Except for International Sections, Member Group funds are held centrally in BCS administered bank accounts. UK-based Groups must not operate their own Bank account.
Member Groups cannot accumulate financial reserves from one financial year to the next. All reserves are held and administered centrally for the Institute as a whole. Where a Member Group has a major project running across financial years the Finance Committee will consider ring-fencing expenditure.
A member of a Member Group must not receive any remuneration from the Group for work undertaken on behalf of the Group. Members may be contracted to do work by BCS Swindon.
Annual budgets
The BCS account year ends on 31 August. Member Groups that require any kind of financial support from the Institute need to submit an annual budget bid in March for the following financial year. This will be considered by the Membership Board Finance Committee in the light of the overall funding available and a budget will be allocated.
Suggestions on how to construct a budget are available at: Example Budget Bid
Budget proforma
The budget timetable is available at http://www.bcs.org/upload/pdf/budget-process-and-timescale.pdf
BCS Accounting Service v5 - Updated January 2014 - This gives an overview of the service available to Member Group Treasurers.
BCS Financial Guidelines v3 - Updated January 2014 - More detailed list of do's and don'ts for the Accounting Service.
The Finance Committee will take account of the Member Group’s financial record, in attracting income and managing to a budget, when considering bids for funding.
Claiming expenses
Guidance on claiming expenses is available Here Note that non BCS members are not be able to claim expenses as committee members unless there are exceptional circumstances and they have got prior approval. The Expenses Claim Form is at: Expense Claim Form for MG's
NB Personal details, including bank account details, only need to be notified once.
The process for submitting claims is as follows:
- Completing the form in full (which must include name and full postal address) soft copy.
- Add bank details for BACS payments if NEW or AMENDED. If the same since the last payment, do not fill in.
- Email to Joe Jones (ap.finance@bcs.uk) included digitally captured images of receipts to support all of the expenditure claimed (except mileage).
- Wording of email – “please accept my attached expenses for processing, in the sum of £xxx relating to yyyy”.
- Finance will then arrange the review and approval of the claim.
Alternative 1 (to the process above):
- Complete hard copy, sign the form (bottom left) and post to Finance in Swindon (BCS, First Floor, Block D, North Star House, North Star Avenue, Swindon, SN2 1FA) together with receipts to support all of the expenditure claimed (except mileage).
- Finance will then arrange the review and approval of the claim.
Alternative 2 (to the process above):
- Complete hard copy, sign the form (bottom left) and hand to the Treasurer at a committee meeting together with receipts to support all of the expenditure claimed (except mileage).
- The Treasurer can then review and approve the claim, sign it and post to Finance department in Swindon. If the Treasurer is not available, then hand to the Chair or Secretary, who can review, sign and post to Finance department.