Question: How do you dissolve a PTO?

Two members of our board have already resigned and we have four more looking to resign- president included. The school administration and district have made it impossible to get anything done. What is the format to dissolving the PTO? We have nothing stated in our bylaws about when the entire board resigns. Does a new board get voted on in May? Do we close out the bank account once the money is spent?

Asked by Anonymous

Answers:

Advice from PTO Today

Liz L writes:
The answer depends on how the PTO was organized. If it is a 501(c)(3) organization, the board votes to dissolve, then the general membership votes to approve the dissolution. Once that has been done, you file notice of dissolution paperwork with the state (usually the attorney general's office). When that has been approved, forward the approval to the IRS. If the group is incorporated, you may also need to file paperwork with the state corporations office. If your group is not a 501(c)(3) and not incorporated, voting to dissolve is enough. You don't need to file paperwork with the state or IRS. Any money or assets the group posses may be donated to another 501(c)(3), including the school as long as it's not a for-profit school. Just a side note, it's not unusual for parent groups to go dormant for a time until a new group of parents gets involved. In that case it might be worth continuing to file the annual paperwork if the group is a 501(c)(3) or incorporated so you avoid having to start from scratch next year.