• Are you interested in looking after the environs of Greater Sydney?
• Do you have time as well as experience in accounting and/or finance?
• Do you want to work as part of a team in a collaborative and professional Steering Committee?

Greater Sydney Landcare Network (GSLN) is seeking a person with a background in natural resource management, Landcare, and / or conservation who is also skilled in accounting and/or finance to join the steering committee and take up a volunteer role managing GSLN accounts. GSLN consists of individuals, groups and organisations in Greater Sydney that work as volunteers to help preserve small reserves, beaches, national parks and private lands. The GSLN Steering Committee consist entirely of volunteers who meet on the third Tuesday of each month in Parramatta.

The diverse range of activities undertaken by GSLN affords members the opportunity to participate in a wide range of activities and meet with some wonderful Landcare coordinators and volunteers. GSLN works in partnership with Greater Sydney Local Land Services based in the Penrith Office. Ideally the applicant will have experience working for ‘not for profit’ organisations and be able to contribute up to an average of 15 hours per month, with additional during eofy.

Position Description:

Greater Sydney Landcare Committee Member and Treasurer (volunteer role) – to commence from August 2019 .

1.    Financial administration

• Ensure up-to-date records as well as an audit trail for all transactions – a bookkeeper is employed to record transactions
• Protect the organisation against fraud and theft, ensuring safe custody of money, and prompt banking – most, if not all banking is done online.
• Make sure the Steering Committee understands its financial obligations
• Make sure the organisation complies with tax regulations, such as GST, payroll tax and fringe benefits tax

2.    Review procedures and financial reporting

You will need to monitor (within the Governance role) policies and procedures to protect the organisation and its people. These will include:

• Controls on expenditure, such as who can authorise spending, upper limits before board approval is needed, and who can sign cheques  and use the organisations business cards.
• Controls on income generation, including appropriate and inappropriate ways of raising money.
• Systems for ensuring cash and cheque books are kept securely, including pin access codes.

3.    Monitoring of finances:

• GSLN currently employs two part time landcare coordinators but there could be additional staff in the future. The funding for the Local Landcare coordinators includes funds to pay for a bookkeeper who does the fortnightly payroll and quarterly Superannuation and BAS reconciliations and returns. Time sheets are sent to the Treasurer who checks and advises the bookkeeper of the hours for the current pay run.
• Invoices for payment are sent electronically by the LLC’s, committee members and coordinators to the treasurer. The treasurer checks they are within the budget and allocates them to an account and project funding or membership funds. They enter the payment into the on-line banking and then request the other authorised signatories to approve the payment.
• The bookkeeper uses QuickBooks online for the payroll and accounts. The payment process can be further automated using automated processing of the scanned suppliers’ invoices but the current volume of transactions has not justified this approach.
• Prepare invoices to send to funding organisations so GSLN can be paid grant funding. Landcare NSW provides the LLCI funding but we also apply for grants from a number of other funding bodies including Landcare Australia, NSW Environmental Trust and Greater Sydney Local Land Services
• Prepare invoices for membership renewal or new members to track the receipt of membership fees or donations.
• As funding is received in a lump sum and spent over a period of time, the finance committee can also place surplus funds into interest bearing deposits

4.    Reports to Steering Committee:

• Prepare monthly financial reports for the steering committee
• prepares a membership report for the monthly meetings – which includes a report of new members to be accepted and a report showing potential and actual members in addition to the number of groups and volunteers they have.
• Financial accountability includes planning and budgeting. The budget will fall out of the strategic plan, so ideally a treasurer would work with the Committee to develop a strategy and help set goals

5.    Advice on fundraising

• As treasurer you may be asked to prepare budgets for funding proposals for one-off grants, grants for special projects and sponsorship. These may be short term funding or multiyear programs
• Fundraising can include the prudent investment of funds that might not be required for a number of months.

How to apply / further information

• While the Committee works together to develop the annual budget, monitor and evaluate financial progress the Treasurer role, when undertaken to the fullest extent, can take up to 23 hours per month, including the monthly meeting.
• The successful applicant will be an enthusiastic and dedicated expert in finance and governance, with experience in Natural Resource Management or Sustainable Farming as a volunteer or paid position.
• Email your application describing your experience in the five key areas along with your current Resume.
• Please include in your application your background and experience with Landcare or Natural Resource Management or Sustainable Farming. We would be keen to hear about any experience you may have working in the Not for Profit sector.
• The role will commence in early August
• For further information – email your CV and any questions to info@GreaterSydneyLandcare.org

Role commences in August 2019.