Okay, first small confession, I read the first part and can respond to that but may have to read the rest in a bit while my thought is still fresh (sorry).
Our group has our budget set and we do have groups that we have budgeted into that we sponsor yet there is ALWAY someone that needs something. One thing we did was offer to provide the drama club the volunteers the teacher needed to help with a fundraiser with the drama club keeping all the funds. That took moving a mountain but once I reminded the parents we could get them a check OR help them raise the entire amount they need. They had a bake sale and raised double the amount we would have been able to offer. Otherwise when approached we make sure it is known any request needs to be voted on and we will see what we can do. I hope this helps!
Okay I read the rest HAHAHA! WOW! I'm surprised you don't have the school admin at you too for what the teachers are expecting of you. I wish I knew the legal view and really hope someone can help ya out with that. Just keep your papers and accounts straight, spoken like a true secretary!
Hang in there and hey...thank you for all you do!
(just in case noone has said it lately)
I am a new PTO president at our middle school and
I would love if I could get help one the following once again. I got back a couple of responses via e-mail and I want to say thank you but once again the questions keep coming up and I would love if someone from a middle school could help out. Thanks in advance.
We are a middle school of approximately 1200 students and once again we try to do the best we can for them but I have come across a couple of problems and I want to make the right decisions and I think I am but extra help would be appreciated.
We have our yearly budget which we go by. We do a fall and a spring fundraiser to ofcourse help raise funds to do things for the schools and to help out groups if we can. But lately problems
We give money to our Math Match and Math League
we also give money to our Science Olympaids which is put into our yearly budget every year well as far as I can see. But the problem that came up was that others in the school wanted money for this and that clubs that never existed before now want money for materials and snacks somewhere between $50.00 to $125.00 depending on the club.
We were going to say no straightout to them but got into a heated argument with the teacher rep telling us that this was not right and that the PTO always helps fund these things but we have checked our past minutes over the last couple of years and do not show any info to this. So what to do? The other problem is how do you maybe say yes to one and not the other. I do not feel that this is the correct thing to do either. Then the next problem - holding funds for everyone. Teachers that want to do fundraisers or teachers that want to go on field trips and have nowhere to put the checks so they ask the PTO or PTG to put the funds into our accounts and then payout on them. QUESTION: IS THIS LEGAL?????? We put in and then just pay out we are not a bank but they expect us to be one for them. Then the next problem we have an area called ARTS IN EDUCATION we budget a certain amount of money for this yearly so that we may bring in shows-authors and such for the students no here is the problem when we pay out thru ARTS IN EDUCATION we go thru what we call BOCES and then whatever the PTO or PTG lay out we get back at the beginning of the new school year 50% of that monies which is great being that there is now more to work with for the new year but the problem that just arose is that our ORCHESTER Teacher wanted to do a fundraiser ok she did money had no where to put it -ok put it in ARTS IN EDUCATION we will give her the amount needed thru this for taking the students to the SYMPHONY we will then make back 50% I was told per district to keep funds and do whatever I see fit with it being that we are handling it I can not agree with this its the students monies and should be put aside in ARTS IN EDUCATION for next year and then the remainder of the funds I was told to hold wherever and if she needs it then let her use it but make sure you keep receipts. Ok but now the main question is this LEGAL to do???? I suppose my next step would be also to contact a CPA that deals with nonprofit organizations and can tell me how to file the 990EZ correctly what I mean is if we are taking in and paying out funds and being used as a BANK one is it LEGAL and two will this need to be put on the IRS forms in certain areas to be written up correctly so that both the PTO at the Middle School and the PTG at the Elementary School do not get into any trouble for doing something that may not be the right thing to do.
I thank all of you in advance for reading this long post and listening to what I had to say any help back to me would once again be greatly appreciated.
