Finance Committee

Australian ten dollar bank note with picture of Mary Gilmore

Supports and advises our national Treasurer.

Purpose

The Australia Yearly Meeting Treasurer is responsible for overall management of the financial affairs of Australia Yearly Meeting, with the assistance and advice of the Finance Committee. The Treasurer is appointed by Yearly Meeting for an initial term of three years, with the possibility of additional periods. The Finance Committee is usually comprised of Friends in the same Regional Meeting as the Treasurer with appointments nominated by the Regional Meeting and confirmed by Yearly Meeting.

The Treasurer is a member of all committees ex officio except the Nominations Committee and reports to Yearly Meeting and Standing Committee.

The Treasurer oversees our bank accounts, investments and properties and arranges the bookkeeping, ensuring that all assets and transactions are properly documented and we fulfil superannuation and tax obligations. Standing Committee has delegated some payments to the Secretary.

The Treasurer receives and disburses bequests and earmarked funds, as authorised by duly appointed office-holders or committees, and ensures that sufficient funds remain available for expected expenditure.

The opening or closing of any account requires specific authority from Yearly Meeting.

The Treasurer prepares a budget for each September meeting of Standing Committee and drafts and arranges the auditing of annual financial accounts for approval by Yearly Meeting.

The Treasurer’s duties do not include any involvement with Quaker Service Australia, The Friends School or Silver Wattle Quaker Centre, which handle their own finances.

If the Treasurer is temporarily unable to act, the Presiding Clerk can appoint a member of the Finance Committee to serve as Acting Treasurer.

Quakers Australia is financed through the various Regional Meetings. An administration budget is drawn up each year and the total amount required is divided up between the Regional Meetings and paid by them over the year. Quakers can see details of our budget here.

In addition to the administration budget, Regional Meetings also collect donations to support the various concerns of Quakers in Australia. These are shown below, and you can give to them directly through your local or Regional Meeting. Alternatively, if you wish to give directly, you can do so on our Donations page.

Funds which welcome your contributions

The First Nations Peoples Concerns Fund supports opportunities for FNP and non-FNP Australians to come together to develop a process of reconciliation if they choose to follow this course.

The Peace & Social Justice Fund provides financial support to individuals and committees to implement our concerns for peace and social justice.

The Earthcare Fund helps to contribute to a vision of a peaceful and sustainable Australia and envisage a better world for our children; one in which the Quaker Testimonies of Peace, Simplicity, Equality, Community, Integrity and Earthcare flourish.

The Thanksgiving Fund is directed primarily towards helping Friends to undertake activities on behalf of the Society and its concerns.

The Children and Junior Young Friends Fund finances the employment of the Coordinator to help bring young people into the centre of Quaker life and to support activities involving them.

The Quaker Learning Australia Fund provides resources for learning and deepening our spiritual journeys, including the Meeting for Learning retreats.

The Friends in Stitches Fund assists with the Australian Quaker Narrative Embroidery Project, which has oversight for the creation, care and exhibition of hand-stitched panels depicting the history of Australian Quakers.

Several of these Funds provide grants, and information about sources of Funding for Friends Concerns can be found here.

audited accounts

The Quakers Australia financial year ends on 30 September and the Annual General Meeting is held in the following January. Recent Audited Accounts and reports to the AGM are as follows.