4 PTO Treasurers Spill Their Secrets
Stepping into the treasurer role can feel overwhelming! Suddenly you're juggling budgets, forms, and more money opinions than you ever imagined. The good news? You're not alone. We talked with four leaders who've all worn the treasurer hat (and lived to tell the tale!) and they are sharing their best advice.
If you are new to the treasurer role or still figuring it out, you probably have a lot of questions. We believe that the best advice for treasurers comes from other treasurers. So we asked four veteran PTO/A leaders to share guardrails and shortcuts they wish they'd had on day one. Their advice is packed with pitfalls to avoid, time-saving shortcuts, and sanity-saving systems you can use right away. So, grab a pen or open your Notes app, you'll want to jot these tips down!
What to Watch Out For
Patrick
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Don’t fall into the “we’ve always done it that way” trap. Every group is unique, and your financial practices should reflect your school’s specific needs.
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Serving multiple schools or programs? Make sure your budget is structured so that everyone’s needs are visible and accounted for.
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Don’t be afraid to say no—sometimes budget constraints mean scaling back on what your group wants to do to protect long-term stability.
Stacey
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Keep an eye on deadlines: sales tax filings, insurance renewals, and other due dates can sneak up fast if you’re not tracking them.
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Make sure every transaction has a clear memo or note. If you’re ever questioned, you can give confident, accurate answers.
Lisa
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Watch out for the temptation to “do all the things” when your budget doesn’t allow it. Enthusiasm is great—balance it with reality.
Tina
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Match your treasurer’s report to your bank statement date. Still list uncleared transactions, but aligning dates makes review far cleaner—and it’s harder for issues to hide when facts (bank statement) and the report line up.
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Don’t wait to reconcile. The longer you delay, the easier it is for mistakes to snowball.
Shortcuts That Save Time
Patrick
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Document everything—expenses, reimbursements, deposits—so you’re not scrambling later to answer questions.
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Use reports from your system (cloud-based software, spreadsheets, or whatever you choose) to quickly review past events. Planning gets easier year to year.
Stacey
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Keep a master spreadsheet with one tab per school year. Use one table for expenses, one for income, and one for the budget.
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Write down important dates in your planner and keep a master list on your computer—double reminders mean you won’t miss something important.
Lisa
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Create Google Drive folders for each year, with subfolders like treasurer, fundraisers, staff support, volunteers, forms. Add documents with what/when/how things should be done.
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Keep timelines and records of past fundraisers—huge time-saver when planning new ones.
Tina
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“There are no shortcuts”—but there are good habits: do tasks in real time.
Don’t procrastinate on reconciling, matching receipts, or collecting receipts from others. -
Use a reimbursement Google Form that requires an image of the receipt. Pair it with the Autocrat add-on to auto-generate a document with all details and math for multi-line items.
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Automate your report prep: export transactions from your bank and feed them into a template so most of the treasurer’s report is built for you; then just categorize line items and update payees.
Systems That Save Sanity
Patrick
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Choose a financial reporting system that fits your group’s size and complexity. There’s no universal solution—pick what makes sense for you.
Stacey
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Keep an organized financial binder sorted by school year. Include receipts, current paperwork, and reports so you (and the next treasurer!) don’t get overwhelmed.
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Write a step-by-step guide for filing taxes, renewing insurance, and other recurring tasks. Future treasurers will thank you.
Lisa
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Storing everything in Google Drive creates a “living history” for your PTO. Anyone stepping into a new role can see exactly how things were done in past years.
Tina
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Build a data history. Gather as much past data as possible and study where money was spent—that informs what you’ll need this year. If you inherit nothing, export everything from the bank and start fresh; ask questions about anything you don’t recognize.
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Plan succession early. “Find your replacement as soon as possible.” Training a treasurer-in-training keeps the unit ready and prevents chaos when you step down.
Final Advice: Be Kind to Yourself!
You’ll make mistakes. Everyone does. The goal isn’t perfection—it’s transparency, accountability, and learning as you go. Remember: failure is feedback. Every time something goes sideways, it’s an opportunity to adjust your system and get it right next time.
With these shortcuts, systems, and hard-won lessons, you’ll not only survive as treasurer—you’ll thrive. And maybe even enjoy it!
Ready to make your job Easier?
If you’re ready to make your treasurer job way easier, check out PTO Today’s Finance Manager. It’s the all-in-one financial tracking tool built just for parent groups—no messy spreadsheets, no wondering where the money went, just clear, organized reports you can share with your board and school.
Best part? Now through Sept. 30, 2025, you can save an extra $20 with promo code TYLER20. Or, if you want to try it out first, grab a free 30-day trial (just select "Software" in the PTO Today store).
Contributors
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Patrick Bradshaw, Treasurer, Affton Parents Club (district-wide Pre-K to 12 PTO)
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Stacey Biller, Treasurer, Cottonwood & Sunflower PTO
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Lisa Takashima-Haggerty, President, North Augusta Elementary School PTO
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Tina Jenkins, Former Treasurer, PTA President, Middle Creek PTA
