Questions to ask the outgoing treasurer

What should a PTA transition meeting cover?

The last treasurer knows things that aren't written down anywhere. Before you meet, ask them to jot down their jobs by how often they come up: monthly, yearly and one-off. If there's a lot to hand over, split it into two or three shorter meetings.

Then ask:

• What happens every month, and what happens once a year?
• Which reports do you give, how often, and to whom?
• Which bills are automatic, and which do you pay by hand?
• What have you already promised or signed for that I need to honor? Think deposits paid, contracts signed and reimbursements owed.
• Who else can see or sign on the bank account?
• Is anything unpaid, unreconciled or unresolved right now?
• Has last year's financial review been done, and who has the report?
• Can you show me how you make a deposit, pay a bill and check the bank statement?
• What surprised you most?

Before you finish, agree how you can reach them over the next few months, and what counts as an emergency worth a call. Then thank them. Outgoing treasurers often did the job alone, and they're usually glad someone asked.

What records to collect at a PTA transition

Go through the records one by one and mark each item C (confirmed: you have it and it's complete), I (incomplete) or M (missing). For anything missing, write who might have it: the president, the principal's office, the bank or the state PTA. The list falls into four groups:

• Bank and money: the checkbook and deposit slips, the last 12 months of bank statements, online banking and payment app access, and the cash box and receipt book. Count any cash on hand together and both sign.
• Who you are, officially: the EIN letter from the IRS, the IRS determination letter if you're a 501(c)(3), the bylaws and standing rules, and the signed minutes from the meeting where this year's officers were elected.
• Budget and past filings: this year's approved budget, the last treasurer's report and year-end financial review, the last 990-N or 990 confirmation, and a list of open checks and unpaid bills.
• Everything else: the insurance policy and renewal date, receipts and reimbursement forms, and contacts for the president, principal, bank and state PTA.

Don't chase everything on the first day. A list of what's missing is progress. If a lot is missing, see what to do when the treasurer records are missing.

Write down your starting balance

Write today's bank balance and the date at the bottom of your records list. It's a small step, but it marks where your responsibility begins, and it gives the next financial review a clear starting point.

If the old treasurer still has the checkbook or last year's records, agree a date to hand them over. Some state PTAs set one. Utah PTA, for example, wants the checkbook by July 1 and last year's records by August 1.

How a PTO treasurer transition works

Whether you're joining a PTA or a school PTO, the transition follows the same order. The handover meeting and the records come first, in the first two days. Then:

• Get your name on the bank account. Until it is, you can't see statements, sign checks or stop a payment. See how to change the signers on the bank account.
• Remove old access. Ask the outgoing treasurer to list every account they used (bank, payment apps, email, shared drive), so access matches the current board and nobody else.
• Ask for a financial review. A review is due when the treasurer or any check signer changes. If no one has reviewed your predecessor's books yet, ask the president to set one up. You shouldn't sit on that committee. See the PTA audit checklist.

PTA, PTO and booster club differences

• PTA units follow their state PTA's treasurer materials and their bylaws first. Some state PTAs set handover dates, and PTA units can ask their council or state PTA for help if records are missing.
• PTOs and booster clubs answer to their own bylaws. There's no state office above you, so the president is your first contact and a CPA is your best outside check. If records are missing, an accountant can help with the review.
• Everyone should ask about payment apps. Venmo and Zelle are tied to a personal phone number, so they usually can't be handed over and may need to be closed and set up again in the group's name. See Venmo and PayPal for a PTA.

Common mistakes

• Waiting until everything is found. Start with what you have. The list of gaps is the work.
• Skipping the "already promised" question. Deposits paid, contracts signed and reimbursements owed are the surprises that hurt later.
• Not recording the starting balance. Without it, it's hard to show where your time began.
• Blaming the last treasurer. If something is missing, tell the president plainly and without blame, and keep a note of what's missing and who you asked.
• Losing touch. Agree how to reach them for the next few months before you say goodbye.