Interestingly, my online search of policies on the handling of funds turned up a large number of colleges and universities.  Perhaps the higher-education sector has encouraged schools to adopt and publish these policies.  If you’re looking for ideas on money-handling policies, here’s some reading to get you started.  Some of these are going to be overly bureaucratic for a lot of readers (case in point, your organization may not have a “business office”) but they’re still good reading if you need to get started.  How can your organization implement these best practices in a way that is appropriate for your situation?  Remember, as always: what you really need is advice from a professional who can tailor their advice to your organization’s specific situation and needs.

• Northwestern University and The Evergreen State College, among many others, have publicized their policies on the handling of funds.
• In Wilkes County, North Carolina, an incoming athletic director initiated a review of the school district’s cash-handling policies.  I was impressed by the thoroughness and integrity of Chris Skabo’s initiative, especially because it didn’t seem from the article that anything untoward had happened (though of course I don’t know).  The effort sounds laudable to me in any event, but all the more so if it happened not to follow a theft-of-funds incident.  I say kudos to leaders like Skabo who value clarity, transparency and precaution even before a bad incident happens.
• The Evangelical Christian Credit Union offers a helpful guide to funds handling tailored specifically to ministers and houses of worship.
• The court system of the State of Delaware has publicized its own policy on funds handling, for quite a different perspective on the same best practices.
• Ciel Cantoria at Bright Hub has a fine article on the concepts and best practices underlying funds handling.

I know there are many other high-quality resources out there, including many from the Jewish community specifically.  If you’d like to share your organization’s policy on the handling of funds, please let me know in the comments and I’ll be happy to add it!