Our teachers are given $200, classifed staff gets $100.00, they are given their money after Fall Festival as they turn into receipts. Our treasurer always used Quicken. She had everything listed where audits were made easy. If there was a problem or question it was easily identified. Every so often she would post a list showing how much the staff had left and placed it in the workroom. Our school employs around 60+/- staffers who get the money, so I guess that would make a difference.
We have always given our teachers the $50 (if they were members) until this last year and we decided to purchase school supplies for them. They really appreciated this more, they could take care of supplies w/o having to run out and buy them and it came to over $50 what we gave them anyway. They have asked we do it like this again this next yr.
Like others, we used to just write the teachers a check at the start of the year and that was that. But when we filed for 501c3, the IRS rep recommended that we collect receipts first - for our budget, teacher reimbursement is a rather large percentage (IRS issue #1) and we should have some documentation that the money is being used to support our stated mission (IRS issue #2).
It's no big deal. In June I create a special envelope for each teacher so they can collect receipts over the summer. Any time during the next school year, the teacher can turn in the envelope and we'll cut them a cut for the amount we budgeted per teacher for that year (this year, $90). We encourage the teachers to wait until they have enough receipts for the max receipt amount so we don't have to cut checks for every little expense. In April, I sent out reminders to everyone - they've collected or not yet. Even with the reminder, there will be at least 5 teachers who never bother to turn in receipts - and they won't get their money. Go figure.
When I get the receipt envelope, I seal it and file it with the Reimbursement Request form. We don't audit the receipts - that's up to the IRS if they ever want to.
We have been reimbursing $50 each year (except for 2 years ago when I was pres and it was $100) and have been doing so for 30 years. Teachers would turn in receipts because we needed to account for all monies spent.
Last night our group decided to go a different route. $10 worth of reimbursement for costs each month that they attend the group meeting. I think it is rather like holding them hostage, and I expect some teachers to attend with attitudes (one told me today that he will pay us $10 a month NOT to attend...lol...). I can see both sides of the coin, but my views obviously fall on the side of the teachers.
Most schools in our town do not reimburse teachers - so ours are more than willing to save receipts and turn them in to be reimbursed. All of your teachers I am sure would realize that it is the proper way to conduct business - eventhough our accountant says that PTOs almost never get audited our slogan is cover your you know what!
We used to just hand our teachers a check (usually $150) at the beginning of the year. We decided to require receipts because otherwise you have no idea where the money is going. Most of the teachers are so honest and hardworking that I'm sure they spent way over they money we gave them. But you never know and the money that the PTO gives is supposed to go for school-related things and we decided we needed proof.
It's not really a big hassle. All you do is give them a check request form and tell them to staple the receipts to it once they have hit the $50 mark.
