Being an independent 501(c)(3) certainly would help clarify things, but many parent groups consider themselves independent organizations even if they haven't formalized.

So it goes back to purpose, intent, and the understanding of all the stakeholders - both on the school/church side and the organization side.

Sometimes private school/church school PTOs truly are nothing more than a committee - just like the Building and Maintenence, or Outreach, or a certain ministry. They exist for a targeted reason - usually fundraising and volunteer recruitment related to the school. However, in actuality the group is part of the school/church - the school/church may control all the funds or make final decisions.

None of this is necessarily wrong, nor does it mean things can't change. You just need to figure out WHAT you are and work from there.

Right, are you an independant 501C group or not? If not then depending on the Bylaws, if you even have any, this may be acceptible. If you are a 501C group then check your Bylaws and see what they state. If you disgree with them then maybe you can push to have them changed. If you are not a 501C then I recommend becomming one. Having control of your own funds for your children is by far the best way to go.

Good luck, PresidentJim

Was your PTO organized as a separate group with a different EIN than the schools or are you operating under your school's EIN?
Do you have your own bylaws or are you working within school policy?

You can work as a PTO and have all monies under the school account as long as the money is being tracked separately. That money should be accounted for and reported at all monthly meetings so that it is clearly defined as to how much you have in your account and what will be used for your PTO sponsored events. Just like in a corporation that has several subdivisions, each company is tracked separately so that they can determine if they are successful or not.
I would be concerned to and asking questions should not be looked at as being wrong, in any way. You are just trying to obtain a clear explanation of how the finances are handled, tracked and filed. As President, you need to know that in order to ensure that you are working within your budget & not dipping into the school's funds. I also agree, that a member of your PTO (Treasurer, President, or Chairperson) should count all money before it goes to the secretary for deposit. Usually PTO's have double or triple counts to be sure of the amounts to avoid any misappropriations. There's no reason why PTO representatives cannot do a count beforehand.

Based on stories from many close friends with children in Catholic school (or other private schools), the parent group situation is often very different from our more traditional perception of the role of PTO/PTAs from public schools. No this is not "wrong". It's simply different.

Often these parent groups serve as an extension of the church/church school for volunteer coordination and fundraising and are not a truly separate organization. They are more like a committee. Funds are frequently raised for basic keep-the-lights-on; keep-tutition-down reasons rather than the extras and enhancements that most of us associate with PTOs.

So the questions are:

What IS your group? Is it a separate, independent organization?
What is the purpose of your group?
Are the members happy with the status quo?

Keep in mind that if you are not a 501(c)(3), then those "huge donations" don't count as charitable contributions if given to the PTO. But if they are given to the church - it's a different story.

If I were you, I'd try to figure out the history and the true status as to what your organization was intended to be. If you truly want drastic change (and have support) - go for it. But if you come to accept the basic status quo, look for areas where you might compromise with some changes, such as publishing financial updates.

And remember, your best leverage exists BEFORE you do the work. So, for instance, if the PTO is going to coordinate a fundraiser and wants to assure how those funds will be utilized, the time discuss it is before you take it on.

Good luck - and keep us posted.

MzB, because pto is a private oraganization we have our own account. Every member see a bank statement. But only three officers have access to the account.

I recently have taken over role as Prez to my childrens' Catholic School. I have been somewhat schocked to discover that the role of treasurer has nothing to do with money in this committee. Currently all money raised goes to the secretary at the school, who counts it and gives it to the parish secretary who verifies it and then depostis it into an account that the Priest writes a check out for us. I think this is inappropriate and have questioned it but am coming across difficulty in getting people to understand my point of view. I'm afraid of being connected to anything done not like it should be. Is this illegal to run it the way they are running it? I think that all money (we have some HUGE cash donations come through throughout the year) should be turned into the treasurer who counts it with one of us and then deposits it herself. I have been told that the past board combined all accounts to make for easier times and relieved the treasurer of the hassle of balancing out books. I believe that is the only role the treasurer has, so why get rid of it? While once on a PTO board at a different school, only the treasurer and I (Then as prez as well) had access to accounts. I believe that is the way it should be. Also, at all recent meetings, there has been no public display of account balances or funds, which I think is wrong as well. I tried to confide in the current treausrer ( A new woman, who had nothing to do with it prior) and have been turned against I feel. Now everyones calling for a meeting. Can someone help me by giving me some ammo to go to this meeting with, if in deed I am correct that this is being handled wrong? For me to make a deal about it please remember that not only will I be going against the board, but also the school principal and the parish priest. I need to bring an A game.