What your board should be doing right now

Every month of the PTO year, by role — the tasks, the deadlines that bite, and the things to start now so they're ready later. Assumes a July–June fiscal year; adjust if yours differs.

October: Peak season

This month

October is peak event season: the fall festival or trunk-or-treat, the fundraiser closing, and conference-week meals stack into one month. In October a PTO board should execute the big fall event with enough volunteers, reconcile the fundraiser within two weeks of closing, feed staff during conferences, and get the IRS Form 990 filed well before the November 15 deadline instead of discovering it late.

President

Fill the festival volunteer schedule early

Short shifts (45–60 min) fill; four-hour shifts don't. Personal asks fill the last gaps, not another mass email.
Check in with every committee chair

Fifteen minutes each, mid-month. You're listening for quiet drowning — chairs rarely volunteer that they're behind.
Thank sponsors publicly

Banner at the festival, names in the newsletter. October delivery is what makes next September's ask easy.

⏰ Deadlines that bite

IRS Form 990 — file this month

Due November 15 for June 30 fiscal years (15th day of the 5th month after year end). Filing in October leaves room to fix surprises.

📅 Start now, thank yourself later

Holiday shop volunteer schedule

December shop needs a full roster and inventory plan by Thanksgiving.
Winter staff gratitude

Pie drop before Thanksgiving break or cocoa cart in December — order ahead.

Prefer the readable version? Read the October guide · or see the whole PTO year at a glance.

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