Thanks guys! I feel much more confident about revising now. Like I said, I thought they wanted explanations that included substantiated proof of the benefits of things like field trips and family fun nights. Not that it couldn't be done, but it would be a lot more work! The percentage thing threw me too. Seeing how people have been doing it has definitely eased my anxieties!
As far as percents, we took it to mean the % of time (effort) our organization expended as a whole. We simply broke it down using common sense and gut feel - no major statistics behind our numbers.
I don't think they are expecting more than good faith info.
kmamom,
Like JBH, we included like items, as well as explained them. The following is copied from our application (which had no questions from the IRS):
- Providing support for school curriculum: (25%) Funds are provided on a per student basis to cover field trip transportation, assemblies and student recognition programs that directly support the curriculum. These events are conducted throughout the school year by the teachers, school administration as well as by the students themselves.
- Hosting extra-curricular activities that foster family involvement: (20%) Dinners, carnivals, skating parties and game/social nights are conducted by the PTO to bring families and the administration together to foster better communications and stronger relationships. These events are conducted throughout the school year.
- Providing funds for supplemental equipment and supplies: (20%) Funds are provided on request of the teachers or school administration to acquire or replace equipment, such as playground items or office equipment or supplies, such as laminating film. These requests are funded on a case by case basis as funds are available throughout the school year.
- Supporting school activities and promoting school spirit: (15%) Funds and volunteers are provided to support book fairs and classroom assistance. This includes coordinating school spirit week projects and notification of students and their families about upcoming school activities. These efforts are continuous throughout the year.
- Raising funds to support all of the organizations activities: (10%) Funds are raised to support all of the listed activities as well as maintain a scholarship fund and major playground equipment replacement fund. These efforts are continuous throughout the year, though the main fundraising is done in two sessions: September-October and March-April.
All of the above activities have been in existence for the entire period that we have documentation for and will continue as long as this organization exists.
- Hosting child safety programs: (10%) Ident-I-Kid and the Child Identification Program (CHIP) events were conducted this past school year (both in March 2003) to increase awareness of safety issues and provide a means for parents to take advantage of these programs. The Ident-I-Kid program was conducted by a contractor paid by the PTO. It will be conducted by the local police department in the future. The Child Identification Program (CHIP) event was coordinated by the Connecticut Freemasons. Both of these programs will be provided as long as they are available.
kma mom if you look under the same header(roberts rules, legal stuff) i just brought back a post from last year about filing the 501c paperwork. as you read along the posts there is a post from mbpto which lists what they wrote down as percentages. when i did ours the percentages were based on what were the biggest events, made the most money etc. the smaller the event or fundraiser the farther down on the list it was. hope this helps
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