Treasurer

The treasurer is a trustee with a specific role on the board. The treasurer is elected or appointed to this role as set out in the charity’s governing document. 

The treasurer can only take on specific duties if they have been authorised to do so. This authorisation might be set out in the governing document or related procedure, or agreed by the other trustees in a role description or some other document.

Generally the treasurer helps trustees carry out their financial responsibilities. They might do this by:

• Presenting financial reports to the board in a format that helps the board understand the charity’s financial position
• Advising the board on how to carry out its financial responsibilities
• Liasing with professional advisors
• Overseeing the preparation and scrutiny of annual accounts 
• In small charities, the treasurer might take on some or all day to day financial duties, such as book-keeping, budgeting and preparation of reports. 

The work of the treasurer can vary significantly from charity to charity and in particular between small and large charities. Many guides exist to assist treasurers of different types and sizes of charity understand and carry out their role.