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How to Plan for Your Year

Build your calendar

May / June (Q4)

Your term hasn’t officially started yet, so this is a great time to partner with your outgoing finance chair.

Goals / action items

  • When is the board retreat or board meeting being held to set the upcoming budget for next fiscal year? Did all board members provide input?
  • Is the budget set before 30 June?
  • Did you print a chapter member list on 30 June?
  • Change check signatories to reflect any board changes

July (Q1)

Goals / action items

  • Are you receiving local dues checks / wires? If not, confirm mailing address / wire information with EO headquarters staff.
  • Did you hit your renewal goal?
  • Did you receive all the past financial information from the previous finance chair (bank accounts, accounting files, merchant accounts)?
  • Are you receiving the current banking information?
  • Does EO headquarters have correct addresses on file so they can mail the dues checks?
  • Is chapter budget on file with EO headquarters?

August (Q1)

Goals / action items

  • Have you received checks / wires from EO headquarters for renewals? (May, June and July)
  • Has everyone renewed that was on your list?
  • Were the bank reconciliation and financial statements completed before the board meeting?
  • Has anything happened that you did not expect or account for?
  • A/P and A/R

September (Q1)

Goals / action Items

  • Has everyone on your list been accounted for (either they renewed, or the chapter has been told that they are not renewing)?
  • Board meeting
  • A/P and A/R

October (Q2)

Goals / action items

  • First quarter is complete; how does the budget look? Was everything that happened expected?
  • Financial statements
  • Board meeting
  • A/P and A/R
  • Has the promised sponsorship money come in yet?
  • Have you filed your tax returns?

November (Q2)

Goals / action items

  • Financial statements
  • How is revenue looking? Are new members coming in as expected?
  • Board meeting
  • A/P and A/R
  • How is the board communicating at board meetings and throughout the month? Is everyone on the same page?

December (Q2)

Your year is halfway over, are you halfway toward your goal?

Goals / action items

  • Financial statements
  • A/P and A/R
  • Board meeting

January (Q2)

Start identifying your successor, if applicable.

Goals / action items

  • Half of the year is over; how is the budget? Is the budget in line with expected projections for the year? Do adjustments need to be made?
  • Are the new member checks / wires coming in?
  • Board meeting
  • A/P and A/R

February (Q3)

Goals / action items

  • Is the chapter board in line with any adjustments that might need to be made?
  • Board meeting
  • Financial statements
  • A/P and A/R
  • Has sponsorship money come in?
  • Has the chapter been added to the EO group-exemption policy? If not, EO headquarters needs the information by 15 March. (US chapters only)

March (Q3)

Make sure your successor is registered for the GLC.

Goals / action items

  • A/P and A/R
  • Financial statements
  • Board meeting
  • Is the budget still in line as projected?
  • Are all the expenses accounted for?

April (Q4)

Goals / action items

  • A/P and A/R
  • Financial statements
  • Board meeting
  • GLC is this month (see event calendar for published dates)
  • Have you met with the new finance chair yet?

May (Q4)

Involve your successor as much as you can.

Goals / action items

  • Financial statements
  • Board meeting
  • Budget still in line?
  • Are the financial files in order?

June (Q4)

Train your successor and hand off outstanding items.

Goals / action items

  • A/P and A/R
  • Financial statements
  • Board meeting
  • Files ready to be turned over?
  • Have the addresses that needed to be changed been updated?
  • Did you grow personally and professionally from your time on the chapter board? Did you continue to learn?
  • Update check signatories to reflect any board changes.

Update check signatories to reflect any board changes.