CLUB GOVERNANCE AND FINANCE

The ‘governance’ of your club refers to the systems and processes by which it is controlled and operated. It includes the systems that hold the club and its people accountable, as well as the relationships between the Guild, the University & its members. On this page you will find the following:

Clubs Charter & Club Policies
Constitution
Club Registration
Committee Training
Club Events & Activities
Committee Roles & Meetings
Club AGM Guidelines & Workshop
Club Finances
Consent & Sexual Safety
Safe Spaces & Grievance Processes for Members
Incident Reporting Process

If you can't find what you're after, please email the Clubs Officer via clubs@guild.curtin.edu.au

CLUBS CHARTER AND CLUB POLICIES

The Clubs Charter and associated Club Policies outline all major club operational requirements and processes, as well as explaining how the Guild assesses and addresses various club applications, requests, and issues.

Club Constitution

All clubs are required to govern themselves in accordance with the rules set out in the Default Guild Club Constitution which outlines basic rules for the daily running and management of the club.

Custom Constitutions are no longer accepted due to 2024 policy changes to the Clubs & Societies By-Laws which were essential for clubs to qualify as sub-entities under the Guild, for taxation purposes. These changes required all clubs who were previously operating under a Guild-Approved Custom Constitution to instead operate under the Default Guild Club Constitution from the 1st April 2025.

Clubs may also adopt a set of rules (Society Rules) to allow flexibility in managing club operations. The process to adopt or amend Society Rules, is outlined clause 14.5 within the Default Guild Club Constitution. Please contact the Club Support Staff to notify us of your intention to adopt/update Society Rules prior to commencing.

Clubs must continue to operate under its last approved Society Rules until its amended (or new) Society Rules have been approved. To adopt or make an amendment is outlined in clause 14.5 within the Default Guild Club Constitution. To summarise briefly, it must:

formally reviewed and approved by the Guild.
once Guild approved, by presented as a motion at an AGM or SGM of the club,
accepted by Special Majority of the Curtin student members ("ordinary members") present,
documented in meeting minutes in TidyHQ.

Other Club Governance Documents

The Guild is governed by the Guild Statute Book, a set of documents that establish the role, powers and procedures of the Guild (in all areas, not just clubs). To help you specifically navigate to the documents in the Guild Statute Book that relate to clubs & societies, see below:

Curtin University Act 1966 (WA). Part 3 – Student Guild. The act refers to accompanying University statues & rules. It sets out the functions of the University and makes provision for the Student Guild within accompanying University statues & rules.
Statute 4 – Student Guild. The Guild is governed by the University Statute 4, which establish the role, powers and procedures of the Guild. Part 2, Section 5 clause (2c). outlines that the Guild is tasked by the University with managing, supporting and administering non-sporting clubs and societies at Curtin. Part 4, clause 17. outlines the Guild’s powers in relation to clubs at Curtin are to be laid out in a Guild Statute Book which include the following relating to clubs.
- Student Guild (Administration) Regulations, Part 4 – Student Societies.
- Clubs & Societies By-Laws 2023

CLUB REGISTRATION

The Guild is tasked by the University with managing, supporting and administering non-sporting clubs and societies at Curtin. Student clubs & societies at Curtin without an active registration are prohibited from operating in any way.

Registration and Renewals

All clubs are required to register with the Guild and renew their registration annually in order to remain affiliated and continue operating as a 'Curtin' club.

All club committee members agree to abide by the provisions of Guild club policy and understand the Guild's expectations of their role by also completing mandatory club training to understand the mandatory processes for Guild-affiliated clubs. For more details in relation to new club registrations & club renewals, please refer to the following policy:

New Club Registrations

Clubs are required to first submit an expression of interest to register with the Guild. Learn more about how to start a club.

Registration Renewals

A renewal or registration update is required each new year and a renewal project is assigned to all club TidyHQ accounts in October. The renewal project includes a series of administrative tasks that are mandatory to complete and submit for Guild approval in order to remain registered. The full renewal process is outlined in the Club Renewals Policy.

