Local Training Program Resources

DOWNLOAD THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO CENTRALIZED ACCOUNTING HERE

Special Olympics Louisiana, Inc. (SOLA) is an accredited state program of Special Olympics, Inc. (SOI). It is the only legal entity authorized by SOI and recognized by the State of Louisiana to administer the Special Olympics Program throughout Louisiana.  SOLA is a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation, as determined by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Louisiana Secretary of State.

The Board of Directors governs the organization and has all fiduciary responsibilities, including fundraising and financial management.  The Board of Directors also has the responsibility of employing the President/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the organization, who is responsible for managing the organization.
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Financial management is among the numerous topics of organizational management.  This single function is imperative because SOLA raises and spends hundreds of thousands of dollars each year to carry out the Special Olympics mission.  These funds must be accounted for in an accurate, prudent, and professional manner to assure all donor funds contributed to the organization are being used appropriately.

For the benefit of the grassroots nature of the organization, a Centralized Accounting Program exists.  Simply put, the Centralized Accounting Program manages all funds raised and spent at the State and LTP level in the name of Special Olympics Louisiana, Inc.  LTPs are required to turn over all financial activity, including donations received and monies expensed, to the SOLA State Office.  LTPs are prohibited from having any banking or credit relations in the name of Special Olympics Louisiana, Inc. or under its tax identification number.  In addition, contracts and agreements may only be authorized and signed by the President/CEO. 

As a condition of maintaining accreditation with SOI, SOLA must ensure that its LTPs conduct their affairs by financial management and reporting standards that are acceptable to SOI, the IRS, and the Louisiana Secretary of State.  Based on the Special Olympics General Rules, SOLA requires that all funds raised in the name of Special Olympics, in the State of Louisiana, be deposited into an authorized bank account opened and maintained solely by Special Olympics Louisiana, Inc.  It is the responsibility of the SOLA State Office staff to account for all funds in these accounts.  Additionally, LTPs are not required to prepare financial statements to report and summarize their transactions; however, LTPs are expected to maintain and provide supporting documentation, which must accompany all payment requests, credit card charges, and deposits submitted to the SOLA State Office.

The disbursement of funds is carried out through its authorized employees for payment of appropriate and approved SOLA expenses.  The Centralized Accounting Program practices allow SOLA to meet SOI, IRS, and Louisiana Secretary of State requirements of providing comprehensive financial data about the organization.  Additionally, SOLA is required, on an annual basis, to have an independent financial audit so that each year’s financial management processes are reviewed for accuracy, dependability, controls, and accountability.  

DOWNLOAD THE BUDGET TEMPLATE HERE

​The process of establishing a budget is very important for the financial success of each LTP and is a mandatory piece of the LTP Accreditation process.  It is important to plan your expenses for the upcoming year to understand the amount of fundraising that needs to be achieved to execute all the activities you have planned.  As a general rule, the total amount of your expenses should not exceed the amount of revenue that you can generate.

During the year, it is important to regularly compare your budget to the actual expenses and revenue to make sure your LTP will be able to meet its budgetary requirements.  If expenses are over budget, the LTP will need to either plan for more fundraising efforts or cut back on expenses in order not to exceed your revenue. 

At times, an approved LTP budget may have a net surplus planned for the year. This is important as SOLA makes progress toward increasing its cash reserves which are SOLA’s safety net for any future periods of economic downturn.

Funds raised by LTPs remain available for use by LTPs in subsequent years.  This means that while LTPs are asked to create a balanced budget each year, funds raised and not spent in prior years remain restricted for future use should unexpected expenses or a downfall in anticipated revenue occurs.  LTPs should not rely on the prior year’s funding as their sole source of revenue.

LTPs who have excess funds have the option at any time to request that a portion of those funds be shared with other LTPs or the State Office to offset other expenses.
State Office will deduct certain fees from LTP accounts for things such as games registration fees, supplies ordered by State Office for use by LTPs, etc.

IMPORTANT REMINDER
All fundraising events and activities not included in your approved annual budget must receive prior approval from the SOLA President/CEO.  

Reasonable and Customary Athlete and Team Expenses

The following guide to expenses should be considered when preparing your budget. 

