Starting a PTO from scratch can be a really daunting and overwhelming task.
But it doesn’t have to be!
A question that pops up a lot, especially from leaders of newly formed PTOs is how a PTO should be structured.
And the truth is there is no one right way.
It all depends on how many volunteers there are and what the talents and strengths of those volunteers are.
But in every parent group, there are a set of 9 positions that are essential for the functioning of the PTO.
In no particular order, here they are!
Make sure to look at the recommended resources for each position at the end of the post!
President
The President of any PTO should ideally function as a generalist who oversees the leadership team.
“President” doesn’t mean it’s the one person who does everything!
Top responsibilities for PTO Presidents are to communicate, delegate whenever possible, facilitate discussions and meetings, act as the point person on all PTO matters.
Read more about mistakes to avoid as PTO President here.
Treasurer
The Treasurer is the person who handles the money stuff.
One slip up some people make is that they think that the Treasurer, alone, can make decisions about what to spend money on.
Not so!
All decisions about expenditures should be made during a meeting, or if your group’s Bylaws and/or Standing Rules permit, with the approval of the executive board.
The Treasurer should work with the President to set a budget for the year.
The budget should be based on reasonable expectations for income and expenditures that don’t outweigh the income.
Read more about being Treasurer here.
Membership Chair
The Membership Chair is responsible for recruiting parents and teachers to become members and be involved through the year.
In lieu of dues, your group may want to consider the price of membership to be two volunteer hours per year, or another amount that makes sense for your PTO.
Read more tips on how to be the best Membership Chair here.
Family Events Chair
Having a dedicated person in place to oversee and coordinate family events to bring the school community together is absolutely essential!
The Family Events chair should choose programs that will engage the students and parents.
Need event ideas? Get 57 ideas right here.
Read more about how to be the best Family Events Chair here.
Fundraising Chair
The Fundraising Chair should choose a few (hopefully quick and easy) fundraisers to raise money for the group throughout the year.
The goal should be based on the amount needed to fund the projects and programs for the the year and some extra to carry over to the next year.
Get more details n the role and responsibilities of the PTO Fundraising Chair here.
Communications Chair
The Communications Chair should use multiple methods to spread the word about all PTO happenings.
They should act as a central hub to provide the who, what, where and how for everything!
People can’t get involved if they don’t know about it, so this position is crucial.
More advice on how to get parents to show up for events right here.
Nominations Chair
To help the group continue as seamlessly as possible, a slate of officers should be made a few months before elections are held.
The Nominations Chair should contact volunteers who are already involved and ask if they’d like to continue, as well as reach out to parents who are not quite so involved.
The President should not be the Nominations Chair, nor serve on the Nominations Committee.
Even more information about officer transitions can be found here.
And this post is the best guide to running PTO officer elections!
Secretary
The Secretary should take minutes at meetings so there’s no confusion about what was discussed and decided at meetings.
Sending thank you notes and sympathy cards is another responsibility the Secretary can take care of.
More of the PTO Secretary’s job responsibilities are detailed here.
Program Chairs
Each school has it’s own programs that makes the PTO unique!
Use your discretion to create additional positions as the need arises.
Many times the amount of program chairs depends on the number of volunteers there are!
The size of the PTO and the amount of volunteers can rise and flow, so programs should be structured to allow for these changes so your group doesn’t get stuck with more jobs than volunteers.
For example, your PTO may host an annual school carnival, which is a huge endeavor and takes many volunteers to pull off.
Having a dedicated leader to organize and delegate all the tasks for a successful event can make your event even more profitable and less stressful!
Watch this!
Recommended Resources
Quickly whip your PTO into shape with our the following fabulous resources!
Each are designed to save you time and headache as they’ll equip you with what you need to do your job!
No more searching for the right information with these tools at your fingertips!
A Comprehensive System to Help all School Parent Groups
Want all the resources to transform your group into a well oiled, organized machine, chock full of sanity saving systems?
Wish you had a real training manual for your parent group role?
The Powered Up Parent Engagement System is something your Principal can provide for your entire parent group, and it’s been built specifically for volunteers just like you.
