Set Up PTO Email Accounts, Shared Drives, and Board Handoffs

Workspace activation gives the organization a platform. The account structure and handoff process determine whether it will still work after the current board leaves.

The goal is not to create an account for every possible committee. Start with the roles that need durable email history, file access, or administrative control.

Create durable role addresses

A starting structure might include:

• hello@yourgroup.org
• treasurer@yourgroup.org
• fundraisng@yourgroup.org
• volunteers@yourgroup.org

Use an individual user account when one person needs a separate login, mailbox, Drive access, or administrative privileges.

Use a Google Group when several people need to receive messages sent to a public address. Use an alias when one user needs another address that delivers to the same mailbox.

Do not share one password among the entire board. Google accounts are designed for individual use, and shared credentials make security, accountability, and recovery harder.

Preserve the history of each role

Role-based email is valuable because the next chair can inherit useful context:

• Which sponsors were contacted and what they were promised.
• Which vendors have worked with the group before.
• What school staff requested and how the board responded.
• Which decisions were made with former officers.
• Which conversations still need follow-up.

Do not treat the inbox as the only record of an important decision. Save final agreements, meeting decisions, and reusable materials in the appropriate Shared Drive so future leaders can find them without reconstructing an email thread.

Protect administrator access

The organization should:

• Maintain at least two current super administrators.
• Require two-step verification for administrator accounts.
• Give each administrator a distinct account.
• Store recovery information and backup codes in a secure, board-controlled location.
• Review administrator access whenever officers change.
• Remove or suspend former officers promptly.
• Avoid making one volunteer’s personal Google account the only recovery path.

These are operating recommendations, not Google for Nonprofits eligibility requirements.

Create focused Shared Drives

Useful Shared Drives may include:

• Governance
• Treasurer
• Events
• Fundraising
• Sponsors
• Volunteers
• Communications

Shared Drive files belong to the organization, not the individual who created them. They remain in place when a member leaves.

Give each drive a clear purpose. Limit access to sensitive treasurer or governance records, and review membership during every officer transition.

Migrate old consumer Gmail accounts carefully

Many groups already have accounts such as schoolptg@gmail.com, schooltreasurer@gmail.com, or schoolvolunteers@gmail.com.

Use this transition sequence:

1. Finish Workspace activation.
2. Create the new user accounts, Groups, aliases, and Shared Drives.
3. Forward old Gmail accounts to the new addresses during the transition.
4. Transfer or download important Drive files.
5. Upload institutional files to the appropriate Shared Drive.
6. Export or preserve important email history when needed.
7. Keep old accounts secured until the board confirms the migration is complete.
8. Record which accounts were retired and who controls them.

Do not assume every consumer Gmail file can be transferred directly into a Shared Drive. Ownership, account type, and administrator settings can limit what can be moved. Test a small set of files before planning a large migration.

Build the handoff into the board calendar

Review Workspace access when officers are elected or appointed, not several months later.

The handoff should include:

• Adding incoming officers to the correct accounts, Groups, and Shared Drives.
• Transferring administrator privileges deliberately.
• Updating recovery methods.
• Removing former officers after their transition work is complete.
• Reviewing forwarding rules and delegated mailboxes.
• Recording any unfinished account or file migration.

Confirm that the system can survive turnover

The setup is ready when:

• At least two current leaders have administrator access.
• Two-step verification is on for administrators.
• Public addresses route to the right people.
• Important email history remains accessible to the appropriate role.
• Institutional files are in Shared Drives with appropriate access.
• Old accounts and forwarding rules are documented.
• The board knows where recovery information and handoff instructions are stored.

If something is stuck, use Troubleshoot Google for Nonprofits and Workspace Setup. Otherwise, return to the Google for Nonprofits Playbook for the complete system.