• Facility Rentals – This budget category includes gym rentals, bowling fees, greens fees, track rentals, swimming pool rentals, etc.  As a reminder, athletes should be practicing a minimum of 8 weeks and a maximum of 16 weeks per sport. Facility rentals for practices will only be reimbursed with the understanding that the LTP will, at a minimum, participate in a SOLA competition at the local community level, area level, qualifier, invitational, or state level in the same sport season. Training costs are only covered from the start date of the sports season to the conclusion of the sports season which is the last competition event scheduled for the sport (season-ending tournament, typically state level).
• Storage – If the LTP requires a storage unit to safely and securely store the sports equipment, uniforms, etc., the unit MUST be rented in the name of Special Olympics Louisiana, and SOLA MUST be provided the combination or key lock. SOLA staff must also be listed on the unit lease.  If these conditions are not met, SOLA will withhold payment on the unit until remedied.
• Transportation – May include rental of school buses, motorcoaches (motorcoaches may only be rented if you are traveling more than 150 miles and with prior approval from the state office), or vans (15 passenger vans are prohibited to and from sanctioned SOLA events). Travel expenditures including gas and tolls will be reimbursed for the above vehicles with a detailed receipt. Coaches and volunteers using their vehicles can deduct mileage and tolls from their annual taxes (the 2022 IRS standard is 14 cents per mile).
• Uniforms – Special Olympics Louisiana has provided a list of approved uniform items for 2023. Only necessary and required uniform items will be approved. Athletes and Unified Partners will retain some responsibility for acquiring uniform items that are considered “personal” in nature, i.e. practice bathing suits, socks, golf clubs, tennis rackets, etc. Uniforms for coaches (polos, etc) will only be provided on a 5:1 athlete/coach ratio. See the detailed breakdown for all sports below.
• Coaches Appreciation – LTPs may show coaches appreciation with an end-of-the-year gift not to exceed $25 per coach at a 5:1 ratio. This should include the cost for them at an end-of-year banquet/party if applicable.
• Meals
  • Meals may be reimbursed with a detailed receipt for teams traveling to/from a season-ending tournament (typically a state-level event) when not provided by SOLA and should not exceed $15 per athlete and coach. Meals for local community events, area meets, qualifiers and invitationals are not approved budget items.
  • Team banquets can be held at the end of the season only, limited to 2 per year, and cannot exceed a $15 allowance per registered athlete in that season. For example, you have a track and field team that has 10 athletes training and competing within the SOLA season of track between April and June. The allowance for the end-of-season celebration would be $150.00.
  • Team snacks (for practice and competition) are not approved budget items.
• Awards – Awards, except ribbons, are not approved expenses. All ribbons must be purchased through SOLA.  Prices are provided below.
• Supplies – Supplies include any other necessary items to support the LTP in training and competition. Some examples include; photocopies, mailings, clipboards, tape, cones, stopwatches, whistles, pinnies, water coolers, and small shade tents.
• Technology – SOLA will no longer reimburse LTPs for any technology expenses such as hosting or creating websites, computers, and printers, but we will cover ink and paper (a complete list can be found under sport and general equipment).  Special Olympics Louisiana provides a Games Management Software (GMS) program to be used at local events. Using GMS for your LTP is required. It allows for appropriate documentation of local or area game results and proper divisions at state games.  Contact SOLA at info@specialolympicsla.org for directions on how to download GMS onto your computer or for a tutorial on how to navigate and use GMS.  SOLA funds will not be used to purchase laptops, phones, printers, or other technology items for LTPs moving forward.

Sport-Specific Uniforms (Athletes, Unified Partners)

The following uniform items are approved purchases for Athletes and Unified Partners according to the LTP’s approved budget. All uniforms that are purchased by the LTP must follow the current Special Olympics Branding Guidelines.

Uniforms purchased with LTP monies are the property of the LTP and SOLA. We strongly recommend that the LTP collect all uniforms at the end of each season.  All uniforms should be used for 3 years. 

• General Wear – hat (wool or baseball), warm up, small duffle bag or cinch bag
• Aquatics – team swimsuit, swim cap, towel, t-shirt (max 2), gym shorts (max 2)
• Basketball – light/dark numbered jersey or t-shirt, matching shorts (no pockets)
• Bocce – collared shirt, gym shorts (if the program competes in khakis, then the athlete must provide)
• Bowling–collared shirt
• Equestrian – English style: collared white shirt; Western-style: cowboy hat, riding chaps
• Flag Football – light/dark numbered jersey or t-shirt, matching pants/shorts (no pockets)
• Golf – collared shirt, golf hat
• Power Lifting – singlet or t-shirt, gym shorts
• Softball – light/dark numbered jersey or t-shirt, matching shorts/pants (no pockets), team hat
• Tennis – collared shirt, gym shorts (if the program competes in khakis, then the athlete must provide)
• Track & Field – jersey or t-shirt, gym shorts
• Volleyball – light/dark numbered jersey or t-shirt, matching shorts

Programs may purchase the following gear for coaches at a 5:1 (athlete to coach) ratio. All uniforms must follow the current Special Olympics Branding Guidelines.
Only one polo per coach per year is allowed. If a coach participates in multiple sports throughout the year with a program, he/she is to receive only one outfit per year and not one per sport.

