Charity treasurer - advice

Nps

Hello,

Two friends recently began a campaign to fundraise and raise awareness of Downs Syndrome after their newborn twins were both diagnosed with the condition. They are now moving towards gaining charitable status and require a treasurer which I am very keen to take on. I am AAT qualified and ploughing my way through ACCA, but I have absolutely no practical experience, hence the problem.

As the charity is not even established yet, there is nothing at all in place and I would be starting from scratch. In addition, the whole committee will be inexperienced, so we'll be depending on each other to ensure that everyone is doing what they need to be doing.

Is there anyone who has experience of charity accounts, in particular setting them up from the start, who wouldn't mind acting as a form of mentor to give me some guidance or advice as and when I need it. Or even if someone could give me a quick checklist to work through in the early days.

I am really keen to take on the role but obviously don't want to take on something which I don't fully understand. I'm not too concerned about the actual practical side of the work, it's more the administrative and legal side I am concerned about - ie. who needs to know, what do they need to know, how to format the records etc.

I've very recently taken on another treasurer role for a national charity who have a central team of qualified accountants, so hopefully I won't be inexperienced for too much longer, but it would be really helpful to get some words of wisdom from you guys.

Thanks
Nicki

RAS

There is a lot of very good downloadable information regarding trustee/treasurer responsibilities, record keeping etc etc on the Charity Commission website.

Nps

Thank you for pointing me in the right direction. I've spent the afternoon reading through it all and I'm feeling much more confident. Sometimes it's just about knowing where to look!