Our PTO has adopted a policy of purchasing books for the school library to acknowledge new staff, retiring staff, and as memorials when a family member passes away. We choose meaningful books for the event. A bookplate is placed in the book and a card is sent to the person letting them know that this donation has been made to our library. This lets us recognize the person and continue to spend our funds on items that directly benefit our students. This policy has been very well received by the staff, students, and families.
I haven't had a chance to get the details on this, but I know my school actually has a "sunshine" committee, and one of its functions is to decide on donations such as you have mentioned. The committee is also responsible for helping to provide meals when a family member has died or is ill, and helping with transportation in similar situations. They also arranged for an impromptu clothing/toy drive when a family's home burned to the ground (but they did not collect cash for the family--they stay away from passing the hat for cash for anything).
On a $40,000 annual budget, this committee is allocated $200, so donations are done pretty infrequently.
Thank you for your replies. I was unsure as to the appropriate nature of this expenditure and was wondering if other PTO's were also sending gifts.
I personally think that donations to the families of students is fine and would not mind having a $40 limit on gift certificates. Our school is not in a very wealthy area and I believe the families would appreciate a certificate to a grocery store more than receiving flowers.
Your group will have to decide if it is the right thing for your group to do, or not. Some groups limit themselves to cards and maybe flowers for a funeral. Other groups choose to make donations to relief funds for those who have experienced a disaster. Some groups have made donations to medical research charities in honor of affected students.
It really comes down to this question: what is the purpose of your PTO? Are these expenditures outside the immediate school community affecting your ability to to make an impact inside the school? Is the sense of community that these donations engender worth the expense you incur making them?
Given the mission of your PTO, will you receive adequate value for your donation?
Personally, I would support cards and flowers for student and current staff family funerals, and for prior staff members. Your mileage may vary.
We send flowers to any board member or school staff member that is in the hospital. We send flowers when a parent of a board member or staff dies (cards for grandparents etc). We give gift cards when babies are born rather than flowers. When something happens to a students family we do what ever we can to help.
The larger question should funds be used in this matter? I don't have a problem using group funds for this. After all in the big picture it isn't that much. (We limit the amount to $25 per time.) This year flowers and baby gifts ran $200 last year it was $75.
Is it customary or okay to donate from the PTO account to a child's family that has lost a parent or to donate to a past employee's family when the past employee dies? This has come up with our PTO. We gave two gifts to two students that have lost parents and one gift to the family of a retiree that past away.
Some members want to broaden the scope even more and include the current staff (if they have a family member pass away to give that staff member a donation as well).
I do not think that this is an appropriate use of PTO funds. I think that PTO members could have a collection but it should not come from the PTO account.
