The financial secretary is apponted by th supreme knight based upon the recommendation of the Council. His main area of responsibilities is maintaining all financial and membership records. He collects and receives all monies from all sources, including annual dues from council members. He is also responsible for handling supply orders for the council officers and members, filing the report of officers, and submitting all membership transactions to the Supreme Council. For more specific duties and responsibilities, refer to the Financial Secretary Handbook (#1410).
For Council 10208, the Financial Secreatry is also responsible for maintaing the gmail master file that is used to communicate with all council members. All names added or deleted from the Supreme file must also be updated on the gmail master file. This file also includes address, spouse name, phone numbers, email address, and dates of completing the 1st, 3rd, and 4th degree requirements. He also is responsible for maintaining a record of deceased knights, both for Supreme and the Council's web site.
Knights of Columbus - Office of Supreme Advocate (AR KC mid-year meeting January 8, 2011)
Guidelines for Conducting Charity Fundraisers
In planning and conducting charitable fundraising events, councils should be guided by the following principles:
1. Councils may use the name "Knights of Columbus" in conjunction with the charity fund-raiser, so long as the individual council is clearly identified within the name, i.e., "Knights of Columbus [Name of Council] Council No. 5748". The councils are not to use the name "Knights of Columbus" standing alone.
2. Fund-raising activities should be used only to raise money for a worthy charitable organization, consistent with the mission of the Order and our first principle of Charity. The beneficiary organization should be identified in advertising for the event.
3. Proceeds from a charity fund-raiser cannot be used to pay for ordinary council expenses or liabilities. The proceeds must be disbursed as follows:
- Payment of the expenses associated with the event;
- Gift to charitable organization.
4. Councils should obtain event insurance to cover all potential liabilities associated with the event.
5. If a council uses the services of a professional fund-raiser, event organizer, or similar entity, such services should be obtained on a one-time basis. The council should not enter into a joint venture with any company or organization Rev Jan 2010*
Maintaining Tax Files
Each council and assembly should, at a minimum, maintain a tax file that includes copies of the following:
- the organization's by-laws and all amendments;
- the organization's minutes for the last four years;
- IRS group exemption letters dated October 25, 1940 and October 15, 1998;
- Forms 990, Forms 990-EZ, or Forms 990-N filed for the last 10 years;
- The following forms filed by the organization in the last 10 years: Summary Form 1096 and Information Return for Income Payments (Form 1099), if any; Summary Form W-3 and Income Tax Withheld on Wages (Forms W-2), if any;
- the organization's application (Form SS-4) for its Employer Identification Number;
- tax returns for the last five years filed under the Federal Insurance Contribution Act and the Federal Unemployment Tax Act, if any;
- any prior revenue agent examination reports; and
- Form 990 and Form 990-EZ worksheets for those years, if any, in which gross receipts were less than the $25,000 threshold amount.
Faithful Comptrollers and Financial Secretaries should maintain, at the organization's principal place of business, a file that includes the above-mentioned group exemption letters, and Forms 990 and/or Forms 990-EZ filed in the previous three years. Under federal law, this file must be open to public inspection during regular business hours, and copies of the filings must be provided to anyone who requests them, at the cost