Starting your
PTA Year
as a New Leader
By Erin Fernald, VP for Leadership Oregon PTA
5 Keys to a
Successful PTA Year
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Goal Setting & Planning
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Budgeting
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Financial Policies & Processes
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Unit in Good Standing Requirements
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Teamwork & FUN!
Goal Setting
“ WHAT” not “HOW”
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What are the goals of the School or School
District?
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What does your membership think is
important?
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What are your board members and key
volunteers passionate about?
Planning
The “HOW”
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Evaluate Events/Fundraisers and
Projects/Programs
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Make Hard Choices
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Calendar dates for the year
Evaluating
Events & Fundraisers
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Do the events you have been doing you meet the goals
you set? Are they in line with the overall PTA mission?
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List out all pros and cons? Include volunteer time
required, financial reward vs risk, insurance coverage,
how it worked last year, etc?
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Plan estimated budget (expense & income) of each
event/fundraiser
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Evaluate all events/fundraisers equally....even the ones
you do every year.
Making Hard Choices
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Do the events/fundraisers fit the culture of your school?
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What are your events you feel you must have?
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What events/fundraisers are optional add ons?
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What events/fundraisers can be handled without
burning out leaders and/or volunteers?
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Really discuss as a board what you can take on and
error on the side of too little instead of too much.
Planning
Projects & Programs
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Evaluate suggested programs and projects
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Prioritize all Projects/Programs according to goals
set
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Develop timelines & Budgets for long term
projects
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Establish budgets for short term projects and
programs supported by the unit
Calendar Dates
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Make a list of all the Events & Fundraisers with approximate
dates (refer to last year’s dates if applicable)
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Put dates together with the school dates in a Calendar form
to see the big picture
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Add in deadlines and timelines for projects/programs
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Are any dates too close together, overlapping, conflicting
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Prepare the dates to be approved by members to make the
official “PTA events/fundraisers”
Budgeting
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Start with your available carryover balance from the end of
the last fiscal year.
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Next, use the previous years budget and end of fiscal year
report as a template if you can
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Add/Edit budget lines for each event/fundraiser you have
decided on during planning
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Add/Edit lines for other projects/contributions
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Add/Edit lines for Administrative costs
Budgeting - continued
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A format with Income and Expense side to side for each
line item on the budget is often easier to understand
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Use accounting software, if possible
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Original Budget for the year & any changes need to be
voted on by members before money is spent
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To make small changes with member pre-approval add a
statement to the original budget and/or standing rules.
Set Financial
Policies & Processes
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All officers (not just treasurers) share fiduciary
responsibility
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Set financial policies and procedure based Oregon PTA
guidelines and bylaws - refer to Leaders Guide
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All leaders, money counters, committee chairs must
understand and follow through with financial policies
and processes established by the unit
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Be transparent and clear in regards to the unit finances
Financial Policies
required & suggested
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Who are the signers on the account?
PTA only safe - who has access?
Forms for Check Requests - Where form are kept, where they
are submitted, where they are placed after check is written
Where is the checkbook kept? Process of check writing?
Forms for Deposits - All cash must be counted by two
unrelated people. Use sealed bags
Record keeping - use the audit checklist and work backwards
Financial Record Keeping
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Use accounting software, if possible, so easy reports can be
generated to compare actual to budget numbers - suggest
MoneyMinder
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Keep organized paper records of all income and expense
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Have forms and processing forms established in standing rules
before year starts - edit as needed
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Treasure should record expenses and deposits at least weekly and
reconcile bank statements within 10 days of receiving statement.
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At least one other officer should have access/passwords to records.
Unit in Good Standing
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Updated Officers List
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Budget - new year
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End of Year Financial Report
- prior year
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Insurance
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Training Credits
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* Incorporation Renewal - not
required if not incorporated
and is due on anniversary
date of original filing.
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New Units ONLY - EIN &
Original Incorporation Filings
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Audit - prior year
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990 - prior year
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CT-12 - prior year
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PAID Membership
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Standing Rules - new year
Timeline
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BEFORE SUMMER Officers’ List & Approve Summer Spending
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BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS
End of Year Report & Audit
990, CT-12 —BEFORE NOV 15!!!!!
