A club treasurer guide

Club Treasurer – Mission Possible

• The club treasurer oversees all transactions for a club.

• Petitions on behalf of the club in front of finance committee and executive board.

• Is responsible for obtaining and submitting the proper paperwork to OSE for further instruction.

The Role of OSE• Stacy Cooper-Patterson will serve as advisor to all clubs.• Stacy must approve all petty cash vouchers, check requests, and

cash advances.• OSE will ensure compliance with college wide policies, SGA

policies and documentation requirements.• OSE will communicate transfers to the Controller’s Office once a

week.• OSE will collect check requests from club treasurers and submit

to the Controller’s Office.• OSE will advise club treasurers as to funds availability.• OSE will house a complete supply of forms used to conduct SGA

and club business.

The Role of the Controller’s Office

• The Controller’s Office will disburse properly authorized cash advances and petty cash reimbursements to club treasurers.

• The Controller’s Office will maintain the books and records of all club accounts.

• The Controller’s Office will report to OSE and the SGA Treasurer once a month or more frequently if requested.

• The Controller’s Office will receive SGA and club check requests from OSE.

• The Controller’s Office will receive deposits of fund raised and other monies. Treasurers should obtain deposit slips from OSE prior to depositing money with the Controller’s Office.

Typical Club Transactions• Petition – the process by which the club seeks funds from SGA to carry out its mission. The SGA Petition form can be obtained from the SGA

or OSE. Fill it out as completely as possible and be sure to use the Petition Criteria and Checklist form. Present to Finance Committee on Sunday nights and then to Executive Board on Monday nights. If approved, the signed petition will be key in accessing funds. Be sure to keep a copy with you and submit a copy to OSE.

• Cash Advance Voucher – use this form to get cash in advance of a club activity. The form must be signed by both the club treasurer, the SGA treasurer, and Emily Perl. Use the cash to obtain goods or services that are in compliance with the approved petition. Cash advances are limited to $250, and a club can only have one unsettled cash advance out at a time. Cash advances need to be settled within two weeks of issuance. Settlement involves turning in original receipts and the balance of any unspent cash to the controller’s office.

• Petty Cash Voucher – use this form to get reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses that are in agreement with the petition approved by the SGA Executive Board and generally less than $100. Attach original receipts to the form and have the club treasurer, the SGA treasurer and Emily Perl sign the form. Include your club’s account number on the form.

• Check Request – use this form to request a check to pay for services or goods that are in agreement with the petition approved by the SGA Executive Board. Attach invoice or contract for services to the check request form. The form must be signed by the club treasurer, the SGA treasurer and Emily Perl. Include your club’s account number on the form. As a matter of practice, please have the organization or person complete a federal form W-9 Request for Taxpayer Identification Number. Payment will not be released until the Controller’s Office receives this form.

• Transfer – use this form to affect a transfer from one club account to another in agreement with the petition approved by the SGA Executive Board. In practice, the transfer should be approved by Executive Board at the same time as the petition. The SGA treasurer should sign the form, and it should be turned into OSE. OSE will report transfers electronically to the Controller’s Office once a week.

• Club Loan – as part of the petition process a club may request a loan from the SGA as a temporary source of funding. Consult with the SGA treasurer about terms of the loan. Loans have a due date, and if the loan is unpaid by such date, club activity will be frozen or restricted.

• Gifts - all gifts by check to student organizations should be routed through the development office, located in suite 103 of Dorsey Center, to ensure the issuance of gift receipts. Usually, gifts of cash are small and there is no expectation for a receipt. If someone gives cash to a student organization and expects a receipt, this too should be routed through the development office and should be accompanied by the donor’s name, address and telephone number. Please bring the gifts to the development office with a deposit slip. Have someone from the development office sign the deposit slip and keep the yellow copy for your records. Gifts processed through the development office are posted to the college’s financial records once a month.

PETITION CRITERIA AND CHECKLIST

This sheet is meant to give prospective petitioners an idea of how the Executive Board and Finance Committee will consider petitions. Any additional questions can be directed toward the Vice President for Financial Affairs.

A. Required Checklist _The following are the required criteria that the Finance Committee and Executive Board will use in evaluating petitions. There is appropriate documentation, receipts and records for the petition. Petition has all required signatures. Petitioner has considered alternative sources of funding. The petition is in accordance with standing Finance Committee policies (found at digest.goucher.edu/sga). If applicable, petitioner has compared prices. Event has determined date, time, and location. Events calendar has been checked for conflicts and the location has

been reserved with the Office of Student Engagement.

B. Overarching Goals _The following are the goals of the Student Government Association as they consider funding petitions.

Financial Soundness: The budget shows a reasonable use of SGA funds. Dollar per student ratio is sensible. The SGA General fund is comprised of the student activity fees on the student body and is a communal fund. Funds therefore, are not to be abused for individual use.

Planning: The petition exhibits a well thought-out plan for the event and its execution. See advice for planning in section C.

Necessity: Petition fulfills a need in the Goucher Community that is otherwise unmet by current initiatives. The petitioner demonstrates the specific purpose of the petition.

