The role of Treasurer in a brass band

Nearly every brass band has a Treasurer in place. But what does a Treasurer need to do? What constitutes best practice when managing an organisation’s finances? Read our guide below on the role of the Treasurer.

An overview on the role of the Treasurer

The Treasurer’s role in a brass band is to lead the other trustees in the oversight of a charity’s strategic financial management. The practicalities of the role can be very different depending on the size and complexity of the organisation they are working with:

  • For a small voluntary organisation it might include managing all the day to day finances of the organisation directly.
  • For a larger organisation with staff it's more likely to be a strategic role, providing oversight of the organisation’s financial management carried out by the team.

It’s normal for the Treasurer of a small organisation to be quite hands-on, but the role must continue to be strategic in nature even when this is the case. 

Regardless of the size of the organisation, the Treasurer takes on the task of ensuring that the other trustees understand the organisation's finances. This is so they can make informed decisions on the organisation's behalf. However, it's worth noting that managing the organisation’s finances remains the collective responsibility of all trustees, even when the Treasurer directly carries out some or all of the tasks involved.

Day-to-day responsibilities of a Treasurer

Practical responsibilities

Practically, the Treasurer primarily oversees the band's:

  • Budget
  • Management accounts
  • Financial statement preparation

They will present each of these to the Board when due, and explain the figures and the rationale behind them so that the Board can review the financial statements and collectively sign-off the budget. 

Treasurers need to ensure proper accounting records are kept. They must make sure that the organisation’s resources are managed and used in line with the objectives of:

  • The charity
  • Charity policy
  • Good governance
  • Legal and regulatory requirements set out by the Government and organisations like the Charity Commission

This often involves creating financial policies like asset policies, reserves policies, and financial procedures to control the charity's assets. A Treasurer will not only make sure these are implemented but will monitor them to ensure they are adhered to. 

Advisory responsibilities

Sound financial advice needs to be given to the Board by the Treasurer. They need to be confident in monitoring and advising on the financial viability of the charity after liaising with the charity’s auditors, for instance. They must be able to advise on the financial implications of the charity’s strategic plan. 

Your Board might decide that the work is complex enough to warrant the creation of a finance committee, if your governing document permits this. If so, the Treasurer will chair this meeting, ensure notes are kept and circulated to all Board members. Your Board can agree what items it will delegate to this committee, including the creation and implementation of financial, reserves and investment policies.

Treasurers within a charity

A charity Treasurer must operate within certain legal and regulatory requirements. This will have an impact on many of the day-to-day responsibilities as mentioned above.


Because most bands are charities, it helps for your Treasurer to be familiar with the charity and voluntary sector. This isn’t just about being an advocate; they need to be aware of the different ways charities have to report financial information to other businesses, as set out in the Charities Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP).

Oftentimes, Treasurers contribute to the fundraising strategy of the organisation. They help ensure that fundraising targets are aligned to the overall purpose of the charity and its agreed strategy. The Treasurer might also act as a counter-signatory on charity cheques (including any electronic transactions) and on any applications for funds.

What skills are needed to be a Treasurer?

While a Treasurer doesn’t need to be a professional accountant, a strong understanding of financial/business management and accounting are essential. 

Communication skills are equally important – it can be challenging to articulate complex financial situations and problems to non-finance people. Treasurers need a confident facilitative approach, able to work with the Board and any staff to deliver everyday business, as well as strategic progress. 

In addition to the above, good Treasurers are able to:

  • Tolerate some risk and be willing to embrace change.
  • Improve procedures, keep things moving, be action-focused and result-oriented. 
  • Be enthusiastic with a lot of personal drive. 
  • Be relationship builders; able to lead, create change and deliver development. 

It’s not always an easy role, but it’s incredibly rewarding and makes a lasting impression on the band.

Time requirements of a Treasurer

Because the role can be so varied, it may be quite light-touch, time- consuming or somewhere in between. It’s impossible to put a number on the days required to do the role. A larger organisation with staff will require much less time than a small voluntary band, where the Treasurer is managing the day-to-day running of the finances. 

As an example, we ask our Treasurer at Brass Bands England to commit to between two and four days a month, including Board meetings. We do have Finance staff.

Please remember that if your band works with children and young people, or with vulnerable adults, your Treasurer may need an enhanced DBS check to do this role, as may other Board members.

If you need any further help with financial processes, please email [email protected]. Support for members is free.