Carrie Minnich

Carrie Minnich


 


Meet Carrie Minnich.

Carrie is a Director at Dulin, Ward, & DeWald, Inc. (DWD) and is head of the firm’s Nonprofit Service Team. She provides assurance, tax, and consulting services to nonprofit organizations as well as trainings and insights on best practices for nonprofits through the firm’s Mission Minded blog. Carrie earned both a Bachelor of Science degree in financial accounting (cum laude) and a Master of Accountancy (MAcct) from Manchester College. Carrie has served on various boards and committees and currently serves on the board of the Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne as audit committee chair, serves as a board member, executive committee member, and finance committee chair of the Indiana CPA Society, and serves as a board member of the Fort Wayne Children’s Choir, and is a member of the downtown Fort Wayne Rotary Club.

She has taught others in numerous conferences and webinars, including:  Financially Speaking (The Barbara Burt Innovative Leader Fund); Ongoing Compliance for Nonprofits (Big Cat Sanctuary Alliance National Conference); Effective Board Leadership & Governance panel (Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne); Preparing for Your Annual Audit and What you Need to Know About NFP Tax Filings seminar (Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne); Fraud Prevention for Nonprofits seminar (Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne); Political Activities and Lobbying for Nonprofit Organizations seminar with Jeremy Reidy (Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne); and was a session speaker for BoardSource Leadership Forum.

Carrie also has received numerous recognitions, including:  2019 Foellinger Foundation David A. Bobilya Excellence in Nonprofit Leadership Award Nominee; Indiana CPA Society 2018 Outstanding Community Service Award; 2017 ATHENA Young Professional Nominee; Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly’s Forty Under 40 Class of 2012; and Fort Wayne Women’s Bureau Women’s Enterprise Client’s Choice Award 2010

Carrie also belongs to the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) Not-for-Profit Section, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), and Indiana CPA Society (INCPAS)

YWCA Asks:   What does an “empowering woman” mean to you?

Carrie:  A leader. That does not necessarily mean that they have a leadership title but rather that they can influence others and make a positive difference. A leader is someone that has certain qualities—integrity, respect, knows how to listen, and is willing to do anything that they ask someone else to do. They lead by example and know that others are watching their actions.

YWCA Asks:  In what ways do you feel that you empower other women?

Carrie: I strive to share my knowledge and experiences with others. I have had the opportunity to serve on various boards and committees for both the CPA profession and our local nonprofit community.  These opportunities have allowed me to work with people from different backgrounds and insights, which has taught me new ways in approaching problems and solutions. I also encourage others to get involved with boards so that they can grow their professional skills and network.

YWCA Asks: Would you please share an experience or tidbit of knowledge that would help other women?  This could be a lesson learned, or motivational story, or information that you would like to share to help educate others.

Carrie:  Find a mentor or role model.  A mentor should be someone you respect who is willing to share how they accomplished their goals and give you advice.  But also observe how they conduct themselves.  How to do they interact with others?  How do they run meetings?  How do they handle difficult situations?  How do they spend their time?  You will learn a lot simply from watching someone work and how they behave.