Making the youth treasurer role meaningful

By Darcy Cole

Youth treasurer roles are important because they provide an opportunity for young people to play an essential role in managing an organization's funds and provide a chance for youth to gain priceless skills that can help them their entire life. However, in some youth development organizations, the youth treasurer role isn’t always used to its full potential. For these youth, it can mean a year of practicing their signature without much learning. It may feel easy to leave youth out of the nitty-gritty of finances and financial decision-making, but doing so also deprives youth of the learning we promised them when they accepted their treasurer position. As a youth development professional, I challenge you to be intentional about creating meaningful experiences for youth that result in financial knowledge and skill acquisition.

Serving in a youth treasurer role can help fill the financial literacy gap. Additionally, by fulfilling the role of treasurer, youth also practice life skills such as timeliness, accountability, record keeping, and integrity. Youth treasurers may be given a meaningful role by allowing them to:

• Collect, receipt, deposit, and track income
• Review expenses and write checks
• Research, present, organize, and track fundraising efforts
• Prepare and present financial reports
• Record transactions in a treasurer’s book or financial software 
• Reconcile monthly bank statements and follow up on uncashed checks
• Co-facilitate the annual budgeting process with support from adult mentors 

These practical financial skills can be a valuable asset to their future success and may even inspire them to pursue further education and a career in finance.

Given the importance of learning financial management skills, here are a few ways youth development professionals can provide leadership opportunities for youth treasurers:

• Provide training and resources on good financial management practices, and help youth learn how to use a financial tracking system.
• Help youth treasurers set goals about what they want to learn and do. Then, help them achieve them.
• Mentor youth by developing a relationship, providing guidance, and checking the youth treasurer’s work.
• Recognize and value unique contributions youth bring to your group.
• Provide meaningful leadership opportunities and facilitate connections with others.
• Intently listen to youth perspectives and weave youth voice into what you do.
• Include youth in all aspects of your group and involve them in financial conversations, duties, and decision-making.

As a youth development professional, are you fulfilling the promise to your youth treasurers that they will gain something from serving in their role? How are you currently making your youth treasurer roles meaningful? How can you do an even better job of this in the future?

-- Darcy Cole, Extension educator

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