Everyone expects a solid camaraderie within a sports club but at the same time, no one places high expectations on the club when it comes to management. This is especially true about management of club finances.

It’s unfortunate that the image of many small sporting clubs is tarnished by the actions of a few.  Over the last year or so, club ethics and governance have been called into question over scandals from fraud to drug problems.  The high profile Essendon Football Club is a great example of a situation where their governance has failed.  No one seems to be clear on who did what or why.

If governance can fail in a highly regulated and high profile club such as Essendon, it can fail in yours.  So, who is watching your business ethics?

Even if yours is a small club, it’s essential that you act professionally and manage club business sensibly and ethically. 

You have a responsibility to your members as well as legal requirements to meet.

Do you have a system in place to monitor your club’s expenditure? Do you have guidelines to follow when it comes to making financial decisions?  Are the decisions the responsibility of one person (probably your volunteer treasurer) or are they managed by your committee? Who is overseeing your processes?

Governance is vital for committees of sporting organisations, no matter how small they are.  

Everyone needs to be aware of their duties and obligations and that includes the responsibility to monitor what is happening with the business of the club. Someone needs to be managing your business ethics.

You are not Essendon Football Club, yet people will be looking at you through eyes coloured with the AFL transgressions.  That’s why it’s doubly important that your decisions and your finances can stand up to outside scrutiny.

What are you doing to ensure that your club’s business ethics are beyond reproach?