How it works
All Groups within La Leche League of the Sunshine State have the option of utilizing the Area Treasury for their Group Accounting. Groups choosing this option use the Area Bank Account for Group financial activities. Group funds within the Area account are accounted for separate from Area funds. The Area Treasurer performs the accounting duties including maintaining financial records, and preparing and submitting any required government or internal reporting.
To offset the increased expenses to the Area, Groups utilizing this option pay the Area $5 annually. The amount is transferred automatically from the Group to the Area every April 1st.
Transitioning
Groups choosing this function need to work closely with the Area Treasurer to ensure that the Group assets and financial data is transferred correctly. Items to be addressed:
- Sales Tax Certificate: The current Group Treasurer would file a final sales tax return from January 1 through the date of transition. When filing the return with the Florida Dept of Revenue (FDOR), the Group Treasurer should choose the option that indicates that this filing is the Final Return. Be sure to save, copy or print any confirmation indicating that you have informed the FDOR that you are cancelling your Sales Tax Certificate Number. From the date of transition forward, sale and use tax collected or incurred by the Group would be reported by the Area Treasurer on the LLL of the Sunshine State return.
- Group Bank Account: A Group Leader with signatory authority will be responsible for closing the Group bank account. The funds from the account would then be deposited into the La Leche League of the Sunshine State bank account.
- EIN a.k.a. Federal Tax ID: The Area Treasurer currently files the annual 990N for all the Groups within La Leche League of the Sunshine State and for the time being will continue to file the 990Ns and keep the EIN active in case they are needed.
Utilizing the Area Treasury
Receiving Payments: La Leche League of the Sunshine State is equipped to receive the following payments:
- Cash: Cash is king; enough said!
- Checks: All checks must be made payable to “LLL of the Sunshine State”. To avoid confusion you may want to consider identifying your Group on sales/membership sheets as “La Leche League of [Group Name]; a Group within La Leche League of the Sunshine State”. Then at the bottom of the form, clearly state “Make Check Payable to LLL of the Sunshine State”.
- Credit Cards: La Leche League of the Sunshine State has the ability to send e-mail requests for payment through Paypal. The mother or donor than completes the payment by entering her credit card information from the convenience of her home computer. This option is useful for accepting donations or memberships. Since payment is not assured until the donor/mother completes the transaction, I don’t recommend it for book/sling sales. For a “one-time” credit card payment request, simply contact the Area Treasurer. If your Group would like the ability to send credit card payment requests on a recurring basis, a Leader within your Group can be given a Paypal user ID and access for requesting payments.
Depositing Payments: There are two options available for depositing cash and checks received.
- Any Group Leader may make a deposit at their local Suntrust Bank. Contact Area Treasurer for the account number to do this. Simply fill out a blank deposit ticket. If your Group will have recurring deposits, request a pre-printed deposit book from the Area Treasurer. Be sure to notify the Area Treasurer of any deposits made. For all deposits she will need to know:
- Who is the payment from?
- What is the payment for?
- How much is the payment?
- Mail your deposit to the Area Treasurer.
Withdrawals: There are three signatories on the Area Bank Account: the Area Treasurer and the two Area Administrators. These are the only individuals authorized to write checks or make cash withdrawals from the Area Bank Account.
For LLL of Miami-Dade County, contact the Group Treasurer for any checks that need to be issued. For all other Groups, contact the Area Treasurer. For all check requests we will need to know:
- Who is the payment to?
- What is the payment for?
- How much?
- Are there any specific payment instructions?
Reimbursement Request: Leaders who have spent personal funds for Group business may submit a reimbursement request. Please send a log listing the expenses with attached receipts OR email a log with scanned receipts. The log should list the vendor, expense description (ex. supplies, copies, etc.), and amount. Be sure to let the treasurer know where you want your payment sent OR let her know if you have a Paypal account and she can issue an eCheck; it is cheaper than the price of postage!
Reporting: La Leche League of the Sunshine State is committed to financial transparency. Shortly after the end of each month, the Area Treasurer will reconcile the financial statements to the bank account and post the accounting to the Yahoo Group (in the Finance folder in the Files section).
La Leche League follows a fiscal accounting year from April 1st of one year to March 31st of the next. The financial statements for each fiscal year will be reported cumulatively by month. To view the activity for your Group, select the worksheet for the current month. The activity for each entity (Group/Area) will be clearly visible in its own column. If you want to view only your Group’s activity, apply filters at the column header and select your Group. All other financial data will be hidden.
Annual Group Reporting: The Area Treasurer will complete the Annual Group Financial Report for Groups participating in this option. The transition year will require Group Leaders to submit financial data for the portion of the year that the financials were kept at the Group level.
Please email the Area Treasurer with any questions.