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Finances
Budget Distribution
As practised at Community Farm Cloughjordan, Ökodorf Sieben Linden, Ananda Gaorii
Inspired by Sieben Linden and Cloughjordan
The related Budget Template provides a budget overview and what parts are covered or need to be covered by it.
Overview:
The ESC programme works with lump sums based on the number of days a Volunteer is staying. From that budget, the Volunteers need to be provided with accommodation and food.
They also receive pocket money and travel reimbursement.
Furthermore there are overhead expenses like Project Management and Mentors.
Pluses:
- Keeps clear what needs to be done and paid for by the funding.
- By having an overview of the Budget, it is easier to check the monthly finances and to spot left over money that could be re-distributed or put into improvement of the Volunteering Programme.
Minuses:
- Danger of getting too saving about the money through fear of overspend.
- It can be difficult at the outset to try to find your own way to structure the finances and not to get lost in the numbers.
Required for implementation:
A person, preferably with book keeping and/or accountancy skills, who knows how to structure a budget and handle finances.
Knowledge of calculation sheets is highly recommended.
ESC budget template, provided by Sieben Linden
Contract with NA and obligations/ breach
The National Agency provides each project with a Contract which includes appendices containing a lot of information.
Some of them mostly repeat information contained in the European Solidarity Corps Programme Guide but others are very specific on the obligations you need to fulfil.
Guidelines:
- Read carefully through the finance agreement.
- Make a copy for yourself to highlight useful information and extract what is relevant to your project.
- Stay in contact with your National Agency and ask about things which are unclear before running off in the wrong direction.
- Get the most important information given by the National Agency in writing as you can go back to that later if the National Agency later doesn’t agree with your way of doing it and forget they agreed to it
Pluses and minuses of above
Pluses:
This avoids inadvertent contract breaches through being ill informed.
Minuses:
You might get lost in the bureaucratic language and feel nervous at every step.
Or become scared of changing things in case you misstep.
What is Needed:
Time, care, attention and the patience to familiarise yourself with the requirements