3 To Dos Before School Gets Out

I know you’re tired and looking forward to a break, but you’ll be really happy (and your group and school will be better off for sure) if you tackle these three end-of-year steps: 

1. Have your books reviewed. This should be a habit. You don’t have to use an accountant, and your treasurer shouldn't feel threatened by it. It's an impersonal, automatic process that should be part of your group's standard operating procedure. It's a review of checks and account balances—a double-check of monthly statements—to make sure balances on paper match with those reported. A quick look for red flags (like significant cash withdrawals or checks made out to cash) is also a good process. Here’s a deeper look at wrapping up your financial year.

2. Keep some budget for next year. I’m a huge believer in starting the new year with funds in the bank so that you can invest in involvement at back-to-school rather than jumping right into your fundraisers. Even better—try to think about what you want to do with it. Would you like to host a morning coffee to greet new parents? Will you be running your own back-to-school event or setting up a PTO table at the school’s back-to-school night? How about doing welcome packets for parents?