Society of St. Vincent de Paul

SVA Assists the Society of St. Vincent de Paul with Audit Readiness and Accounting Management

A Mission-Focused Partnership with Financial Clarity

For more than a century, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul — Madison has remained committed to a single, powerful mission: helping neighbors in need. From home visits and food pantries to a charitable pharmacy, housing stabilization, and seven thrift stores, their reach spans across Dane County. Through their many avenues, the organization delivers more than $6 million annually in direct charity.

To keep their financial reporting accurate, timely, and compliant, they rely on a trusted audit partner: SVA.

The Challenge: Complex Operations, Tight Timelines

St. Vincent de Paul - Madison’s fiscal year ends on September 30th, and their board expects to review the audit just ten weeks later at its December meeting. That rapid turnaround requires inventorying retail operations, aligning with nonprofit accounting standards, and compiling detailed financials, all while continuing to serve the community.

“It’s a short time frame,” said Julie Bennett, CEO & Executive Director. “It’s also complicated because as a nonprofit organization that runs thrift stores, we need to do things like inventory, which has its own unique process different than regular retail.”

The Solution: A Responsive, Reliable Audit Team

For over a decade, SVA has partnered with St. Vincent de Paul — Madison to deliver timely audits and tax returns, ensuring the timely and accurate delivery of financial reporting and compliance. Their long-standing relationship reflects SVA’s commitment to quality and consistency in serving the nonprofit sector.

“SVA has been really wonderful to work with in an organization that needs the audit to happen really quickly,” said Bennett. “The SVA team works really closely with our stores and our accounting team to get that done in just a few weeks. They're an amazing team to work with.”

The Results

With SVA’s support, St. Vincent de Paul — Madison has:

• Timely audit completion on a compressed timeline
• Guidance on nonprofit-specific financial processes, like thrift store inventory
• Insight into GAAP compliance and IRS requirements
• Responsive support that empowers confident decision-making

“If someone would ask me why I would do business with SVA, I would say you would have the privilege of working with a team who cares, who will prioritize your needs, and who will make sure that you get right the accountability that is what an audit is meant to be,” says Bennett.