Active Trefoil Guilds that meet regularly, sell cookies and collect funds are required to use the Ontario Council centralized banking system (web-form banking) to keep track of their finances.
You need your Banking User ID (six digits) name and your password for access.
Where can I find the contact information and mailing address for Trefoil Guild banking support?
Trefoil Guild banking support is handled by a Tara O’Connor, Unit Banking Clerk at banking.clerk3@guidesontario.org.
Mailing address for receipts and deposit slips (that have not already been submitted):
Girl Guides of Canada, Ontario Council
180 Duncan Mill Rd., Suite 100
Toronto, ON M3B 1Z6
GTA Telephone: 416-926-2351
Toll-free: 1-877-323-4545 ext. 2418
Fax: 416-920-1440
Your Unit support is handled by the Membership Administrative Assistant:
membersupport.admin4@guidesontario.org
You can contact your Trefoil Adviser at trefoil.adviser@guidesontario.org.
How do I contact the Unit Banking Help?
By email:
unitbanking.help@guidesontario.org
Unit Banking Help
or by phone: 1-877-323-4545 ext. 2500
How do I get my Trefoil Guild set up on centralized banking with RBC?
Each unit is assigned an account number when it opens.
The Treasurer should complete the
Centralized Banking Authorization Form. the treasurer will receive an orientation document and quiz. Once the Treasurer has passed the quiz and has been set up in Unit Banking, the Treasurer will receive a set of pre-printed, MICR-encoded RBC deposit slips and access to the unit bank account. Do not go to an RBC branch or any other bank to open an account; the setup is done exclusively through Ontario Council.
Once the treasurer is established, your trefoil can have a Purchase Card Holder (by completing the
centralized banking authorizations form) who will receive a VISA purchase card for purchases for the trefoil.
What do I do if I cannot deposit at RBC due to the distance of the closest branch?
Contact the Unit Banking Administrator at banking.admin1@guidesontario.org.
Bank Accounts
Does our Trefoil Guild have to use centralized banking?
In Ontario, all girl Units and Trefoil Guilds banking is done through the centralized banking system online with use of RBC deposit slips. All other bank accounts must be closed.
Does our Trefoil Guild need a centralized bank account?
YES, your Trefoil Guild must use the centralized banking system if you:
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meet on a regular basis
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sell GGC cookies
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participate in other approved fundraising activities
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organize events for girls, Guiders or Trefoil Guilds
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collect dues or regular fees to offset Guild expenses
NO, your Trefoil Guild does not need a centralized bank account if you:
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meet infrequently (only 1 – 2 times per year)
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only have social events for your Guild
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costs for your social activities are paid for by the Members participating in that event at the time of the event
AND
payment goes directly to organizers to offset their costs
-
do not sell cookies
-
do not participate in any fundraising activities
-
do not collect any dues
Note:
Approval from the Trefoil Adviser is required.
Is my Trefoil Guild required to have a purchase card?
Ontario Council encourages all Trefoil Guilds to have a purchase card. Having a purchase card allows the Trefoil Guild to make purchases without being out-of-pocket. Your Purchase card can be used to pay for any Trefoil Guild expenses including administrative costs; photocopying and envelopes and supplies for both girl Unit and Trefoil Guild activities. It can also be used for purchases at the
Girl Guide Store.
Can we have two purchase cards for the Trefoil Guild?
Yes, the Trefoil Guild can request for a second card. However, the Guild will be charged $15 for the extra purchase card and the credit limit will be split to $150 on each card.
Do the Purchase Card Holder and Treasurer have to be the same person?
No, the deposit slips will be mailed to the Treasurer and the purchase card to the purchase card holder. The purchase card holder will need to provide the receipts to the Treasurer for allocation and submission
Will my Trefoil Guild be charged any service fees for using centralized banking?
No. However, there is a charge for NSF cheques ($25).
If my Trefoil Guild closes this year but re-opens next year, will the Trefoil Guild still have access to the funds remaining at the time it was closed?
Yes. The funds are held in the Trefoil Guild account for 2 years. If the Trefoil Guild reopens within the 2 year time frame, it receives the funds that it had at the time of closing.
Trefoil Activities
How can Trefoil Guilds raise money?
There are 3 sources of funds for Trefoil Guilds: cookie sales, approved fundraising and dues.
Please note that as outlined in the National Fund Development Policy, adult Members are not permitted to fundraise for adult-only events thus the local portion of the profits, including cookie sales profits, are to benefit girl Members or girl Units in some way.
-
Cookie sales
by Trefoil Guilds are an excellent way to support Guiding provincially and locally. Cookies financially support Guiding in two ways: the provincial portion supports provincial initiatives such as fee subsidy programs, camp operations, and adult training while the portion retained locally supports Units.
