AT Think

The Association for Accounting Marketing (AAM) and Hinge Research Institute have again released their research study examining marketing spending for accounting firms, the two announced on Monday. The second "Marketing Budget Benchmark Study" compared marketing spending against organic growth in 67 firms. Researchers focused on contrasting the marketing strategies of High-Growth firms (the fastest growing 20% among the sample) and Low-Growth firms (the slowest growing 20%).

Thirteen community organizations have written a letter to IRS Commissioner John Koskinen asking the IRS to investigate whether the Walmart Foundation qualifies as exempt under Section 501(c)3 of the Tax Code.

WeiserMazars, the accounting, tax and advisory services firm, recently completed its first "Days of Service" – a volunteer initiative that encourages employees to devote a full work day to assisting local service agencies. The Days of Service initiative is part of the firm’s We Are WeiserMazars program that looks to build employees’ personal and professional growth through the "tenants of association, respect and excellence."

The Illinois CPA Society announced on Monday that they have awarded $60,000 in scholarships to 31 accounting students as part of the Society’s Accounting Scholarship Program funded by the CPA Endowment Fund of Illinois.

On Monday, the National Society of Accountants (NSA) announced a total of 39 students earning scholarships from the Society's Scholarship Foundation. Together, they will receive $45,875 in scholarship awards.

Many CFOs have trouble separating themselves from the office during their summer vacations, according to a new survey.

PwC US announced on Friday that its Greater Michigan practice is launching its "100 Ways to Give Back" volunteer initiative to mark its 100th anniversary in Detroit. The volunteer campaign is starting with the Annual Day of Giving on June 19, when more than 450 employees will volunteer at numerous locations in Detroit. Additionally, employees will volunteer in 100 ways throughout 2015 to support youth education, economic and community development, and talent recruitment efforts in the community.

Investors and regulators are hoping to see the Financial Accounting Standards Board and the International Accounting Standards Board somehow reconcile their differing approaches to accounting for loan impairments and credit losses in their financial instruments project.

Gallina LLP announced a partnership with Placer Food Bank, a Feed Families affiliate, in their Roseville, California headquarters on Friday. The office extended an offer to local nonprofit organizations to collect aluminum and plastic recyclables from empty employee beverage containers. After receiving an overwhelming number of interested nonprofits, Gallina awarded the opportunity to Roseville-based, Placer Food Bank.

The inaugural Money$peak Competition, presented by the Mercadien Foundation and Rider University, with participating teams from Hopewell Valley, Lawrence, Nottingham, Steinert, and West Windsor Plainsboro North high schools, kicked on Wednesday, June 3. The Mercadien Group, Rider University, New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance Group, First Choice Bank, Fulton Bank, Random Thought Studio, and Titan Technologies made this experience for Mercer County high school students possible through their support.