Although you will be performing the duties of an accountant as a treasurer, there is a distinction in this job title because many people who have this position act in the capacity of volunteer. This refers to small organizations and committees and not large organizations. Charitable organizations require the services of an accountant to handle the large sums of money they receive and to prepare the financial statements needed for their reporting. In such an organization, this position is similar to that of a senior accountant.
The specific duties you do as treasurer depend on the size of the organization, but inmost cases the duties are all the same and just differ in scope. The main duty will be to develop a budget for the fiscal year for the organization and present it to the management or executive officers. This could be both a general operating budget and smaller budgets for specific projects as part of the overall budget. This position is also similar to that of a cost accountant in that you estimate the costs of the various projects and also forecast how much money will be coming into the organization during the upcoming year based on your appraisal of the performance in past years.
Financial reporting is also an important aspect of the job of treasurer. In this role, you will have to prepare monthly financial statements comparing the actual income with the expenditures to make a general statement about the overall financial health of the organization. Since large organizations are audited on a yearly basis, you will also have to prepare the documents for this audit and answer any questions the auditor may have about specific transactions. Presenting the financial statements at the annual general meeting of the organization is also another role in this job.
Bookkeeping is a daily activity in the job or treasurer. You will be one of the signing authorities on the organization’s checks and therefore you need to review all invoices before you mark them to be paid. You need to develop and maintain a bookkeeping system in which you enter all transactions of income and expenditures and ensure you have the supporting documentation for each one. Record keeping is also essential with the maintenance of files for paid and unpaid bills with the check number included for the bills that are paid. You will also have to maintain the petty cash and file the vouchers for expenses that come out of this fund.
If there are other employees in the organization, you will also handle the payroll in your job as treasurer. You have to make sure you pay any insurances, fees or licenses that the organization requires to remain in operation. One aspect of your job is to be always on the lookout for new fundraising opportunities that will help generate more income for the organization. While this job carries a load of responsibility and multiple tasks, it is one that will really help you get involved in the world of accounting as you will be involved in just about everything in the fiancés of the organization.
