ALA Treasurer Mario M. Gonzalez reports on Fiscal Year 2014 year end budget results

The following statement was issued by ALA Treasurer Mario M. Gonzalez.

Dear colleagues:

I wanted to update you on the year end results for Fiscal Year 2014 as reviewed by the Budget Analysis Review Committee (BARC), Finance and Audit Committee and the Executive Board meetings in October 2014.

While the final audit will be presented at the 2015 Midwinter Meeting, we now have unaudited results for Fiscal Year 2014 (ALA's fiscal year runs from September 1st through August 31st). For the Fiscal Year 2014 , we are showing total ALA revenue exceeding expenses by $1,923,000. This is primarily driven by $2.9 million in expense reductions across the Association and its Divisions.

For the General Fund, which includes membership, conferences, publishing and the ALA offices, we are showing revenue exceeding expenses by $606,000.

This is due to a number of factors, including a strong 2014 Midwinter Meeting and a very strong showing at the 2014 ALA Annual Conference in Las Vegas, as well as expense management in Publishing that allowed that department to achieve its budgeted net revenue goals for the year.

As you are no doubt aware, we entered the year with a cautious outlook, and ALA's management made a number of organizational and operational changes to ensure that expenses would be in line with revenues.

In light of the year end results, and in recognition for the great job that ALA staff has done over the last year, the Executive Board has approved a 2% organizational incentive for staff for 2014. This is in addition to the 2% salary increase that staff is receiving for fiscal year 2015 (which began on September 1, 2014).

I wanted to get these brief highlights to you as soon as the numbers were available. I will be sharing more detailed information with Council, Planning and Budget Assembly and the full Membership at our upcoming 2015 Midwinter Meeting. Budget information can also be further reviewed on the Treasurer's Page on the ALA's website.

Sincerely,

Mario Gonzalez
ALA Treasurer