The questions your raise are exactly the reason to avoid doing this. Not that you "can't". It is possible to make a case for including such an activity as part of cummunity building. But as you said - why THIS case and not another? How do you set limits?
It might be better to draw the line at financing but offer other support - helping to get the word out, coordinate volunteers, offering the use of PTO equipment (cash box, snow cone machine, whatever). Even then - the principle is the same, why expend PTO efforts on this one, yet not another? But time and effort may be easier to justify than than cash.
The next level of distancing yourself would be to refuse to have any PTO role other than perhaps communication - advertising the event in your newsletter or announcements just like you would any school supported event BUT (ideally) still offering as parents (not as PTO officers) to help with the event.
The bottom line is - it's your organization's decision to make.
You have a very good handle on why it is inappropriate to use PTO funds for this purpose. Parents give money so their children can benefit by receiving a better education at your school -- via learning materials, programs, supplementary staff, field trips, etc. Secondly, unless your PTO has the wherewithall to give to every cause affecting every student or teachers/staff from here out, the PTO cannot give to this one. It would be discriminatory, punitive, and undefensible to give to one and not to every other worthy cause.
As far as your by-laws, there should be a mission/purpose statement in it. If there isn't, the by-laws need to be amended to ensure that every board member has a clear understanding of what the PTO is and isn't.
Our PTO just received a request to cover the costs (kitchen help, janitor and milk) of a fundraiser being held at our school. The fundraiser is for a teacher who was recently diagnosed with a brain tumor. I absolutely agree that the fundraiser should take place at school, but should PTO dollars be spent? PTO dollars are meant to be spent on the students and I think parents have this expectation when they donate money to PTO. One member of the board is arguing that the event is a social and community building event. While this is one aspect of the event, it's primary purpose is a fundraiser. What about the student with Cystic Fibrosis or Juvenile Diabetes or the teacher who had to resign because her baby was born with congenital abnormalities? These are equally awful illnesses and conditions of members of our school community. Do your by-laws address redirecting PTO dollars for these causes? It's obviously a very emotional issue and just raising these questions to the other board members has caused quite a controversy. What should I do?