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FIRST MEETING - Budget & Standing Rules
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END OF SEPT & MONTHLY - Membership
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ASAP - Insurance & Incorporation Renewal
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BEFORE NOV 30th - Leadership Training
Before Summer
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Update Officers List - as soon as Elections occur
- do not delay!
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Summer Budget - members need to approve
summer spending (July1st -1st meeting of new
year). Full budget or partial is fine.
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Plan officer turn overs & trainings
Before School Starts
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End of Year Financial Report
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Federal Taxes Report to IRS 990N, 990EZ, or 990
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State Tax Report to Oregon
Department of Justice - CT-12
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Audit
At First Meeting
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Budget - best to even do a preliminary one at the last
meeting of the year to approve summer spending but
full one prepared for first meeting of the new fiscal year.
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Standing Rules - make adjustments for new board
member roles, new procedures/policies. Last approved
standing rules stand until new ones are approved.
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Review the end of year financials and audit results and
make them available for members.
Budget
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Start with Beginning bank balance for new fiscal year (balance at
bank on June 30th)
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Review last year’s budget & actual numbers - what adjustments
need to be made.
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Add new items for new events/fundraisers
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Remove items as needed
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Add all income and subtract all expenses planned to the Beginning
bank balance to calculate carry over balance projected for following
year.
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Income & Expense do NOT have to balance!!!!
Budgeting Tips
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Be conservative estimating income (round down) & Be
generous estimating expense (round up)
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Budget can be changed at any general meeting! Make
adjustments as needed through the year.
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Budgets MUST be approved by members before money
is dispersed.
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Add a line for misc or a note of how much the executive
committee can adjust/add to the budget in between
meetings. - Pre-approval by members!
Budgeting Tips continued….
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All events/fundraisers should have their own item line.
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If giving teacher funds, it may help to list them in a
separate category one by one so it is easy to see their
balances.
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Use Accounting software if at all possible!!!! Highly
recommend MoneyMinder (nonprofitcentral.biz)
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Look for ways to save on expenses - get donations
instead of spending but be sure to budget in case you
do not get the donations.
Standing Rules
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Add important data about the unit to top of standing rules.
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Start by filling in blanks in bylaws: Terms, dues, quorum
numbers, etc.
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All things added MUST stay in line with bylaws
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Add specific delegation of duties that are unique to your unit
including committees and who bank signers will be
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Add pre-approval statements, financial policies and
procedures and other policies/procedures as needed
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Vote on standing rules each year & update at any meeting
Review Last Year
Financials
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Transparency in the group’s financials is
the key to a healthy unit.
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Make end of year financials and audit
results available to members as soon as
they are completed.
MEMBERSHIP!!!
End of Sept & ongoing
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ONE - PAID member is a requirement for insurance coverage.
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Officers must be PAID members to serve
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Enter members online at the Oregon PTA website and send
payment in monthly or as members are added.
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Strong membership will help keep the unit active and volunteer
base strong.
Insurance & Incorporation *
ASAP - when received
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AIM Insurance sends out notices early in the fall.
Try and be sure to select the desired coverage and
send in payment ASAP.
Incorporation is highly encouraged & must be
renewed yearly with the Secretary of State at
anniversary date of original filing.
* Not currently in the Unit in Good Standing as
incorporation currently is not required.
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Training Leaders
Before November 30th
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Make Training Leaders a priority! Minimum of 3 leaders need
to complete one Oregon PTA training credit each.
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Keep accurate records (binders) for each role in the unit
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Budget for officers to attend an Oregon PTA sponsored
training event if possible. Help officers understand their roles
as officers and network with others
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Budget to send at least 2 delegates to yearly Oregon PTA
Conference and Convention. Celebrate success, network and
gather valuable information for next year planning
Team Work
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Set expectations with STANDING RULES
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TRAIN leaders to reduce burn out
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Get to KNOW EACH OTHER - strengths & weaknesses
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COMMUNICATE in multiple ways
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Set MEETING DATES for the year
FUN???
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Do your officers view their roles as work only?
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Has your group lost the fun of serving in PTA?
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Think of ways to add fun
• Smile & Socialize more
• Reduce work load if overwhelmed
• Add music, games & ice breakers to meetings
Ideas???
Leaders who are having fun will do more and stay longer!
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