Florida 4-H Program Handbook

SECTION 5: 4-H Resource Development and Financial Management

How is 4-H Funded

The 4-H Program is supported through both public and private funds at the county, state and national levels. The public funds that the 4-H program receives from the county, state and the federal government provide the salary and support of personnel. These sources do not adequately support the educational programs and activities of the county program. Funds must be secured from private resources to augment the county 4-H educational programs and activities for youth. This section states procedures and gives explanations of how to properly handle public and private funds for the 4-H Youth Development Program.

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Who has Responsibility for Fiscal Management?

The 4-H Youth Development Program is a major educational effort that is central to the mission of the Florida Cooperative Extension system. This means that the University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, has overall responsibility in the support of the 4-H Youth Development Program. Any 4-H organization, at any level within the state, is accountable to the University of Florida and USDA and is obligated to follow the policies and procedures established by Cooperative Extension Service to document financial activity in accordance with laws and regulations and to demonstrate an ability to handle funds properly.

The complexity of the 4-H Program requires the clarification of the responsibilities that faculty and units (generic term for all 4-H clubs or county-wide advisory committees/councils) have when handling funds that are in any way related to the 4-H Youth Development Program.

The 4-H Advisory Committee provides overall direction to the county 4-H program and should also provide leadership in the development of the county budget to meet established goals. This committee, or a finance sub-committee, may be the primary fund-raising group for your county program and thus has been delegated a fiscal responsibility and accountability. Or, in some cases, you may have a county 4-H Foundation who is charged with the fund-raising mission for the 4-H program. Regardless of type, all fund raising, collecting and handling of money is subject to the following set of guidelines.

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