Fundraising & Grant Management — GoClubPro

Training Module 89 | Recording Fundraising Income, Managing Grants, and Acquittal in Accounting

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What This Guide Covers

Fundraising and grant income can be significant for community sporting clubs — a successful trivia night, raffle, or government grant can fund new equipment, facility upgrades, or junior development programs. GoClubPro's Accounting module is where all of this income (and the associated expenses) is recorded. This guide covers how to plan, record, and acquit fundraising and grant activities on the platform.

Primary audience: Treasurers, Club Admins, Presidents, Fundraising Coordinators Also useful for: Committee members managing specific fundraising events

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SECTION 1: TYPES OF FUNDRAISING AND GRANT INCOME

Common Revenue Sources Beyond Fees

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SECTION 2: RECORDING FUNDRAISING INCOME IN GOCLUBPRO

The Basic Fundraising Accounting Entry

Every fundraising event generates income and expenses. Record both:

Income — after the event: Treasurer → Accounting → Add Manual Entry

• Type: Income
• Description: "Fundraising — [Event Name] — [Date]"
• Amount: gross income from the event
• Date: event date (or date funds received if delayed)

Expenses — for the event: Treasurer → Accounting → Add Manual Entry

• Type: Expense
• Description: "Fundraising Expense — [Event Name] — [Item, e.g., 'venue hire', 'prizes', 'catering']"
• Amount: each expense (one entry per expense type)

At AGM: Filter Accounting by "[Event Name]" to show total income and total expenses → net fundraising result.

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Tracking a Multi-Income-Source Event (e.g., Trivia Night)

A trivia night might generate income from several sources:

• Entry fees ($20/person × 80 people = $1,600)
• Bar sales ($450)
• Raffle ($320)
• Auction ($750)

Record each separately for clean reporting:

• "Fundraising — Trivia Night — Entry Fees — [Date]" → $1,600
• "Fundraising — Trivia Night — Bar Sales — [Date]" → $450
• "Fundraising — Trivia Night — Raffle — [Date]" → $320
• "Fundraising — Trivia Night — Auction — [Date]" → $750

This lets the treasurer report "total trivia night income: $3,120" and break it down by category for the committee.

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Expense Claims for Fundraising Purchases

If a volunteer buys prizes or supplies for a fundraising event and is reimbursed:

With Expense Claims enabled:

• Volunteer submits Expense Claim → Treasurer approves → reimbursement

Without Expense Claims:

• Receipt to Treasurer → Accounting → Expense → "Fundraising Expense — [Event] — Prizes — [Volunteer name reimbursed]"

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SECTION 3: RAFFLES AND REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS

Raffles Are Regulated

In Australia, most states regulate raffles conducted by community organisations. Requirements vary by state and ticket value:

Common requirements:

• Permit for raffles above a certain ticket value total (often $5,000+)
• Rules of the raffle must be published before tickets are sold
• Prize descriptions must be accurate
• Winner drawn in a fair manner
• In some states: financial return/report submitted after the raffle

GoClubPro's role: Record the income and expenses in Accounting. The permit, the draw, and the regulatory report happen externally.

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Recording Raffle in Accounting

Ticket sales (income):

• "Fundraising — Raffle [Name/Date] — Ticket Sales" → total tickets sold × ticket price

Prizes (expense):

• "Fundraising Expense — Raffle [Name] — Prizes" → cost of prizes purchased

Net raffle result = ticket income minus prize costs.

If prizes were donated (sponsor/business donated a prize):

• Record the donation separately: "Fundraising — Raffle — Donated Prize [Item] — Value: $[X]" as a note in the description, but you may not need to record it as income if nothing was paid for it. Consult your accountant if significant.

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SECTION 4: GRANT MANAGEMENT

The Grant Lifecycle

Grants have a defined lifecycle that must be tracked carefully:

APPLICATION SUBMITTED
 → Track application date; expected decision date
 │
 ▼
GRANT APPROVED
 → Record as income (see below)
 → Note conditions (what the money must be spent on)
 │
 ▼
FUNDS RECEIVED
 → Confirm in bank statement
 → Accounting → Income entry
 │
 ▼
EXPENDITURE (spend the grant on approved items)
 → Accounting → Expense entries for each purchase
 → Keep all receipts (often required for acquittal)
 │
 ▼
ACQUITTAL REPORT (usually within 30–90 days of event/project completion)
 → Filter Accounting for grant income + associated expenses
 → Prepare report for grant body (often a form + receipts)
 → Submit by deadline
 │
 ▼
ACQUITTAL CONFIRMED
 → File confirmation in Google Drive

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Recording Grant Income in Accounting

When the grant funds arrive:

Treasurer → Accounting → Add Manual Entry

• Type: Income
• Description: "Grant — [Grant Name] — [Grant Body, e.g., Local Council] — [Reference/Grant ID]"
• Amount: grant amount received
• Date: date funds received

Important: Use the full description including the grant body and ID — at acquittal time, you need to be able to filter and identify all transactions related to this grant.

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Recording Grant Expenditure

When purchasing items funded by the grant:

Treasurer → Accounting → Add Manual Entry

• Type: Expense
• Description: "Grant Expenditure — [Grant Name] — [Item purchased]"
• Amount: purchase cost
• Date: purchase date

Keep receipts: Most grants require receipts as acquittal evidence. File them in Google Drive → [Year] → Grants → [Grant Name] → Receipts.