The renewal period will open each year on 15 October and close 15 February of the following year.

Benefits and Perks

To name a few, the benefits of running a Guild club are:

Get access to club perks such as grants, access to venue bookings, public liability coverage, promotion and major event assistance, and more.
For Bentley-based clubs, additional perks include free function packs, free BBQ's,free equipment loans, invites to major Guild events such as O-Day & Club Carnival (where you'll sign up most of your members).
Permission to use "Curtin" in your club name.
A listing on the Guild website.
Access to major event support, guidance, risk assessments, event planning templates and advice from an experienced team.
Access to software management system to run the club (TidyHQ) which includes a website, membership sign-ups, ability to sell merch & event tickets, track finances, easy Guild club renewals, reporting functionality, meeting module with inbuild task delgations and more.
Receive official Curtin Extra recognition.
and so much more!

Committee Training

Each year, committee members must complete the Guild's mandatory training modules. We will take you through some mandatory processes for Guild-affiliated clubs. The workshops also provide club officers with the tools, skills, confidence and knowledge to successfully run their club, engage their members and manage your club administration effectively.

Induction
Financial Management
Event Management

Complete Mandatory Training

TidyHQ Requirements

TidyHQ is a dynamic platform that will make it quick and easy for all Guild-registered clubs to:

Manage your memberships
Keep in touch with your contacts
Have visibility over the financial health of your organisation
Coordinate events
Run your meetings
Track the actions assigned to each committee member
Sell merchandise or fundraising items

Use of TidyHQ is compulsory for all Guild clubs to receive a confirmed registration status and retain access to club perks.

Getting Started
Each club’s previous committee should provide the newly elected committee with admin access upon election. You should receive an automated email via TidyHQ inviting you to activate your account. Simply click through the link in your activation email to get started! Please contact clubs@guild.curtin.edu.au if you require your activation email to be re-sent.

Mandatory Usage

The following apps within the platform are compulsory to use in order to maintain Guild affiliation. The apps must be kept up-to-date:

Contacts: Committee Contacts Lists. These must always include full name, student ID, phone, email, pronouns & preferred names at the minimum.
Committee Contact Lists: All committee members must be assigned a role within the platform and provided with admin access.
Meetings: This is only mandatory for AGM's, General Meetings and SGM's. Optional use for committee meetings but it is recommendedd for good house keeping in order to avoid lost data during handovers year-to-year.
Finances: All income, expenses, petty cash, assets, bank statements, receipts, Bank Account and ABN must be recorded here. Training is provided, please refer to the Finances and Treasurer Training Workshops.
Memberships: Memberships must only be taken via your TidyHQ only. No external sign-up forms are permitted. Cash and Guild Club voucher payment options can also be available via TidyHQ memberships and the Guild Club Support Team will provide instructions on how to set this up prior to Guild O-Day via a TidyHQ Project with task instructions. Please follow-up if you do not receive this.
Web Pages: Your Club objectives and description, membership information, a safe sapces agreement, the club's consitution and club contact details must be live at all times.
Guild Assigned Projects: Projects are assigned to clubs for mandatory administrative updates. For example, each year, clubs are required to renew their affiliation with the Guild to remain active as per the Guild Club Renewals Policy. A renewal project with accompanying task instructions will be sent to all club TidyHQ accounts by no later than the 15 October along with a deadline and without successful completion, the club's registration will expire. Other projects may be issued throughout the year if specific task instuctions and processes are are required to be followed. An example of this may be if a club contacted the Club Support Team to advise them that they wish to change club bank accounts or develop/amend a custom constitutions, a project with task instructions may be issued.