-
Other approved fundraising
– Fundraising is the active solicitation of goods, services or money including the sale of goods and services. Members are expected to adhere to the National Fund Development Policy and National Fundraising guidelines at all times. These guidelines can be found in Governance Policy in GC MemberZone
must be submitted to the Provincial Office at least 1 month in advance. Contact the Executive Coordinator at executive.coord@guidesontario.org or call 1-877-323-4545 ext 2420 for assistance.
-
Dues
- Guilds can collect dues from Members to cover both the administration costs as well the ‘social fund’ for refreshments, cards, and flowers. Each Guild can determine if they want to establish a specific amount for weekly/monthly/yearly dues or collect dues informally at each meeting.
I can apply for a grant for GGC through my employer. Can I designate the money for my Trefoil Guild?
As this money is not a solicited donation, it is not considered to be fundraising so it does not have to be approved in advance and the money can be designated to the Guild. The Guild is encouraged to use this grant to support girl activities and/or to pass the donation onto a scholarship or other type of GGC fund.
How can Trefoil Guilds use the proceeds from fundraising to support girl Units and girl activities?
Some examples that are acceptable within the National Fund Development policy are holding program days for the girls, providing support for girls with financial needs, hosting Guider get togethers to share programming ideas and donating to the provincial scholarship and campership funds. A Trefoil Guild could “Adopt-a-Unit” and offer program resources at Unit meetings.
How can Trefoil Guilds support Unit Guiders?
Trefoil Guilds can host ‘sisterhood’ activities, handle cookie distribution or organize a cookie selling opportunity for a girl unit(s), or plan a year-end dinner for Guiders.
Can a Trefoil Guild use their funds to purchase supplies for girl unit activities?
Yes. GGC funds can be used to purchase supplies for program days and Unit activities for girls.
Our Trefoil Guild wants to host a ‘sisterhood’ event for Guiders in the community. Is there money available to help with the cost of the meeting space?
Yes, the hall rental can be paid from either Guild funds or the ACL budget. Speak to the ACL about this expense when you are planning the event. If you need contact information for an ACL please speak to your Trefoil Guild banking support.
Our Trefoil Guild wants to host a program day for girls. Is there money available to help with the cost of user space rental?
Ontario Council will provide support to program activities outside the girl Unit’s regular meetings. Up to $50 once a Guiding year (September 1 to August 31) can be obtained to support the cost of user space rental required to conduct the activity. Click here to access the
Girl Event Support Request form.Our Trefoil Guild supports various initiatives in our community. Can we still do this?
Trefoil Guilds can continue to support organizations and charities in their communities through service projects that do not involve fundraising or using Trefoil Guild money including funds acquired through GGC approved fundraising. For example, Trefoil Guild Members can participate in a cleanup in local parks, stuff hand out bags or participate in a local food drive.
Our Trefoil Guild donates money to local charities such as the hospital and food banks. Can we still do this?
As stated in the National Fund Development Policy, girl Units, Trefoil Guilds and provincial councils are prohibited from donating funds which have been collected for GGC purposes to other organizations or charities.
Our Guild is hosting a special event and our speaker has requested that we make a donation to an outside organization in lieu of payment. Can we still do this?
No. However, there are many opportunities to make donations within Guiding including Canadian World Friendship Fund, twinning projects, scholarship and camp subsidy programs, World Centres and supporting the Ontario initiatives such as bringing a patrol from South Africa to GM2010. A donation could be made to Guiding in the speaker’s name and a certificate presented to the speaker at the event.
Our Trefoil Guild purchases supplies such as craft and sewing materials for use in community initiatives. Can we still do this?
GGC funds must be used to support activities for our girl Members. There are many GGC projects that Trefoil Guilds can get involved with such as visiting a girl Unit meeting to teach a new skill such as knitting. The wool to create the items could be purchased with Guild monies. The items could be donated to a community organization in this case.
Trefoil Guilds can continue to support local organizations through service projects that do not involve fundraising or GGC funds. Individual Guild Members can donate the materials to the Guild for these projects out of their own pockets.
Our Trefoil Guild would like to make a donation in memory of one of our Members. How do we do this?
Each year Ontario Council makes In Memoriam donations to a GGC fund. Please contact the Executive Coordinator at executive.coord@guidesontario.org or call 1-877-323-4545 ext 2420 for more information. A note will be sent to the family.
Will the Trefoil Guild banking support keep track of how much money is collected from dues and how much money is raised from approved fundraising?
