How to Submit Using GFOA's Awards Management System

Submit an application to the Certificate Program

1. Go to https://lf.gfoa.org/Forms. If you are not already logged in to the AMS, you will need to enter the government’s username and password to login. (See Quick Facts below for login information.)
2. Select “Start Process” in the blue band at the top of the screen.
3. Click on the green “Start” button to the right of COA Application to open and complete the application form.
4. Click “Submit Application.”

Applications to the Certificate Program are due six months after a government’s fiscal year end. See Quick Facts below for more information.

• When logging in, the username will be the government’s GFOA member number followed by a dash and another single digit, usually the number 1. If you do not remember the password, click “forgot password” and then “send recovery email” and you will receive a password reset link.
• The government has two options for paying for the review fee: they can pay online or pay by check. If paying online, the user will be directed to a portal where credit card information can be entered after the application has been submitted. If paying by check, an invoice for the amount due will be emailed to the person listed as the submitter in section II of the application after the application has been submitted.
• At any point when working on the application, the application can be saved as a draft. The information that has been entered will be saved, and the user can log out of the AMS and come back to the application later to complete and submit it. To save a draft, scroll to the bottom of the application and click “Save as Draft”. An email will be sent to the person listed as the submitter in section II of the application with a link to the draft of the application. The draft of the application can also be found by clicking on the link in step 1 of these instructions and selecting “Open Tasks” from the “Inbox” of the Laserfiche Forms page.
• Applications to the Certificate Program are due six months after a government’s fiscal year end. If a government has a fiscal year end of December 31, their application would be due on June 30. If June 30 were to fall on a weekend, the due date would become the following business day—possibly July 1 or July 2. If a government is not able to submit by the due date, a government may apply for an extension.
• GFOA’s goal is to complete reviews of annual reports within six months of receiving a government’s application. Currently, it is taking us longer than six months to complete reviews. For information on how to check the status of an application (to see how far along in the review process the application is), please see our FAQs.

Please use a browser other than Internet Explore when working in the AMS.