TidyHQ Resource Library

Expired and Inactive Registrations

Clubs without an active registration are prohibited from operating in any way. This means access to the following are also restricted:

CAN'T access venue bookings or run events on or off-campus.
CAN'T renew memberships and take on new memberships. Expressions of interest are permitted only.
CAN'T run activities or events. Any event run is not covered by the Guild’s Public Liability insurance until your club is registered – this leaves you personally liable for incidents.
CAN'T have a stall at O-Day or participate in other University events (even if invited).
CAN'T apply for any grants, funding, or sponsorship from the Guild

A club's registration status may expire if:

A Guild assigned TidyHQ project is not complete by the deadline set. Clubs who missed the deadline are welcome to continue completing projects and tasks after the deadline, however please be aware that your application will remain inactive (with the above parameters in place) until the project is successfully completed and approved.
The mandatory committee roles become vacant and cannot be filled as per the clubs constitution.
Written notice from the Guild has been provided as per the Guild's Clubs Escalation Policy.

Need Help?

If you require advice on how to complete project tasks or address a concern relating to your inactive club registration, contact the Club Support Team:

Book an appointment
Call 9266 2927 or 9266 2917
Email clubs@guild.curtin.edu.au

Dissolution of a Society

The Society may, at any time, by a Special Majority vote of Members present at a General Meeting called for the purpose, be dissolved.

The Guild must be notified in writing and it is recommended that the club seek support prior to doing so.

The club's Guild approved constitution must be followed to formally dissolve the club. Please note however, that there are circumstances in which the Guild Council or Discipline Tribunal are empowered to dissolve a student society. These can be found in the by-laws.

CLUB EVENTS

Club events and activities are the backbone of a vibrant campus life, and are supported and encouraged by the Guild. A club event is defined as any function or gathering being coordinated and delivered by a Guild club or society.

Clubs are able to have events provided that the requirements in the Club Events Policy are met.

Overview
With regard to events, clubs must:

apply for and meet approval requirements as per the process outlined on the Guild website and in the Club Events Policy (all events must be approved),
not conduct prohibited events,
meet legal requirements (e.g. liquor and food licences),
act to ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of all students.

Prohibited Events

The Guild does not and will not tolerate events that:

Are discriminatory in nature (i.e. exclusionary, biased, or restrictive on the basis of race, disability, sex, gender identity, or age, except where this is exempted by legislation).
Have unacceptable risks.
Engage in “hazing” - any action taken or any situation created intentionally that causes embarrassment, harassment or ridicule and risks emotional and/or physical harm to members of a group or team, whether new or not, regardless of the person's willingness to participate.

In addition to the above, the following activities are also not permitted as they are either inappropriate, of an unacceptably high risk, and/or not covered by the Guild’s insurance policy:

Events where the primary purpose is, or could reasonably be construed to be, significant alcohol consumption (e.g. a pub crawl that promotes excess alcohol consumption).
Any off-campus event where alcohol is to be consumed, but does not take place within licensed-premises that provide an appropriate level of venue security and/or crowd controllers.
Events unrelated to the objects/purpose of the club, unless for a social purpose.
Camps, retreats, holidays, getaways, and any event involving an overnight stay comprising two or more club members, unless reasonably necessary to achieve the club’s objects/purpose.
Participation in, or training for, professional sport.
Aerial activities (excluding being carried as a passenger on a licensed commercial aircraft).

COMMITTEE ROLES AND MEETINGS

Another key part of running a club is maintaining proper documentation and reporting. This includes ensuring meetings are recorded, financial statements are transparent, roles are clearly defined and there is clear communication between the club’s committee and members.

People on committees often learn how to run meetings based on how people did things previously - this is not the best way to do things!

We have plenty of resources, training offerings, guides and templates to help your committee understand:

Types of meetings (Committee meetings, General Meetings, AGMs etc)
Quorum
Common terminology and roles at meetings
Meeting procedures (agendas, motions, resolutions, voting, reports etc.)
and everything else you may need to understand how to successfully run a club.