​General Equipment
Programs may budget for and purchase the following general equipment to use for practices. This equipment is intended to be used year-round and for multiple sports. Before purchasing, check with SOLA as we may have extra on hand in our current inventory which we can provide to LTPs.  Likewise, we occasionally have grant funding available for equipment purchases that can be used to provide for LTPs.
All equipment listed below which is purchased by the LTP is property of Special Olympics Louisiana. This equipment must be returned to the LTP at the end of the sports season and is not for the coach, athlete, or partner to keep.

• Bug spray
• Clipboards
• Cones or Disc Cones (8 inches to 1 foot)
• First Aid Kits
• Hand Air Pump
• LTP banner
• Marking Paint
• Marking Tape
• Pens & Pencils
• Photocopy Reimbursement
• Pinnies
• Plastic Bins to Properly Store Equipment
• Pop-up Tents
• Stopwatches
• Sunscreen
• Tape Measures
• Water Coolers
• Whistles

Sport Specific Equipment

The following equipment items are approved purchases for local programs. Before purchasing, check with SOLA as we may have extra on hand in our current inventory which we can provide to LTPs. Likewise, we occasionally have grant funding available for equipment purchases that can be used to provide for LTPs.

All equipment listed below which is purchased by the LTP is property of Special Olympics Louisiana.  This equipment must be returned to the LTP at the end of the sports season and is not for the coach, athlete, or partner to keep. 

• Aquatics
  • Kickboards (as needed)
  • Flotation devices (as needed)

• Basketball
  • 1 basketball for every two athletes/partners
  • Ball carrying bag

• Bocce
  • 1 bocce set for every four athletes/partners

• Flag Football
  • Footballs
  • Tri flag belt

• Golf
  • Golf tees – 1 dozen per year for each term or athlete
  • Golf balls – 1 dozen per year for each team or athlete

• Softball
  • Batting helmets
  • Equipment bag
  • Scorebooks
  • T-Ball stands – 1 per team
  • Softballs
  • Iron rake
  • Broom
  • Catchers equipment – 1 set per team
    • Helmet and masks
    • Chest protector
    • Shin guards
  • Wooden bats

• Tennis
  • Tennis balls – 1 case
  • Ball hopper

• Track & Field
  • Shot put
  • Softballs
  • Tennis balls
  • Turbo Javelin
  • Relay Batons
  • Iron rake
  • Broom
  • Starting pistol – 1 per program

• Volleyball
  • Volleyballs – 1 per every two athletes/partners
  • Ball carrying bag

DOWNLOAD THE PAYMENT REQUEST FORM HERE   OR   VISIT THE LTP SELF-SERVICE SITE TO SUBMIT ONLINE

The LTP Expense Approval Form is used to get approval for purchases before they are made.  Each LTP will be provided with its final approved budget once approved by the finance committee and Board of Directors. This budget will include all approved activities and expenses for the upcoming budget year as well as expected revenue to support planned activities.
Unless otherwise notified of budget changes necessitated by the financial trends of the organization, any expense item that is already in your approved budget does not require any additional approval from the SOLA State Office.
When in doubt, check with your SOLA staff representative.
Any expense that is not in your approved budget does require additional approval. Consult with your SOLA staff representative by email. You must provide the following justification for the expense to be considered for approval:

• LTP name
• Name of person requesting the expense
• The estimated cost of the expense
• Vendor name
• Purpose of the expense
• Info regarding the activity related to the expense

Requests for unbudgeted expense approvals will only be accepted from LTP main contacts.  Any request received from anyone other than an LTP main contact will be redirected to the LTP main contact for approval.
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All unbudgeted expenses require the approval of the President/CEO.

• SOLA’s policy regarding local program websites:
  • Accredited sub-programs are not allowed to have external websites of any kind, including but not limited to general program websites, sport-specific websites, GoFundMe, or additional online fundraising pages or event websites.
  • Sub-programs may have pages housed within parks and recreation websites if the program is run through local Parks and Recreation departments.

