Darcy Cole named YD operations manager

For everyone

Join me in congratulating Darcy Cole on her new role as Youth Development operations manager! She will officially begin on Sept. 28 and will be based out of the Willmar regional office.

Most recently, Darcy served as a 4-H program operations specialist supporting the southeast and southwest regions. Prior to that, she was a 4-H Extension educator for nearly 20 years in McLeod and Meeker counties.

In this new role, Darcy will provide statewide leadership to ensure 4-H programs adhere to federal, state, University, and organizational standards to safeguard the well-being of youth participants and maintain the integrity of the 4-H experience. She will oversee policy development and enforcement across key operational areas, including chartering, financial and tax management, risk management, enrollment, and code of conduct. Darcy will supervise operations staff members and co-lead RSS who support 4-H programs.

We’re excited for Darcy’s leadership in this state-level role!

Becky Harrington

Director of operations and systems

Promote Minnesota 4-H treasurer trainings

For local educators and county support staff

Help promote virtual statewide Minnesota 4-H treasurer trainings within your local programs. These trainings are for youth treasurers, parents of youth treasurers, and any adults on 4-H bank accounts. Training sessions will cover best practices and policies, roles of the financial team, the importance of youth treasurers, how to make everyone’s roles meaningful, how to help treasurers develop financial management life skills, hands-on practice in completing our treasurer’s book, and tips for mentoring and supporting youth treasurers.

Training dates:

• Nov. 5 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
• Nov. 19 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., with a bonus session for adult treasurers from 7:30 to 8 p.m.

Please help promote these valuable trainings to potential participants using this promotional graphic, newsletter blurb and/or event page.

Register.

Darcy Cole, Lori Hall, and Michelle Anderson
4-H program operations specialists

Chartering webinar recording available

For educators and county support staff

Thank you to everyone who joined the Sept. 10 chartering webinar. The recording is now available.

Equipment inspections

We received questions regarding shooting sports equipment inspections:

• Inspections for county-owned firearms are needed every two years, by a professional gunsmith. This long-time policy is outlined in the SS/W risk management policies.
• Upload completed 4-H firearm safety inspection forms to the county Google folder for the past two years. 
• Archery equipment should be inspected by a 4-H archery instructor at the county level, using the archery inspection forms. 

What is a professional gunsmith and how do we find one? A professional gunsmith is trained to work on firearms. Because there is no centralized registry, reach out to your local gun shops or ask local 4-H families, who often know trusted gunsmiths in your areas.

As you are working on the inspections, review the SS/W risk management policies on inventory and safe storage of all equipment. Reach out to Nicole Pokorney with additional questions. 

General charter reminders

Annually, 4-H clubs must submit a charter application by Oct. 31 to keep their status and benefits. The updated 2026-2027 4-H club charter documents are available on the leading a 4-H club page and ready for you to share with 4-H clubs.

All 4-H federations/councils must submit the 2026-2027 charter application by Nov. 15. 4-H federation/council charter documents are available on the YD chartering, pausing and dissolution page. Please make sure to use the current year’s charter materials.

For more information on the club charter process, review 4-H club chartering staff roles and responsibilities and contact the 4-H program operations specialist in your region.

Darcy Cole, Lori Hall, and Michelle Anderson

Ongoing QuickBooks open office hours

For local educators and county support staff

On the second Wednesday of the month, from 1 to 2 p.m., we’ll be holding open office hours specifically for QuickBooks Q&A, tips, and sharing updates. You should have an invitation on your calendar for each call. All recordings are posted online. All county support staff and Extension educators are encouraged to attend. Important information is being shared during these calls, so please watch the recordings if you can’t attend live. To make the most of our time together, please submit your questions and tips in advance.

As a reminder, our August call will not focus on any specific topics, but will instead be an informal time for people to ask questions and get other help they might need.

Darcy Cole, Judy Leibfried, Lori Hall, and Michelle Anderson

Ongoing QuickBooks open office hours

For local educators and county support staff

On the second Wednesday of the month, from 1 to 2 p.m., we’ll be holding open office hours specifically for QuickBooks Q&A, tips, and sharing updates. You should have an invitation on your calendar for each call. All recordings are posted online. All county support staff and Extension educators are encouraged to attend. Important information is being shared during these calls, so please watch the recordings if you can’t attend live. To make the most of our time together, please submit your questions and tips in advance.

Our July and August calls will not focus on any specific topics, but will instead be an informal time for people to ask questions and get other help they might need.

Darcy Cole, Judy Leibfried, Lori Hall, and Michelle Anderson

Clover® POS annual requirement: Payment card manager security awareness training

For local educators and county support staff

To strengthen our data security practices and ensure full compliance with University of Minnesota policy, all staff, volunteers, and 4-H youth (16+) who handle payment card information are required to complete the payment card manager security awareness training.

