Thank you all for the information. I know that the principal/teacher/parent relationship is very important. You all have helped me a lot and I am very greatful for that. Thanks.

I am new to this message board, my 1st time. I am 2 yrs into our PTO.We have very little parental support as far as volunteering, meetings, etc. 2 1/2 of us do it all. The half meaning a part time volunteer. We fund 2 field trips per class per year, speakers, Open House, Christmas Program, Fall Festival & Parade, etc. We do 2 big fundraisers where the students sell items to fund most of this. We have a Turkey Raffle and the proceeds to back to the classrooms so that teachers may purchase the "extra" things that usually comes out of thier own pocket. We have a Ham Raffle that goes to the "special" classes (music, gym, art, library, spanish, etc). We have a fundraiser for 5-8 that goes towards the 6th grade trip to Science Camp and 8th grade to Washington DC. Also a Santa Shop to help pay for the Christmas Program, and needy family fund. And a Mothers/Fathers Day Shop in May, to help pay for insurance due over the summer and Open House the next fall.That takes care of K-8. Then 9-12 teachers, dean of students, high school classes, national honor society, administration, etc., may request PTO sponsor or contribute to their "cause". We have sent students to leadership seminars, we regularly contribute to the needy family fund, we help bring in a D.A.R.E speaker,and more. In return the high school students and teachers help us with some of our events for K-8. We have had some last minute requests that "squeezed" us a bit, but if it is a worthy cause, we do our best. Our principal is sometimes wishy washy, mostly w/ remembering what is going on. But, we have a school calendar that we sign up all our activities, and a approval form we must fill out and put in the principal and super's mailbox. They approve it and put it back in our mailbox. I should say that we are a very small town and K-8 consists of 153 students. I believe K-12 is a little over 200. We are not the only fundraising group. There are several other groups/classes that do fundraisers. Around this school, if you want it, you must sell, sell, sell! We don't get much funding from our board of education. They run the ship, but we provide the water; if you know what I mean! I just felt the need to respond. I sometimes feel overwhelmed, but after reading some of the things you all talk about I am relieved to know I'm not alone and also that we are not as restricted, or constricted as some. Thank you for all your insightful information. By the way our funds are completely seperate from the school. They only get involved with our funds if we ask our school treasurer to do an audit for us. We have had a couple of complaints but mostly praise of how we took our PTO from about being disolved to where we are today. Pretty good for 2 "no names". Some of the staff raz us about the name/no name game people try to play. (...ie... the complaints.."but my child is so and so"...to which we reply "they are ALL `school name` students to us"). Thanks again!

Just a question- What kind of items does your PTo purchase upon teacher request? And what item do you think the principal/school should be responsible for.
At our school, the PTO buys things like rugs, construction paper and smaller items. We also, (not sure why) purchase the paper for the bullatin boards. This is a large chunk of money (about $350) and the PTO does not use any of it.
When we approached the prinipal on this, she told us it has alway been done that way. We are trying to change this. Just because things have 'always been done this way' does not make it right. Any suggestions?

At our school (we are a PTO, 501 c 3 organization) we run fundraisers and keep all of the profit. However, our principal also runs a fundraiser in at the begining of a new school year. The only problem we are having, it does run concurrently with the PTO's and parents think that when they purchase an Entertainment Book (principals fundraiser) they thought the profits were going to the PTO. The pricipal announced at back to school night, 'Not to forget the fall fundraiser and the sale of Entertainment books'. This confused a lot of parents, and they pruchased entertainment books, thinking the monies were going to the PTO. This caused a major decrease in profits over last year for us.
Sit down with your principal, discuss who, what, where , when and why and work out a deal. We look at it this way; who is doing all of the work? Is the pricipal and staff organizing, collecting money, talliying orders? If not, then you might have to rethink your realationship...

minor clarification to pals' post...a 501c3 must specify where their money goes if they dissolve, yes. But it can be to any other registered 501c3, not automatically the school. It's probably prudent to have a multi-level declaration specifying the school first and then the school district, should the school cease to exist.

"Our principal informed our president that she will take the money from our fall fundraiser and that we will get a portion of it. Can she do that??"

If your account uses tax id of the district, yes, she can do that. Is it good relations, manners, politics, management style, community building? no.

That sounds like a principal who will see dwindling support from the parent group, if those attitudes continue. SOme people have to learn from experience, unfortunatley.