Approving, declining and paying a funding request

The committee decides at a meeting. Finances records the decision; it does not hold the vote.

Approving

1. Open the request under Finances > Funding Requests
2. Under Committee decision, choose the Fund the money will come from
3. Check the Amount approved. It starts as the amount asked for, and can be less
4. Enter the Meeting date and, if you like, where the decision is minuted
5. Choose Approve

Approving does not move any money. It commits it: from now until the request is paid, the approved amount is shown against that fund on the Finances Overview, so everyone can see what is really available.

Why can't I approve this one?

Because you recorded it. Someone else on the committee has to approve or decline a request you entered. That second pair of eyes is a governance requirement and what an independent examiner looks for.

Declining

Choose Decline and give the reason. It is kept on the record, and the school will ask.

Paying

Pay for the item the way you normally would, and record that payment as you normally would: as a transaction under Finances > Transactions if the organisation paid the supplier, or as an expense claim if a member bought it and claimed it back. Then open the request, go to Mark as paid, choose that transaction or claim from the list, and confirm.

The request is linked to the payment rather than creating a second one, so nothing is entered twice, and the committed amount comes off the fund because the money has now actually gone. Each payment can settle one request.

Can a decided request be changed?

No. Once approved or declined, the details are fixed, because they are what the committee decided on. A change of mind is a new request. A request recorded in error can be removed while it is still waiting, or after it was declined.

Related reading

• What are funding requests and how do they work?
• Recording a transaction
• Paying an expense claim