The Treasurer’s job is to manage the society’s finances in conjunction with the Chair. You are taking responsibility for the proper spending of and accounting for students’ money, and it is an important job.
However it should not be daunting – just use common sense and ask in the CSC if you are unsure of anything.
The Treasurer of each fully recognised Sodality and Association Societies whose treasurers have votes is also a member of the Central Societies Committee, so this means that you must attend each CSC Term General Meeting on behalf of your society. At these meetings you will learn about the decisions made by the Executive committee, you will vote on issues affecting societies in Trinity and you will be able to voice any concerns your society might have.
The Role of the Treasurer: Ensure that the society’s monies are being properly managed and recorded. You should ensure that there are adequate funds in the bank account to meet any payments you have to make. You are responsible for applying for grants, and for claiming the grant. You must also keep all receipts and record all transactions on the online system.
For more information on how to use the accounting system, please contact [email protected] or [email protected]
QUICK POINTS
• You must have a receipt for all monies spent – All money claimed from the CSC will be on a receipt only basis. Receipts will not be accepted after accounts close on 31st August.
• Usually payments/reimbursements from the CSC will be made directly to the society bank account.
• All monies received by the society (cheques, cash, etc) should be lodged to the society bank account.
• All payments should be made using bank transfer – in some circumstances, Lucy in the CSC can make
payments on your behalf. You should avoid using cash. Quite often, it is the case where a member of
your committee will buy something for the society. If they give you the receipt for that item, you can
reimburse them from the society bank account.
• Each accounting period begins on the 1st March of each year and runs to the end of February of the
next year.
• It doesn’t matter whether you have 100 members or a 1000 – your grant will be based on the proposed
activity of the society and not on how many members you have.
• The CSC will not tend to fund events that are self-financing or that are nor furthering the aims of the
society. E.g. parties; balls; table quizzes, etc.
As Treasurer, you have the responsibility of keeping all the financial records throughout the year and for submitting the end-of-year society accounts. The financial year runs from the 1st March of one year to the end of February of the following year. This is in the middle of Hilary Term so it is important that you are aware of all the transactions carried out by the previous treasurer. It is always a good idea to contact the previous Treasurer as quickly as possible to discuss what monies came in/out during their term. During your term you should be entering your society transactions into the system as you go along.
• To access the accounting system, go to www.cscgrants.com – each soc has a login username and password.
• Go to the Society Accounts section. There is a section outgoings and income, and one for submitting the accounts at the end of the year.
• Enter all the transactions you make – income (membership, grants, donations, etc.) goes into the fields on the ‘income’ page, and expenditure – both cash and bank transfers should be entered in the ‘outgoings’ page.
Your completed accounts SHOULD be submitted by the 30th of June, but if they are not submitted by the 31st August, then the society accounts will automatically be deemed unsatisfactory. It’s important to know that if a society is deemed to have unsatisfactory accounts for two consecutive
years, its recognition automatically lapses. If you run into any difficulties or need some advice, please speak to Lucy or the CSC treasurer
Applying for a Grant from the CSC
Each Michaelmas Term, societies submit an online grant application outlining what it plans to spend in the coming year. Officer training will be provided so that everyone is aware of the grant process. Please consult the Grants Policy Document 2022-23 before completing the application. Grants Policy Document 2022-23
What is the Society Grant?
• It is the funding that the CSC makes available to each society each year so that the Committee can carry out the society’s main objectives.
• It is awarded annually and apart from the Reception Grant is not dependent on society membership numbers.
• The funding decision is based on the classification and proposed activity of the society. Include as much detail as possible in your app, but if things arise later in the year that you did not include in the form you can apply via the supplementary grant application. For more information on what you
can apply for or how to fill out the application please speak to the CSC Treasurer or to Lucy.
What does the CSC fund and what are the granting headings?
Basic Running Costs: The Executive will base its allocation primarily on a society’s general level of activity. Money granted under this heading is intended to fund things like printing costs, webhosting, stationery, non-alcoholic refreshments for weekly meetings, etc. The CSC will not, however, fund web or graphic design. The maximum grant is €635.
Speakers’ Expenses: CSC will cover entertainment, travel and accommodation expenses for Irish and Overseas Speakers (in line with current Government Covid Guidelines), at rates which will be specified
in the current Grants Policy Document. The grant allowed for entertainment will be adequate to allow for a committee member to dine with the guest. Receipts should have printed clearly on the reverse the names of all those attending for whom money is being claimed and should be signed by the guest.
Note: When filling out the grant application, you should state how many speakers you plan to have during the year, and how many are actually confirmed.
Receptions: The CSC will fund receptions throughout the year to a maximum figure which is based upon membership figures.
Society classes/workshops: Societies wishing to hold classes or instruction sessions (online or in-person if possible under restrictions) which are relevant to the aims of the society may have the expenses involved defrayed by the CSC. Details of all costs and admission charges will be required. A society will not normally be permitted to pay members of the society for providing instruction. The CSC will normally provide funding on a profit-and- loss basis – so you need to indicate clearly how much the instructor is being paid per class; give a best guess of how many members will attend the class; and indicate how much each member will pay. If you need particular materials for classes, you should complete the appropriate section on the form, giving details of what materials are required and how much they will
cost. The CSC normally requires a nominal fee to be paid by each participant.
Note – In order to qualify for funding, it is necessary for a society to adequately publicise events and meetings.
Hire of items, and purchase of one-off materials: Where a society buys one-off materials or hires articles for short-term use, the cost of hiring or purchasing these may be subsidised. A detailed breakdown must be submitted of what items are required and to what purpose they are to be put.
Purchase of Equipment & Capital Items: When a Society needs to purchase specialist equipment or other expensive items necessary for its continued existence, an application should be made in a similar form to
‘Materials’ above, including details of what security arrangements are intended to safeguard the items.
Grants given under this heading MUST be claimed before the end of Michaelmas Term.
Competition Entry Fees: Where a society wishes to enter an individual or team in a competition which is of direct interest to the aims of the society, the entry fees may be subsidised by the CSC.
Affiliation Fees: Affiliation fees to external organisations may be granted. Details of the body to which the society wishes to be affiliated and the benefits accrued must be presented. CSC will fund for branch or group affiliation only and not individual members.
Library Expenses: if a society already has a Library in operation, the CSC may grant funding to enhance it and buy more books/equipment.
Society Travel: Societies may obtain funding for travel to conferences and competitions, and field trips that further the aims of the society may be considered. Society officers should especially note the stipulations regarding travel in the Grants Policy Document and that there is a finite budget. Applications for travel will be considered and awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.
NB: those travelling on society trips will not have personal accident cover or travel insurance. Third party bodily injury or property damage insurance may be provided on a case by case basis on consultation with
the CSC.
Other: A society may apply for subsidy for anything not covered above, provided it is demonstrated that the purpose is to further the aims of the society. Very detailed information is required in order to allow the fair consideration of such an application. Applications under this heading will be considered on their individual merits. Please contact the CSC Treasurer for guidance.
Can our budgetary limit be raised? Yes. If you claim everything in your grant but still have more speakers confirmed or more projects to do, you may come back to the CSC and request that the budgetary limit be raised. This is done by speaking to the CSC Treasurer and completing a supplementary grant application online.