Ask District Finance: Launch

By Linda Patten, D57 Finance Director

Editor’s note: We are launching a series of articles touching upon Finance topics of import for all District 57 clubs through the year. We thank Linda Patten, our District Finance Director, for undertaking this monthly column, ‘Ask District Finance’, this year!

2020 has been a year of great change.  We have moved from in person meetings to virtual meetings and it doesn’t look like this will change before July of 2021.  We have moved from a check-based reimbursement system to an electronic one through the power of Concur.  Policies have been clarified at Toastmasters International level that affect what we can use our incentive money for and so much more.

The good news is that the d57 2020-2021 budget has been approved both by the d57 Executive Committee and District Finance Toastmasters International.  We can now begin to spend that money within the guidelines that have been established for this year.

I know that you all have questions.  In my presentations at all of the TLIs for Treasurers, at the d57 Business Meeting and at the most recent District Executive Committee Meeting, I have talked about the shift to Concur, explained the budget and so much more.

Not all of you could attend these meetings and you have questions about what is the same and what is different this year.

I want to give you the opportunity to ask questions as they arise and get answers that will benefit the entire district.  With that said, I plan on writing this column every month just for that purpose.  If you don’t pose questions, then I will write on questions and topics that have come up in the month.

Does this sound worthwhile to you?  I know it would save answering the same question a million times. As they say, “Bring it on!”  I look forward to the challenges you bring me.

Linda Patten
District 57 Finance Director
linda@d57tm.org