Volunteering Is Good For You – International Volunteer Day

Wednesday 5^th December is International Volunteer Day.  The idea is to celebrate and acknowledge the work of your volunteers because most not for profit organisations would not survive without their support.

With our busy schedules and lifestyles the thought of volunteering for a not for profit, charity or community based organisation may not appear to be such a great idea.  It can be tough to encourage people to take on a voluntary role, so in addition to showing that you appreciate your volunteers, why not show others that volunteering has a very positive side to it?

With that in mind I thought it was worth revisiting a Facebook post in October that discussed how volunteering can be good for you.  In the article titled "Confirmed – Volunteering Is Good for You" on the Pro Bono Australia website, it discussed how a US study has confirmed that volunteering"... not only helps others but helps volunteers to lead to a happier and healthier life". 

The article also stated a number of points that related to giving and health benefits that included:

 

·        Giving and even just thinking about giving in a spirit of generosity are linked to health and well-being.

·         People who think too much about themselves and their own desires – or their own troubles – are not very happy.

·         Helping is also a form of self-help when the giver has experienced the same problems as those receiving.

·         Volunteerism has positive impacts on happiness, mood, self-esteem, physical and mental health.

·         Giving can be a lifelong benefit for those who start young.

·         Altruism is associated with a substantial reduction in mortality rates and is linked to longevity.

 

In addition to the above benefits, volunteering allows you to meet new people who you may not otherwise have come into contact with as well as develop new skills that you may not have the opportunity to utilise in your day job.  For example, as a volunteer treasurer you may be the Chair of the Finance Sub Committee, develop financial planning strategies as well as develop a risk management framework and oversee the annual audit and financial reports.  Furthermore, if you are trying to gain experience in a particular organisation that is hard to get into then volunteering can help you decide if that is an organisation you would like to work for.   

As can be seen, volunteering is good for you so try and consider helping out an organisation as your personal gain will be significant as well as the benefits to your health.

Are Your Public Speaking Skills Up To Scratch?

It is inevitable that at some stage you will be asked to present your treasurer’s report to the committee or at the Annual General Meeting. How would you cope?

Speaking in public is not easy to do, especially when you know that your message is not what people want to hear. Just in case you need a little help, here are the three top tips from ToastmastersToastmasters.

1. Know your message. Be clear on what you want to say. If you are very nervous, memorise your first few lines. That gives your brain time to kick start and catch up with your mouth!

2. Know your audience. Understand who you are speaking to and choose your terminology to suit. Not everyone will understand financial terms, nor will a formal audience be expecting jokes.

3. Practice! There is nothing better for calming your nerves than to have practiced your speech so often that you know it by heart. Learn where in your speech to pause for breath and to gather your thoughts. Practice and practice again.

Public speaking is a skill so the more you do it, the better you will get.

Besides, if this is the standard of treasurer’s speeches, you’ve got nothing to worry about.

 

New To The Role Of Volunteer Treasurer?

Admin Bandit is software designed specifically for volunteer treasurers, particularly in the not for profit sectors.  Along with the software, Admin Bandit offers support through the many articles posted to the blog.

If you are new to the role of volunteer treasurer or even just learning how to be a member of a committee of management, there is a lot of really useful content available for you.  There is a very useful series of posts beginning with "Now that I am the Treasurer, what do I do?"  These will help you get settled into the role.

Some of the most important information you need before you begin is how to read and understand the financial reports for your organisation.  Starting at the beginning, the post entitled "What is a Financial Report?" explains what it is, why it is important and what the report includes. 

If you find that the books are a mess and you need help to get them sorted out, read the post on how to fix community organisation accounts.

Finance reports are not just a series of figures.  They are accompanied by a written report which explains what the figures are actually telling the committee.  If you are not sure how to read one, let alone prepare the report, you will find out more at "The Written Finance Report".

Keep reading the blog and you will learn about the role of the committee of management, where the Finance Subcommittee fits in and how the policies and procedures of your community organisation affect your role.

Admin Bandit is there to support you with information as well as systems so that you can comfortably handle your role as Volunteer Treasurer.

Westpac Community Treasurers' Award

Being the volunteer treasurer of any organisation requires commitment and dedication.  The role of the treasurer can be very time consuming as often the financial expertise of the organisation comes only from the treasurer. 

The role of the volunteer treasurer can take up a lot of time and usually requires more commitment than just attendance at the regular board meetings.  At the same time the volunteer treasurer knows this and does not seek recognition; they are often more than happy to make the commitment and take pride in the achievements of the organisation. 

Westpac also understands this and has established the 2012 Westpac Community Treasurers' Award to recognise and acknowledge the valuable contribution made by volunteer treasurers to the community.

