Volunteer Expenses Claim and Approval Log

Who this is for

A claim sheet a volunteer fills in and a treasurer signs off. Each out-of-pocket cost goes on a line with its receipt, and the approval and payment columns show what the group agreed to pay back and when it did.

Volunteers claiming back what they spent on behalf of a club, charity or community group, and the treasurers and officers who approve and pay the claims.

What this helps you track

• Each cost the volunteer paid, with the date and what it was for
• Whether a receipt is attached to every line
• The amount claimed against the amount approved
• What has been paid back, when and how
• Any balance still owed to the volunteer

How to use it

1. The volunteer writes the organisation, their name, role, the period and a claim number, then lists each cost with the date, description and category.
2. Tick receipt for each line and attach the receipts in the same order; enter the amount claimed.
3. The approver enters the amount approved on each line, which may be less than claimed under your own expenses policy, and signs at the foot.
4. The treasurer enters the amount paid, the date and the method once the money goes back to the volunteer.
5. Totals, the difference between claimed and approved and any unpaid balance are worked out in the browser and the workbook; on paper, add down each column.
6. File the signed claim with its receipts and record the payment in the cashbook.

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

What can a volunteer claim for?

Whatever your organisation's own expenses policy allows. The sheet does not list eligible costs or mileage rates; if you pay travel, enter the amount your policy gives in the claimed column and note the distance in the description.

Why is there an approved column as well as claimed?

So a claim can be approved in part — for example if one receipt is missing — without rewriting the form. The difference total shows at a glance how much was not approved.

Does paying expenses affect a volunteer's status?

Reimbursing genuine out-of-pocket costs is usually treated differently from paying someone, but the rules vary by country. Check the guidance where you are if you are unsure, particularly for flat-rate payments.

Can one sheet cover several months?

Yes, set the period in the header. Many groups prefer one claim per month or per event so each can be approved and paid promptly.