Board handover: losing nothing from one term to the next
Election, declaring the new officers, bank, access, archives: the checklist for handing over a student association without any gaps in its memory.
Every year, a student association changes almost its entire board. That is its strength — fresh ideas every year — and its weak point: anything that has not been passed on disappears with those who leave. Passwords, supplier contacts, the venue contract, the reason for that monthly direct debit… A good handover is prepared like an event, with a list.
1. Elect the new board by the rules
The new board is appointed according to the bylaws: most often at a general meeting, sometimes by the board of directors. Follow the procedure laid down (notice of meeting, quorum, vote) and write minutes that name the new officers and their roles. This document will be needed for the préfecture and for the bank.
2. Declare the new officers
A change in the people in charge of running the association must be declared within three months, online on the public service for associations or at the greffe des associations (the associations registry office). It is free. Without this declaration, the former officers remain officially responsible for the association.
Take the opportunity to update the special register, in which the association records changes of officers and amendments to the bylaws.
3. Transfer the bank account
This is the step most often forgotten, and the one that blocks the most. With the minutes of the election, go to the bank to:
- add the new signatories and remove the former ones;
- recover or cancel the cards and online access of those leaving;
- update the powers of attorney.
Until this is done, the new treasurer cannot pay for anything, and the former one can still do everything.
4. Take back control of access
List all the association's accounts and change their owners:
- email and contact address;
- social media and website;
- shared storage space;
- HelloAsso account and other payment platforms;
- subscriptions and software.
Golden rule: no account in a member's personal name. An account tied to the address of a student who has graduated is a lost account.
5. Hand over the archives
Gather in one place, accessible to the next board:
- bylaws, récépissés (acknowledgements of filing) of declarations, minutes;
- current contracts (venues, suppliers, sponsors), agreements with the school;
- insurance certificates;
- accounts for previous financial years and receipts;
- grant applications and their reports.
6. Pass on what is written nowhere
The most valuable knowledge is rarely in a file: the typical calendar of the year, the contacts who actually reply at the school and among suppliers, what went wrong last year and why. Write a handover document for each role, and plan an overlap period of a few weeks during which the outgoing and incoming officers work together.
The outgoing treasurer: close the books before leaving
The outgoing treasurer presents the accounts for their term, has the financial year approved and gives their successor the exact position: bank balance, cash, outstanding invoices, expense claims not yet reimbursed, grants still to be accounted for. See keeping the accounts of a student union (BDE).
What toGaether keeps for you
On toGaether, the data belongs to the association, not to the people who run it. When the board changes, the new members receive their roles and find everything: accounts and receipts, members and membership fees, past events, legal documents and agreements. The roles of those leaving are removed without losing any of the history.
This article gives general guidance; the exact rules depend on your bylaws.
