--- title: "Associations: Keep Your Assets Safe From Embezzlement" id: "16317" type: "post" slug: "associations-keep-your-assets-safe-from-embezzlement" published_at: "2013-03-08T17:22:11+00:00" modified_at: "2026-11-09T19:04:24+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2013/03/08/associations-keep-your-assets-safe-from-embezzlement/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2013/03/08/associations-keep-your-assets-safe-from-embezzlement.md" excerpt: "One association’s embezzlement case, and lessons from a leader who’s been there. Also: An online tool which might help you make the case for diverse panels." taxonomy_category: - "Governance" taxonomy_post_tag: - "asset security" - "AssociationsNow" - "Business" - "embezzlement" - "organization growth" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Association CEO / Executive Director" - "C-Level" - "Executive Team" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Associations: Keep Your Assets Safe From Embezzlement You think it can’t happen to you… until it does. And in the case of one association, it just did. The dangers of embezzlement, and more, in today’s Lunchtime Links: **Caught redhanded:** Has your association ever caught an employee or someone else stealing funds? It’s not unheard-of. On Monday, an employee of a company that processes checks for the Democratic Governors Association was arrested after allegedly [stealing $274,000 from the group over a two-year period (opens in a new tab)](http://www.politico.com/story/2013/03/274k-stolen-from-democratic-governors-association-report-says-88616.html) . As it turns out, Wes Trochlil of Effective Database Management [dealt with a similar situation (opens in a new tab)](http://www.effectivedatabase.com/are-you-a-control-freak) roughly two decades ago, and he shared his story earlier today—and the lessons he learned. “Every organization, regardless of size, regardless of culture, and regardless of perceived staff loyalty, is susceptible to staff embezzlement,” he writes. How do you secure your association’s assets? **Considering diversity in event planning:** Just in time for International Women’s Day, the Event Manager Blog’s Julius Solaris [has help for planning diverse panels (opens in a new tab)](http://www.eventmanagerblog.com/ensure-diversity-event?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+EventManagementBlog+%28Event+Manager+Blog%29) at your events, especially at tech conferences, where men are often overrepresented. That’s why the tool Solaris found, a calculator created by developer Aanand Prasad [that can break down diversity distribution (opens in a new tab)](http://aanandprasad.com/diversity-calculator/?groupName=women&numSpeakers=20&populationPercentage=55) by the size of your audience, might prove useful. “The calculator Aanand created is a scientific reply to a weak argument,” Solaris explains. “It is a very valuable answer to those stubborn decision makers who believe only [in] numbers.” **PowerPoint’s iPad competition:** Think you might want to try a different approach to your next deck, say something a little less, um, annoying to use? Instead of suffering another [death by PowerPoint (opens in a new tab)](http://associationsnow.com/2012/11/lunchtime-links-dont-let-powerpoint-ruin-meetings/) , consider a new tool. Mashable points us in the direction of [Haiku Deck (opens in a new tab)](http://www.haikudeck.com/) , sort of an Instagram-style app for creating presentations on the fly. The app, which allows for quick online sharing and quicker presentations, is built around simplicity, with only a handful of options available for each slide. The app, downloaded 250,000 times, has already built a little bit of an audience—but could it make sense for you? [Check out Mashable for more details. (opens in a new tab)](http://mashable.com/2013/03/07/haiku-deck/) What’s on your plate today? Tell us about it in the comments. (Photodisc/Thinkstock) [Ernie Smith](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/) Ernie Smith is a former senior editor for Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/) Tags: [#asset security](https://associationsnow.com/tag/asset-security/) [#Business](https://associationsnow.com/tag/business/) [#embezzlement](https://associationsnow.com/tag/embezzlement/) [#organization growth](https://associationsnow.com/tag/organization-growth/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [VideoSmarter Board Management for Associations: An OnBoard ShowcaseJuly 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/07/24/smarter-board-management-for-associations-an-onboard-showcase/) - [TemplateMembers onlyMember Onboarding ToolkitNovember 5, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/11/05/member-onboarding-toolkit/) - [PodcastAssociations NOW Presents: Leading Together-Strengthening the Board-CSO PartnershipDecember 18, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/12/18/associations-now-presents-leading-together-strengthening-the-board-cso-partnership/) - [TemplateMembers onlyNew Member Engagement StudyMay 6, 2020](https://associationsnow.com/2020/05/06/new-member-engagement-study/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2013%2F03%2F08%2Fassociations-keep-your-assets-safe-from-embezzlement%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !