Treasurer and Trustee

FEDERATION OF WRITERS (SCOTLAND) – The Fed

an organisation led by writers for writers

The Treasurer handles the day to day running of the Federation finances. The Fed does not charge a joining fee but accepts ad hoc donations from members which are acknowledged and recorded by the Treasurer.

Management of Paypal and Bank of Scotland Charity Business Accounts. The Constitution states withdrawals and/or payments from the bank account are counter-signed by any 2 of 3 signatories. For Paypal the Treasurer informs another signatory of withdrawals to maintain security.

A report is produced by the Treasurer for monthly Board meetings. This includes the current balance of each account and shows total funds at a specific date and any recent transactions. Any known upcoming expenses are included in the report to give a realistic overview of the Fed finances.

At each month end the treasurer downloads statements from both accounts and are held in an electronic file for each financial year running from 1 June to 31 May. The file held is - Federation of Writers (Scotland) – Treasurer – Accounts – year eg 25-26 for accounting purposes.

Accounts are prepared by the Treasurer and presented at the AGM. They are submitted to an Independent Financial Examiner for authorisation before lodging with OSCR (Scottish Charities Regulator). The Treasurer is the OSCR contact and records and updates Trustees’ personal details on their website.

The role of the Treasurer entails a maximum of 1-2 hours per week when there are no annual or extra events. For example, when the annual competition is active during March and April, deposits increase and it is the Treasurer’s responsibility to keep correct records of entrance fees received by the Federation via Paypal and the Bank Account. The Treasurer is also responsible for paying prize winners and judges fees by Paypal or bank transfer as requested by recipient.

Quarterly Flash Competitions are also held throughout the year and records kept. Donations or income from sales of anthologies at events are collected and banked by the Treasurer.

The Treasurer works closely with the Fed Chair keeping them informed and agreeing with the Board when payments for Insurance, Web Site Providers and any other expenses become due and for any purchases.

The Fed holds reserves of £200. Our physical assets are our PA system and spare copies of anthologies which are available for sale.

A working knowledge of Excel plus receipts and payments accounts would be helpful, however, there will be a hand-over and mentorship for any new Treasurer taking up post.