Treasurer
Give the committee financial clarity
The treasurer turns member fees, expenses and reserves into a position the committee can use. A not-for-profit corporation needs those records kept consistently, not rebuilt before each AGM. Renewal and year-end create the main peaks. Between them, regular reconciliation and short reports keep the role controlled and prepare a clean handover for the next volunteer.
The honest hours. Plan for one to three hours weekly during the season, with larger peaks around membership renewal and the AGM.
What the job actually is
Oversee membership payments
Confirm fees with the committee, issue charges, match receipts to the roster and follow up the people still outstanding.
Pay what the club owes
Settle insurance, affiliation, utilities, coaches and equipment bills by their deadlines, retaining a clear supporting trail.
Maintain orderly books
Record each incoming and outgoing amount under useful categories so annual reporting does not become a search through bank entries.
Inform committee decisions
Provide cash, receivables, upcoming obligations and budget movement regularly, giving volunteers facts before they approve new spending.
Assemble year-end accounts
Prepare income, expenditure and balances for members at the AGM, following any review terms in the corporation's rules.
Defend a sensible reserve
Identify the amount needed to absorb an equipment problem or lost activity, then flag proposals that reduce it too far.
The year, honestly
Membership renewal
Load the agreed fees, send charges, reconcile receipts and resolve unpaid cases against a current roster.
Summer season
Keep bills and reconciliations moving, with a brief report for each committee meeting through the active programme.
AGM preparation
Close the financial period, finish the accounts, arrange any required review and explain the important movements.
Transfer of office
Move bank authority and system access, then hand over deadlines, outstanding amounts and the meaning behind exceptional entries.
What the club is, in Canada
The treasurer's paperwork starts with what the club actually is. Here that usually means a not-for-profit corporation, dealt with through Corporations Canada, or your province.
A club can incorporate federally under the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act, or provincially. A federally incorporated body still has to register in a province or territory as well.
A non-profit organisation is not the same thing as a registered charity. It is generally exempt from income tax but can still owe tax on property income or capital gains, and may have to file a return.
Checked against the official guidance on 28 August 2026. Structures and reliefs change, so confirm against that page before acting.
The handover checklist
What the outgoing treasurer hands to the incoming one. Most get none of this; be the club where they do.
Access
- Bank mandate updated and old signatories removed
- Online banking access working for the incoming treasurer
- Accounting records or spreadsheets handed over with edit access
- Membership system access at treasurer level
Knowledge
- Current fee structure and any member-specific arrangements
- List of every regular payment and its renewal date
- Insurance and affiliation renewal dates and costs
- Where last year's accounts and examination live
State of play
- Cash at bank confirmed and reconciled on handover day
- List of unpaid subs and where each chase has got to
- Any debts owed by or to the club
- Reserves policy, or the honest number the committee works to
Calendar
- Renewal month tasks written down with dates
- AGM date and what the treasurer must produce for it
- Grant reporting deadlines if the club holds any
The parts software takes off your plate
Subs collection stops being a chase
Invoicing, payment tracking and reminders run from the member records, so renewal month shrinks from a term of chasing to a checking job.
How it worksThe monthly figure builds itself
Who has paid and who owes is a report, not a reconciliation session.
How it worksHandover becomes access transfer
When the records live in the club's system instead of the treasurer's laptop, the next treasurer inherits everything on day one.
How it worksQuestions
What is a Canadian club treasurer responsible for?
They manage member fees, club bills, bookkeeping, committee reports, annual accounts and reserves. For a not-for-profit corporation, the role also supports continuity by keeping records and access with the organization rather than one individual.
How demanding is the role each week?
Expect about one to three hours weekly for a mid-sized club during its season. Renewal and AGM work take longer. Accurate member records and regular monthly reconciliation prevent those busy periods becoming extended clean-up exercises.
Does a volunteer need to be an accountant?
No. They need to be methodical, trustworthy and able to explain the position plainly. The club remains responsible for the reporting and GST or HST treatment that applies to its structure, and can obtain professional advice when necessary.