• Each region is required to maintain an active governing structure (e.g. Regional Board of Directors, Regional Cabinet, Regional Executive Committee). The governing structure helps the Regional Chair set region direction, provide assistance in establishing the region's budget, and provides carry-over historical perspective during transitions between regional leadership. Local responsibility and accountability are achieved by asking regions to have a plan and potential benefits for expenditures.
• All expenditures must be approved by the region's governing structures based on the guidelines. No expenditures may be approved by only one person.

• Prior to Sept 1 of each year, the Regional Chair, in conjunction with the region's governing structure, develops an itemized operating budget for the following fiscal year (January-December). The governing structure approves the regional budget.
• By June 1 each Regional Chair sends the approved regional budget for the following fiscal year to the Regional Division Representative, Finance Committee Chair, and Executive Director. The Regional Division Representative coordinates a meeting (use of e-mail recommended to go over budgets with the Finance Committee Chair and Executive Director.
• By August 1, the Regional Division Representative notifies the Regional Chair of any budgetary discrepancies. 
• Note: Based on the Financial Task Force report that was approved by the Board of Directors in April 2001, the Board of Directors will review each region's actual income and expenses every two years. The first review is scheduled for 2003 when regions 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 will have their budgets reviewed by the Board of Directors. Regions 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 will have their first review in 2004. Budgetary reviews thereafter will continue bi-annually for each region.

• The Regional Chair is responsible for tracking expenditures and the timely submission of receipts to the Executive Office. The Executive Office sends a written quarterly budget summary to the Regional Division Representative, Finance Committee Chair and Regional Chairs on January 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1 of each year.
• The Regional Chair submits budget reports to the region's constituency at their annual regional conference.

There was much discussion on whether the Guidelines for Regional Account Expenditures should include maximum expenditures for a particular activity. While it was decided not to set limits on a national level, regions are strongly encouraged to set their own limits based on specific regional needs.

 

Budget items may include, but are not limited to:

•  Expenses related to new member recruitment

•  Regional governing structure meetings

•  Regional lapel pins

•  Underwriting support for state or other drive-in meetings

•  Expenses related to services to members beyond the conferences

•  Thank you gifts

•  Handouts for meetings

•  Best of Regional Conference funding - unless it is to be built into the conference budget

 

Care needs to be taken not to include items in the regional account that more appropriately belong in the regional conference budget. The Regional Chair and Regional Conference Chair must work closely with the Executive Office in designing the regional conference budget.

 

To be consistent with the guidelines used by Board of Directors members traveling to the annual national conference, the regional budget should not include the Regional Chair's travel expenses to the Regional Conference.

Supplemental budget requests may be made by the Regional Chair when funds are needed for a special project. Requests are submitted to the Executive Director who consults with the Regional Division Representative and Finance Committee Chair. The Regional Chair may proceed with the special project upon receiving written approval from the Executive Director.

The goal of every region is to maintain at least $3000 in its account at all times. Regional Chairs should not expect their accounts to be routinely replenished. If a region's account falls below $3000 at the end of the fiscal year, the region's expenditures and budgeting process will be closely re-evaluated by the Finance Committee which will implement special guidelines to monitor the region's spending for the next two years.

• If the state or province is a subunit of NACADA such that NACADA is ultimately financially responsible for its actions, the state or province's funds are maintained in a separate sub-account within the region's budget and are supervised by the Regional Chair. Any profits from state/province meetings are returned to the sub-account. State/province funding requests are approved by the Regional Chair.
  • [Note: As of the writing of this policy, some regions have no state/province budgets and others have several. Therefore, the sub-accounts are kept entirely separate and are not to be added into the region account for any purpose. It is recommended that the regional expenditure guidelines be reviewed and state/province sub-account policies and procedures be written as soon as the majority of regions have state/province sub-accounts.]

All sponsorships and partnerships must be approved by the Executive Director to be consistent with IRS and liability issues.

Requests for reimbursements may be made for previously budgeted items. All reimbursements will be made by the Executive Office in strict accordance with established NACADA policies and procedures (e.g. limits, receipts, etc.)