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Preparing the Acquittal Report

At acquittal time:

1. Accounting → filter by "Grant — [Grant Name]" → total income line
2. Accounting → filter by "Grant Expenditure — [Grant Name]" → total expenses
3. Income should equal (approximately) expenses; surplus may need to be returned depending on grant conditions
4. Export to CSV → use as evidence in acquittal form
5. Attach receipts from Google Drive
6. Submit to grant body by deadline

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What Happens to Unused Grant Funds?

Read your grant agreement: Most grants require:

• Unspent funds to be returned to the grant body, OR
• Prior approval to redirect unspent funds to an alternative eligible purpose

Never use unspent grant funds for general operating expenses without written approval from the grant body — this can result in having to return the entire grant.

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SECTION 5: COMMUNICATING ABOUT FUNDRAISING

Noticeboard for Fundraising Events

Event announcement (4–6 weeks before):

"[Club Name] Trivia Night — [Date]

Join us for a night of fun, laughs, and fierce competition at [Venue] on [Date] at [Time].

Tables of 8: $[X] per person (includes [2-course dinner / nibbles / BYO / etc.]).

All proceeds go towards [specific goal, e.g., 'new training lights at the ground'].

Tickets: [purchase method]. Limited tables — get in quick!

Contact [Name] on [phone/email] to reserve your spot."

Grant success announcement:

"Great news for [Club Name]!

We're thrilled to announce that [Club Name] has been awarded a $[X] grant from [Grant Body] to fund [specific project, e.g., 'the redevelopment of our junior changing rooms'].

Work begins [Date]. A huge thank you to [committee member who wrote/submitted the application] for putting together a winning application!"

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VISUAL: Fundraising Accounting Flow

FUNDRAISING EVENT PLANNED
 → Budget estimate: expected income vs. expected expenses
 │
 ▼
EVENT OCCURS
 → Collect income (cash + card)
 → Track expenses (receipts)
 │
 ▼
POST-EVENT (within 1 week)
 → Treasurer: count/reconcile all income
 → Accounting → Income entries per source
 → Accounting → Expense entries per category
 │
 ▼
AT AGM
 → Filter Accounting: "Fundraising — [Event Name]"
 → Report: total income, total expenses, net result
 → Compare to budget estimate

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TOOLTIPS & HINTS

• Separate entries per income source — one entry for entry fees, one for bar, one for raffle; makes AGM reporting granular
• Grant acquittal deadline is non-negotiable — late acquittal can bar the club from future grants; calendar reminder at grant award
• Receipts in Google Drive immediately — don't wait until acquittal time; receipts go missing
• Raffle permits: check your state — even a small raffle may require registration; check before selling tickets
• Unused grant funds: read the agreement — spending unspent grants on other items without approval can require repayment of the whole grant

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FAQ

Q: We got a $5,000 grant but the project ended up costing $4,200. What happens to the $800? A: Read your grant agreement. Most grants require you to either (1) return the unspent portion, (2) apply in writing to redirect it to another eligible purpose, or (3) report it in the acquittal with an explanation. Never silently keep it for general expenses.

Q: We're planning a raffle but don't know if we need a permit. How do we find out? A: Contact Consumer Affairs or the equivalent gaming/gambling regulator in your state (see table in Section 3). Tell them your incorporated club's details, the approximate ticket value, and prize value. They'll tell you whether a permit is required and how to get one.

Q: A grant was awarded to the club, but it arrived after our financial year end. Which year does it go in? A: The year it was received. Accounting is cash-based for most community clubs — record income in the year the money hits the bank account, not when the approval letter arrived.

Q: We raised $3,000 at a trivia night but spent $2,100 on prizes, venue, and catering. How do we report this at the AGM? A: "Trivia Night: Income $3,000, Expenses $2,100, Net fundraising contribution $900." The committee can see that the event was successful and profitable, and the $900 net went to club funds for the stated purpose.

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COMMON MISTAKES

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SHORT ONBOARDING SCRIPT

"Fundraising income goes into Accounting as income entries — one per source per event ('Fundraising — Trivia Night — Entry Fees'). Expenses go in separately. At AGM, filter by the event name for a clean profit/loss picture. For grants: record income when funds land in the bank, record expenses with 'Grant Expenditure — [Grant Name]' prefix, keep all receipts in Google Drive, and hit the acquittal deadline. Raffles may need state permits even for small amounts — check before selling tickets. And always read the grant agreement on what to do with unspent funds — returning them is usually required without prior written approval."

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MICRO-TRAINING QUICK TIPS

• Fundraising income: Accounting → Income → "Fundraising — [Event] — [Source]"
• Fundraising expenses: Accounting → Expense → "Fundraising Expense — [Event] — [Item]"
• Grants: Income → "Grant — [Name] — [Body] — [ID]"; Expenses → "Grant Expenditure — [Name] — [Item]"
• Receipts: Google Drive → [Year] → Grants → [Name] → Receipts (immediately, not at acquittal time)
• Acquittal deadline: calendar reminder on day grant is awarded
• Raffle: check state permit requirements before selling tickets
• Unused grant funds: read the agreement; seek written approval before using elsewhere

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Training Module 89 | See also: 07 Treasurer & Accounting · 62 Sponsorship & Branding · 34 AGM Financial Reporting · 66 Club Financial Budgeting · 10 Noticeboard & Feed