Parish Finance Council

The Lagos Archdiocesan Deanery Finance Guidelines seeks to ensure the effective and efficient management of the temporal goods of the Deanery Associations, Groups, and Societies as constituted by the various parish Associations, Groups, and Societies while creating an enabling environment for the effective development of spiritually – committed parishioners across the Deaneries. Good stewardship, transparency and accountability are critical to building trust – a key requirement for community building and engagement. The effectiveness of the Deanery Finance activities will greatly help to create and maintain a suitable deanery environment for developing and sustaining engaged parishes and spiritually – committed parishioners.

The Deanery Finance Guideline is geared towards ensuring that the financial activities and operations of all Deanery Associations, Groups, and Societies, as handled by the Deanery Officers through the provision of funds from Parishes within the Deanery, are handled openly and transparently with clear accountability and appropriate governance.

Recommended Areas for Finance Guidelines Consultation

  1. The Deanery Coordinators shall be the accounting officers of the various Deanery Associations, Groups, and Societies, but must constantly get the Dean involved and aware of all happenings either directly or through appointed Chaplain of the various Associations, Groups, and Societies.
  2. The deanery Executives will seek approval of the Dean prior to performing extraordinary acts of administration. Extraordinary acts of administration are defined by local norms and sometimes by the particular statutes of the Deanery. Projects and expenditures limits are as defined by the Archdiocese,
  3. The dean’s approval is needed in the management of Deanery Associations, Groups, and Societies funds and banking arrangements. A limited number of bank accounts should be established while the opening of new accounts require the written consent of the Dean following a request of such request from the Deanery Coordinators. The approval of the Dean is needed on the appropriateness and options for a new bank account.
  4. The Coordinators should prepare the respective Associations, Groups, and Societies Deanery annual budgets, activities and annual reports in close collaboration with the Deanery Chaplains.
  5. The dean shall regularly review periodic financial reports – balance sheet, income statements, and comparisons to budget as well as prior year results and cash flow analysis as presented by the various Coordinators.
  6. The Coordinators must consult the Dean on the construction or renovation of any building, centre, and rental agreements including, but not limited to, the funding strategy needed to raise the funds.
  7. The Coordinators must assess the effectiveness of existing fund-raising programs asapproved by the Dean and recommend new programs or changes to existing programs,if revenues are insufficient. All fund raising events must minimize stress on the parishes within the deanery, while ensuring adherence to Christian ethics and gospel values.
  8. Copies of every Deanery meeting shall be sent to the Dean including, but not limited to,General Meetings, AGM, Emergency Meetings,
  9. Deanery organizations are required to retain meeting minutes, agendas, hand – outs,reports, and materials reviewed during meetings for future reference by either internalor external parties. Record retention shall have no lifespan and if possible be converted into electronic format for permanent retention by using simple document archiving solution.
  10. It is expected that the deanery will use an accounting software to handle their financialreports and transactions.
  11. All deanery accounts must have at least three signatories, namely the Dean, Coordinator,Financial Secretary, such that the Dean shall be an “A” Signatory, Coordinator “B” andanother Officer “B”. However, all financial approvals by the Dean must be based on recommendations of the Deanery Coordinator.
  12. Each bank account and its number must be listed in the annual financial report to the Deanindicating the authorized signatories of each of the accounts. All bank account balancesmust be included in the deanery financial reports.
  13. There shall be a Deanery Financial Advisory Committee (DFAC) attached to the Deanand shall constantly advise him on Deanery financial activities as it pertains to the operations of the deanery Associations, Groups and Societies. The number, magnitude and complexity of the committee shall depend upon the size, resources, obligations, and needs of each particular deanery. The membership of the DFAC shall be spread such that no two members shall come from one parish, but all members shall be appointedby the Dean based on advice by the relevant Parish Priests within the deanery.
  14. The DFAC shall advice the Dean on the budgets and financial plans as submittedby the Coordinators;
  15. Review of an annual budget for both operating and capital expenditures basedupon the goals and objectives as submitted by the Coordinators;
  16. Study Deanery revenue generation and expenditures strategy;
  17. Review periodic financial audits of the deanery and advise on how to addressand correct identified weaknesses. Assist in communicating results of audits to the Dean;
  18. Review cost-cutting measures when necessary.
  19. Oversee the conceptualisation and execution of any deanery building projectssubject to the approval of the Dean;
  20. Provide audit services on the operations of the Deanery Associations, Groups,
    and Societies to the Dean;
  21. The Audit services will involve oversight of the internal control structure as well asreviewing compliance with the Code of Conduct.
  22. The Dean shall also appoint Auditors that shall subject their books to yearly audits and mustsubmit their audited account to the Archbishop through the Deans.
  23. All deanery organizations are to develop an annual fund-raising programme which includesthe purpose of the fund-raising, the amount to be raised, the types of events to be undertaken,with dates and location. This programme must be approved by the deans on or before the beginning of the year.
  24. Care will be taken that these events are carried out in scales and means that reflect theChristian values of simplicity and dependence on God’s providence. They should be bereft ofmanipulations and tactics that appeal to our lower senses such as fear, guilt, or competition.Our traditional Christian values of cheerful and anonymous giving should be encouragedirrespective of their immediate albeit short- term results. The frequency should not overtax thesame group of parishioners and their friends but should allow the inclusion of all.
  25. Funds – raising events that help to build the social fabric of the Catholic family whileproviding additional sources of revenue will be encouraged rather than a single or two large scale events that drain the human and material resources of parishes and detract from pastoral activities that may be established in the parishes.
  26. Particular care should be taken to ensure that fund raising events targeted at corporatesponsorships, advertisements and gifting are mutually beneficial to both the church and theorganization rather than to the corporate organizations alone.
  27. All income and expenses are to be reported following the event to the Dean in a timelymanner – a 30-day period after the event is recommended.
  28. The full range of fund-raising events must adhere to all civil and church regulations.
  29. The deanery must ensure that all procurement and contracting done do not result inscandal or acrimony, as far as possible and result in the best outcome for the Dean and the church in terms of cost, time, customer service and effort.
  30. All Deans in the Archdiocese are to ensure that all activities and ventures are guided by legal counselusing the pro – bono services of legal practitioners in the deaneries.

Councilors

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