Sound financial management for parent clubs means that all financial transactions are properly recorded and effectively controlled.
The treasurer is responsible for the financial management of the club and may be expected to carry out the following duties:
- Ensure money received is receipted and deposited promptly with the school
- Maintain accurate records of current income and expenditure
- Prepare and present reports for each general meeting of the club
- Ensuring accounts are paid
- Liaise with school business manager re the recording of parent club finances on CASES21
- Prepare a budget (if applicable)
- Be fully informed about the financial position of the club at all times
The members involved in the financial management of the club should have the necessary skills to complete the tasks. If not, ensure that they are provided with the relevant training.
Reporting at meetings
At each general meeting of the club, a treasurer’s report should be presented. Members should be invited to ask questions of the treasurer. This should not be seen as questioning his/her integrity but rather as an important opportunity to develop a better understanding of the club’s financial position.
The following rules should always be followed:
- All cash and/or cheques must be deposited intact
- Maintain records of receipt to record all monies deposited.
- If the treasurer has the power to authorise payments between meetings, any such payments should be ratified at the next meeting
- All major expenditure should be authorised in the minutes
Financial management requirements
Section 12 of the Model Constitution for Parent Clubs covers financial management. Among other things, it states:
- All revenue and expenditure (including reimbursements) in relation to the Club must be approved by a General Meeting of the School Council in accordance with the school’s procedures.
- The Club will have a sub-program within the school’s official account on CASES 21. All revenue and expenses relating to the Club/Association must be recorded within this sub-program.
- A separate sub-program must be maintained for the purpose of:
(a) the administrative functions of the Club/Association; and
(b) the raising of funds by the Club/Association for the benefit of the school. - All funds raised by the Club/Association by fundraising activities must be held in the Club/Association sub-program by the School Council in trust for the general or particular purpose for which the funds were raised.
- The Club’s/Association’s finances will be audited along with those of the school as part of the Department’s audit process.
All Parent Clubs at Victorian government schools must adopt the 2019 Model Constitution. See our Constitutions page for more details.
More information
Our FAQ page is a good place to start if you have questions about financial management requirements for Parent Clubs.
The Education Department’s FAQ document provides a further summary.
See the Policy and Advisory Library for full details of Education Department policy.
