BVNA Expense Reimbursement Policy

From time to time BVNA members, including Executive Committee members, incur expenses on behalf of the BVNA.  As an exclusively volunteer non-profit organization the BVNA will timely reimburse reasonable expenses incurred by its members, subject to the terms outlined herein. We have purposefully kept this policy short and with few hard and fast rules.  The guiding principle, reasonableness, is one that our members should be able to embrace.

Best Practices

• Submit receipts in a timely manner.  Receipts and a brief explanation of the purpose of the expense should be submitted to the Treasurer as soon as reasonable after an expense is incurred, and generally within 60 days.  Receipts submitted more than 60 days after an expense is incurred will be paid at the discretion of the President and Treasurer.

• Ensure that the expense is budgeted or approved.  Many expenses incurred by members are expected and recurring (coffee/doughnuts for the clean-ups and wreath hanging, copying costs for flyers).  A member should not incur any expense unless they are confident that the expense is approved.  Should there be any doubt, the member should confirm with the Treasurer or President that they may incur the expense.  No member should incur an expense in excess of $50 ($250 for the Treasurer or President with approval of the other) unless the expense is budgeted or approved.

• Be reasonable.  All members, including Executive Committee members, should act reasonably and in a manner consistent with the mission of the BVNA.  Before incurring any expense members should consider the overall value provided to the membership of the BVNA.  Members should also consider whether the resource could be borrowed or donated before resources are spent.  No member is expected to spend hours finding a marginally better deal, particularly when a local business could provide the same or similar product at a reasonably competitive cost.  Members should, however, consider whether the cost is competitive prior to incurring the expense.

What The BVNA Does Not Reimburse 

Absent exceptional circumstances, including prior approval, the BVNA will not reimburse its members for:

• Volunteer time, purchases from members.  The BVNA is fortunate to have a diverse, skilled and highly motivated membership, and has benefitted from the generous donation by its members of skilled volunteer time.  As a volunteer organization and as a matter of equity, the BVNA does not generally reimburse volunteers for their time.  When a member “in the business” provides products to the BVNA these should be provided either at cost or at a competitive price.

• Extravagant expenses.  The BVNA’s funds should not be spent on items that are, or could be perceived as, extravagant.