How To Encourage People To Volunteer For The Role Of Treasurer

For some committees the end of financial year means that it’s time to find new volunteer members. That isn’t easy but it is even harder when the vacancy is the role of treasurer.

You still have a few weeks up your sleeve so we want to give you a few ideas that you might be able to use to help you in tracking down and gaining your new committee members.

1. Ask people you know.

Have you ever gone up to someone after a meeting and asked why they didn’t put their hand up for the job? “Nobody asked me” is the usual reply, isn’t it? Don’t assume that people know you want them. Tell them. Ask them to join you.

2. Have clear instructions and processes in place.

If you’ve never volunteered before it can be daunting, especially in a role that is as responsible as treasurer. The more organised you are as a committee and the more processes and guidelines you have in place, the better. If you can show the potential volunteer that they will have all the support they need (in writing and from you and the other committee members) it’s more likely that they will take up the role.

3. Campaign and show off!

You’ve worked hard and you’ve had success throughout the year. Not everyone will see what you’ve done. You’re the magic behind the scenes. When you are starting to look for new volunteers, tell people what you’ve achieved and how good it makes you feel. Tell them how rewarding it has been for you. Show the difference that you’ve made. Being able to see the impact of the work often encourages people to get in and help. They can SEE the goal.

You’re probably looking at these tips and thinking that they are too simple and too obvious. Let me ask you, though, when was the last time you actually did any of these things?

They ARE simple techniques which is what makes them easy to overlook, but never underestimate the power of simplicity.

I'm on a committee

Saw this funny poem in the Heart Support - Australia newsletter and thought you might enjoy it too.

Oh, give me some pity, I’m on a committee.
Which means that from morning to night,
We attend, and amend, and contend, and defend,
Without a conclusion in sight.

We confer and concur, we defer and demur,
And reiterate all of our thoughts.
We revise the agenda with frequent addenda,
And consider a load of reports.

We compose and propose, we suppose and oppose,
And the points of procedure are fun!
But though various notions are brought up as motions
There’s terribly little gets done.

We resolve and absolve, but we never dissolve,
Since it’s out of the question for us.
What a shattering pity to end our committee,
Where else could we make such a fuss?

Is this your experience of being on a committee. :-)

Does your committee understand your reports?

One of the hardest things about being a treasurer is that you feel like you are totally responsible for the finances of your agency.  Could it be the way people run for cover when they see you and your reports coming that makes you feel that way?  Perhaps it is the way the collective eyes of your committee members glaze over the moment your report is introduced?

The role of treasurer is yours but the financial decisions are made by the committee, not by you alone. That means that all committee members are equally responsible and need to understand the reports that you are presenting. 

At one regional Community Health Service it became quite obvious to the treasurer that Board members didn't understand the reports they were getting.  Some members were not even familiar with accounting terminology so discussing liquidity and profit ratios sent them off into a vacant mental space.  You can't afford to let that happen.  In this case, the treasurer decided to make a special presentation to the Board which explained in simple terms how the finances worked across the agency.  Each Board member was given a booklet which explained the terms used in a treasurer's report along with a simple explanation of the budget process.  The examples in the report were specific to the agency so they were quite real to the readers. While this didn't turn them into financial experts it did give them enough information that they could read and question the treasurer's reports. 

You might not have to go this far with the members of your committee but I think part of your role will always have to include teaching people to understand simple financial reports.  It shifts the load from your shoulders and puts it back where it should have been - spread fairly across the shoulders of every committee member.

At your next meeting watch the faces of your committee members.  Do they look as though they understand what you are saying?  If they don't you need to take some action.