Critter - thank you for posting this info! I am going to make a copy and put it inside our bylaw notebook for future reference.

Yikes - I was just purging some minutes from our file cabinet that were 20 years old. Thankfully I didn't get very far in my cleaning.

I can't recall where I got the list above, but I think it might have been off the IRS's website. According to this list, minutes are kept permanently.

RECORDS TO BE RETAINED and RETENTION PERIOD


Accounts payable records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 years
Annual audit reports . . . . ………. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Permanently
Articles of Incorporation ……. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Permanently
Bank reconciliations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 year
Bylaws, including all amendments………. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Permanently
Cash receipt records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 years
Checks (canceled, but see exception) . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 years
Checks (canceled, for important payments, i.e., taxes, special contracts, etc.
[checks should be filed with the papers pertaining to the transaction]) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Permanently
Contracts & leases (expired) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 years
Contracts & leases still in effect . . . . . . . . …….. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Permanently
Corporation reports filed with the secretary of state . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Permanently
Correspondence with customers or vendors .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 year
Correspondence(general) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 years
Correspondence(legal) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Permanently
Duplicate deposit slips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 year
Employee records (post-termination),if applicable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 years
Employment applications, if applicable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 years
Equipment owned by the organization. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Permanently
Financial statements (year-end) & budgets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 years
Grant award letters of agreement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 years
Insurance records, accident reports, claims, policies, certificates ……. . . . . .Permanently
Inventories (products & materials) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . .7 years
Invoices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . .7 years
Journals (financial reports). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . …….. . . .Permanently
Minute books of directors & committees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . .Permanently
Organizational charter …… . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ….. . . . . . . . . . . . .Permanently
Petty cash vouchers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 years
Purchase orders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 years
Record retention policy….. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Permanently
Sales records . . . . . . . . . . …. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 years
Standing rules (current) . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Permanently
Tax-exempt status documents …….. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ………... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Permanently


Application for tax exemption (federal and state)
Letter of determination (recognition) of tax-exempt status (federal and state)
Group tax exemption documents, if applicable
Letter assigning IRS Employee Identification Number (EIN)
Form 990/990-EZ and Schedule A, as filed with IRS
State tax information returns, as filed
Form 990-T, if applicable, for unrelated business income
Correspondence with IRS
Other information returns filed with the government
Charitable Solicitation Registration, if applicable
Trademark registrations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ….. . . . . .Permanently
Vouchers for payments to vendors, officers, etc. (includes allowances &
reimbursements to officers,members,etc.,for travel & other expenses) . . . . . . . . . .7 years

In PTA & The Law, it says in record retention, the minutes are to be kept permanantly.

someone posted a pretty complete listing of a "records retention" policy. I can't find it but it WAS here somewhere.