What Your PTA Treasurer Report Should Include (& How to Format It)

Summary of Key Points:

• A PTA treasurer’s report is a comprehensive financial summary that needs to be clear, concise, and accurate. It should communicate your PTA’s financial reporting requirements while presenting and organizing necessary data.
• Your report can be formatted as a narrative, table, or spreadsheet, each with its own pros and cons. Key components of the report include opening and closing balances, income and expense summaries, budget variances, and notes on significant financial occurrences.
• For clear presentation, we suggest using simple language, highlighting key points, using visual aids, maintaining consistent formatting, providing context, and being concise.
• While creating a treasurer’s report has many steps, FutureFund offers built-in financial report generating tools that can automate much of the process. Using these tools can save you time while improving the consistency of your reports.

A PTA treasurer’s report is a comprehensive  financial summary of the PTA’s activities for a given period. It should be clear, concise, and accurate, providing a snapshot of the organization’s financial health.

As treasurer for your unit, district, or state PTA, you’ll need to ensure that your treasurer’s reports include a number of vital details and present this information in a way that’s easy for others to understand. Since our team at FutureFund has spent years helping PTAs save time and effort with efficient financial reporting tools and more, we know how to do this. Use the checklist below to make sure your reports are always complete and comprehensible.

Understanding Your PTA’s Financial Reporting Requirements

Before we get to the list of what your treasurer report should include, it’s vital to make sure that it will comply with all applicable laws and regulations. Here’s an overview of what to keep in mind:

Federal, State, & Local Guidelines

Each jurisdiction has different financial reporting requirements for non-profit organizations like PTAs. This could involve filing specific tax forms, meeting certain transparency requirements, or adhering to financial controls. Be sure to understand these rules to ensure your PTA remains compliant.

PTA Bylaws & Reporting Frequency

Your PTA’s bylaws will also provide guidelines on financial reporting. These may include specifications on how your report is presented, and how often. Typically, treasurer reports should be presented monthly, but this can vary from one PTA to another. Make sure to obtain a copy of your PTA’s bylaws when you become treasurer, if you haven’t already.

How to Gather Necessary Financial Information

Collecting data for your treasurer report can seem daunting, but it’s actually one of the more straightforward parts of the task if you know where to look. Here are two easy ways to start:

Review Bank Statements & Receipts

Collect all bank statements, receipts, invoices, and other financial documents pertaining to the reporting period. If you’re using FutureFund to track transactions, donations, and funds disbursed during the period, this part is easy—if not, you may need to spend some time chasing down PTA members and getting receipts from them directly.

Utilize Software to Automate Calculations

Platforms like FutureFund do more than simply organize key financial data from your PTA’s fundraising campaigns. FutureFund can also generate reports automatically based on this information, which reduces your risk of errors when compiling reports.

Tips for Organizing Your Data

Categorize Income & Expenses

Break down your income and expenses into specific categories, such as fundraising proceeds, donations, event expenses, and operational costs. For best results, do this as transactions come in instead of wading through all of them at the end of the reporting period.

Calculate Account Balances & Budget Variances

Determine your starting and ending balances for the period. Also, make sure to calculate the difference between your budgeted and actual income and expenses.

Creating the PTA Treasurer Report

Format Options

Most treasurer’s reports can be formatted as a narrative, table, or spreadsheet. The differences between these are as follows:

• Narrative Format: This format involves writing a detailed summary of your PTA’s financial activities in prose form.
  • Pro: Narrative reports can be useful for explaining complex financial situations or decisions in a way that’s accessible to all PTA members.
  • Con: A narrative report may not be as easy to skim for key data points as other formats.
• Table Format: A table format provides a structured way to present your financial data. It’s easy to read at a glance and can neatly organize information into categories such as income sources, expenses, and balances.
  • Pro: Tables are especially helpful for comparing budgeted vs. actual figures
  • Con: Tables might not provide as much context or explanation as a narrative format.
• Spreadsheet Format: A spreadsheet format is a highly detailed and data-driven way to present your financial report. It can handle large amounts of data and allow for complex calculations.
  • Pro: This format is excellent for those who are comfortable with numbers and financial data.
  • Con: This format can be overwhelming for PTA members who are not as familiar with financial reports.

