Dedicating ourselves to our community requires not only enthusiasm, but also the careful, transparent, and fully professional management of our shared resources. As Esperanto-USA continues to grow and launch new projects, our financial responsibilities are becoming increasingly complex. To ensure that our endowments, long-term investments, and current financial resources remain fully secure, the board officially adopted a new guideline on May 17, 2026: the Policy on Financial Competency and the Assistant Treasurer.
With this article, I want to explain the purpose of this step and show why it is so fundamental to our shared future.
The challenge of finding financially skilled candidates
Because Esperanto-USA is a democratic association, our members elect the treasurer who will guide our financial path. However, even the most dedicated and trustworthy Esperantist may not have studied bookkeeping, nonprofit accounting, or in-depth financial analysis. This new policy creates a strong bridge between the democratic will of our membership and the technical needs of a modern association. It will ensure that we never have to choose between community trust and professional capability.
How to assess skills
To better identify the needs of the association during election periods, we will establish clear standards:
- The skill threshold: Candidates for the role of Treasurer should preferably already have experience in financial leadership and accounting, or have previously served as treasurer in a nonprofit association.
- The assessment tool: The outgoing Treasurer will share a framework for financial experience and skills. This tool will help the Nominating Committee privately and completely without bias analyze the background of potential candidates.
- Oversight of the review: The current, outgoing Treasurer will lead this review. If that person is not available, the President will carry out the task or establish a special committee to guide the process.
When does the Assistant Treasurer become required?
If the assessment shows that the newly elected Treasurer does not yet meet the required skills, the board must appoint an Assistant Treasurer. This is not a punishment at all, but rather a powerful and friendly support for the new leader.
The details of this support role are clearly defined in order to fully protect our democratic structure:
- An experienced assistant: The Assistant Treasurer works directly with the Treasurer to help manage budgeting, financial details, and deeper work that goes beyond the tasks of our hired, external certified accountant.
- Reporting through the Treasurer: To avoid any confusion, the Assistant Treasurer presents their reports and proposals to the board through the Treasurer. They do not have their own voting rights on the board, unless that person is already a regular board member elected independently.
- A three-year term: The term lasts three years so that it fully coincides with the Treasurer’s term, ensuring harmonious cooperation.
- A contingency plan for continuity: If the elected Treasurer resigns early, the Assistant Treasurer immediately becomes the interim Treasurer, without voting rights. This guarantees that the financial machine will not stop, while also preventing an unelected person from becoming a full board member.
An optional but highly recommended path
If the new Treasurer is already deeply experienced in finance, appointing an assistant is not mandatory, but remains the Treasurer’s free choice. This option is strongly recommended if a member wants to learn the fine art of managing our resources in the future. It functions as an excellent educational platform to ensure our long-term sustainability.
Hopefully you are as happy about this as I am!
Together, we are building a stronger, safer, and more stable environment for Esperanto-USA. This kind of formalized policy gives me hope for the future of the association. For a long time, no specific qualification has been required to properly manage our financial resources. I do not want to offend our former treasurers, but I would bet that they would have been glad to have an experienced assistant who could guide them on laws, best practices, and financial procedures. Now we can feel more at ease, because the board will have to ensure that this kind of expertise is part of the association’s work, regardless of who is elected.