Best way to keep accounts and budget for community group

JenniWren10

I’ve worked for myself and done my own accounts in the past, but I am finding myself a bit confused about how to get started having volunteered to be treasurer for a local not for profit community group.

I need to track income and expenditure, but also planned expenditure and expenses payments to members of the committee. 

Does this work with any old small business accounting software or app? I used waveapps years ago which was free and found it worked beautifully but don’t know if time have changed so would really appreciate any advice.

DullGreyGuy

Presumably this isn't a brand new charity so what did the former treasurer use? Any reason for not just taking over their tools?

JenniWren10

You presume wrong, unfortunately. Brand new. And a small community organisation rather than a charity. 

jennimoo

(Sorry for namechange - managed to get logged back into old account at last…)
Does anyone run anywhere with similar finances? Or have a suggestion how I apply the situation to the normal accounting? An expense claim coming in - could that be via a purchase order or something?

pramsay13

I think you're overthinking it. Just use excel or whatever software you would normally use for tracking the income and expenditure and then make sure it tallies with the bank account for each month or quarter or whenever your committee meetings are.

Savvy_Sue

I've done this with Excel. Previous treasurer had a traditional multi-columned account book ...

So main sheet: columns for date, statement ref, which account, what, why, in, out, balance 

Linked to a statement sheet which instantly told me what cash I had where

And a why sheet which allowed me to see how much the Christmas lunch cost, or the Spring event, or subs or whatever.

And so on.

All linked by VLookup formulae.

I just filled in the main sheet. Provided I was consistent in my descriptions,the rest happened by magic.

But your old package will work too, if still available. 

penners324

I am treasurer of my local cricket. All done on a spreadsheet