HOA boards: know the reserve contribution before the budget meeting
The board's hardest budget question is how much to put into reserves. Reservewren answers it with the association's own components and shows what happens to the fund if you don't.
How community associations teams use Reservewren
- The treasurer enters the components from the last reserve study, with any updated bids.
- Set the minimum balance the board wants to keep (for example a threshold of $100,000).
- Compare the current contribution with the baseline and threshold plans on the Dashboard.
- Bring the per-unit-per-month figure and the cash-flow chart to the budget meeting.
In the example condominium, the current contribution leads to a deficit low point in 2044; the threshold plan raises year 1 to $117,803, about $204.52 per unit a month, and keeps the fund above $100,000 every year.
The licence covers one association.
Example file: a made-up 48-unit condominium, 30 components, underfunded on purpose
| Measure | Example result |
|---|---|
| Percent funded today | 40.9% (Fair) |
| Lowest balance, current plan | -$588,442 in 2044 |
| Current year-1 contribution | $84,000 |
| Threshold plan (never below $100k) | $117,803 |
| Threshold plan per unit / month | $204.52 |
Source: The made-up 48-unit condominium in the Reservewren example file, Dashboard (built by products/reservewren/src/workbook.py; rows in products/reservewren/store/listing.json).
FAQ
Can we use it to avoid a special assessment?
It shows when the fund would run short and what contribution avoids that; the decision is the board's.
Why not wait for the next professional study?
Use both: the professional study sets the baseline, Reservewren keeps it current each budget year and answers what-ifs.
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