Your committee
Gave their time to serve.
They joined to move the society forward - not to spend their contribution chasing filings and formatting minutes.
Sector · Incorporated societies
The governance, compliance and admin that comes with running an incorporated society.
Committee meetings and minutes, the AGM, annual returns, officer and member records, financial statements, Xero and the correspondence in between.
A society runs on volunteers - but the back end still has to be done properly. I already know what's required.
- Society Secretary & Treasurer
- Incorporated Societies Act 2022
- Te Puke & remote NZ-wide
02What this covers
Everything the society needs running cleanly behind the scenes.
Society administration has its own obligations - and they don't wait for the next volunteer to step up. Here's what I cover across governance, compliance, finance and the everyday running of the society, mapped to the four service areas.
Show
18 services
Committee meetings & minutes
Agendas and papers prepared and circulated. I attend the meeting, take my own notes and write the minutes - with actions tracked through to the next meeting.
AGM & special general meetings
Notice to members within your constitution's timeframes, the agenda, annual report and financial statements, nominations and proxies - and minutes of every resolution.
Annual returns & filings
The annual return to the Registrar of Incorporated Societies filed on time, every year - plus Charities Services returns if your society is also a registered charity.
Officer records & consents
Officer consents and eligibility certifications held on file, and changes of officers notified to the Registrar - so the public record matches who's actually on the committee.
Members & interests registers
Your register of members kept current, and an interests register maintained so conflicts are disclosed and recorded the way the Act expects.
Running to your constitution
Meetings, elections and decisions run in line with your constitution - and the constitution itself kept on hand, understood and referred to, not left in a drawer.
Committee & member correspondence
Letters, emails, notices and enquiries handled consistently - so nothing waits in a volunteer's inbox.
Stakeholder liaison
The link between the committee and the people it deals with - members, landowners, council, funders, contractors and your auditor or accountant.
Membership administration
New members, resignations, subscriptions and contact details kept up to date - a membership list you can actually rely on.
Quotes, contracts & suppliers
Quotes gathered, contracts and supplier paperwork organised, and approvals tracked through the committee - so work goes ahead with a clear paper trail.
Xero bookkeeping & reconciliation
Xero kept reconciled and current, with receipts, invoices and payments coded properly and approved through the committee.
Treasurer's reports & budgets
Clear financial reports for every committee meeting, and an annual budget the committee can make decisions from.
Subscriptions, levies & invoicing
Member subscriptions and levies invoiced, receipted and followed up - so the society's income actually arrives.
Year-end, statements & audit
Working with your accountant and auditor or reviewer on year-end, the annual financial statements and the review or audit - and GST returns if the society is registered.
Policies & procedures
Society policies documented and reviewed - health and safety, complaints and disputes, privacy and delegations - reflecting how the society actually operates.
Records & document storage
Minutes, registers, correspondence and financial records organised in your own Microsoft 365 or Google Drive - findable by the next committee, not lost when a volunteer steps down.
Officer handover & onboarding
A clear handover pack when officers change, so new committee members start informed rather than from scratch.
Compliance & filing calendar
One calendar for every return, meeting, notice period and deadline the society has - so nothing depends on someone's memory.
Engage one area or all four.
03In practice
The society year, start to finish.
Societies run on a cycle set by your constitution and your balance date. Here's what a typical ongoing engagement looks like - month by month, meeting by meeting, year by year.
Monthly
Keeping the society ticking
- Xero reconciled and payments processed for approval
- Subscriptions, levies and invoices followed up
- Committee and member correspondence handled
- Register of members kept current
- Records filed in the society's own cloud storage
- GST returns filed on schedule, where registered
Every committee meeting
Before, during and after
- Agenda and papers circulated well ahead of the meeting
- Treasurer's report prepared from reconciled books
- Meeting attended - in person or by Zoom - with my own notes
- Minutes written and circulated promptly
- Action register updated and followed up
- Resolutions recorded and interests declared on file
AGM season
Run to your constitution
- Notice of the AGM to members within the required timeframe
- Annual report and financial statements ready for members
- Nominations, elections and proxies managed
- AGM attended and minuted
- New officer consents collected and changes notified to the Registrar
Year-end
Every year, without fail
- Year-end with your accountant and auditor or reviewer
- Financial statements prepared to the right reporting standard
- Annual return filed with the Registrar of Incorporated Societies
- Charities Services annual return, where registered
- Budget prepared for the year ahead
- Policies, registers and records reviewed
04Incorporated Societies Act 2022
Your ongoing obligations - properly met.
