It is a sad, sad world when honest people have to be worried about being called a thief. When they have to stop and wonder what a thief would do so that they don't do anything even close to it...
The Treasurer last year was a teacher. You can imagine how hard it was for her to make deposits, especially the daily ones required during a big fundraiser. Even with our safe at the school, the longest money could be held was a night or two (due to limited space... the school also uses that same safe. Lucky for me, the office manager was above reproach and I didn't have to worry about that issue). I made 99% of the deposits to help out. It never even occurred to me that I could be bit in the butt. I had accepted the money (sometimes alone), counted the money (sometimes alone), made out deposit slips for the money (sometimes alone), deposited the money (always alone)... Everything was fine until this year when they told me that I was $10 off on the last monies I took in (spirit shirts). I never thought for one minute that I would have to back track to find money. I never did find it, so I look like a thief to the new board! Whether it is $10 or $10,000, be sure to always have a second person present, never take money home, never put off a deposit. Always give receipts (I always did). And make sure everyone in your organization does the same. EVERY TIME. I did offered to pay back the $10, but was turned down. I figure it will turn up; it could just be an error on their part. It is just a real shame that what I did to simplify matters for the Treasurer, what I did because people couldn't find an hour to help count monies, for whatever reasons, I turned out to look like a thief. Thank God that our school staff, the parents and the children (and the Principal is my hero) didn't think badly of me. I am actually running the first big fundraiser for our PTO, as well as running other fundraisers for our school.
Read "To Resign or not to Resign" under this section. As pres, now v.p. - who runs a couple of fundraisers - based on everything I keep reading and hearing about PTO/PTA board members embezzling - I am scared to death to have any $$ in my home for fear of the simple "appearance of impropriety". This means I have a stack of deposit slips and every time I get money in I go right to the bank. May create a little more work for our treasurer with multiple deposits for one fundraiser - I do make separate deposits for separate things so that she can keep them straight - but I would rather have that problem than anyone ever having the opportunity to come to me and ask where this money or that check ended up.
Call a meeting now. Review your by-laws and if you don't have clear "job descriptions" in writing, suggest that it be done. Hate to say it, but just because it's the way it's always been done, doesn't mean that it will always be that way unless there are safeguards in place. I am not suggesting aggressiveness, this certainly needs to be tempered with consideration and compassion, taken from the road of assistance I think it will go a long way. Also - don't overextend yourself by agreeing to do it all yourself, but do offer to help set up processes or review the ones that are already in place. You may want to ask a previous treasurer if she would be willing to help the new treasurer set things up to make them easier for her to handle.
This is a tough situation and unfortunatly I do not believe there is an easy answer, or a quick fix. When the executive board meets I would bring this up for discussion. (The VP, T, and S can call a meeting of the board or the P,at least according to our bylaws) I would ask to have a meeting asap and voice your concerns. I often say to myself,and others,to be assertive, not aggresive. I often ask the advice of ex-presidents but there are some I don't ask, our styles are too different. However in your case these are the ground rules and style should not come into this discussion. Bottom line is communication and you probably have to be the one to get it to happen.
GOOD LUCK!
I am a past President who is now VP. Tonight we had our first official executive board meeting. I gave all the info to the new Pres. and have met with her many time to go over the way we do things. The meeting made me so frustrated that I want to quit, rather than see everything We, last year's board, worked do hard for to be destroyed. We had NO order at the meeting, no votes. Our Fall Festival is in one month and we had NO planning for that. We have sold things at our school spirit shop on three different day since the beginning of August and taken TShirt orders, but the NEW treasurer has not made one deposit. She has taken the money home with her everynight. How do I stress the importance of following procedure, 2 people counting money at all times and not keeping cash at your home? There is a safe at school if it needs not be deposited. These procedures are as much for her protection as for the PTO. What is a nice way to let them know that something are not able to be changed? And how do I stress the importance that time is of the essence to have a GREAT fall festival? I don't want to be too pushy or seem like I'm taking over. PLEASE HELP
