Club Annual Budget vs Actual Spreadsheet

Who this is for

The club's year in two tables. Income and spending are budgeted line by line when the committee sets the year up, the actual figures go in as money comes and goes, and the variance on every line and the surplus or deficit are there for each meeting.

Treasurers of clubs, societies, small charities and community groups who present a budget for approval and report against it through the year.

What this helps you track

• The income the committee expects, by source
• The spending the committee has agreed, by heading
• Actual figures to date against each line
• Which lines are running ahead of or behind the budget
• The budgeted and actual surplus or deficit for the year

How to use it

1. Write the organisation, the financial year, who prepared the budget and the meeting it was approved at.
2. Enter a budget figure against each income and spending line, renaming or adding lines to suit your group.
3. Update the actual to date column from the cashbook before each committee meeting.
4. Variances are worked out in the browser and the workbook: for income, actual less budget; for spending, budget less actual, so a positive figure is good news on both.
5. Use the summary to report the budgeted and actual surplus or deficit, and note the reasons for any large variance.
6. Start a fresh sheet each year, using this year's actuals to set next year's budget.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser
• Excel / Google Sheets workbook

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The workbook uses plain formulas only — SUM, IF, COUNTIF and the like — so it opens in Excel, LibreOffice and Google Sheets without anything breaking, and every calculated cell is grey so you can see which figures it worked out.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

Why is the variance worked out differently for income and spending?

So that a positive figure always means the club is better off than planned: more income than budgeted, or less spending. A negative figure on either table is the one to explain at the meeting.

Should grants go in the same budget?

Grants for a set purpose are often tracked separately so they are only spent on what they were given for. You can still show them here as a line, and use the restricted funds tracker for the detail.

Where do the budget figures come from?

From last year's accounts and the committee's own plans for the year. No amounts are suggested; the sheet only does the arithmetic on the figures you enter.

Can I change the lines?

Yes. The lines are a starting list. Rename them, add your own or leave some blank; the totals and variances follow whatever you enter.