The lifespan and effectiveness of the Africa Bureau were possibly both limited by the attitude of its organisers towards finance. Responsibility for funding the Bureau's activities was not vested in any continuous committee and even the office of Treasurer was at times unfilled. The Bureau relied ultimately on substantial donations, which were usually anonymous, from a handful of individuals, who time and again averted a threatened closure of the Bureau or funded some extension of its work. During the period of Guy Arnold's directorship, a systematic financial policy was pursued, and its benefits were immediately apparent in the expansion and vigour of the Bureau's activities at this time.

Some financial papers of the Bureau, dealing with the ad hoc funding of a particular project, have been filed with the project concerned and the papers contained in the financial section of the collection show only the continuous pattern of the Bureau's finances throughout its working life. They fall into three main groups: general financial administration, MSS. Afr. s. 1681/37-49; membership and subscriptions to publications, MSS. Afr. s. 1681/50-50A; and fundraising, MSS. Afr. s. 1681/51-67. For the period from 1960 onward it is essential to study the Bureau's financial papers in conjunction with the papers of the Africa Publications Trust. This Trust was established by the Bureau on 31 Mar 1960 to take over the non-political aspects of the Bureau's work and therefore to be eligible for registration as a charity, enabling it to claim tax benefits and to receive funds from other charities. It played a key role in the Bureau's finances. The papers of the Africa Publications Trust are also held at the Bodleian Libraries, MSS. Afr. s. 1712.

General financial administration, MSS. Afr. s. 1681/37-49:

The Bureau's haphazard approach of the to financial policy is reflected in the papers on the subject that have survived. The administrative papers begin with a single box, MSS. Afr. s. 1681/37, containing papers on financial policy, and almost all of these fall within the period of Guy Arnold's directorship. These files are principally made up of memoranda and statements dealing with the finances of both the Bureau and the Publications Trust, but they also include a few committee papers. In Jan 1954, there is a report of the Finance Sub-Committee, MSS. Afr. s. 1681/37, folder 1, fol. 22, but there is no mention of the constitution of this committee here or in the Executive Committee minutes and no further papers emanating from it have been preserved. In 1960, the Executive Committee minutes of 20 Jan record the establishment of a Finance Sub-Committee and a few papers existing in MSS. Afr. s. 1681/37, folder 1, for 1960 and subsequent years suggest that sporadic meetings of some sort of committee did take place. At its meeting on 14 Jan 1969, the Executive Committee set up a Fund-Raising Sub-Committee, under the chairpersonship of Peter Parker, and papers of this committee figure prominently in MSS. Afr. s. 1681/37, folders 2 and 3, for the years 1969 and 1970. After 1970, no further finance committee papers appear. To understand the financial policy of the Bureau it is essential to consult the papers of the Executive Committee, MSS. Afr. s. 1681/1-3, to which the papers in MSS. Afr. s. 1681/37 are only an adjunct. Much discussion of policy took place at informal meetings or through correspondence, and the correspondence of the officers, particularly the Treasurers, MSS. Afr. s. 1681/15, constitutes the only record.

Immediately following the Bureau's financial policy papers are the annual accounts as certified by the auditors, MSS. Afr. s. 1681/38. The series is incomplete, but may be supplemented from the published accounts, some of which are preserved among the administrative papers, MSS. Afr. s. 1681/5, folder 11. MSS. Afr. s. 1681/39-43 contain account books; again, the series is not complete. Correspondence with the accountants is filed after these, in MSS. Afr. s. 1681/44, folder 1. A single file of correspondence with the bank, MSS. Afr. s. 1681/44, folder 2, is followed by bank statements and other papers relating to a number of the Bureau's bank accounts, from MSS. Afr. s. 1681/44, folder 3 to MSS. Afr. s. 1681/46, folder 3. The Bureau proliferated bank accounts and, in addition to those covered by the above files, papers concerning extra ad hoc accounts exist in appropriate sections of the collection: the Appeals account, MSS. Afr. s. 1681/51, folder 2; the Concert account, MSS. Afr. s. 1681/64, folder 4; the Africa Digest Ltd. account, MSS. Afr. s. 1681/85, folder 2; the South-West Africa Unit account, MSS. Afr. s. 1681/93, folder 13; the Africa Development Trust accounts, MSS. Afr. s. 1681/324, folders 2-4; the Africa Publications Trust accounts, MSS. Afr. s. 1712/2, folders 3 and 4; the Africa Protectorates Trust accounts, MSS. Afr. s. 1713/2, folders 1-4. Accounts incorporating the words 'Mandate Trust' or 'Mandate Research' were private accounts of Michael Scott's and, although funds from them were frequently used to support the Bureau's work, the papers concerning them will be found among Scott's personal papers.

The papers concerning general administration are concluded by two boxes of bills and receipts (MSS. Afr. s. 1681/47-48); materials concerning the premises occupied by the Bureau and its frequent removals (MSS. Afr. s. 1681/49, folders 1-5); and a file concerning corporation tax and two files on the Bureau's investments (MSS. Afr. s. 1681/49, folders 6-8). Papers concerning staff and their salaries, selective employment tax, national insurance, income tax, and so forth are gathered under the administrative papers in MSS. Afr. s. 1681/36, folders 6 and 7. Many of the bills and receipts in MSS. Afr. s. 1681/47-48 relate to the employment of temporary staff. The Study Project on External Investment employed its own staff; on this, see MSS. Afr. s. 1681/128.

