Sometimes change like this is most easily accepted if they feel it's a requirement by a third party and just something that has to be done. Even though it makes perfect sense fiscally and you aren't asking for anything unreasonable - it tends to get personal, as if you are questioning their ethics.
I found things like this became simpler when the answers were things like:
The auditor listed this as a weakness in our accounting process and told us to do it this other way from now on.
The IRS is getting stricter and stricter about groups like ours accounting for its expenditures. We didn't realize we weren't collecting enough information, but now that we've been told the way it has to be done, of course we'll follow the rules, requirements, (fill in you preferred word).
It just seems to sort of save face for everyone and make compliance easier.
the major amount of our book fair profit goes into the school library--after the librarian has made her selections we figure out how much profit is left and split it between the teachers--we then take their "wish lists" and we choose books off the list for them--we try to give them the most books for the dollar amount(it averages out to usually about $75 per teacher per book fair)--if they really want a book off their lists we just ask that they put a * by it and we get that book with their share of the profit.Haven't had any complaints about the way we do this--and it gives us a record of what books they got and the amount of each book.
I agree with CrewChief, not a ridiculous request at all, but a fiscally responsible one.
We also allow teachers to purchase books for their classroom through our book fair, but we allot each teacher an amount based on the profit we made at the previous fair. When a teacher selects their books we make a little receipt for our records and so we know how much of the book fair profit to take in books. Something to think about for the next time.
It's not a ridiculous request. From an accounting point of view, it's the responsible thing to do. If it's presented to the teachers in this light, they should have no ill feelings toward your group.
If the staff took advantage of a loose system then shame on them. They should have known better. Without accusing anyone just explain that tighter financial controls have been recommended by the auditor and that your group intends to follow these new guidelines.
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Our teachers receive 30K from our PTO. They have a certain amt of money that is available to them throughout the year for supplies for the classroom. They can purchase books from the bookfair for their classrooms. In years past they did not have to provide to the PFO a list of the books and price to get reimbursed the book fair leader just kept a list per teacher with the amt they spent. The PFO would then reimburse based upon the list. Well this year the PFO instituted a new policy where the teachers needed to list each book with price in order for the PFO to reimburse. The teachers and leader of the book fair were LIVID to say the least. The PFO feels this is a very valid request. Teachers have purchased books and other assorted goodies that these book fairs offer using the PFO money when it was made very clear that they can purchase books that support their classrooms ONLY. The measure was put in place as suggested by our auditor--we need to have detailed records and we also need to make sure that the teachers are using the PFO dollars to support their classrooms--pre-school books, cookbooks and adult books have been purchased in the past. This is an elementary school strictly with k-5 grade only. Is this a ridiculous request or not.
