Any church treasurers?

[poshme]

I've stupidly agreed to be treasurer for our PCC. The previous person was treasurer for over 20 years, and had a very idiosyncratic way of doing all the accounts in excel in super-complicated spreadsheets.
I'm now trying to decide whether to buy accounting software, or just to create my own spreadsheets.
Is anyone a treasurer? And if so, what software if any do you use? How easy is it to a) set up and b) use day-to-day for a non- accountant?
We don't have a big financial turnover, and have a couple of restricted funds, and no employees.

our diocese supplies their own software, which is apparently very straightforward, to do it. have you asked you diocese if they do the same?
PS I'm not a Treasurer, but I know someone who is. well done for taking it on, and good luck

Ooh that sounds interesting. The diocese has just been told that I'm becoming treasurer, and I'm going on a training thing in may but I need to get going quite quickly...
But I will def. email and ask.

Not a church treasurer but we have just had one leave and another start up so in all the conversations I'm now aware that in past the treasurer has used Sage accounting software and we are sorting out the licence/computer or something for the new one.

I'm the treasurer for a small charity and the previous chap also had an overly complicated way of doing things. I scrapped his system and started my own very simple spreadsheets which took a while but helped me understand the workings of the account as I'm one of those that needs to take something apart to find out how it works.

It sounds a good plan to talk to the diocese. Maybe talk to the treasurer of another church and see what they are up to as well?

Our church treasure is a Chartered Accountant, and all his reports to PCC are done on Excel. I'm not sure if he uses something else behind the scenes. I know that he is a whizz at squeezing every last penny out of Gift Aid, as well as getting the best deals on utilities, mortgages, and other major expenses.

How about having a discussion with your auditor so that you can get an idea of their expectations?

I have recently become Treasurer of a Tennis society. Am finding the banking very hard work. I am simply trying to find a method of using electronic banking, and somewhere to deposit a fixed amount of cash for a couple of years to earn some interest. Current bank worse than useless.... any recommendations ?

Sorry... its possible that philosophy was not the best place to raise this query!!!

Finance manager by data developments is very good and some dioceses are giving it away free. It is set uo for churches and deald with gift aid etc as well as doing year end reports in a few minutes. I was a treasurer for a few years and moved them from manual account books to computerised. The diocese office should have the details. Good luck.

I was treasurer for some time and then the auditor. If you can get stuff that deals with gift and through your church, diocese, go for it.

Otherwise, good old excel is fine.