Reading Roadrunners Charity Rules

1.0 INTRODUCTION

Reading Roadrunners (RR) is a running club with expertise in running, coaching, race organisation and small social event organisation. As a side issue from these activities RR has raised many thousands of pounds for various charities over a number of years.

2.0 PURPOSE

The purpose of this document is to formalise the organisation of the RR charity effort. The document broadly follows the system that has been used over the years without a formal paper.

3.0 RR CHARITY PERSONNEL

3.1 Charity Organiser
There shall be a charity organiser each year. The charity organiser will be a volunteer that undertakes to organise the charity for the year following the RR AGM. The charity organiser shall have been a RR member for at least a year before the RR AGM date.

3.2 Charity Account Manager
The RR charity shall have a bank account separate to the RR bank account. The charity bank account shall be managed by a volunteer and audited each year. The Charity Account Manager shall not also serve concurrently as the RR Treasurer.

4.0 CHARITY BANK ACCOUNT CHEQUES

There shall be three nominated signatures for cheque signing. One of the signatures shall be designated mandatory. Each cheque shall be signed with two signatures. One shall be the mandatory signature. The other shall be from one of the other two nominated signatures.

5.0 RR CHARITY NOMINATIONS

5.1 Before the RR AGM
RR members wishing to propose a charity to be supported by RR in the forthcoming year and thereby to volunteer as the Charity Organiser for the year shall notify RR General Secretary of their intentions no later than 14 days prior to the RR AGM, normally held in late March. Proposers shall include details of the charity they will propose at the AGM, including the charity’s registration with the Charity Commission, which General Secretary shall distribute to members prior to the AGM. The Committee shall validate that supporting the proposed charity would not contravene any provisions of the club’s Constitution, which for example, requires the club not to be involved in politics or religion and be non-discriminatory.

5.2 At the RR AGM
The candidate Charity Organiser shall present the proposed charity to the RR members present at the RR AGM. This will often involve the proposed charity bringing personnel, papers, slides etc. The RR members present at the RR AGM shall vote whether or not to accept the charity proposal for the coming year. The Charity Organiser and charity personnel shall be asked to leave the room while the “show of hands” vote takes place.

5.3 After the RR AGM
The Charity Organiser shall organise the approved nominated charity for the year. Money collected and donated shall be banked in the charity bank account. The Charity Account Manager shall keep account of all money raised and banked, providing statements of account to the RR Committee and Charity Organiser upon request. The money raised throughout the year will be presented to the charity at the RR Dinner Dance, normally held late February. The final amount shall be kept secret until the presentation. Prior to presentation of the funds raised to the charity, the Charity Organiser shall assure the Committee that the charity retains its registration with the Charity Commission and that there are no known factors that might militate against handing over the funds.

6.0 EXCEPTIONS

6.1 More than one charity proposal
Should there be more than one charity proposed, then each candidate Charity Organiser volunteer shall be given equal opportunity to make their presentation at the RR AGM. All candidate Charity Organisers and charity personnel shall be asked to leave the room while the RR members at the AGM discuss the charity proposals. This discussion will be concluded by a “show of hands” vote and one charity nomination accepted for the year.

6.2 No charity proposal
Should no proposals to support a charity be received prior to the AGM then there will not be a proposed and accepted charity for the year and no Charity Organiser leading RR club fundraising efforts. In this case the money will be raised in the normal ways and banked by the Charity Account Manager. However, payments to a charity shall be suspended for the year and the money carried over to the following year.

6.3 Charity proposal made after the AGM
Should a candidate Charity Organiser propose a charity after the AGM then the RR Club Committee shall decide the suitability of the proposed charity. Should the RR Club Committee not approve the nominated charity then the situation shall revert to that given in 6.2. Should the RR Club Committee approve the nominated charity then the situation shall revert to that given in 5.3 for the remainder of the year. Should such a proposal be rejected by the Committee, the General Secretary shall advise the unsuccessful proposer in writing of the decision and the reason for the rejection.

6.4 Other considerations
It is normal for RR to follow the guidelines above and adopt a single charity for the year. There is history of RR accepting more than one charity for the year. This will be acceptable in the future and shall be decided by members present at the AGM.

It is normal for all RR Members to support the nominated charity throughout the year. However, there is history of individual members wishing to run a particular race and raise money for their own special charity. An example might be a race on the anniversary of a close relative passing away due to cancer. All possibilities cannot be covered here and the decision is left to the individual RR member. These situations will be acceptable in the future.

6.5 Extreme situations
There is history of the nominated charity becoming financially unstable during the year. In this case the RR Club Committee shall work with the RR Charity Organiser to resolve a best solution. All possibilities cannot be covered here.

6.6 Charity Organiser resigns
Should the Charity Organiser resign, leave the club etc part way through the year then the money collected to that point shall be paid to the nominal charity as detailed above. Any money collected for the remainder of the year shall be carried over to the following year.

 

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