What should a PTO board do in August?

These checklists assume the most common setup — a July 1 – June 30 fiscal year and federal 501(c)(3) status. If your group runs a different year, shift the compliance dates to match.

President — August

• Send the welcome-back letter. One page: who the PTO is, the three big things this year, how to help in five minutes. Warm beats comprehensive.
• Meet the principal about communication channels. Agree on what goes in the school newsletter, who approves flyers, and how staff requests reach the PTO.
• Run the first board meeting. Adopt the budget, confirm the calendar, assign the fall events. Short and decisive sets the tone for the year.
• Staff the back-to-school table. Your most persuasive people, not just available people — this table is where the year's volunteers come from.

Treasurer — August

• Get the budget adopted. Board first, then membership if your bylaws require a member vote. Nothing gets spent against a budget that doesn't exist.
• Set up payment collection before the first event. A platform in the PTO's name connected to the PTO's bank account — never a personal Venmo, Zelle, or PayPal. Untangling that later is misery.
• Write down cash-handling rules. Two counters at every cash box, counts signed same night, deposits within days. Boring rules are what protect volunteers from suspicion.

Secretary — August

• Send the first-meeting notice per the bylaws. Most bylaws specify how many days' notice a general meeting needs. August is when that clock starts mattering.
• Build the welcome packet. A one-page "what is the PTO," the calendar, and how to join — for the table, the office, and every new family.
• Set up this year's records. Fresh minutes folder, membership roster, sign-in sheets. Five minutes now, findable forever.

Events & volunteers — August

• Feed the staff during work week. Breakfast or a coffee cart during teacher work week is the single best-received thing a PTO does all year.
• Send the staff favorites survey. Address paras, office team, and specials by name in the announcement. Two minutes, everything skippable, sent while goodwill is at its peak.
• Recruit room parents. Collect names at the back-to-school table and let teachers nominate. Assignments go out in September.

Deadlines in August

• Meeting-notice clocks begin. Check your bylaws for required notice before the first general meeting — usually 10–30 days.

Start in August, needed later

• Draft sponsorship asks. Local businesses commit community budgets in early fall — letters should land in September.
• Choose the fall fundraiser. If a vendor is involved, contracts and materials need September lead time for an October run.