THE TREASURER’S JOB - THE IRON HAND             

The treasurer’s job is impossible unless everyone - especially committee heads - cooperates.   This cooperation is only made possible by the treasurer keeping an iron hand on the bank account and vigorously exercising the treasurer’s prerogative - NO! All financial information and financial decisions MUST go though the treasurer - WELL BEFORE anything is done.

The first and most essential thing that the Treasurer needs to make is a projected budget.  The Treasurer can then use this budget to allow the calculation of a projected break-even.

PROJECTED BUDGET: As soon as possible after the ConCom has been formed the Treasurer should meet with every committee head who will require money and get a projected budget from them.  Budget projections, in most cases, can be based on the expenditures of similar departments from cons in previous years.  However, even a roughly-calculated guess is better than no estimate and the “just tell me what my budget is and I’ll stay within it” is not acceptable.

Once a department’s budget is set they should have to provide a VERY good justification for having it increased.

The projected budget can then be continuously updated as new information comes in.

Categories for accounting (from Appendix A - WCSFA Policies Procedures)

EXPENSES:

• Advertising, Publicity, Promotion (paid advertising,
• Art Show
• Bank Charges
• Banquet
• Facilities (all hotel except guest rooms)
• Guest Expenses (airfare or gas, rooms, per diem, gifts)
• Hospitality (broken into the following:)
  -        Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages
  -        Alcohol
  -        Other (rentals, license, supplies such as plates)
• Miscellaneous
• Office Expenses (misc. photocopying, receipt books, supplies)
• Operations (includes A/V, volunteer perks, vehicle rental, radios, signage, etc.)
• Postage
• Programming (includes Dance, Elrons, Masquerade, etc.)
• Publications (paste-up & printing of flyers, bookmarks, PR's, program books, stationery)
• Special (includes Auroras or other awards, and unusual one-time items)
• Telephone
• T-shirts
• Video Room
• Writers Workshop

 

INCOME:

• Advertising
• Art Show (broken into:)
  -        Panel Fees
  -        Auction & Direct Sales
• Banquet
• Hospitality
• Memberships & Dealers Tables
• Miscellaneous (includes bank interest, donations, grants)
• T-shirts
• Writers Workshop fees