The ability to accept credit or debit card payments has become essential for fundraising activities, as many people no longer carry cash. This may involve the use of mobile EFTPOS facilities for events such as fetes, where payment is taken on the spot.
It is not permitted for parent volunteers to use their own EFTPOS facilities to collect money for a school fundraiser and then transfer the funds to the school.
Use of school EFTPOS facilities
Can parent volunteers use the school’s EFTPOS facilities? Here’s the current advice from the Department of Education:
Parent volunteers can administer the school’s EFTPOS facilities. However, there are some steps the school must take:
- If operating EFTPOS facilities, the school must have an electronic funds management policy in place, which must be approved by school council (this should happen at the first meeting of every year). The policy should include a list of personnel with administrative/authorisation responsibilities.
- Volunteers can be approved to administer EFTPOS facilities. This can be an approval for the whole year (similar to staff) or an approval for a specific event. The names of the volunteers and the nature of their approval (full year or event-specific) should be clearly disclosed to School Council and must be signed off/documented by School Council.
- Volunteers should request School Council support to use the EFTPOS facilities, well in advance of an event.
- School Council must be satisfied that the volunteer has been trained and has the efficiency to use the EFTPOS facilities, when they provide approval.
- The responsible parent volunteer/s will be required to return the school EFTPOS facilities to the nominated school person (e.g. the Business Manager or Office person) at the end of the event day or in the morning of the next school day (e.g. Monday morning). The school will then reconcile the event receipts / transactions.
Further help
Other Education Department policies that are relevant are the fundraising policy and the guide to school council motions.
Questions? Reach out to the Education Department’s Schools Financial Management Support Unit via email: schools.finance.support@education.vic.gov.au
