Finance for Synods

Synod treasurers, administrators and bookkeepers:

This information is for you to use in fulfilling each synod’s responsibilities for financial reporting to the ELCA Churchwide Organization and remittance of funds for the ministries we share together across our church.

Each synod has responsibility for four primary financial communications with the ELCA Churchwide Organization:

• Mission Support Intents. At least once per year, synods are asked to submit their Mission Support Intent Form to the churchwide Mission Support Team. Revisions to Mission Support sharing should be submitted using the Mission Support Intent Revision Form.

Please send requests for either the Synod Mission Support Intent or Synod Mission Support Intent Revision forms to the Mission Support Team to: MissionSupport@elca.org.

• 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. Please email your annual operating budgets and year-end results to the Office of the Treasurer, OTinfo@elca.org.
• Audited financial statements. Synods are required to provide the Office of the Treasurer with their audited financial statements on an annual basis. Please email your audited financial statements to ELCA Office of the Treasurer, OTinfo@elca.org.
• Synod Monthly Remittances. The following resources have been developed to help synods make monthly remittances to the churchwide organization:
• Synod Remittance Advice System (SRAS)
• Synod Remittance Advice Manual
• ACH Withdrawal Form

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 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.

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.