PTA treasurer binder: what to leave the next treasurer
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Short answer: A PTA treasurer binder holds what the next treasurer and the financial reviewer will ask for: the EIN letter, bank contacts and signature card, all 12 monthly bank matches, treasurer reports, the budget, filing confirmations and a list of every account and who can get into it. Start it now and add to it all year, not in May.
The binder at a glance
| Half | What goes in it |
|---|---|
| How we do things | Your calendar, routines, contacts and lessons learned |
| Proof and papers | Statements, bank matches, reports, filings, letters and contracts |
What goes in a PTA treasurer binder
Build it from what next year's financial reviewer will ask for, so one binder (or one shared folder) does both jobs. California State PTA's list of treasurer's records and the Washington State PTA financial checklist are good state examples. Most binders hold:
- Who you are: the EIN letter and IRS determination letter, or a note on where to find them
- The bank: the bank contact and a copy of the signature card
- The money: this year's budget and the final budget vs. actual, all 12 monthly bank matches and the treasurer reports
- Deadlines: a year calendar with real dates, and the IRS and state filing confirmations
- Coverage and permits: the insurance policy and renewal date, any sales-tax permit or exemption letter, and state registrations
- Accounts: recurring bills, payment apps, and a logins list for group accounts, sealed or in a shared password manager
- What's still open: unpaid bills, uncashed checks, pending reimbursements, contracts signed and deposits paid for next year
- The review: the financial review results
Why to start the handoff binder now
It's far easier to save things as they happen than to rebuild them at the end of your term. Create a folder called "Handoff" next to your records and add to it all year. It takes about 20 minutes to set up.
If you already file each month (statement, receipts, bank match, report), most of the "proof and papers" half fills itself. See the monthly bank match.
Each time you learn something the hard way, add a line to a "Things I wish I'd known" list at the front. It's often the most useful page in the binder.
What to leave the next treasurer
Two things people forget:
- A list of every account (bank, cards, payment apps, online store) with who can get into each.
- Who gets the bank alerts and statements over the summer, while school is closed.
Leave a note about the IRS filing too. The next treasurer will need their own Login.gov or ID.me account to file the 990-N, and setting one up can take a while. Tell them to start well before it's due. See how to file the 990-N.
Group logins only.
How to hand over the binder
- Update the checklist page so every item is ticked or has a note.
- List what's still open: unpaid bills, uncashed checks, pending reimbursements.
- Make sure the financial review results are in.
- Walk through the binder with the next treasurer, page by page.
- Agree how they can reach you over the next few months.
Remember what it was like to start. The new treasurer will have the same questions you did. See questions to ask the outgoing treasurer.
PTA, PTO and booster club differences
- PTA units follow their state PTA's list of treasurer's records if it has one, and their records retention schedule. PTA binders also include state and National PTA dues records.
- PTO binders and school PTO folders have no state list, so Sheet N's checklist is the standard to set. Keep a copy of your bylaws in it: they set your money rules.
- Booster club binders work the same way. If the club runs several payment apps or an online store, list each one with who can log in.
Common mistakes
- Starting in May. By then half the year is hard to find.
- Leaving out the accounts list. The next treasurer can't close what they don't know exists.
- Emailing passwords instead of a sealed list or a shared password manager.
- No plan for summer statements and alerts.
- Throwing records out. Some are kept for years, and some forever. Check records retention first.
Questions people ask
What should be in a PTO treasurer binder?
The EIN and IRS letters, the bank contact and signature card, the budget and budget vs. actual, 12 months of bank matches, treasurer reports, filing confirmations, insurance, an accounts list with who can get into each, open items and the financial review results.
Should the treasurer binder be paper or digital?
Either works. What matters is that it's in one place, next to your records, and the next treasurer can open it. A shared folder called "Handoff" is fine.
Do I give my passwords to the next treasurer?
Give them the group's logins, sealed or in a password manager the president can also open. Never your personal IRS, Login.gov or ID.me login. The next treasurer sets up their own.
How long do we keep old treasurer records?
Use National PTA's records retention schedule rather than guessing. Some records, like minutes, bylaws and tax-exempt papers, are kept permanently. See records retention.