Introduction to record-keeping
Created: September 19, 2013 at 9:57 AM | Updated: March 8, 2022 | By Community Resource Kit
Keeping good records helps you manage your organisation effectively and efficiently, and helps you make sound decisions. Deciding how to keep and maintain records, and who has access to them, is important if an organisation is to function well.
What is a record? A record is any information that's written or entered on paper, computer or other media. It includes information that you either must by law keep, or want to keep for a period.
Keeping accurate and up-to-date records:
- allows you to control your finances better i.e. up-to-date records help to determine if your group is making enough money to cover its expenses
- provides evidence of whether your organisation is being run well, which may help to judge how well you are performing generally
- makes it easier for potential funders to know whether to fund your group or project
- makes filing tax returns (and GST returns) easier and quicker
- keeps your organisation within the law by maintaining accurate records
- means accounting and any audits will take less time.
Record-keeping resources in the Community Resource Kit
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Organising your records
- What is a record?
- Start at the start
- Classifications of records
- Records to keep
- Checklist of records to keep
- Records you must keep by law
- Historical records/archives
- Keeping records on computer
Next page: Organising your records
Contents of the Community Resource Kit