JHB: when I was filing for 501c3, I remember reading something that the 990s (and the 1023) must be available at the "place of business" -- ie, at the school -- and that having it on a web site did not necessarily satisfy this requirement. If you do have it on a web site, it's probably good to make sure the school secretary knows where to find it. (I've never heard of Guidestar.)
... OTOH, I've never heard of anyone being fined, nor even being asked for this info, at the PTO level, and as you say, they're fairly cryptic. I suppose if the general membership feels the board isn't doing a good job, getting those filings might be useful, but they wouldn't want to fine their own PTO!
How about this one..... Our pta doesnt have a budget for the year! They take each item as it comes. I think this is the worst way to run things. And parents are asking where the money is coming from, going, and what the plans are. It is caotic.
This is a pretty old thread to be reviving. The earlier comments about particular organizations may or may not still be true. But - still - the question of sharing information with members is always timely.
Yes - both PTA's and PTOs (any 501c3) must share its 990 filings if requested and there are daily fines for refusing. However 1) these cryptic documents probably won't be an enormous amount of help to someone not accustomed to them and hoping for detail information and 2) they are generally picked up automatically and posted on Guidestar's website. I believe having them available there suffices for "making available". You can just point people to that website.
Members certainly have a right to know where the funds are going. But leadership of any organization needs to balance the need to provide the information in a meaningful format. Depending on the need, that can be a greater or lessor level of detail. For instance, our budget was at a very high level - mostly dividing information into large categories. More detailed information was available, but it would have been torture to force the audience to sit through a list of the minutia at our big meeting.
The books and records should be open. If the questions coming are related to detailed spending areas, it may be in the best interest of the PTA to adopt a less detailed budget, which would give the Board more leeway with day-to-day expenses, and less detailed monthly reporting. However, the annual IRS returns are also available for public inspection. Personally, I think all the members should be allowed to see what you are doing!
The following quote is from the 2008-2009 PTA Money Matters Quick-Reference Guide, which I would assume applies to PTOs as well since it's an IRS area. "Any PTA that files a Form 990, 990-N, or 990-EZ must make the return available for public inspection during the three-year period beginning with the date it is due, including extensions. All parts or the reutn and all required schedules and attachments other than the schedule of contributors to the organization must be made available.....For a request made in person, the PTA must respond immediately....Any PTA that does not comply with the public inspection requirement will be assessed a penalty of $20 for each day that inspection was not permitted, up to a maximum of $10,000 for each return."
Wow sorry New Jersey,
Here in Mass we also have a great support system and I have never had to pay for training. Our State PTA is also awesome. All the programs that have been offered to me have been free. Maybe things will turn around.
Good Luck
