Finance Reports

Webinar

Every signer on the bank account is required to attend a finance report webinar this year.  All account signers have until May 1, 2020, to complete the training. This training is only required for account signers. Both account signers must complete the training.  Click here for the latest schedule and link to the training.

What & When to Turn-in

Directions for Submitting the Troop Finance Report:
  • Complete the Troop Finance Report Summary, Troop Finance Report Ledger Page(s) and Miscellaneous Summary.  The Troop Finance Report form can be found here. 
  • The two (2) signers initial below the last journal entry indicating the end of the current information. Check each transaction (all sheets) to make sure income and expenses accurately balance. If a computer bookkeeping program is used, a print out from that program may be substituted for the ledger.
  • Keep receipts for three (3) years (current and two years prior). Attach receipts to the troop’s copy of the report. Receipts MUST be available upon request. It is not necessary to attach them to the report that is being submitted.
  • Include all documents submitted together:
    • The Troop Finance Report Summary (signed by both account holders)
    • Finance Report Ledger pages
    • Miscellaneous Summary
    • Monthly bank statements
    • Copy of the current product program summary page (if you participated)
  • Submit by NOVEMBER 10 and MAY 10 to the Membership Manager, Erika Hankins-Prantil at ehankins@gsoh.org. In the subject line, please type HEARTLAND, so Erika knows it is a finance report submission. Erika will also be collecting the Finance Reports in person at the Service Unit meetings.  
  • Receive confirmation. Receipt of the report by the assigned service team member and/or VSM will be acknowledged by signing Troop Finance Report Submission Receipt Form. If the form is submitted electronically to your VSM you should receive notification upon receipt. If you do not, please remember IT IS THE SIGNER OF THE REPORT’S RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE THAT THE FORM WAS RECEIVED. If you don’t receive confirmation, please follow up! 

For more information please, contact olentangytreasurer@gmail.com.

Financal Report Tips

  • Finance Report Guidelines
  • Helpful finance report reminder magnets are available from Erika for account signers. 
  • Keep it up-to-date.  It is extremely difficult to recreate the report with as much detail as needed when you are looking at it in retrospect .
  • Be detailed in your description of purchases and income. Look at each entry with the thought in mind that someone else might need to be able to explain the line item to a parent.
  • If the troop has $50.00 or more, an account must be opened. This is to safeguard the volunteers responsible for the money, as well as the troop treasury.
  • Have the two registered adults as signatures on the account share responsibility. Both people are equally responsible for the account activity, so have one receive the statement and the other maintain possession of the checkbook.  Both adults must initial below the last entry made.
  • Get together before or after a meeting to reconcile the checkbook registry with the statement.
  • Keep receipts for three years with the troop's copy of the report. This is a safeguard to protect you, the volunteers, against unfounded accusations.  Do not turn in any receipts - you keep all of them.
  • Write receipts. Every time a parent gives you money, write a receipt and maintain that practice throughout your troop year for every transaction. By doing that, you will be able to have a thorough record of what money each parent has given and be able to track through your receipt book if necessary. It also makes the parent responsible for assisting with the tracking process. A book with multiple receipts on the page is probably the most convenient and a worthy use of troop funds.
  • For the detailed transaction list, use either the back of the report (copy if additional pages are needed) or a self created spreadsheet.  List all pages of 1 of 2, 3 of 4, so it is clear how many pages are needed for a complete report for the 6 months that you are submitting. Start a new form as soon as you turn in one. Be sure to enter your final balance prior to turning it in. KEEP A COPY FOR YOUR RECORDS OF ALL REPORTS SUBMITTED.
  • Each line item should be detailed - such as "Columbus Zoo for 10 girls @ $15 each", or "cookie deposit".  If a deposit is for fall/cookie sales and something else, explain that such as "cookie deposit of $999 and dues of $30".
  • Remember that you must attach a copy of all the bank statements pertaining to your report time frame.
  • Make your report available to parents so that they can easily see where the money is being spent.
  • Please indicate the reasons for any discrepancies between the balance of your bank statement and the finance report, prior to submitting your report. This will mainly be noting checks that have not cleared.
  • Remember, it’s the girls’ money. Get them as actively involved with decisions regarding it early on. Starting with Brownies, their involvement should be progressively increasing with each age level advancement. When the girls are Cadettes and Seniors, you should be maintaining the checkbook and they should be determining how the money is spent, with your guidance, of course.
  • TURN IT IN ON TIME!