Trustees/Expenses Policy

Sometimes, an opportunity arises for a Trustee to buy something that the space needs. Usually, the Trustees use the Quick Decisions Slack channel, on the private Trustee Only slack group, to get a quorate vote in favour of expenditure, but in some cases there isn't time. In these time sensitive situations it is possible for trustees to spend money without gaining prior approval.

Hackspace Trustee expenses policy

• Only pertains to items for the hackspace.
• Special cases only.
• Trustees should not expect to be repaid quickly or at all when purchasing without prior approval. Making impulse buys puts you last in line to be repaid, and if cashflow is too tight, you have to wait as long as it takes.
• Being able to buy things under this policy is not a default position. When time and circumstance allow, which they almost always do, you should always use the Trustees Slack group to get approval before making a purchase.
• Trustees can't club together and spend extra money by combining their spending.
• Trustees can't make unplanned expenditure under this policy more than once in a month.

Good example

A wood lathe was going for £40 at auction. It's a good tool at a low price, and one that many members had expressed an interest in having.

Bad examples

"I happened to be in Homebase, and I picked up a dozen extension leads and some two-by-fours because I thought the space would need them one day".

"A man offered me some speakers from a van in the street".etc.

Expenditure should be planned and voted on wherever possible. Even if there is a limited opportunity, you should try to contact the rest of the board. Sometimes, other board members are aware of implications or plans that you may not be.