Registered societies carry ongoing obligations under the 2022 Act - every year, not once. Annual returns, financial statements, officer records, registers and running the society in line with its constitution. It's a lot for a volunteer committee to keep on top of alongside everything else.
I handle the ongoing secretary work and statutory filings that keep the society compliant, year after year - and I keep the evidence tidy, so if a member, a funder or the Registrar ever asks, the answer is already on file.
An annual return, filed on time.
Every registered society files an annual return with the Registrar each year, along with its financial statements.
How I handle itYour filing month in the calendar, papers ready well ahead of it, lodged and confirmed - every year.
Financial statements to the right standard.
Statements prepared under the reporting standard that fits the society's size, and presented to members at the AGM.
How I handle itBooks reconciled all year, so year-end with your accountant is a formality - not a scramble.
Officers eligible, consented and recorded.
Officer consents and eligibility certifications held, and any change of officers notified to the Registrar.
How I handle itConsents collected at election, changes notified promptly, and the public register kept matching reality.
Registers kept, conflicts declared.
A current register of members and an interests register, with conflicts disclosed and managed properly.
How I handle itRegisters updated as members join and leave, and interests recorded at every meeting.
Run the way your constitution says.
General meetings, elections, complaints and disputes handled the way your constitution sets out.
How I handle itNotice, quorum, voting and procedures checked against the constitution before every meeting.
Also a registered charity? Charities Services annual returns and reporting sit in the same filing calendar, prepared alongside your financial statements so nothing is done twice.
05How this works
Not a volunteer roster. A dependable secretary.
Every meeting. Every AGM. Every year. Not a template handed over and left - someone inside your society's admin, doing the work alongside the committee.
More than the minutes
The admin is only part of it. I work alongside the chair, treasurer and committee to bring consistency to how the society runs - not just the tasks on a list, but the way decisions are made, recorded and followed through.
- Decisions recorded clearly, and actions followed up before the next meeting.
- Filings lodged well before they're due, every year.
- A committee confident it's meeting its obligations.
- Records your auditor, accountant and next committee can follow easily.
When something isn't working, we identify it together and fix it properly - continuity for the society, not dependence on one volunteer.
Built on trust
Committees change. Volunteers come and go. A society needs someone steady holding the records through every change - someone the committee can trust with its obligations.
You deal with me directly, every time. Because I'm already across the society's admin, compliance and finances, I can ask the right questions - and I already know enough of the context to help find the right answers.
Answers and finished work, not twenty questions.
Book a callOutcomes for everyone in the society
- MembersInformed, heard and given proper notice.
- CommitteeClear papers, clear decisions, clear actions.
- OfficersObligations met, without carrying it alone.
- StakeholdersAuditor, council and funders get what they need.
- The societyCompliant, financially sound, built to last.
06How it's delivered
Remote-first by design - not by default.
Most society admin doesn't need someone in the room. I work directly inside your cloud systems - Xero, Microsoft 365, Google Drive and Zoom - and I'm there in person when it counts.
Focused, uninterrupted work
Dedicated time on the society's admin and compliance - not squeezed into whatever spare hour a volunteer can find.
Full access, without an office
Cloud tools give me the same visibility as someone at the desk - Xero, your email and your document storage, all current, all the time.
Consistency, whoever's elected
The work doesn't depend on who's on the committee this year. Records, filings and deadlines run on the same reliable schedule.
Meetings, in person or online
I attend committee meetings in person across the Bay of Plenty or by Zoom, take my own notes and write the minutes myself.
The same rigour, every cycle
Monthly, meeting and annual obligations run on a fixed system - not on whatever time is left over after everyone's day jobs.
No cost for a desk you don't need
The society pays for the actual hours spent on its admin, compliance and governance - not for someone sitting in a chair.
- 1998Running my own businesses
- 2008Compleation Limited established
- 100%Done by me - never handed off
07Who you'd be working with
A secretary and treasurer who's done this before.
Secretary & Treasurer · Waihi Drainage District Society
I handle the governance and financial administration for a rural incorporated society - committee administration under the Incorporated Societies Act, Xero reconciliation and budgeting, and liaison with the auditor, accountant, stakeholders and farmers. So I know the society rhythm from the inside: the meetings, the AGM, the filings and the books behind them.
