ACS to an electronic Excel file that meets ELCA's electronic Synod Remittance Advice System (SRAS) specifications.
• IconCMO
  This custom utility easily extracts data from IconCMO to an electronic Excel file that meets ELCA's electronic Synod Remittance Advice System (SRAS) specifications.

Authorization for ACH Withdrawal Form
Synods are requested to complete an ACH withdrawal form to streamline the remittance of funds. This form is an Adobe PDF document.

SRA-1 Form (Alternative Option to the SRAS system)
The SRA-1 Form is automatically completed by the SRAS system and is the preferred method of remittance. If a synod is unable to use the SRAS system, the synod may complete and submit the SRA-1 form on its own.

Not sending your remittances electronically?
If you cannot use the Synod Remittance Advice System to submit your remittances electronically; Click here to obtain an Adobe PDF version of the SRA-1 form. This form allows for manual completion only.

ELCA Fund IDs
A quick way to denote a synod's  monthly gift is by using the ELCA Fund IDs Click here to view.

Resources are provided in response to frequently asked questions about best practices. If you have suggestions for additional resources related to financial best practices for synods, please email your questions here.