Tens of thousands of community and condominium associations and cooperatives rely on volunteers to manage their affairs. In the past, this has been a daunting challenge for many of these volunteers, who had little structure and few tools to fulfill the association's financial responsibilities.

Now there's a software package that can help community volunteers manage budgets, maintain accurate books and meet legal, accounting and reporting requirements.

The software is called CAI Treasurer and it's available only from Community Associations Institute (CAI), a national organization dedicated to fostering vibrant, responsive and competent community associations.

An estimated 50 million Americans live in some 250,000 communities governed by associations, including condominium and homeowner associations, cooperatives and planned communities. While these communities provide special opportunities and amenities, they also face unique budgetary and accounting issues, and such issues can be particularly challenging for those associations without professional management.

CAI Treasurer is a simplified software package that helps volunteer leaders keep accurate books, build and analyze a budget and invoice and collect dues. It also tracks vendors, expenses, income, reserve accounts and bills. The software was developed specifically for small, volunteer-managed associations that do not have the resources to hire professional community managers.

"This is an ideal software package for the volunteer who is charged with managing the financial affairs of a small community association," said Steve Albert, CAI's vice president of finance and administration. "It handles all the routine tasks that fall to the typical community association treasurer. Best of all, it's designed specifically for the volunteer who is not a financial professional."

Custom-built to CAI's specifications by ICLUBcentral Inc., a software firm in Cambridge, MA, the Windows software product features an easy-to-use interface that can produce 24 standard financial reports in seconds. The program also features helpful tips from CAI publications with specific information on the role of the volunteer association treasurer.

For more information on CAI Treasurer, visit www.caitreasurer.com or call CAI Direct at (703) 548-8600.

Headquartered in Alexandria, Va., CAI is a national and chapter-based organization dedicated to fostering vibrant, effective and harmonious community associations. CAI's 15,000-plus members include community associations, individual homeowners, professional managers, management firms and businesses that provide a variety of products and services to community associations.