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Ulster Council Advice

ULSTER GAA: The right financial planning helps clubs flow freely

The Financial Statements are a vital document for the efficient and transparent operation of any GAA Club. They provide the Club members and other stakeholders with key information including:

Income and expense for the year

Amounts held in the bank

Amounts owed to suppliers

Value of Club assets

Size of Club debt (if any)

The AGM provides an opportunity for club members to ask the Treasurer about various club finance issues and to seek clarity in any figures.

Format of the Financial Statements

The financial year for all GAA Clubs runs from the 1st of October to the 30th September of the following year and should be made up to a date not more than six months before the AGM. The Financial Statements of a Club can be broken down into two main elements: The Profit and Loss Account and the Balance Sheet. The Profit and Loss account outlines the financial performance of the Club for the year detailing the various incoming amounts and expenditures. The income of the Club should be organised under the following headings:

Gate Receipts

Fundraising

Sponsorship

Donations

Membership

Grants Received

Miscellaneous Income

The income should be accounted for on an accruals basis which means that it should be included in the Club Financial Statements within the year it is due even if the amount is received post year end. Any amounts outstanding in the year end will be reflected in the Balance Sheet (as detailed below). Likewise, the expenditure of the Club should reflect what was purchased during the year regardless of the timing of payment. Club expenditure should be organised into the following headings:

County Affiliation Fees

Player Injury FundPublic Liability Insurance

Team Expenses

Heat Light & Power

Rates

Repairs & Maintenance

Bank Charges & Interest

Fundraising Costs

Administration Costs

Miscellaneous

Totalling both categories and subtracting expenditure from income will give rise to a surplus or deficit of income over expenditure for the year.

The Balance Sheet is the second key part of the Financial Statements and provides a snapshot of the Club finances at a particular point in time. It summaries the assets (what is owned and owed to the Club) and the liabilities (what the club owes to others). An example of the layout of a typical Club Balance Sheet is outlined below:

Fixed Assets

Land & Buildings

Fixtures and Fittings

Current Assets

Amounts owed to the Club

Cash in hand & at bank

Stock (i.e. club shop stock)

Total Assets (Fixed Assets + Current Assets)

Current Liabilities

Amounts owed to suppliers

Bank Loans

Net Assets (Total Assets – Liabilities)

Capital Account

Retained Surplus

Surplus for the Year

Total Capital

The Total Capital figure should balance with your Net Assets. Usually clubs may require some expert assistance to draw up a Balance Sheet but it can be a useful exercise to show the members what the Club is worth. It is also required by most lenders if applying for finance. An accounts template is available to assist in the preparation of your accounts and can be found on the Ulster GAA website under the following link: http:ulster.gaa.iecommunityresources

Reporting on the Financial Statements

The Financial Statements must then be reported at the AGM. The report should contain commentary on the financial performance of the club, an explanation of variance between figures year on year and detail of how some of the larger groups of expenditure are made up accompanied by the written Financial Statements. The Treasurer should be prepared to answer any questions on the accounts.

The Financial Statements should be signed by two of the three officers – Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer – on behalf of the executive committee and then submitted to the County Board within four weeks of their adoption at the Club AGM.

ment for the efficient and transparent operation of any GAA Club. They provide the Club members and other stakeholders with key information including:

Income and expense for the year

Amounts held in the bank

 

THE Financial Statements are a vital document for the efficient and transparent operation of any GAA club. They provide the club members and other stakeholders with key information including:

– Income and expense for the year.

 

– Amounts held in the bank.

– Amounts owed to suppliers

– Value of Club assets

– Size of Club debt (if any)

The AGM provides an opportunity for club members to ask the Treasurer about various club finance issues and to seek clarity in any figures.

 

Format of the Financial Statements

The financial year for all GAA Clubs runs from the 1st of October to the 30th September of the following year and should be made up to a date not more than six months before the AGM. The Financial Statements of a Club can be broken down into two main elements: The Profit and Loss Account and the Balance Sheet. The Profit and Loss account outlines the financial performance of the Club for the year detailing the various incoming amounts and expenditures. The income of the Club should be organised under the following headings:

Gate Receipts

Fundraising

Sponsorship

Donations

Membership

Grants Received

Miscellaneous Income

The income should be accounted for on an accruals basis which means that it should be included in the Club Financial Statements within the year it is due even if the amount is received post year end. Any amounts outstanding in the year end will be reflected in the Balance Sheet (as detailed below). Likewise, the expenditure of the Club should reflect what was purchased during the year regardless of the timing of payment. Club expenditure should be organised into the following headings:

County Affiliation Fees

Player Injury FundPublic Liability Insurance

Team Expenses

Heat Light & Power

Rates

Repairs & Maintenance

Bank Charges & Interest

Fundraising Costs

Administration Costs

Miscellaneous

Totalling both categories and subtracting expenditure from income will give rise to a surplus or deficit of income over expenditure for the year.

The Balance Sheet is the second key part of the Financial Statements and provides a snapshot of the Club finances at a particular point in time. It summaries the assets (what is owned and owed to the Club) and the liabilities (what the club owes to others). An example of the layout of a typical Club Balance Sheet is outlined below:

Fixed Assets

Land & Buildings

Fixtures and Fittings

Current Assets

Amounts owed to the Club

Cash in hand & at bank

Stock (i.e. club shop stock)

Total Assets (Fixed Assets + Current Assets)

Current Liabilities

Amounts owed to suppliers

Bank Loans

Net Assets (Total Assets – Liabilities)

Capital Account

Retained Surplus

Surplus for the Year

Total Capital

The Total Capital figure should balance with your Net Assets. Usually clubs may require some expert assistance to draw up a Balance Sheet but it can be a useful exercise to show the members what the Club is worth. It is also required by most lenders if applying for finance. An accounts template is available to assist in the preparation of your accounts and can be found on the Ulster GAA website under the following link: http:ulster.gaa.iecommunityresources

Reporting on the Financial Statements

The Financial Statements must then be reported at the AGM. The report should contain commentary on the financial performance of the club, an explanation of variance between figures year on year and detail of how some of the larger groups of expenditure are made up accompanied by the written Financial Statements. The Treasurer should be prepared to answer any questions on the accounts.

The Financial Statements should be signed by two of the three officers – Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer – on behalf of the executive committee. The report should then be submitted to the County Board within four weeks of their adoption at the Club AGM.

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FINANCIAL PLANNING… Proper financial planning should be taken very seriously by every club

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