Membership and subscriptions to publications, MSS. Afr. s. 1681/50-50A:

It is very hard to separate membership of the Bureau from subscriptions to its publications, since different rates of subscription entitled members to receive varying numbers of periodicals and pamphlets. More information on this subject may be found in the files dealing with appeals to individuals, MSS. Afr. s. 1681/52-54; the file covering donations and subscriptions to X-Ray, MSS. Afr. s. 1681/91, folder 5; the boxes concerning sales of publications, MSS. Afr. s. 1681/95-98; and the papers relating to covenants made in favour of the Africa Publications Trust, MSS. Afr. s. 1712/2, folders 7-9. Additionally, members often supported the Trusts and special funds set up by the Bureau: see the introduction to the Trusts section, and especially MSS. Afr. s. 1681/324, folder 6, MSS. Afr. s. 1681/325, folder 1 and MSS. Afr. s. 1713/2, folder 6.

Fundraising, MSS. Afr. s. 1681/51-67:

The Bureau's fundraising activities, which generated more papers than the rest of its financial activities put together, were concentrated in three main areas: direct appeals to individuals to give or subscribe money; appeals to organisations or foundations; and a succession of events of all kinds. For a time, the Bureau also sold Christmas cards, and a single file, MSS. Afr. s. 1681/67, folder 2, survives on this subject. The fundraising section begins with two general files, making up MSS. Afr. s. 1681/51.

Fundraising by appeals for increased membership, subscriptions to Digest and donations: MSS. Afr. s. 1681/52-54. These boxes are concerned with appeals directed to individuals, which were made repeatedly from the beginning to the end of the Bureau's life. These sometimes covered all aspects of the Bureau's activities, but sometimes they emphasised a particular need. Their effectiveness may be judged from the papers dealing with membership, MSS. Afr. s. 1681/50-50A, and the additional files enumerated in the introduction to that section.

Fundraising by appeals to organisations and foundations: MSS. Afr. s. 1681/55-57. At different times, the Bureau appealed to businesses, including the charitable trusts of firms, MSS. Afr. s. 1681/55, folders 1 and 2, and to trades unions and cooperatives, MSS. Afr. s. 1681/55, folders 3 and 4, but without any great success. A far better source of income came from appeals to foundations. Among the most constant supporters was the D.J.B. Foundation, the charitable fund of Daniel J. Bernstein, an American friend and admirer of Michael Scott, which often donated money to Scott that he passed on to the projects of the Bureau. The various Rowntree Trusts, the Ford Foundation and the Swedish International Development Authority (SIDA), were among the leading supporters. Because of the charitable status of the Africa Publications Trust, funds for the Bureau from foundations were often channelled through it: see MSS. Afr. s. 1712/3. Additionally, the Study Projects received aid from foundations: see MSS. Afr. s. 1681/109, folder 3, MSS. Afr. s. 1681/119, folder 1, and MSS. Afr. s. 1681/124. A detailed appeal to a foundation exists in MSS. Afr. s. 1681/320, folder 2. The Joseph Rowntree Social Services Trust also supported the Africa Protectorates Trust: see MSS. Afr. s. 1713/2, folder 7.

Fundraising events: MSS. Afr. s. 1681/58-67. The variety and number of Bureau fundraising efforts is impressive and the papers that survive largely record the energy and enterprise of Mrs Jan Green who, over the period 1959-1970, with intervals of absence, organised this side of the Bureau's activities. The events ranged from jumble sales to midnight matinees and a great deal of talent was expended in the Bureau's service by performers, directors, artists who designed covers for the programmes, and others. Most events benefited the Bureau directly, but some were organised to aid a cause in which the Bureau was interested, and one variety show was shared with the Campaign Against Racial Discrimination. Between 1969 and 1972, a series of special luncheons was held that were not organised by Mrs Green and that had a dual purpose of attracting potential supporters or influencing opinion on specific subjects among particular people: MSS. Afr. s. 1681/67, folder 1.

Additional financial papers:

A number of ad hoc financial papers of the Bureau, which lie outside the main stream of material contained in the above boxes and in the Publications Trust's files, fall within the Publications, Study Projects and Trusts sections of the collection and are set in context in the introductions to these sections. There are two boxes of papers, 84 and 85, dealing with the transactions of Africa Digest Ltd. The financing of X-Ray involved separate papers: see MSS. Afr. s. 1681/90, folder 9 and MSS. Afr. s. 1681/91, folder 5. The papers relating to the 'South-West Africa Unit Account of the Africa Bureau' are filed in MSS. Afr. s. 1681/93, folder 13. Sales of publications will be found in MSS. Afr. s. 1681/95-98. Each of the Study Projects had its own financial files, MSS. Afr. s. 1681/109, folder 3, MSS. Afr. s. 1681/119, folder 1, MSS. Afr. s. 1681/124-127 and MSS. Afr. s. 1681/128, folder 5. In the introduction to the Trusts section, an attempt has been made to explain the various trusts and special funds set up by the Bureau and the whereabouts of their papers. In a sense, all the papers of the African Development Trust deal with the raising and disbursing of money, but the files specifically concerned with financial administration are contained in MSS. Afr. s. 1681/324-326. The same is true of the Africa Protectorates Trust, whose papers are the subject of a separate list and whose financial files are numbered MSS. Afr. s. 1713/1, folder 5 to MSS. Afr. s. 1713/2, folder 7. Besides the ad hoc papers in these sections, other parts of the collection contain some scattered references to the financing of projects, but these are of a more informal character than those in the files enumerated above.