Finance & Budget Archive

Your group can't do its great work without strong financial policies and a sound budget. Whether you're the PTO or PTA treasurer or a member concerned about protecting funds, you'll find tons of ideas and help on money management in the articles below. Yes, we even cover PTO and PTA embezzlement. Find more helpful tools and info on the Finance & Budget resources page.

  • Fundraising Auction Results and the Economy

    Jon Carson over at the cMarket blog shares some interesting early-returns data on school auctions this year. The upshot: no big surpirse -- looks like the big, big donations and the big, big bids are down a bit this fall. But thankfully, broad support for the lower-level items seems to be holding steady.

  • Another Toolbox for Education Success

    Thanks to Lowe's (and the Toolbox for Education grant program in which PTO Today is proud to play a role), a ton of good work is getting done at schools all across the country.

  • Covering Up a PTO Theft

    Leave it to the local news station to blow this up into some Watergate-level cover-up, but I think this media treatment of a school theft case is great evidence for my argument that groups should address these issues openly (and obviously enact systems changes immediately) if there's a missing money issue.

  • Buyer Beware -- Count Me In

    Looks like a possibly troubled PTA/PTO vendor -- the Washington-based company called Count Me In.  Reports from Connecticut have several schools and PTAs out significant dollars

  • PTOs and PTAs Relied on for Even More

    Wall Street Journal takes a look at how school budget pressures are trickling down to parent groups. Not a completely new story (we've been writing on this for a decade now, at least), but the pressure seems to be increasing with the state of the economy.

  • Just Say No to Dues

    Dropping dues from your budget can pay off in higher involvement and more willing volunteers.

  • Field Trip Fees a No-No in Iowa

    Interesting ruling in Iowa, where state Board of Ed tells schools that they can not charge fees for school-day, curriculum-related field trips. Such fees are akin to tuition, rules the Board.

  • Vegas PTA burned in vendor bankruptcy

    This stinks. This group saved for years for a new school sign, paid a (too) large deposit, and now the sign company is gone. Poof.

  • Should PTOs Pay Expenses?

    Under certain conditions, it's OK for PTOs to pay travel and training expenses for board members. And if you don't get reimbursed, here's what you need to know about tax deductions.

  • Adversity: After Embezzlement, a Test of Strength

    Discovering that their veteran treasurer had stolen funds from the group, parent leaders opted to stick it out and face up to the underlying causes. Their response made them PTO Today's 2007 Parent Group of the Year for Outstanding Effort To Overcome Adversity.

  • What Every Treasurer Should Know

    Being a good treasurer takes planning and organization. Follow these pointers and you'll be ready for success.

  • Just Your Average PTO

    Nice work.

  • Embezzle Charges

    $8,000 in South Dakota.

  • Maryland PTA Dust-Up

    This messy story just goes on and on, it seems.  You may recall that the Prince George's County (MD)county PTA was disbanded by the Maryland state PTA last spring. County officers (a new slate had been elected just weeks earlier) were less than pleased.

  • New Financial Regs for Alabama PTOs

    This could be the start of a trend. First Tennessee sent down some rules from on-high this past summer. Now the Alabama Department of Ed. is trying to codify some policies across all its many districts.

  • Finding and Winning Grants

    Parent groups can and do get grants. Here's how to find, apply for, and win grants to get special projects done.

  • Bad Idea in MO

    Who should control funds?

  • Fundraiser Overview

    Maybe a new idea or two...

  • Healthy Kids Grant

    General Mills steps up.

  • Michigan Theft

    Treasurer charged.
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