Treasurer
The officer who knows the balance
The treasurer gives the board a reliable view of dues, bills, cash, and reserves. Good records keep renewal season manageable and make the annual meeting report understandable. This officer also protects continuity when bank access or tax information passes to a successor. The job rewards steady weekly attention more than accounting expertise.
The honest hours. Expect one to three hours each week during the season, with heavier work around dues renewal and the annual meeting.
What the job actually is
Manage member dues
Agree charges with the board, issue them to the roster, record checks and card payments, and follow up unpaid members.
Settle club expenses
Pay insurance, affiliation, utilities, coaches and gear costs from the correct account, on time, with a supporting record.
Maintain useful books
Classify every receipt and payment consistently so annual figures come from the records rather than a late reconstruction.
Brief the board
Give officers a short written position covering cash, amounts due, obligations and budget movement before decisions are made.
Prepare annual figures
Produce income, spending and balances for the annual meeting, with any review the organization's rules require.
Protect club reserves
Understand the minimum cushion needed for an equipment failure or lost season, and raise concerns before the board commits money.
The year, honestly
Dues renewal
Confirm rates, issue charges, match payments and work the remaining list. A clean roster keeps this concentrated.
Active season
Pay bills, reconcile accounts and send the board a consistent monthly position. Small regular checks prevent a year-end scramble.
Annual meeting preparation
Close the reporting period, assemble the figures, arrange any required review and write the treasurer's summary.
Officer handover
Transfer bank authority, account access, records, deadlines and the explanation behind any unusual current items.
What the club is, in the United States
The treasurer's paperwork starts with what the club actually is. Here that usually means 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(7) status, dealt with through the Internal Revenue Service.
The IRS lists "fostering national or international amateur sports competition" as one of the exempt purposes under 501(c)(3), so an amateur sports organization can qualify directly. A members-only club that does not fit that may instead be a 501(c)(7) social club, which is generally exempt but still taxed on income from non-members.
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 dues 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
Dues 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 does a US club treasurer handle?
The treasurer collects dues, pays expenses, maintains the books, reports to the board and prepares annual figures. They also watch reserves and make sure payment and banking records stay with the organization when officers change.
How much time does the role take?
A mid-sized club usually needs one to three hours a week during its active season. Dues renewal and annual meeting preparation create the busiest periods. Poor roster or payment records add most of the avoidable work.
Must the treasurer be an accountant?
No. The role needs care, consistency and willingness to report clearly. The club should follow whatever review, tax or reporting requirements apply to its 501(c)(3), 501(c)(7) or other structure, using professional help where needed.