Chapter Treasurer
The role of a treasurer is without a doubt one of the most important in the chapter. It is critical that the chapter treasurer be conscientious and have good systems in place; otherwise the chapter is at serious risk. A well fit treasurer is a balance of administrator, record keeper and financial visionary. A potential candidate should be detail oriented, organized, trustworthy and have the ability to communicate well, listen and seek input from others.
This document is a template or a starting point, to communicate the role of a general board member to effectively recruit and welcome new leaders to help your board thrive. Customizing this position description to meet your board’s goals and objectives will help ensure that everyone is aware of policies, responsibilities and expectations which bolsters recruitment efforts, maximizes the new leader experience and increases the team’s success.
Position Specific Recruitment
Position success is directly related to finding the right person for the opportunity. The recruitment process is an integral part of that success. Forethought and on-going leadership succession are important facets of a successful recruitment strategy.
Recruiting the right talent at the right place and at the right time, takes time and effort but more importantly, it takes planning. Ideally your board has a leadership succession plan and is building potential leaders as an on-going practice. Recruitment efforts can be facilitated through a committee or an identified individual. Regardless of structure, it is important to be aware of potential leaders to identify planned involvement opportunities.
In order to generate a pool of qualified people, one must know what they are ideally seeking in a candidate. Reviewing the TU Leadership Manual (Chapter 4) is a great place to start to better understand the facets that make a good candidate.
When looking to fill this position, you might consider the following characteristics:
- Commitment and interest
- Trustworthy
- Organized with an eye for detail to be prompt, manage timelines, etc.
- Financial acumen and familiarity of board procedures
- Support of the TU conservation mission
Welcoming New Leaders
Welcoming a new leader is another critical piece that will increase the success rate of your new board member. Introducing the new leader, showing appreciation for their service and communicating position expectations goes a long way in setting the person up for success. Some tactics to consider:
- Welcome Packet: Put together a packet of important resources to show organization, effectiveness and that you are vested in their success. Consider including: position description, TU Leadership Manual, board contact information, strategic plan, annual report and other items that might be of interest to them
- Check-In: Schedule meetings with the new leader to allow you both to ask questions and/or better understand any concerns. These meetings can be on the phone or in person
- Mentorship: Connect new leaders with experienced board members to ask questions and share feedback
Chapter Treasurer
The board treasurer performs a variety of tasks aimed at managing the records and administrative
functions of the team. The treasurer position has wide-ranging responsibilities, requiring much
more than simply being present at all board meetings to give financial reports.
Key Responsibilities
The chapter treasurer must be a current Trout Unlimited member who will ensure that the following responsibilities are completed (directly or by delegation):
- The chapter treasurer must read and become familiar with the 2015 Policy on Financial and Property Controls and ensure the chapter complies. Most critically:
- That at least one member of the chapter’s board (who is not able to withdraw funds) is reviewing monthly each of the chapter’s bank account records and the records of any debit or credit card transactions.
- That the chapter keeps a current written inventory of all personal property in excess of $200 in value that the chapter owns.
- That the chapter has a process in place to keep any restricted donations restricted for the purpose which the donor intended.
- With the chapter executive committee, become familiar with and understand TU’s risk management and insurance limitations and ensure the chapter is compliant
- Attend board meetings to give financial updates
- Provide financial updates to the secretary for inclusion in board packet before upcoming meeting
- Answer questions and provide insight to financial status
- Retain records, meet filing deadlines and keep the board abreast of upcoming dates of importance (e.g. state and/or federal filing deadlines)
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- File TU’s Annual Activity Report in the Leaders Only Section between April 1 and May 15 of each year. To file this report, the treasurer will be asked a series of questions that aren’t all financial (e.g. volunteer hours)
- File required Forms with the IRS by August 15 of each year (if required to file Form 990-EZ or Form 990; TU will take care of 990-Ns for eligible chapters–contact Q Collins with questions re eligibility). Questions about the correct Form 990 to file? Please visit: www.irs.gov or TU’s online resources for financial management and reporting, or reach out to Q Collins. If your chapter is large enough to file a Form 990, ensure that you have the proper controls in place such as a conflict of interest form, document retention form, whistle blower policy and that you’ve shared the Form 990 with your entire chapter board.
- Develop, approve and track a budget of chapter expenses and revenues each fiscal year
- Ensure that your chapter is set up with an electronic funds transfer (EFT) with the national office of TU to ensure delivery of the chapter rebate or an Embrace A Stream grant
- Ensure donations to your chapter are properly acknowledged
- Assist with board member recruitment. Consider appointing an assistant treasurer, possibly the financial reviewer, to transfer knowledge at an early stage and assistance
Elected By/ Reports To
Board of Directors/Board Chairperson
Term Length
Per bylaws
Time Commitment
Monthly meetings; additional time required for committee work and other board commitments
Budget Support
Limited
Sample Tasks
- Confer with the chapter president and outgoing treasurer for lessons learned from prior calendar year
- Ensure signatories on the chapter bank account are current
- Ensure you are listed on the chapter officer roster in the Leaders Only Section
- Prepare financial info for and file TU’s Annual Activity Report between April 1 and May 15 of each year
- Prepare for August IRS e-filing deadline with president (if 990-EZ or 990 filer; reach out to Q Collins for accountant referrals if needed)
- Manage chapter’s books month-over-month and communicate financial updates at board meeting
- Provide financial statements for Financial Reviewer
- Reconcile finances as needed, ensuring restricted funds are used only for intended purposes
- Review important documents to keep chapter compliant (bylaws, TU’s risk management and insurance limitations, etc)
- Ensure donations to your chapter are properly acknowledged
- Draft chapter budget with executive committee and present to chapter for approval
- Meet with and support fundraising committee to ensure funds are raised for highest-priority goals