Clover POS compliance for staff

• Must complete online training through the University of Minnesota Training Hub. 
• Select course catalog.
• Search for "payment card manager security awareness training".
• This is a 30‑minute, self‑paced course.
• Complete training as soon as possible.
• After completion, you will receive an email confirmation with your certificate. Please forward this certificate to Judy Leibfried for tracking.
• Staff need to complete the training through the training hub, not the volunteer link, so training completion is recorded on your University of Minnesota HR record.
• The Minnesota 4‑H Credit Card Authorization form must be signed annually and kept in the county office.

Clover POS compliance for 4‑H volunteers and youth (ages 16+)

• Complete online training through Qualtrics.
• This is a 20-minute training.
• Complete the survey at the end of the training video. This sends Judy Leibfried an email; she will record volunteer and youth completion.
• The Minnesota 4‑H Credit Card Authorization form must be signed annually and kept in the county office.

Procedure prior to the event where Clover® will be used

• Check the spreadsheet Judy Leibfried shared with you to confirm the training has been completed.
• Verify a current signed authorization form is on file.

If requirements are not met, the individual may not accept Clover payments.

Darcy Cole, Lori Hall, and Michelle Anderson
4-H program operations specialists

QuickBooks annual renewal

For local educators and county support staff

Have you noticed an $80 automatic payment on your bank statement recently? If you haven’t yet, watch for one. This is your QuickBooks online annual subscription renewal through Tech Soup. Check your county 4-H financial Gmail account for your notification email. If you’re not regularly checking this email (which you probably aren’t), please set up an email filter to forward all emails to another work email that you’re checking daily so you don’t miss anything. If the county Extension budget covers the annual subscription, forward the notification email to the regional director. Remember to include your renewal fee on an expense transaction form for data entry, and attach a copy of your renewal notice email for documentation. If you have any questions, please contact your program operations specialist.

4-H program operations team

Ongoing QuickBooks open office hours

For local educators and county support staff

On the second Wednesday of the month, from 1 to 2 p.m., we’ll be holding open office hours specifically for QuickBooks Q&A, tips, and sharing updates. You should have an invitation on your calendar for each call. All recordings are posted online. All county support staff and Extension educators are encouraged to attend. Important information is being shared during these calls, so please watch the recordings if you can’t attend live. To make the most of our time together, please submit your questions and tips in advance.

In June, we’ll discuss cash boxes and review invoicing, which we introduced last month. Our July and August calls will not focus on any specific topics, but will instead be an informal time for people to ask questions and get other help they might need.

Darcy Cole, Judy Leibfried, Lori Hall, and Michelle Anderson

Check out the new 4-H accommodations event guide

For everyone

We’re excited to share our new 4-H accommodations event guide, a playbook designed to be used as a whole or in sections relevant to the program you are currently planning, to make 4-H programs inclusive and accessible to all youth, particularly those with disabilities. This guide provides staff, volunteers, and parents with practical strategies to modify projects, meetings, and competitions so every child can fully participate. Since every individual is unique, these examples serve as a starting place to tailor accommodations to each child's specific needs.

Please let us know if you have any questions or suggestions.

Darcy Cole & Jacob Halper

County fair judging resources for supporting youth with disabilities

For everyone

We want all youth to succeed in 4-H showcase events, but judges report they rarely know when a participant needs accommodations. Please use the following resources to proactively gather and share this information:

Gathering accommodation requests

• FairEntry: Create a custom registration field at the fair level (use the wording in the FairEntry setup instructions).
• Request forms: Share the accommodations request form in your communications, or email Darcy Cole for a copy of the adaptable Google Form version (general or specific for county fair).
• State fair: Remind families to provide detailed information in the special accommodation section of their form during state fair registration.

Preparing judges and volunteers

• Training video: Share this new online video in your pre-fair communications.
• Judging questions: Print and include the new developmentally appropriate judging questions in your judges' binders and pre-fair communications.

Planning resources

• Review the newly published 4-H accommodations event guide for ideas on creating positive showcase experiences for all.

Darcy Cole & Amber Greeley

QuickBooks: Open office hours May 13

For local educators and county support staff

On the second Wednesday of the month, from 1 to 2 p.m., we’ll be holding open office hours specifically for QuickBooks Q&A, tips, and sharing updates. You should have an invitation on your calendar for each call. All recordings are posted online. All county support staff and Extension educators are encouraged to attend. Important information is being shared during these calls, so please watch the recordings if you can’t attend live. To make the most of our time together, please submit your questions and tips in advance.

Darcy Cole, Judy Leibfried, Lori Hall, and Michelle Anderson

QuickBooks: Open office hours

For local educators and county support staff

On the second Monday of the month, from 1 to 2 p.m., we’ll be holding open office hours specifically for QuickBooks Q&A, tips, and sharing updates. You should have an invitation on your calendar for each call. All recordings are posted online. All county support staff and Extension educators are encouraged to attend. Important information is being shared during these calls, so please watch the recordings if you can’t attend live. To make the most of our time together, please submit your questions and tips in advance.

