What should a PTO board do in September?

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 — September

• Run the first general meeting like a welcome, not a hearing. Forty-five minutes, childcare if you can, food if you can afford it. New families decide tonight whether meetings are for them.
• Publish the year calendar everywhere. Website, newsletter, fridge-ready one-pager. A calendar nobody can find is a calendar that doesn't exist.
• Send sponsorship letters to local businesses. Tiered asks with real numbers land better than "any support appreciated." September is when community budgets get committed.
• Open committee signups. Real descriptions with honest hour estimates. "Chair the book fair (6–8 hrs across one week)" recruits; "join a committee" doesn't.

Treasurer — September

• Present the budget to members. If your bylaws require a member vote, this is the meeting. Bring simple category totals, not a spreadsheet dump.
• Start the monthly report habit. Beginning balance, income, expenses by category, ending balance, versus budget. Same format every month, presented at every meeting.
• Track fundraiser money by category from day one. Label income as it arrives. Reconstructing "which event was this deposit" in June is the classic treasurer nightmare.

Secretary — September

• Publish minutes within a week. Minutes published fast build trust; minutes published in November build conspiracy theories.
• Build the membership roster as forms arrive. Whatever counts as membership in your bylaws — dues, forms, or everyone — the roster determines who can vote later.
• Give new chairs access to the shared drive. Every chair gets last year's notes for their event. Institutional memory only works if people can reach it.

Events & volunteers — September

• Launch the fall fundraiser. Clear goal ("this funds field trips"), clear end date, and one reminder cadence agreed with the school.
• Assign room parents. Every classroom covered, expectations in writing, and an intro from the teacher so parents know it's sanctioned.
• Open spirit wear ordering. An early window catches back-to-school enthusiasm and delivers before weather turns.

Deadlines in September

• Sponsorship window. Local business community budgets close as fall ends — letters out this month, follow-ups in October.

Start in September, needed later

• Book the holiday shop vendor. December shop vendors and inventory need commitments by early October.
• Plan conference-week meals. October–November conferences mean meal signups — and an allergy check against the favorites collection.