4.
Pre-determined budget
Percentage
increase/decrease
Based on past practice/ future projections
Little flexibility for unforeseen circumstances
Usually used in schools that draw from general fund
Negotiated budget
Based
on past practice/future projections
Use of fund-raising as part of the formula
Coach and AD meet yearly to develop a plan
Often used in schools with no general fund access
4
6.
Local Concerns
School
policy
School Bookkeeper
Fund Use Guidelines
Athletic
Concession Fund
Coke Fund
C.D.’s
Fund-raiser accounts
State Board of
Accounts
Past
audits
Past practices
Documentation
Credit cards
Receipts
Purchase Orders
6
7.
Meet with coaches annually
Meet with parents as needed (boosters)
Share information with athletes annually
Document all spending with Principal
Document all spending with Superintendent
Keep records available for public
Be as transparent as possible
Always keep a paper trail
7
8.
Yearly financial report by sport
Yearly financial report by department
Yearly financial report for gender equity
5-10 Year report by sport
5-10 Year report by department
All reports to Principal & Superintendent
All reports on file for public inspection
8
This presentation is an attempt to guide all participants toward a greater understanding of the development and maintenance of athletic budgets on the interscholastic level. It is by no means the only way to build and use a system to track and guide spending. This is simply a series of discussion that should build a solid foundation. Always make sure to access and use state laws and regulations that are specific to your location. Each state has different legal standards for spending. Your school treasurer should be the primary source for any such advice on spending protocol.
In order to know where you are going, you must compile and study where you have been. Past information related to the monetary side of your athletic program can prove invaluable in building and maintaining athletic budgets and spending policies.
You need to access and document past participation numbers (the past 5 years is good, but 10 is ideal). All past spending should also be tracked for the same time period. Any capital improvements to your facilities should be noted and any needs and requests for future work should be collected. Past issues with gender equity imbalances should be noted and any written athletic policies related to any area of budget and spending should be located and organized for future study.
Once you have a working knowledge of your monetary past, it is time to envision a realistic future. This should be done in cooperation with your coaching staff. Together, you should look at potential participation numbers for the next 5-10 years. Try to develop short term and long term spending benchmarks for the same period of time. Note any mandated changes that might be on the horizon as well as any sports additions or deletions that could become an issue. Finally, try to formulate facility needs for the coming years as well as any capital projects that could be in your collective future.
The type of budget you employ is often driven by the financial rules set forth by your state, your district and/or your school.
Many states allow money from tax levies and general funds to be a major part of the athletic budget. Accordingly, a pre-determined budget is the most popular. This type of budget allows for incremental increases or decreases, based on the financial state in a given time period. There is little flexibility in this type of budget.
A negotiated budget is based on based data and future projections. Fund-raising and corporate sponsorship money are often key components of this type of budgeting. Accurate record keeping and documentation of past spending and income are vital when using this type of budget.
There are a vast number of areas that require basic operational policy in a successful and well organized athletic department. Each of these areas need to be considered when building budget and spending policy. All should be subject to state, district and local rules and regulations. Some of the most important areas you must have adequate policy structure for include:
1. Purchasing
2. Bidding
3. Inventory
4. Uniform rotation
5. Comp tickets
6. Corporate Sponsorship
7. Naming Rights
8. Booster Clubs
9. Supplemental Fund-Raising
10. Gender Equity and Title IX
11. Travel Policy
Laws regarding schools, school finance and spending will vary from state to state. There are some degrees of variance between districts within a state. It is important to consult local and state professionals before making any financial decisions.
Local Concerns.
1. Know your school policy and district policy on all spending guidelines
2. Meet regularly with your school treasurer or book-keeper to follow financial regulations
3. Know what funds are at your disposal and what state and local rules cover spending from those funds
4. Be familiar with past audits and concerns that have been raised in those audits
5. Develop sound policy that requires the use of purchase orders, receipts and documentation
Communication
1. Meet with your coaches at the end of each season to discuss spending from past year and for coming year
2. Meet with parents and boosters and share financial snapshots of your department on a regular basis
3. Meet with student-athletes and share financial snapshots of the entire department
4. Document all spending and share with Principal and Superintendent on a regular basis
5. Make all spending and budgeting records available for public use
6. Be transparent and always keep a paper trail
I wanted to share several ways you can use Excel to document your budgeting and spending:
1. Yearly financial report of each of your sports on a yearly basis
2. Yearly financial report for your entire athletic department
3. Yearly financial reports for gender equity compliance
4. 5-10 Year summary reports by sport – used for budget development
5. 5-10 Year summary report for your entire department
These reports should be available for public use as well as being shared with your Principal, Superintendent and School Board.
Feel free to contact me at any time about information from this presentation. I am retired from being an active Athletic Director, but you can contact me at the phone number or e-mail address listed on this slide. All of my materials are in electronic form and can be sent to you upon request. Thanks for your attention.