To run a successful PTA, it is advised to use the below information to help run a healthy and organized PTA.
Ongoing Tasks to be Completed Each Month
- Attend board and membership meetings
- Read meeting minutes and offer corrections
- Prepare reports in a timely manner
- Attend training(s)
- Be familiar with your responsibilities and fulfill them
- Participate, offer help, and communicate with your board and members
- Corporation renewal is due in the anniversary month of when your PTA was incorporated. Check your legal documents and note the due date. When your PTA is to file, in the appropriate month, visit the Secretary of State’s Online Annual Reports page and click File Online, under Nonprofit Corporation.
Monthly Tasks
2017-18 PTA Year Election Process
Before the end of the PTA year, each local PTA and council should be in process to electing a new board of directors. During this time, the major responsibility of your PTA or council’s nominating committee is to nominate the best qualified candidate(s) for each office. This necessitates giving careful consideration, both as an individual and as a committee, to the requirements and scope of the offices to be filled as well as to the qualifications and abilities needed to fill them, and to match these requirements to the qualifications of the candidates. To assist you further, visit the Leadership Resources webpage, then scroll to Nominating Committee and Elections for the handbook and sample documents.
Schedule a summer board retreat and next year’s membership meetings.
Be sure to pick dates and times that work best for your board. Set goals for the year and write down how your PTA will achieve those goals. Want to increase membership? Create a new student program? Increase advocacy in your school community? Choose a SMART goal for the 2017-18 PTA year and get your board excited to achieve it!
Meet with the school staff to discuss policies, calendars, and back-to-school volunteer needs.
Ask the principal if you may speak at an August staff meeting. Inform teachers of grant options, classroom support, membership, PTA programs, and more.
Consider working on “first day packet” or “summer mailer” documents before summer.
Connect with schools that funnel into your school and invite parents to learn more about your PTA.
Communicate with the board members and chairs that need to get started in August.
Create an action plan/timeline and delegate tasks to appropriate board members or committees.
Prepare for board transition.
All notebooks, funds, and supplies that belong to the PTA should be given to the incoming officers by June 30.
End of Year Process: PT Avenue
Each year, no later than June 30 (July 15 for PTAs with the financial or full version of PT Avenue), every PTA is required to close-out their PT Avenue membership year by completing the end of year (EOY) process. The PT Avenue end of year process is a simple step-by-step automated process which saves the final member and board rosters, and updates member, student, board, helper, and administrator records. By doing this necessary task, you are updating your records, preparing your PTA for success and are ready to start your membership campaign for next year.
WARNING: DO NOT run this routine until you are completely finished with the 2016-17 fiscal year! Please check with your membership chairman and treasurer to make sure they are ready for you to reset membership status and financial ledgers.
Visit the Leader Resources page, under Membership Database, for the PT Avenue End of Year Process ‘how-to’ guide.
If your PTA would like WSPTA staff to complete your PTA’s end of year for your membership-only version PT Avenue account, please complete and email the EOY WSPTA staff assistance request form to support@wastatepta.org by midnight June 18. There will be an administrative service charge of $15 for this service.
Note: if your PTA does not complete the end of year process for your membership only version by June 30, WSPTA staff will process your PTA’s end of year with an assessed fine of $25.
PT Avenue will walk you through end of year for a full or financial version for $75 – contact PT Avenue regarding this service.
End of Year Financial Review
In compliance with the WSPTA Uniform Bylaws, your PTA is to conduct an end of year financial review. Your PTA’s board of directors has the responsibility to see that the funds of the PTA are administered properly and actions are made in the best interests of the members.
To assure that this has been done, that the board acted responsibly, and that good financial practices have been followed, an annual financial review of the books and records must be conducted, per the WSPTA Uniform Bylaws. Visit the Leadership Guides page to find the Financial Review Checklist (under Treasurer/Board Finance Resources).
Print a hard copy of your membership roster.
File with your PTA’s permanent records (membership notebook).
Congratulate yourself on a GREAT PTA year!
Celebrate your members and volunteers and make sure they know they are appreciated.
Is your PTA #WSPTAproud? To highlight the wonderful work and impact of local PTAs/PTSAs and councils in Washington, WSPTA is seeking stories to spotlight in future WSPTA communications. Did your PTA host a successful family event? Exceed a fundraising goal? Run a school-wide contest with incredible student engagement? Implement a new program that your PTA brought to your school to enhance learning opportunities? Tell us about it – WSPTA wants to hear from you! Complete the form here.