TV's? Telephones? Night Goggles? Holy Kickback Batman! Starting at your next meeting, bring up these 'incentive' prizes. Address them, take a vote and write an addendum to your bylaws. Those incentives are big enough to garner some real bucks in Basket Raffles, or to attract more members during your membership drive.
Free pics on picture day? We do that too. I tryed to make sure that the helper slots went to low income families first and to volunteers who go above and beyond the call of duty. It is a perk, but I honestly think that most people would rather pay the $23 than to work the whole day for a free set of photos. Anyone who wanted free pics had to work the entire time, not just an hour. Our picture day began at 9 AM and finished at 2 PM.
As for other perks, kickbacks, incentives, whatever you want to call them (a rose by any other name is still a rose), I think that they should be used as door prizes, used in basket raffles, used for and by the general membership. When our vendor leaves candy or cookie dough, it is used at the meetings (this year's pres and treasurer didn't do that with the candy. They enjoyed it while counting the money from the fundraiser... I don't think it was right, but it is their hips, not mine... anyone believe in Karma?). Little things like pens and pencils are used in the PTO office or donated to a lower grade prize box on a rotation schedule.
It really is up to whomever was elected or appointed to the positions where the incentive stuff goes, unless specified by your bylaws. If the people who accept the prizes are taking advantage of the prizes (and yours most definately are debd), you might take more care during the next elections to make sure you have honest folks, or at least folks who are in it for the kids, in positions of power.
As PTO President, I do not believe in keeping anything that is given to me or my chairs. We found out last year that the people doing school pictures got theirs for free and tyhey each had more than one child in the school. If you volunteer... you do it out of the kindness of your heart... to help the school... not to make out on the deal. I realize not everyone feels the way I do but it just seems wrong to me and it is just another reason for people to complain. I received a great desk set (Dictionary, Thesaurus, etc)which I would have loved to keep but I raffled it off to all of the adults that attended this month's PTO meeting and the woman that won was thrilled and the others were envious. I have other great stuff for future meetings. :eek:
I've never heard of anyone getting things like TV's! Those are pretty major items. We've had our volunteers get to pick from the fundraising catalog/brochure, get their yearbook free, and small stuff like that. I still don't see anything wrong with that. Things like TV's and large items I'm not sure about. Those sound more like a gift to the school. Especially the $900! I'd think that should go into a PTO fund or directly to the school.
A lot of fundraising companies let the teachers pick items from the brochure for their help and also let the person who is handling the fundraiser pick. Things like that I don't see anything wrong with. Even if I got that, I would still place an order to support the school/PTO. It would just be an extra. I would hope that the person wouldn't be picking the company based on the free stuff they can get. I know I wouldn't, I'd pick the one that I thought was the best choice. I'm not in it for myself.
I still feel that jealousy would play a part in someone being upset about it. In that case, go for that position next school year.
Where do I get your fundraising chair position? JUST KIDDING!
We do not have volunteers sign something stating they won't take things from the vendors and if they get a roll of wrapping paper here, a pen there or a stuffed animal - I don't know that it would cause us great concern. I chaired school supplies and the vendor didn't offer to provide my kids' pack free - I think that would have upset me. We did receive sample packs from the vendors who provided quotes - we used those supplies to supplement what the office had for students who couldn't afford the items, or we used the items for supplies at meetings, etc.
Instead of asking your volunteers to sign something stating they won't take kick-backs (I'm not sure I would choose that word, either, but for lack of a better one will run with it) - instead I think perhaps when the board signs the contracts (you ARE signing the contracts, right?) you could put in the comments section something along the lines of any donated items are to go through the board directly, and will become the property of the PTO and/or the school.
One more thing - we are labeling all items that the PTO provides to the school with a label that says something like "Property of XYZ School. Funds raised by the students and families of this school." The reason for this is that many items were previously donated to classrooms (books, games, etc.) and when teachers left either for retirement or to take other jobs, it became uncomfortable to determine what belonged to who. This way hopefully it won't be an issue in the future.
I am not talking about pens, pencils, or stuffed animals. Our fundraising chair received a television,a telephone, an electronic organizer, walkie-talkies, metal detector, night vision goggles and several other lower valued items.
