Running and managing an Auxiliary

The primary goal of an RCH Auxiliary is to raise funds for the hospital but being a part of an Auxiliary can also be a lot of fun!

There are certain requirements for running and managing an RCH Auxiliary, which are detailed below. If you have any questions about operating or managing your Auxiliary, please contact the Manager, Auxiliaries and Fundraising for assistance.

Meetings

Auxiliaries can hold formal or informal meetings throughout the year. If important decisions are made at any meeting then:

Record keeping

A Membership Register (i.e. a list of your Auxiliary members) should be kept up to date and provided to the Auxiliaries Office at the RCH Foundation. Copies of receipts issued to donors on behalf of your Auxiliary should be kept for seven years (either electronically or in hard copy). You can visit nfplaw.org.au/fundraising for more information on record keeping.

Annual reports

Each Auxiliary should complete an annual report each year on or around the time of its AGM. Please submit a copy of this to the Auxiliaries Office at the RCH Foundation.

An overarching Auxiliaries annual report is prepared each year by the RCH Foundation and the AEC.

The Auxiliaries Annual Report incorporates the Annual Reports submitted by each Auxiliary and documents the story of Auxiliaries over the past 12 months. Auxiliaries are welcome to submit suggestions for feature stories for the Auxiliaries Annual Report to the Auxiliaries team at the RCH Foundation, no later than February each year. The Auxiliaries Annual Report is available to all Auxiliaries and the public after the annual AGM.

Banking and bank accounts

Banking administration and assistance

The Auxiliaries Liaison Officer can assist each Auxiliary with the management of your banking and fundraised monies. This includes banking funds raised and paying tax invoices for your Auxiliary’s expenses.

Special Purpose Accounts (SPAs)

Each Auxiliary is allocated a Special Purpose Account (SPA) by the RCH Foundation. This is a separate and distinguishable account held by the RCH Foundation on behalf of each Auxiliary. All monies received from fundraising must be banked into the Auxiliary’s SPA or into an approved external bank account. Any external bank accounts need to be pre-approved by the Manager, Auxiliaries and Fundraising. Any funds from external accounts must be transferred into a SPA.  Please note that an external bank account will only be approved in exceptional circumstances.

Each SPA will earn interest at a rate negotiated by the RCH Foundation and the interest will be added to the balance of that Auxiliary’s account.

A SPA statement is produced by the RCH Foundation each month and sent to the Treasurer of each Auxiliary. The Treasurer should check this statement to ensure it is correct. Please contact the Auxiliaries Coordinator immediately to discuss any queries. No changes can be made to SPA records after the close of the financial year.

Making deposits into your SPA

You can make a deposit into your SPA at any point in time. Fundraising monies should be banked as soon as possible after being raised. It is essential that all monies brought in to or sent to the Auxiliaries Office at the RCH Foundation are clearly identified. Please accurately describe how funds were raised (i.e. event, ticket sales, stalls, etc) or by whom they were donated. This ensures the funds will be coded properly into your account. If you need assistance with deposit making, please contact the Auxiliaries Coordinator.

Paying tax invoices from your SPA

All tax invoices should be pre-approved by the Manager, Auxiliaries and Fundraising. Once approved, tax Invoices can be paid from an Auxiliary’s SPA by sending the relevant invoice to the Auxiliaries Coordinator for payment. Please ensure the ABN on each tax invoice for the issuing company is correct. If everything is submitted correctly, it usually takes two to three working days for a vendor to receive their payment.

Reimbursements from your SPA

If an Auxiliary member makes a payment on behalf of your Auxiliary from your personal funds, they can be reimbursed from the Auxiliary’s SPA, subject to approval from that Auxiliary’s Officers. The Auxiliary member seeking reimbursement must provide the original tax invoice and receipt to the Auxiliaries Liaison Officer, who will organise the reimbursement.

Grant payments

Grants to the RCH will be paid from an Auxiliary’s SPA in accordance with the agreed terms of each grant

External bank accounts

Generally, Auxiliaries must bank all fundraised or donated monies into your SPA and must not hold any other bank account. In some special circumstances, an Auxiliary may seek approval from the Manager, Auxiliaries and Fundraising to hold an external bank account. If an Auxiliary holds an external bank account, you must comply with the following rules:

  • the Auxiliary must appoint a President and a Treasurer who will receive monies, issue receipts and make payments from the external bank account
  • accounts must be authorised by the Treasurer and countersigned by the President
  • the Treasurer must submit a financial report at the end of each major function or at the end of each financial year to the Manager, Auxiliaries and Fundraising
  • at least once per year, the Auxiliary’s books must be examined and audited by an auditor who must be a member of a recognised institute of accountants
  • only minimal funds (up to $1,000) should be held in an Auxiliary’s external bank account.

General financial administration

Financial year

The financial year for the RCH Auxiliaries runs from 1 March to 28 February. All Auxiliaries must accurately track and report income and expenses incurred during each financial year. On or before 20 February each financial year, each Auxiliary must transfer to the RCH Foundation the net amount of monies it received as a result of its efforts and activities over the past financial year.

Handling money

Generally, if you are handling money on behalf of an Auxiliary, you must comply with the following:

  • petty cash must be receipted and kept in a locked box in a secure place at all times
  • reimbursements of incidental expenses must be noted in the Treasurer’s report
  • all accounts or costs incurred by the Auxiliary must be paid by cheque or BPay
  • all donations or contributions being made to the RCH should be paid via the Auxiliaries Office with the cheque made payable to “The Royal Children’s Hospital” or “The Royal Children’s Hospital Foundation”.

Insurance and liability

All Auxiliaries are covered by the RCH Foundation’s Public Liability Insurance. A copy of the Certificate of Currency is available from the Auxiliaries Office. The policy covers staff, Auxiliary members and the public who attend an Auxiliary fundraising event in the event of negligence in respect of Third Party Property Damage or Bodily Damage. An individual Auxiliary is not obliged to seek any further form of public liability insurance. However, individual Auxiliaries are liable for any damage to property caused during a fundraising event. Any claim up to $2,500 must be met by the relevant Auxiliary, as this is the excess of the RCH Foundation’s policy. An Auxiliary is liable for money misappropriated or stolen by an Auxiliary member. The AEC members will not be personally responsible for any liabilities incurred by an individual Auxiliary.