The Treasurer allocates the revenue to the appropriate category such as dues and cookie sales. The Unit Banking Clerk ‘verifies’ the transaction when they receive the necessary documentation (i.e. receipts and deposit slips). Your Trefoil Guild financial report will show you how much money is collected from each source. It is the responsibility of the Trefoil Guild President and Trefoil Guild Treasurer to ensure that Guild spending is in compliance with GGC National policies and Ontario financial guidelines.
Our Guild has a practice of ‘pay as you go’ for Members who participate in activities such as lunches, dinners, parties and craft nights.
Great! This way the Members are covering their costs when they participate.
Who pays the cost for our meeting space?
Guilds are responsible for paying any meeting space costs so they are encouraged to look for no cost or low cost alternatives. A payment of up to $150 per year to a church or community hall for meeting space is acceptable; however, GGC does not make donations to these facilities.
How do I get a cheque to pay for our meeting space?
In your centralized banking account, your treasurer will create a manual expense payable to the meeting space location.
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In the Online Banking System, go to the 'transactions' drop-down menu.
-
Select Expense, New.
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Complete the online form. (see
quick tip 6
)
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Write the Manual Expense transaction ID on each receipt (each transaction in your account is associated with a unique ID).
-
Submit documentation (receipts) to your Unit Banking Clerk.
If you cannot obtain a receipt then ask the venue to provide a letter stating that it has agreed to let the Trefoil Guild use the facility. If you cannot obtain any documentation from the facility then complete a
lost/incomplete receipt form with a note of explanation to your Unit Banking Clerk.
When should a manual expense ("new" expense) be used?
It can be used to obtain a cheque or money order for the following purposes:
-
To reimburse a member who has paid out-of-pocket for a Trefoil Guild expense
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To issue a refund for a cancelled activity
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To pay a merchant or service provider when the VISA Purchase Card is not accepted
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To pay for the use of a facility
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To obtain funds when cash is required
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To send funds in a foreign currency
How do I create a manual expense?
In the Online Banking System, it is available under the ‘Transactions’ drop-down menu of your Trefoil Guild banking account. Scroll over “Expenses” and click on “New”. See quick tip 6 to create the transaction.
What is the procedure to get a cheque?
In your centralized banking account, the treasurer goes to the ‘Transactions’ drop-down menu:
-
Select
Expense
,
New
.
-
Complete the online form. (See
quick tip 6
)
-
Write the Manual Expense transaction ID on each receipt (each transaction in your account is associated with a unique ID).
-
Submit documentation (receipts) to your Unit Banking Clerk.
Do I need a receipt for each manual expense request?
Yes, except for a Cash Advance. A cheque will not be issued if your Unit Banking Clerk has not received a receipt. If you cannot obtain a receipt or documentation, fill out the
Lost/Incomplete Receipt Form and mail or email a signed copy to your Unit Banking Clerk at banking.clerk3@
guidesontario.or
g.
Can I batch receipts and submit them on one manual expense?
Yes, as long as they are all to be reimbursed to the same payee. Make sure you do not combine Girl Guide receipts with other store purchases. Ensure that all receipts are stapled and submitted together. There is a
manual expense calculator
to use to help with batching receipts.
How do I know when my manual expense has been verified?
A status of “Verified, Provincial” means that your Unit Banking Clerk has verified your expense and has or is in the process of issuing payment.
Where will the cheques be mailed?
The cheque will be mailed to the address in the comments on the manual expense transaction.
When will my cheque be issued and mailed?
Accounts Payable issues cheques on a weekly basis. If your Unit Banking Clerk receives your request and complete documentation by Thursday, the cheque will be mailed the following Thursday. Cheques under $20.00 are mailed annually at the end of August (EFT payments (Direct deposit) are sent weekly, regardless of the amount).
I have an event coming up that will require a cash payment. How do I do this?
Input a manual expense payable to a member. Specify “ADVANCE” in the distribution field. Send an e-mail or a note of explanation to your Unit Banking Clerk, with the transaction number. The member will receive the money as a cheque or EFT and she will pay for the event. After the event, deposit any leftover money back into the Trefoil Guild account, and send all receipts to your Unit Banking Clerk. See the
quick tip 13
about keying cash advances. Find out about
Ontario Council support to Event Planners.
How do I issue a refund to a member for Trefoil Guild activities?
Input a manual expense and submit documentation (or a note of explanation) to your Unit Banking Clerk demonstrating that the original payment had been received. See
quick tip 6.
How do I delete a manual expense?
Request that your Unit Banking Clerk unverify the transaction. Click on the Transaction ID number in order to view the expense details. Then click on the “Edit” button and the “Delete” button will appear. If there is no “Edit” button, contact your Unit Banking Clerk. Expenses that are “Verified, Provincial” status cannot be deleted. See
quick tip 15.
Can I be reimbursed by direct deposit (EFT) instead of a cheque?