Help Videos - Covering club anatomy, roles & responsibilities, meeting basics, agendas, strategic planning, financial management.
Committee Induction - Each time you fill a committee role, this should be the first thing you ask them to get familiar with.
Resources & Templates - Training presentation slides, meeting guides & diagrams, role descriptions, meeting agenda & minutes templates, goal setting & strategic planning worksheets, event management templates and more.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGS

Your club must hold an Annual General Meeting (AGM) each year in September, October, or November (unless otherwise approved by the Guild).

New clubs (less than 12 months old) do not require an AGM.

An AGM is required so that clubs can:

Elect committee positions for the next year,
Report on the club's activities & finances for the outgoing year,
Renew your registration for the next year in order to maintain the club's 'registered' status and continue operating as a 'Curtin' club.

To run your AGM successfully:

Login to TidyHQ, go to the Projects menu & follow the tasks in the AGM Project. Completion of this project is mandatory.
Use the templates provided within the Project.
Quick Assist Playlist. This growing playlist consists of a few short videos to guide clubs through frequently asked questions on:
- What to do before, during and after an AGM.
- The basics on how to run club meetings, pass motions, perpare an agenda and complete meeting minutes.

CLUB FINANCES

We've prepared a guide for club committee members on how to appropriately manage club finances for reporting, budgeting and overall management.

Managing Finances & Sourcing Sponsors

Treasurer Workshop

Mandatory for Treasurers and Presidents.
Optional for Vice President & Secretary who may assist with the treasurer role during absences or in peak times.

Being in charge of club finances is a serious role. Accurately recording club's financials records on a regular basis is a very important for the club's financial health and success. When records are up-to-date, Treasurers can provide the club's financial status at Club Committee Meetings where decisions are made to spend club funds such as running events, purchasing merchandise etc.

Clubs and its officers must ensure its financial activity throughout the year is correctly recorded in your TidyHQ finances module. Financial records must demonstrate appropriate use of funds and management of the club’s finances, and must align with the club’s bank balance and transaction history.

Delivered by professional staff within the Guild's Club Support team, Luke. Topics include:

Finances in TidyHQ
Your Responsibilities & Accountability
Budgeting & Reporting
Recording income & expenses
Generating Invoices
Government legislation requirements for Not-for-profits.
and more.....

Sourcing Sponsors

How can managing your finances, grants and funding sources not be reactive, but proactive? This workshop will allow leaders to maximise the value delivered to their students, support innovative ideas coming to life while meeting financial requirements necessary for the long term success of the student group. You will learn how to:

Identify sources of funding available at your university
Describe what is required to meet the funding/grant requirements and where to access necessary application forms/processes
Build a budget for an event and the year ahead
Identify potential costs for their group over the calendar year
Diversify income sources to maximise value delivered to students

Delivered by Josh Farr - Campus Consultancy. Learn more about Josh and his history leading his own club in 2013 and delivering training to University clubs across Australia.

View Workshops

Clubs & Tax

Update from the ATO
Please ensure that your entire executive committee understands the 2024 policy changes that affect all clubs.

Clubs must keep up-to-date with the Guild's communications for instructions which are sent via email and updated here:

Notice 3: 28 November 2024. The Guild Council has approved updates to the Clubs and Societies By-Laws, effective 28 November 2024. These changes were essential for clubs to qualify as sub-entities under the Guild, for taxation purposes. This means that registered Guild clubs are exempt from ATO reporting requirements, cannot become incorporated and As a sub entity, are subject to financial reviews and spot checks by the Guild and/or its auditors (this already occurs).
Notice 2: 16 August 2024. Clubs will be exempt from ATO reporting requirements and paying tax providing that they are ‘sub-entities’ of the Guild. The Guild Council is supporting an approach that will require a small number of changes to club governing documents so that clubs qualify as sub-entities of the Guild. At the same time, there is an opportunity to improve financial governance to benefit clubs and their members.
Notice 1: 27 June 2024. This notice is for context only and instructions within are no longer required to be followed. At the time of this notice, the Australian Taxation Office advised that university clubs have been incorrectly reporting as being exempt from income tax. This would have affected the majority of Curtin clubs. A notice was sent to clubs with information and advice to avoid lodging reports with the ATO while the Guild investigated.

