Association for Psychological Science (APS) holds a special place in Chazin’s history, and heart, as our very first client. For 20 years, we’ve had the privilege of supporting APS’s growth, innovation, and mission to advance the science of psychology.
Founded in 1988 by a dedicated group of 400 psychological scientists, APS set out to restore psychology’s public image as a rigorous, transparent science. Since then, APS has expanded its reach through influential journals, regular virtual events, and by equipping the next generation of psychological scientists with cutting-edge tools and training.
By 2005, APS leadership recognized that to continue growing and innovating, they needed a more scalable, streamlined financial foundation. That’s when Chazin became part of their story.
At the time, APS was facing increasingly complex accounting and finance needs. Our founder, Adele Chazin, partnered closely with their leadership, helping to restructure their finance operations to support both day-to-day activities and long-term strategic goals. Many of the systems Adele developed alongside APS are still in place today — a testament to the strength of a thoughtful, tailored approach.
“Some of the systems that Adele developed are still in place,” said Aime Ballard-Wood, APS’s Chief Operating Officer, who joined the Association in 2011.
“Adele is so wonderful; she knows us, and she gets us. She has built an organization that understands the needs of nonprofits.”
Today, Chazin supports APS with a full range of services, including payroll and invoice processing, monthly reconciliations, financial reporting, 1099 filings, audit preparation, and VAT billing and collection for their international convention. Our team also provides billing support for APS’s domestic and international events, an essential service as APS continues to grow its global reach. These services reflect just a portion of what we offer; our ability to scale alongside APS’s evolving needs has been a cornerstone of our long-standing partnership.
APS serves thousands of members with what Ballard-Wood describes as a “smallish” staff of just over 20. While they previously maintained some internal finance and accounting support, in 2022 they transitioned to outsourcing nearly all of these functions to Chazin. 
Ballard-Wood says one advantage, among many, that APS gains by outsourcing to Chazin is the audit preparation they do each year, which keeps the burden on APS staff to a minimum. “This is especially helpful because it all happens at the same time of year that we are at our busiest gearing up for our May convention,” she shared.
Beyond easing the workload, audit preparation support plays a larger role in APS’s long-term success. Consistently achieving clean audits and avoiding management letter comments has strengthened stakeholder confidence, supported compliance, and helped create the financial stability APS needs to continue growing.
That stability is especially important when managing the unique financial complexities of international conferences. APS’s annual convention, which welcomes more than 4,000 registrants, and its biennial international convention, which hosts about 2,500 participants, are among the most important services they offer to members. Supporting events at this scale requires precision, particularly when it comes to billing, invoicing, and meeting the strict VAT requirements of various countries’ tax departments.
We’re proud to provide specialized billing services and financial support for both APS’s domestic and international events—helping ensure compliance, protecting their revenue streams, and giving their team the confidence to focus on delivering successful experiences for their community.
“I don’t know how we could manage our international conventions without the help of Chazin,” Ballard-Wood said. “They help us meet the conditions of various countries’ tax departments while keeping everything running smoothly.”
At Chazin, we believe that strong financial management is the foundation that allows nonprofits to thrive. Our relationship with APS is a reflection of that philosophy as it combines deep expertise, mentorship, and a true partnership mindset to advance the APS mission and ensure its future.
“We’ve been able to concentrate on our core mission and competencies knowing that everything financial is in good hands,” Ballard-Wood said. “We have Chazin’s expertise embedded with us and this deep bench of talent and knowledge to help us serve our members.” 
“We can trust that in working with Chazin we have people who are keeping up with the best tools, technology, standards — which allows us to concentrate on the work of our teams in membership, events, communications, and more,” she added.
“APS and I can only do all we have to do because of Chazin. I’m so happy for Adele and for the people who have been with her,” said Ballard-Wood. “Congratulations to them on Chazin’s 20th anniversary! We’re thrilled and grateful to have such a wonderful relationship with them.”
Here’s to 20 years of collaboration, growth, and shared success — and to the many more milestones ahead.
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Chazin
With over 20 years working exclusively with nonprofits, we pride ourselves in having a unique understanding of nonprofit accounting needs. We believe that nonprofits deserve personalized, quality service and should not settle for a one-size-fits-all approach. We collaborate with you to provide a fully virtual and customized solution that is not only cost-effective but also strengthens your accounting function. We offer a team of industry experts at your disposal to provide advice, leading technology, and to supplement existing staff to improve efficiency and compliance.