The activities of the village association thrive thanks to all of your active involvement. Specific teams and working groups carry out valuable work that enriches the life of the entire village community and brings joy to many. These guidelines have been prepared to make everyday operations easier and to ensure that activities remain clear, smooth, equal, and transparent for everyone.
We hope these guidelines will support your practical work and provide clarity and security, allowing you to focus on what matters most: working for the good of the community. Please remember that the village association’s board acts as an enabler and support system, helping both in good times and during challenges.
Teams and working groups must keep minutes of their meetings and save them in the village association’s Drive folder within their own team folder.
It is recommended that each team meets at least once a year to prepare an action plan, budget, and annual report. This is especially important if the team receives funding.
The documents must be submitted to the village association’s annual meeting. At least one member from each team must participate in the annual meeting.
teams may apply for grants to support their activities, including the purchase of services, materials, or various types of fixed assets needed for the team or its activities.
For larger projects (project budget exceeding €3,000), the project plan, budget, and received quotations must be submitted to the village association’s board for information and saved electronically in the association’s Drive folder.
Purchases and orders should primarily be arranged so that invoices are sent directly to the village association and paid through the association’s accounting system, either as invoices or through another agreed method such as cash payment or online purchase. In such cases, the Executive Director must be contacted.
teams may pay salaries or compensation for work performed.
For long-term projects lasting one year or more, salaries are paid monthly. Short-term projects are compensated as work compensation. If payment in long-term projects is made seasonally, the compensation will also be treated as work compensation.
Compensation may also be invoiced through a personal business or invoicing cooperative.
When applying for grants, it is important to clearly specify if part of the funding will be used for salaries or fees. Salaries and fees must also be included in the team’s budget. This must be done openly and transparently.
A paid project may also be carried out so that the working group itself applies for project funding and compensation for its work. In such cases, it is important to demonstrate during the planning phase that the group possesses the competence or education required for the task.
In these situations, the project leaders are responsible for planning, implementation, and grant applications themselves. The village association’s board should be informed already during the planning stage. The board may assist with recruitment if needed.
If the purchase amount* exceeds €3,000, the team must request quotations from three suppliers.
The request for quotations should be published on the village email list, the village association’s website, and, if appropriate, on social media.
The team may independently decide the criteria on which a quotation is accepted. Therefore, the accepted quotation does not necessarily have to be the cheapest, but may instead be the most suitable for the purpose.
If the budget for a purchase or project exceeds €10,000, the village association’s board must approve both the quotation and the project budget.
*“Purchase” here refers to goods, services, and employment.
The budgets of teams and working groups must be based on approved grants and quotations.
All financial transactions must be verifiable. teams are responsible for budget monitoring and for staying within budget limits.
All receipts must be saved in digital format and sent to the Executive Director or stored in the team’s Drive folder.
Maintaining a cash register is not recommended. However, small cash funds may be used during events and activities to enable, for example, product sales.
Cash funds must be deposited annually into the village association’s account and reported accordingly.
Product sales may also be conducted through the online store, Zettle payment terminal, or the village association’s MobilePay account. Equipment and instructions are available from the Executive Director, who will also create products in the online store according to the teams’ wishes.
teams and working groups must take into account administrative expenses in their budgets, including accounting, banking services, website maintenance, other services, and possible payroll administration costs. The Executive Director can provide cost estimates if needed.
Project working groups and individual applicants may also apply to the village association’s board for permission to seek funding for projects and initiatives.
Applications must be submitted through the Executive Director to the village association’s board, which will review the matter at a board meeting.
The same rules that apply to teams also apply to working groups and individual applicants.
In all decisions concerning individual projects, the village association’s board evaluates whether the project is suitable within the framework of the association’s activities.
In most cases, projects should benefit the ironworks village and its residents, especially children, young people, and the elderly, while also considering other target groups. Projects should be easily accessible and based on the village association’s values.
If a project does not align with the values and activities of the village association, the board may reject the application or proposal.