DOWNLOAD THE PAYMENT REQUEST FORM HERE   OR   VISIT THE LTP SELF-SERVICE SITE TO SUBMIT ONLINE

The LTP Payment Request Form is used to request payment for allowable expenses incurred by the LTP.  This form must be completed by the LTP main contact or designated finance/accounting volunteer and be accompanied by supporting documentation, such as a receipt or invoice.  Requests must be submitted in a timely fashion to ensure that payment is remitted according to the vendor’s payment terms and to avoid late charges.  SOLA will not pay expenses from account statements or packing slips issued by vendors due to lacking the required detail for proper review.  All requests must be submitted using the online form.  Paper forms are no longer accepted.
SOLA uses an online vendor (bill.com) to process all payments (expense reimbursements and invoice payments to vendors).  The preferred method of payment is an electronic payment which requires a volunteer, staff, or vendor to provide their bank routing and account number to bill.com’s secure site.  SOLA does not have access to your banking account information at any time.
For extenuating circumstances requiring a quicker turnaround, please contact            info@specialolympicsla.org after submitting the online form. 
Proper supporting documentation must accompany ALL Payment Request submissions.  Any form submitted without supporting documentation, or one that is not filled out completely or correctly, will be returned to the LTP main contact for correction. 
Requests take approximately ten business days to process.  Requests will be paid, in full, provided the LTP has the expense in their approved budget or a plan to raise funds to cover expenses and proper justification has been provided.  If any expense is considered to be an inappropriate use of charity funds, the expense will not be covered.  If you feel an expense may be questionable, contact your SOLA staff representative before incurring the charge. 
For recurring bills (ex: storage unit), a Payment Request Form will only need to be submitted for approval once a year before the first invoice due date and at the beginning of each subsequent year. 

Cash advances are not allowed.

Volunteer Expense Reimbursements
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If a volunteer uses personal funds to pay for an approved program expense, an LTP Payment Request Form (listing the volunteer as the vendor) must be completed.   Forms will only be accepted electronically. Original receipts are not required as long as all invoices and receipts are legible in the electronic copy submitted.  Volunteer expense reimbursements will only be issued by electronic payment within 10 business days of receipt and approval.

FOR AN EXAMPLE OF HOW TO MAKE A DEPOSIT, CLICK HERE.

​LTPs depositing funds into SOLA’s operating account must notate on the deposit slip the following to be credited properly:

• • LTP Name
  • Name of person making the deposit
  • Purpose of nature of the funds being deposited

Use separate deposit slips for different types of funds.  For example, if you have money to deposit from both a Polar Plunge and a trivia night, these should be two separate deposits.
SOLA automatically receives images of all checks and deposit slips used with SOLA’s centralized banking account. There is no need to make copies of deposit slips or checks except for your records.  The only documentation that the SOLA State Office needs to receive is any type of sponsor agreement or other correspondence which includes a donor designation.
Samples of how to correctly fill out a deposit slip can be found in on the resources page of laso.org.  
The LTP main contact or finance designee is responsible for ensuring that all contributions to the LTP are processed by a Class A volunteer with no financial restrictions. 
LTPs must deposit funds into SOLA’s general operating account held by Special Olympics Louisiana.  Deposits should be made within two business days of receiving the funds
SOLA uses check copies for donor source tracking, reconciliation, and the annual audit.  These copies are also used to locate the donor if a check bounces for insufficient funds.  If this occurs, the amount of the check, along with the bank service charge, will be deducted from the LTP who made the original deposit.  If able, the LTP should try to contact the donor to recoup the lost funds. 
Remember, it is important to notate on the deposit slip for which LTP the funds should be allocated, the name of the person making the deposit, and the activity that the funds are related to.  Any unaccounted deposits will be considered donations to the SOLA general fund. 
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IMPORTANT REMINDER
SOLA has one physical address that is reported to the IRS and the Louisiana Secretary of State.  This address is the only address associated with SOLA that is allowed to receive monetary donations.  The use of LTP or personal Post Office boxes or home addresses to accept monetary donations is strictly prohibited according to SOI General Rules and SOLA policy.  If a donor would like to mail a donation in, you must provide them with the SOLA State Office address (46 Louis Prima Drive, Suite A, Covington, LA 70433).  

CLICK HERE FOR THE IN-KIND DONATION RECEIPT

CLICK HERE FOR THE LTP IN-KIND DONATION REPORTING FORM    OR   VISIT THE LTP SELF-SERVICE SITE TO SUBMIT ONLINE

​Every LTP receives support in some form from their community.  This support might be services, goods, or reduced costs for items.  Any donation of services, goods, or funds that are budget-relieving (ex: a 50% discount) is considered an in-kind donation, regardless of its value to the public or organization.  In-kind donations must be the retail value as given by the donor.  All in-kind donations over $500 must be reported to the SOLA State Office periodically using the LTP In-Kind Reporting Form.

While in-kind donations have value, it is sometimes difficult to quantify how much they are worth.  Finding out the worth is important information for the donor, as well as SOLA.  The information is required for the donor to receive a tax deduction for their gift.  The value of the item(s) must match the amount listed on the tax acknowledgment form. 
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A donation of time from a specialist can count as an in-kind donation.  For example, the time that a Medical Doctor who donates his/her time for physicals would be considered an in-kind donation.  The value of this gift is the hourly rate that the specialist would normally be paid for their services multiplied by the number of hours they volunteered.  The hourly value of their time must be obtained from the specialist.  Volunteers who serve in roles that are not related to their profession (ex: Medical Doctor volunteering as a Coach) do not qualify.