I've run my own businesses since 1998, and I've done this work through Compleation Limited since 2008. Nothing is farmed out to a stranger, and nothing is left half-done. You deal with me directly, every time - and there's no learning curve at the society's expense.
Kirsten WinterCompleation Limited, Te Puke
08Two ways to work
Predictable pricing. No meters running.
Flexible hours for a one-off job, or a fixed monthly retainer for ongoing, dependable secretary and treasurer support - budgeted with confidence by the committee.
When the work varies
Hourly
Price on application · plus GST
Best when the work is occasional or one-off. You get me, available for whatever needs doing - no fixed scope, no retainer commitment, no paying for hours you don't use.
Ideal for
- A single AGM - notice, papers and minutes
- A constitution check or policy review
- Bringing registers and records up to date
- Cover while a volunteer officer steps back
When the work repeats
Monthly retainer
Price on application · plus GST
Best when the same work repeats every month. A set block of hours at a fixed fee, dedicated to the tasks that recur on a cycle - the same trusted hands, priced predictably, year after year.
Ideal for
- Every committee meeting - papers, attendance and minutes
- Xero, treasurer's reports and invoicing, every month
- Annual return, financial statements and the AGM
- Registers, records and correspondence kept current
This is bespoke governance and admin work, so pricing is scoped to your society - no rigid packages, no paying for hours you won't use. Anything outside an agreed retainer is quoted and approved first. All prices in NZD plus GST.
09Common questions
Society questions, answered.
Straight answers to what chairs, treasurers and committees want to know before we talk.
What society admin and compliance work do you actually take on?
A committee free to focus on its members, with every obligation met in the background. I take on the full picture - committee meetings and minutes, the AGM, annual returns, officer and member records, the interests register, Xero and treasurer's reports, and the correspondence in between - so nothing falls between volunteers.
What does the Incorporated Societies Act 2022 mean for our society now?
A society that stays compliant year after year, without the committee having to track it. Registered societies carry ongoing obligations under the 2022 Act - an annual return each year, financial statements to the right reporting standard, up-to-date officer records and registers, and running things in line with your constitution. I handle the ongoing secretary work and statutory filings that keep you there.
Do you actually attend our meetings and take the minutes?
Minutes you can rely on, and actions that actually happen. I attend in person across the Bay of Plenty or by Zoom, take my own notes and write the minutes myself - never from someone else's notes - then track every action and follow it up before the next meeting.
Can you look after the secretary work, the treasurer work, or both?
Whatever the society needs - the secretary work, the treasurer work or both - handled properly, while the committee keeps its decision-making. Some societies want the minutes and filings taken care of, some the books, and many want both. I do the work behind the decisions.
We're also a registered charity - can you help with Charities Services?
One filing calendar, and nothing done twice. Charities Services annual returns and reporting are prepared alongside your financial statements, so a society that's also a registered charity meets both sets of obligations in one pass.
How is this different from relying on a volunteer secretary?
Continuity that doesn't depend on who was elected this year. Volunteers give generously, but they change, get busy and move on - and the records often move with them. With me the society gets experienced, consistent secretary and treasurer support, with everything kept in its own systems.
Who owns our records and systems?
Full ownership and control, always with the society. Everything stays in your own Xero, Microsoft 365 or Google Drive. I work inside your systems and nothing is held on a personal drive - so the next committee picks it up with no gaps.
What if we only need help with the AGM?
An AGM that runs smoothly and meets your constitution - without a bigger commitment. Hourly work suits a one-off like an AGM, a constitution check or bringing the registers up to date. Many societies start with one piece and add more over time. Book a call and we'll talk through what's on your plate.
Still have a question? Get in touch →
Other sectors I work with
The same care, in other worlds.
Early childhood education
Early learning centres needing MoE compliance, Infocare, payroll and parent committee governance handled properly.
Explore this sectorSmall & medium businesses
Owners of lean businesses carrying too much back-office load, who want it handled without another payroll line.
Explore this sectorBoards & statutory bodies
Domain boards and statutory bodies needing independent minutes, statutory reporting and governance administration.
Explore this sectorAll sectors
Not sure where you fit? See how the work maps across every sector - the work is often more similar than it looks.
See all sectorsLet's talk
Ready to hand off the society admin?
If the minutes, filings or books are taking time your committee needs for the work that matters - for your members and your community - that's exactly the sort of thing I'm good at picking up.
- No obligation
- No pressure
- No meter running
Still exploring? About Kirsten · See all sectors · Back to top ↑