Healthy Moms & Babes considers itself “a relational agency” – staff members at the Cincinnati not-for-profit get to know intimate details of mothers’ lives and often must have difficult conversations with them.
“At times like that, it helps to have a little bit of a relationship there, a trust,” said the organization’s then-president & CEO.
So when Healthy Moms & Babes had to find a new accounting firm, they were drawn to Barnes Dennig in large part because they sensed the same passion for building relationships, instead of simply billing hours.
The challenge
With 18 employees and a modest budget, Healthy Moms & Babes has been serving at-risk women and children in Greater Cincinnati for over 25 years, working to create a future where all babies in the area are born healthy to healthy moms into a community that helps them thrive.
For most of its history, the organization operated under the umbrella of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. In July 2009, Healthy Moms & Babes became a separate entity, which meant greater filing requirements but the same financial constraints.
The strategy
Healthy Moms & Babes had been working with a small accounting firm, but the organization’s leadership didn’t believe that firm would be able to provide the more complex guidance they would need as they grew. After an intensive search, the non-profit’s team interviewed three firms and quickly settled on Barnes Dennig.
“I know Barnes Dennig is big and they’re well-known and they’re pretty influential, but they’re willing to work with small and medium non-profits,” said the organization’s then-president and CEO Kay Brogle, “and I feel like we’re just as important as a big contract they might have, with 500 employees and a $10 million budget.”
The results
Since hiring Barnes Dennig, Healthy Moms & Babes’ audit and accounting needs have grown as its leadership anticipated, and say they’ve found considerable value in having advisors who know their mission, their organization, and their people.
“It was a major learning experience,” Brogle said. “It’s like we’re growing together, and it’s nice to have an auditing firm that is willing to have that type of relationship. There is a very strong mutual respect there.”
The Barnes Dennig team agrees. Barnes Dennig Director Harold Kremer says “There’s a real feel-good aspect to it – they do great work, they help people who need it, and they’re responsible with their donors’ dollars. We think it’s a neat place to work. We like being part of what they do.”
Once the organization was recognized as an independent entity under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and had to file additional paperwork, Healthy Moms & Babes immediately asked Barnes Dennig to handle that work, as well.
“It’s one of those relationships where you want to give them all the business you can,” said the organization’s business manager. “It has been such a great experience. I’ve never gone to them with a question that they didn’t get back to me right away with a good answer or a resource.”
About Healthy Moms & Babes
Healthy Moms and Babes ensures that women and children have access to needed services through the use of mobile units and home visits. Focusing on the individual, Healthy Moms and Babes commits to helping the community’s most vulnerable women achieve successful pregnancies, thriving babies, enhanced parenting skills, expanded understanding of personal health, and progress toward self-sufficiency. Learn more at the Healthy Moms & Babes website.