Being thorough in your report is important, but it’s also critical that you choose a format that is easy for your PTA members to understand. Make your decision based on the needs and abilities of your organization’s other members.

Key Components to Include in Your Report

• Starting Balance: This is the amount of money in your PTA’s account(s) at the beginning of the reporting period.
• Income: This section should detail all sources of income during the reporting period. It could include membership dues, proceeds from fundraising events, donations, etc.
• Expenses: This section should list all your PTA’s expenses during the reporting period. This could include costs for events, supplies, reimbursements, etc. Each expense should be itemized and categorized appropriately.
• Ending Balance: This is the amount of money in your PTA’s account(s) at the end of the reporting period. It’s calculated by taking the starting balance, adding the income, and then subtracting the expenses.
• Outstanding Obligations: If there are any outstanding bills or financial obligations that haven’t been paid yet, they should be noted in the report.
• Budget Comparison: It’s often helpful to compare the actual income and expenses to the budgeted amounts. This can show whether your PTA is on track with its financial plan or if adjustments need to be made.
• Bank Reconciliation: This part of the report confirms the accuracy of your PTA’s financial records by comparing them to the bank statement. Any discrepancies should be investigated and resolved.
• Notes: Any significant financial occurrences, explanations for discrepancies, or context for unusual items should be included here.

The above might look like a great deal of information to include, but there’s no reason to worry. Remember, FutureFund can automatically generate financial reports, which can save you a lot of time.

Tips For Clear & Concise Presentation

Use the following tips to help your audience understand the report:

• Use Simple Language: Avoid jargon and complex financial terms whenever possible. Your report should be easily understood by all members, not just those with financial expertise.
• Highlight Key Points: Clearly emphasize the most important information, such as major sources of income, significant expenses, and changes in the account balance. This helps members quickly grasp the PTA’s financial status.
• Utilize Visual Aids: Graphs, charts, and other visual aids can make it easier to understand financial data. For example, a pie chart can show income or expense breakdowns at a glance.
• Keep Consistent Formatting: Keep the formatting of your report consistent. This includes fonts, headings, and color schemes. Consistency helps readers follow along and understand where to find specific information.
• Provide Context: Don’t just list numbers; explain what they mean. If there’s a significant variance from the budget, explain why. If there’s a major expenditure, explain its purpose and benefit to the PTA.
• Be Concise: While it’s important to provide enough detail to understand the PTA’s finances, avoid unnecessary detail that might confuse or overwhelm readers. Keep your report as short and straightforward as possible.

Reviewing & Approving Your Report

Make sure to double-check all figures and calculations before presenting your report to anyone. This will help you ensure all numbers are accurate and all financial activities are accounted for.

Before presenting the report to the wider PTA membership, you should also get it reviewed and approved by the appropriate internal body. This could be a deputy treasurer if your organization has one, or you might have a dedicated committee for reviewing financial information. If not, take your report to the board itself.

Presenting Your Treasurer Report to Your PTA

The most appropriate time to present your report is generally during the next PTA meeting. Sharing your report with the entire organization like this is a key part of maintaining transparency for the PTA and keeping all participating members in the loop.

It’s also important to offer context and explanations for any financial decisions your report covers. Don’t just present the numbers—explain what they mean and how they impact the PTA’s goals and activities.

Archive & Maintain Financial Records

After you present your report, you’ll want to store it securely. All financial reports should be kept in a secure location or system for future reference. If you use FutureFund to generate your reports, we’ll archive them for you automatically and you’ll be able to access them online as long as you have your FutureFund account.

Writing Better PTA Treasurer Reports in Less Time

Treasurer reports are vital for maintaining financial transparency and accountability within your PTA, but they can also be complex documents. The right preparation and tools help you create these reports without missing any important details and present them to your organization properly. Learn more about how you can create treasurer reports that truly inform your PTA members and support your organization’s success with FutureFund and book a demo here.