Equipment & Asset Tracking

Clubs should keep track of their assets and equipment.This template will assist you to track the location, number of items, value and condition of your belongings. For best practice, consider using an online google sheet so your committee can update it regularly - especially if you have a lot of event equipment that is constanly on the move.

CONSENT AND SEXUAL SAFETY

Sexual harassment and sexual assault are unacceptable. The Curtin Student Guild is committed to fostering safe, respectful, consensual and enjoyable campus club culture.

Reporting sexual assault and harassment
Curtin's support services and reporting process for incidents of sexual assault and/or sexual harassment can be accessed here.

Responding to disclosures of sexual assault course
This course is developed by the Sexual Assault Resource Centre WA (SARC) and aims to increase knowledge and understanding about sexual assault issues and to improve your ability to effectively respond to disclosures of sexual assault from adolescents and adults. All club committee members are encouraged to complete this course if they feel safe to respond to disclosures of this nature.

The free online course can take 2 hours to complete and will issue a certificate upon completion:

Register online to receive a password
Access the course with your password.
Once complete, remember to take a screenshot of your completion certificate & send it to clubs@guild.curtin.edu.au

The Guild will require a SARC trained committee member to be working any event your club plans to run that involves alcohol, is off-campus, or involves overnight stays such as club retreats and camps. The Club Support team will advise your club if this is required when we are assessing your event application.

All club committee members are encouraged to complete this course if they feel safe to respond to disclosures of this nature.

All clubs are required to complete a Risk Assessment / Risk Management Plan for high-risk club events. Here's an example template covering risk measures relating to assault.

SAFE SPACES AND GRIEVANCE PROCESSES

When members join a club, they agree to adhere to the club's rules, the safe spaces agreement, its constitution and the Guild & Curtin University's values. Members should also be aware of options to discuss grievances, report issues and complaints.

The Safe Spaces Agreement

Clubs should display this poster at their events, online or within email communications when a reminder is necessary.

Club memberships, clubs must include Terms and Conditions in your club membership sign-up forms to request that each new member agrees to accept The Safe Spaces Agreement in order to receive full club membership. This will assist club's to confidently address issues on the spot should a member fail to adhere to the rules.

Rules regarding the editing of this agreement are as follows:

No items may be removed.
The club may add items. This will require Guild approval before it can be used and copy of the original must be referred to until approval is issued. Please email the Club Support Team with a copy showing your additions.
The club can add their logo to the right of the Guild logo.

The Safe Spaces Agreement - Editable version
The Safe Spaces Agreement - Ready to use

Grievance Process & Reporting Complaints

Members can refer to this process when dealing with club grievances, complaints and issues. This is also referred to in The Safe Spaces Agreement that should be presented to all members upon signing-up.

INCIDENT REPORTING PROCESS FOR CLUB OFFICERS

Safety and wellbeing are at the forefront of all Guild club events, with the Guild’s club event policies and procedures focused on supporting clubs to deliver events that are as safe as possible. Unfortunately, accidents and incidents can, and do, still happen. It is crucial that incidents are reported as soon as possible when they occur, in order to ensure the appropriate support is provided and the relevant personnel are notified.

Should a serious incident or emergency occur at a club event or during club activities (whether on campus or off campus), please refer to the below reporting process:

Report the incident immediately to Curtin’s Safer Community Team – (08) 9266 4444. This is a 24/7 service.
The Safer Community Team will:
1. alert relevant internal Curtin and Guild personnel,
2. refer you to additional services as appropriate, and
3. guide you through any immediate actions required.
Where applicable, additional support, action items, and/or any further investigation will be provided and/or carried out in the days and weeks following the incident.
If you need further support during office hours (Mon-Fri 9am-4pm) please call Guild Reception – (08) 9266 2900 or email clubs@guild.curtin.edu.au

Club Governance and Finance