Every leadership role gets its own toolkit: templates, training, and step-by-step guidance so you’re not stuck guessing or making do with whatever the last person left behind.
If you’ve ever wished someone had just handed your PTA/PTO you a clear playbook, this is it, and it’s something your school can give your whole team.
It might be worth mentioning to your Principal, especially if your group could use more structure or support. Show them the Powered Up Parent Engagement System →
President’s Success Kit
The President’s Success Kit is a planner for Presidents, only better and with so much more!
Instant organization plus all the forms you’ll need throughout the year with monthly advice baked right in so you’re never left wondering what to do next.
Being PTO or PTA President doesn’t come with a manual. That’s basically why I built the President’s Success Kit.
It’s the actual binder, planner, and meeting agenda templates I wish I’d had my first term as President… plus an insider secrets guide covering the stuff nobody tells you until you’ve already made the mistake.
Everything’s ready to print or load into your favorite planner app, so you’re not building your own system from scratch at 11pm the night before a meeting.
Grab the President’s Success Kit and make this the term everyone wonders how you’re so on top of it!
Treasurer’s Success Kit
Confession: I’m a recovering litigation attorney turned professional organizer who can’t turn off the systems brain, ever.
So when treasurers kept telling me they were piecing together deposit forms and monthly reports from scratch every year… I built the system I wish someone had handed my PTA.
That’s the Treasurer’s Success Kit.
Inside you get a fully organized binder and planner with ready-to-print forms for deposits, reimbursements, and vendor payments, and a 40 page Insider’s Guide that skips you past the mistakes I’ve seen treasurers make. You can add on the Treasurer’s Finance Manager, a system that builds your budget and reports for you. No math required.
Get it set up in about thirty minutes and spend the rest of your term actually running your group’s finances instead of reinventing them.
Grab the Treasurer’s Success Kit here
Treasurer’s Finance Manager
Confession: I’m a recovering litigation attorney turned professional organizer who can’t turn off the systems brain, ever.
So when treasurers kept telling me they were piecing together deposit forms and monthly reports from scratch every year… I built the system I wish someone had handed my PTA.
That’s the Treasurer’s Success Kit.
Inside you get a fully organized binder and planner with ready-to-print forms for deposits, reimbursements, and vendor payments, and a 40 page Insider’s Guide that skips you past the mistakes I’ve seen treasurers make. You can add on the Treasurer’s Finance Manager, a system that builds your budget and reports for you. No math required.
Get it set up in about thirty minutes and spend the rest of your term actually running your group’s finances instead of reinventing them.
Grab the Treasurer’s Success Kit here
Membership Made Easy
Who has time to put together a detailed membership drive plan with all the forms and fliers to go with it?
The Membership Master Plan, part of the Parent Involvement Success Kit, saves tons of time by bundling together the smart, but simple strategies plus editable form, flier and welcome packet templates that’ll send your membership size soaring!
My first year trying to recruit PTO members, I made one flyer and called it a strategy. Didn’t work so well.
So I built the Parent Involvement Success Kit… actual action plans instead of a flyer and a prayer.
Inside you get the Membership Master Plan, ready-to-use welcome packets, back-to-school info templates, and new member orientation, all set up so families actually show up and stick around.
Grab the Parent Involvement Success Kit here
Fundraising Success Kit
The Fundraising Success Kit, a jam-packed strategy guide and planning kit, helps you plan out the most successful fundraisers without it taking over your life to become a full time job.
The printable resources are so helpful in keeping you on track and sane!
Fundraising is hard. I ran it for years as Fundraising Chair, so I get it.
The Fundraising Success Kit is the plan I wish I’d had back then… step-by-step strategies, not a vague pep talk.
It works whether you’re running a classic catalog sale, a full-on a-thon, or anything in between. Publicity plan, templates, forms, the whole planner kit, all set up so you’re not starting from a blank page.
Grab the Fundraising Success Kit here
Newsletters Made Simple
Spread the word about the latest PTO happenings with this easy to customize newsletter template.
Choose the one or two page format and let families know about all the great stuff your PTO has planned!
Over to you!
What other positions does your PTO have?
Did I miss any you feel are also must-haves?