PETITION CRITERIA AND CHECKLIST(Continued)

C. Advice _ The following should be used to help with the planning and preparing of a petition. Finance Committee forms are

available at digest.goucher.edu/sga, additional forms are available at www.goucher.edu/x3417.xml. The Office of Student Engagement Event Planning guide can be found at http://www.goucher.edu/x3384.xml.

• Did you contact the Vice President for Financial Affairs about your petition and get an assigned timeslot? • Does your event need technical support? If so, make sure to indicate this on the Room Reservation form.• Does your event require renting a van or bus? If so, contact Robin Milburn at rmilburn@goucher.edu. If you

are providing your own driver, he or she must be certified by Calvin Gladden in the Business Auxiliary Office at least 7-10 days prior to your event.

• Does your event require a security guard? If so, fill out the "Events Requiring Security" form (found in the Office of Student Engagement) and turn it into Public Safety at least 14 days prior to your event. If you have any questions contact Rebecca Dietrick at (410) 337-6112 or rdietric@goucher.edu.

• Is your event open or closed? If it is an open event, do you have plans to advertise? If it is a closed event, keep in mind that SGA funds are for communal use.

• Have you consulted Finance Committee policies regarding events with food, loans, conferences, transportation, and material items?

• Have you considered fundraising or using fundraised monies for your event?• All events involving a speaker or performer require contracts. Does your event require a contract? If so,

contact Emily Perl at eperl@goucher.edu to negotiate terms before petitioning. • Are you using the Gopher Hole? If so, have you negotiated terms with Christine Krieger? You can contact her at

christine.krieger@goucher.• Does your event require housing? If so, contact Ashton Nicholas at Ashton.Nicholas@goucher.edu to find out

about the availability of the Goucher House.

Club Petition Form – Page 1

Club Petition Form – Page 2

Cash Advance Voucher Form

Petty Cash Voucher Form

Club Check Requisition Form

W-9 Form

Transfer Requisition Form

Recap

• Use Club Petition Form to request funds from SGA – be sure to use the Petition Criteria and Checklist form

• Meet with Finance Committee and then the SGA Executive Board

• Use properly completed forms along with approved petition to seek reimbursement or payment from controller’s office.

Things to know . . . .• Keep copies (electronic or hard copies) of paperwork for your records.• The approved petition is a very important document. Without it the treasurer can’t access the approved

funds.• All requests for funds must be approved by Emily Perl and only be used in accordance with the details of the

approved petition.• Petty cash reimbursement and cash advances are available Monday through Friday 8:45am to 5:00pm in the

controller’s office. Emily Perl’s signature must accompany all requests.• The controller’s office does not reimburse for sales tax. Please present to the vendor Goucher’s sales tax

exempt card. Cards are available at the OSE.• Most clubs will have four individual accounts: Fund balance account 19####-30500-0-1, Club income account

19####-40500-0-1, club expense account 19####-51000-0-1, and club fund raised account 19####-22900-0-1. The 19#### represents the club’s main account number. Other accounts are available under special circumstances.

• Fund raised monies are still subject to many of the rules and regulations in effect for the rest of the college, but they are not subject to the petition process. Club treasurer is still responsible for getting SGA treasurer’s signature, as well as Emily’s. Code all expenditures of fund raised monies to the fund raised account 19####-22900-0-1.

• Think ahead. Checks are printed once a week in the controller’s office. Submit the properly completed paperwork, including W-9, by Tuesday at 5pm to OSE, and the check will be ready that Friday.

• Transactions with foreign entities require substantial lead time to ensure compliance with IRS regulations. In many instances, the process should begin three months ahead of time.

• Take-backs and allocations generally take place in September. The SGA treasurer will “take-back” unspent allocations from the previous year and will make certain standard allocations into specific accounts. The Controller’s Office will draft the take-back entry and submit to the SGA Treasurer and Emily Perl for review, comment, correction and approval.

Trouble shooting• My petition was rejected. Seek the advice of finance committee on how to restructure the

petition.• My paperwork was not properly filled out. Most paperwork requires an account number,

invoice, original receipts, supporting documentation, and the appropriate signatures. Make every effort to obtain these things prior to submission. Work collaboratively with the SGA treasurer or OSE personnel to meet documentation requirements. When in doubt, supply as much information ahead of time to prevent delays.

• I was told my club’s accounts have been frozen because a cash advance is outstanding. Obtain original receipts and the balance of the unspent funds and turn them into the controller’s office to unfreeze the account.

• Fund raised monies were deposited into the club’s income account (19####-40500-0-1). Write up a transfer form and obtain the SGA treasurer’s signatures. Charge the 19####-40500-0-1 account and credit the 19####-22900-0-1 account. Turn the transfer form into OSE.

• I was told my club was out of money. Ensure that all transfers to your account have been posted. If not, supply OSE with a copy of the transfer or have the SGA treasurer contact the controller’s office to vouch for the transfer. Have a copy of the approved petition to support the transfer.