Your First 30 Days As Treasurer

Working in partnership with other PTA leaders, your PTA Treasurer helps to ensure that PTA has the resources it needs to fulfill its mission: to make every child's potential a reality by engaging and empowering families and communities to advocate for all children.

If you take each of these steps in (roughly) your first month in office, you'll be off to a fantastic start!

#1: Plug in. Your state PTA and National PTA are here to help and support you.Getting connected right away will make your job much easier! Facebook, email, etc.

#2: Gather.There are several items you'll want to put your hands on right away to be sure important records aren't lost in the transition. Collaborate with past officers to gather these records. If any records are missing, contact your State PTA for guidance. Records to gather include:

• Your PTA Bylaws (and any accompanying standing rules) to find important information about how finances are to be handled and how funds are to be disbursed.

• Current year's budget to guide any immediate expenditures, as well as prior year budgets, to help you get ready to draft a budget for next year.

• Receipt book to acknowledge money received.

• Checkbook to disburse funds as authorized by the current year's budget and bylaws.

• Treasurer's account book in which to keep the PTA's financial records. If this is an electronic file or system, schedule time to be trained on how it works.

• IRS tax information, including your unit's IRS determination letter of tax-exempt and/or application (if you have it), federal employer identification number (EIN), and copies of filed Form 990 or other required tax forms. You should also have information regarding your state tax status.

• The most recent financial review and recommendations. If a financial review did not occur after the latest transition of officers, make sure to get one done. You will want to start fresh with a new set of books. Be sure the previous accounts are "closed" or "zeroed" out and reviewed.

• Bank statements and electronic access. Gain access to and then change the usernames and passwords for all accounts - for many units, this includes both a checking and a savings or reserve account.

#3: Protect. Take these few important steps right away to safeguard your PTA's nonprofit status and protect your local PTA from theft, fraud and liability.

• Make sure IRS Form 990 was filed properly for the most recent year. See Your 501(c)(3) status and/or the 501(c)(3) Basics for Local PTAs eLearning Course for more information.

• Change the signatures on your PTA's bank accounts. You will want to be sure previous officers no longer have access to your accounts. A transition letter from the outgoing treasurer or president to the bank may be necessary to enact this change. Also, make sure the bank has your PTA's EIN on file, rather than an individual's social security number.

• Ask your state PTA what is required for insurance and when the payment is due. Insurance can protect your board members, events, and PTA property.

#4: Build Your Team. You don't have to do this alone! A finance committee works with the Treasurer to make sure the association is in good financial health, in good standing with the IRS and other government authorities, that its assets are protected, and that its resources are used appropriately.

• Look for volunteers who have a willingness to understand and accept responsibility for financial reporting and tax-exempt filing requirements.

• Consider volunteers with expertise in the financial area.

• Seek other PTA members with experience writing grants, assisting with sponsorship and helping to raise funds.