Treasurer's job description

Associated downloads

• Treasurer's job description

Introduction

The following model job description for a charity treasurer highlights key areas of work. It should be adapted to suit the needs of your charity. This will largely depend on whether the work is undertaken by staff/freelancers or whether the work is done by the treasurer on a voluntary basis.

Budgets and cashflow

• Prepare the annual budget for approval by the management committee before the beginning of the new financial year.
• Prepare budgets for specific projects and for fundraising.
• If funding is paid in arrears or is tight, prepare a cashflow projection for the committee.

Financial reporting

• Prepare management accounts, comparing actual income and expenditure against what was budgeted and showing the variance (difference) between the two.
• Prepare draft annual accounts for submission to the auditor/independent examiner.
• Present the audited accounts/independent examination to the AGM.

Book-keeping, bills and banking

• Act as one of the cheque signatories (there should be two or more).
• Maintain a book-keeping system and a petty cash imprest system. Ensure regular and accurate bank reconciliations take place.
• Maintain a corresponding record keeping system with a file for unpaid bills and a file for paid bills with a cheque requisition slip attached to each bill. Petty cash vouchers and expense forms should also be filed systematically.
• Ensure that all bills are paid and that all income due is received (there should be a policy to deal with bad debts).

Interest

• Ensure that money held on deposit earns a good rate of interest.

Payroll

• If the organisation employs staff, ensure that Inland Revenue regulations are complied with and that all returns are made on time so that fines are avoided.
• For sessional or freelance staff, ensure that they are taxed or the organisation receives a Schedule D number.
• Ensure that the management committee is fully aware of all issues relating to employing staff or engaging freelancers.

Insurance

• Ensure that appropriate insurances are maintained.

Fundraising

• Ensure that the organisation is aware of potential new funding and that deadlines for applications are met.
• Ensure that returns/reports are made promptly to funders and outputs achieved.
• Have a view of sources of funding and cashflow for the next three years.

Annual returns

• Ensure that the annual return is made to the Charity Commission (ten months after the end of the financial year) and if the organisation is a company, returns are made to Company House within six months of the financial year end.

Audit/Independent examination

• Ensure that the organisation has an auditor or independent examiner appropriate to its turnover, constitution and funder requirements.
• If the organisation receives a management letter ensure that its contents are noted by the trustees and appropriate action is taken.

Policies

• The organisation should have a number of policies – such as financial controls, reserves policy etc (See CASHFACTS: Financial controls and CASHFACTS: Reserves) – and these should be reviewed annually.

Last updated: Mon, Mar 31 2008 - 03:04:54 PM

Top