ACT SECTION 16 — BUDGET

The Treasurer is instructed to refuse payment of any amounts over the budget. The only exception may be in those instances where refusal to pay an invoice from an outside supplier would negatively impact the NSS Inc's credit rating. In such instances the Treasurer shall inform the Board who incurred the obligation on behalf of the NSS Inc so the Board can decide if further actions are necessary.

The Finance Committee is under the Office of the Secretary-Treasurer. The committee is charged with helping to prepare the budget and other things so designated.

Any officer may transfer unused budget allocations from one budget account to another for the same committee, provided the total committee budget is unchanged. Any officer may transfer unused budget allocations from one committee's budget to another committee's budget provided the following: his total department budget is unchanged, the transfer does not involve advertising income for the NEWS or the JOURNAL, and the transfer is approved in advance by the President.

No charge may be made against any budget account without the approval of the officer to which that account is assigned or his authorized agent.

Expenses are budgeted for one year only unless specifically exempted. No department may carry an unused balance into the following year. Money budgeted for publication of the NSS News, Journal of Cave and Karst Studies, American Caving Accidents, NSS Members Manual shall be encumbered until the publications for which the money was budgeted are published.

All requisitions for payment must clearly, and in some detail, state for what the money or payment requested was spent. These requisitions will be retained by the Treasurer as part of the records.

The budget for the next fiscal year shall be approved by the Board at its spring meeting. The proposed budget shall be submitted to the Board including projected income and expenses for the following fiscal year, proposed transfers from the operating budget to restricted funds, proposed capital budget, and a cash flow analysis.

The Secretary-Treasurer is instructed to allocate investment income to the contributed NSS Restriceted Fund that earned the income for funds with balances greater than $100.

All NSS annual operating budgets shall include $4,000 for the reimbursement of NSS officers and the directorate representative, upon request of the Chairman of the Directorate for a specific meeting, for expenses associated with travel to NSS Executive Committee meetings not conducted during BOG meeting weekends or NSS National Conventions. The budget item shall be included under the Department of the President's budget.

A "Conference Travel'' budget line item is adopted in the Department of the President. Such budget line item is to be used at the discretion of the President to help defray travel expenses of selected or key Society members that the President requests to officially represent the Society at non-NSS meetings, conferences, or functions in which the presence or participation of the NSS will further the goals of the Society. The President will report at each board meeting on the use of this money. The amount of the Conference Travel budget shall be limited to $2,000.00 per year.

The Secretary-Treasurer of the NSS shall develop a Travel Report showing the amounts, funding source, and general purpose for the use of the travel funds. This will be a policy level report and no member names are to be included in the report. This yearly report shall be included with the normal reports that to to the Board for the yearly budget meeting.

The Executive Committee shall expose to the Board any conflicts between a proposed budget and current “Acts of the Board” and provide the basis for their proposal and any necessary additional Acts or amendments of Acts of the Board so that the Board can make deliberate decisions. Upon Board approval, the budget represents a decision to allocate the Society's scarce resources after considering conflicting goals and requirements.

Officers are authorized to exceed their depatement's budget by 5% during the fiscal year.

Cross References

18-270 Repair Funds
28-389 Dues Structure
48-146 Expenses
56-412 Convention Bid Expenses
18-598 Convention Surplus Restricted Fund
18-694 Endownment Fund Allocation
Section 9 (Department of the Secretary-Treasurer)

2-5-06

Home Page Acts Index Manual Contents