Darcy Cole, Judy Leibfried, Lori Hall, and Michelle Anderson

QuickBooks: Open office hours

For local educators and county support staff

On the second Monday of the month, from 1 to 2 p.m., we’ll be holding open office hours specifically for QuickBooks Q&A, tips, and sharing updates. You should have an invitation on your calendar for each call. All recordings are posted online. All county support staff and Extension educators are encouraged to attend. Important information is being shared during these calls, so please watch the recordings if you can’t attend live. To make the most of our time together, please submit your questions and tips in advance.

Darcy Cole, Judy Leibfried, Lori Hall, and Michelle Anderson

Gift card/cash acknowledgment forms

For educators and campus staff

Checks are always our preferred payment method when paying people, distrubuting awards, showing appreciation or support, etc. However, in rare circumstances where gift cards or cash are being distributed (which should only be used as a last resort), a written acknowledgment from the recipient must be collected. This is for the protection of the giver (4-H program) and tax purposes (cash and gift cards need to be factored into the $600 1099-MISC threshold). Please use one of the new gift card/cash acknowledgment forms below whenever distributing gift cards or cash.

• Gift card acknowledgement form - single
• Gift card acknowledgement form - multiple

Going forward, attach a copy of these forms to the expense transaction in QuickBooks or upload your county operations W-9 Google folder. Please reach out to your 4-H program operations specialist with questions.

Darcy Cole, Lori Hall, and Michelle Anderson
4-H program operations specialists

Share new volunteer financial management videos

For educators and county support staff

Three new online volunteer financial management videos are available. The videos include:

• Best practices for managing funds (10 minutes)
• All about 4-H fundraising (11 minutes)
• Supporting the youth treasurer role (12 minutes)

Please consider how you can share these with others. Here are a few ideas: 

• Show one at an upcoming federation/council or club leader meeting.
• Spotlight the videos on social media.
• Share directly with volunteers/youth leaders.
• Use them as part of officer or leader trainings.

Darcy Cole

Extension educator

QuickBooks: Open office hours

For local educators and county support staff

On the second Monday of the month, from 1 to 2 p.m., we’ll be holding open office hours specifically for QuickBooks Q&A, tips, and sharing updates. You should have an invitation on your calendar for each call. All recordings are posted online. All county support staff and Extension educators are encouraged to attend. Important information is being shared during these calls, so please watch the recordings if you can’t attend live. To make the most of our time together, please submit your questions and tips in advance.

Darcy Cole, Judy Leibfried, Lori Hall, and Michelle Anderson

QuickBooks: Open office hours

For local educators and county support staff

One Wednesday per month, from 1 to 2 p.m., we’ll be holding open office hours specifically for QuickBooks Q&A, tips, and sharing updates. You should have an invitation on your calendar for each call. Thank you to everyone who has joined already. All recordings are posted online. All county support staff and Extension educators are encouraged to attend. Important information is being shared during these calls, so please watch the recordings if you can’t attend live. To make the most of our time together, please submit your questions and tips in advance.

Darcy Cole, Judy Leibfried, Lori Hall, and Michelle Anderson

QuickBooks: Open office hours and Nov. 5 recording

For local educators and county support staff

Every other Wednesday, from 1 to 2 p.m., we'll be holding open office hours specifically for QuickBooks Q&A, tips, and sharing updates. Thank you to everyone who joined our first session. All recordings will be posted online. All county support staff and Extension educators are encouraged to attend when possible. To make the most of our time together, please submit your questions and tips in advance.

Darcy Cole, Judy Leibfried, Lori Hall, and Michelle Anderson

New resource: Gift card/cash acknowledgment forms

For local educators

As a reminder, when paying people, distributing awards, showing appreciation or support, etc., checks are always our preferred payment method. However, in rare circumstances where gift cards or cash are being distributed (which should only be used as a last resort), we need to collect written acknowledgment from the recipient. This is for the protection of the giver and tax purposes (cash and gift cards will need to be factored into the $600 1099-MISC threshold). Please use one of the new gift card/cash acknowledgment forms below whenever distributing gift cards or cash.

• Gift card acknowledgement form - single
• Gift card acknowledgement form - multiple

Going forward, a copy of these forms will need to be attached in QuickBooks to the expense transaction or uploaded to your county operations W-9 Google folder. Please reach out to your 4-H program operations specialist with questions.

Darcy Cole, Lori Hall, and Michelle Anderson
4-H program operations specialists

QuickBooks: Open office hours begin Nov. 5

For local educators and county support staff

Starting on Nov. 5, from 1 to 2 p.m., we are launching new open office hours specifically for QuickBooks Q&A, tips, and sharing updates. All county support staff and Extension educators are encouraged to attend when possible. These sessions will initially run twice per month and will later transition to a monthly schedule. To make the most of our time together, please submit your questions and tips in advance.

Darcy Cole, Judy Leibfried, Lori Hall, and Michelle Anderson