The way our Charter is written, it forces us to carry-over a significant budget or we will not be able to plan for most of what we do.

The budget needs to be approved at the last meeting of the year. The treasurer is required to take the current balance, subtract out all forseeable expenses for the remainder of the year, and can only add in the expected proceeds from the fundraisers planned for the first 2 months of the school year (which happens to include the largest one of the year). The budget proposed must be in balance meaning we cannot plan to spend any more than the figure the Treas comes up with.

This approach means that most of the funds we raise during the school year will actually be applied for the next year's activities. No one has ever complained about this strategy, but if anyone did (my kid is graduating why should I help raise $$), then I would reply that when your kid first came to the school she/he received the benefit of fundraising from a previous years parent that had a graduating child. The approach ensuyre we have adequate cash on hand throughout the year to do the things we want to do and handle unexepected emegencies or fund worthy new ideas.

I would like us to be in position where we do not need to include the future fundraisers in the end-of-year budget discussion but that has never happened before.

Common misconception about 501c3 and carryover. You CAN carryover AS MUCH AS your group wants. There's no rule against having savings from year to year (think about huge charities like the Red Cross and Cancer Societies). Your members may want to spend as much $ this year as possible, but that's a philosophical decision, not a legal one. You might want to consider carrying over enough $ to do some kind of family or welcome event BEFORE you have to start fundraising. You dont' want the very first contact your parents have with the PTO in the fall to be a plea for $.

By the way, our bylaws stipulate a minimum of $2k carryover each year.

hello
Our school has in the past carried over around $2000 for the next year startup. There is nothing written in the bylaws about how much this amount should be. Next year's officers are not exactly thrilled by this amount. WE are a 501(c)(3) school and I thought that it was mandatory to spend down all funds raised throughtout the year it was raised.
Just wondering if this is correct and also wondering how much money other groups allocate for the next year.
Thanks for your insight.