The treasurer is responsible for making regular financial reports to the PTA officers and to the membership of the PTA.
- The PTA officers have a fiduciary responsibility to know the current financial status compared to the budget approved by the membership.
- The PTA membership needs to know how their money is being handled compared to the budget they approved.
- The PTA officers and members need to know if there are sufficient funds available to meet the goals set.
Monthly Treasurer’s Report
A monthly report for each bank account must include:
- balances at the beginning and end of the period covered
- amounts credited to the general fund and any special funds, separated by PTA income belonging to the association and PTA income NOT belonging to the association
- receipts and disbursements with a detailed written report, separated by PTA expenses belonging to the association and PTA expenses NOT belonging to the association
- the report must be posted and/or distributed. Copies of the report must be provided to the president and secretary. Information provided should be included in the minutes or attached to the minutes
The Monthly Treasurer’s Reports can cover different time periods including:
- Covering the periods from association meeting to association meeting
- Covering the period from executive board meeting to the next executive board meeting.
- Either way, the end date for the report should be just before the date of the meeting so that the information is as accurate and up-to-date as possible
- Covering dates on the bank statement
- Covering dates from first to end of each month
NOTE: Any account owned by the PTA to which deposits are made or from which payments are made is considered a “bank account” and requires a monthly treasurer’s report. This includes PayPal, Stripe, Square, and other financial processing accounts.
How to Present the Report
This report should be made available for any interested officer or member to see where the PTA money is coming from and how it is being spent. Remember that the budget was approved by the PTA membership and they have the right to see whether the board is spending within those guidelines. When the membership can see that the PTA board is trying to follow the budget guidelines, there will be fewer complaints about the handling of the PTA money.
It is advisable that three copies be retained: one for the president, one for the secretary to be filed with meeting minutes, and one for the treasurer to keep on file for the AFR (Annual Financial Reconciliation).
A budget analysis can be a very useful form of the treasurer’s report. This report shows a comparison of what was budgeted, the actual expenses and income, and the difference between the two. It gives, at a glance, a detailed accounting of how the PTA is using the money and can show where there are any problem areas in the budget.
Copies should be made available at each PTA meeting and the PTA Treasurer should be given time on the agenda to give a summary of financial activities covered by the report and answer any questions that come up.
A Sample Monthly Treasurer's Report Form is below