Awards will be given for treasurers in the three following categories:

·         Small organisations:   For organisations with an annual income of less than $100,000 per annum.

·         Medium organisations:   For organisations with an annual income of between $100,000 and $1 million per annum.

·         Large organisations:   For organisations with an annual income of more than $1 million per annum. 

The winner in each category will win $5,000 for their organisation and a trophy to recognise their achievements, plus $5000 worth of tools and training from Our Community.

Nominations are due by 26 October 2012 and can be made online by following the link to the Our Community website.

Take the time to prepare and send in a nomination for your volunteer treasurer as they are worth it.

The Role Of The Audit

Do you rely on your auditor to pick up every little error? You could be in for some problems. Many committees assume that once an audit has been completed and the auditor’s report indicates that everything appears to be in order, there is nothing to worry about. What if you were wrong?

The role of the audit is to provide an independent review of the financial reports of the organisation. This usually includes the income statement, balance sheet, statement of changes in equity, cash flow statement, notes relating to the accounting policies and other additional information to help explain the figures. From all this information the auditor’s form an opinion as to whether the financial reports reflect the financial position of the organisation at the date the report was prepared.

An audit does not check every figure and it doesn’t check every transaction. Only samples of the transactions are reviewed. An audit does not review all of the internal and risk management controls. So while an audit may pick up on fraudulent activity it is not the responsibility of the auditor to hunt for it.

The visit of the auditor can be very valuable to your organisation if you use it strategically. The committee of management may ask to auditors to have a more detailed look into certain aspects of the operations of the organisation. This may occur as part of the end of year audit or during the year as part of the half year or interim audit. For example, you might ask the auditors have a more detailed look into the payroll and salary packaging arrangement to check that the correct pay rates are being paid and that you are in compliance with the FBT and PAYG taxation laws. The following year you may focus on the management of grants, unspent funds and compliance with funding agreements. The intention is that over several years the key parts of the operations are examined in more detail.

Remember, it is the responsibility of all the members of the committee of management to ensure financial viability of the organisation so at the completion of the audit you should ask the auditor attend your meeting to discuss the audit and its findings.

Prepare For The End Of The Financial Year

With the end of financial year already here there are a number of issues you need to focus on in relation to your accounts, the audit, and preparation for the new financial year. Listed below are some important issues you may want to address as part of the end of year process. As Treasurer you may not do all of these but it is important you track that these are completed as part of the end of year process. They will form part of the Board reporting process.

• Obtain from your auditors a schedule of requirements that they need to complete the audit. By knowing exactly what the auditors require for their audit you can save time and cut costs. If you are not prepared and you delay the auditors, they may charge additional fees. If you lodge certain documents late with ASIC you can be fined. It’s important to know that everything that should be done is actually being done.

• Ensure reconciliations are completed for all accounts and that they match balances in the Annual Reports. Also, with any balances in the accounts, understand why they exist and what they are for. For example, you may reconcile the Accounts Receivable and have a $9,000 balance which represents amounts still owed to you. It is critical you have a list of the debtors that makes up this balance as well as how long the debts have been outstanding for. If you have a debtor greater than 6 months then they may be a bad debtor and you are not likely to recover the amount. If you can’t or don’t do this then you need to tighten up your controls.

• Ensure your GST has been calculated up to 30 June and that any end of year adjustments have been included.

• If Group Certificates need to be prepared, make sure the payroll accounts have been reconciled. Also, as Group Certificates require reportable fringe benefits to be included make sure salary packaging details have been reconciled and included correctly.

• Identify and prepare end of year adjusting entries and make sure they are reversed in the new year. Failure to manage these correctly can result in an over or under statement of accounts and can have a significant impact if incorrectly left in the accounts.

• Prepare relevant reports and grant acquittals for any organisations you may have received funds or grants from. Also, review whether new or recurring funding submissions have been prepared and submitted.

• Prepare for the Annual General Meeting as often you are required to advertise the date well in advance of the meeting and also be clear about the procedures for the appointed or election of Board members.

• Always double check that the amounts in the Financial Reports are correct by checking the additions as well as amounts referred to in the notes and ensure they add up to the totals in the reports. Mistakes can happen and as you are signing off on the reports you must be sure they are accurate and correct. Do not just assume the auditors have got it right as they make mistakes too.

• Often at the end of the audit the auditors will prepare an Audit Closing Report that covers issues associated with their audit. Ideally, try and get the auditor to attend a Board meeting to discuss the report as well as cover any other issues the Board may discuss.

While there are many other issues you may need to address it is important you plan out what needs to be done and give yourself realistic timelines to get everything completed.

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.