Before you bring on more fundraising you need to bring on more help. Send out a flyer where parents can check off what areas they are interested in helping with the PTO (i.e. fundraising ideas, helping at specific events - list them, bookkeeping, fiancial secretary - which is keeping the checkbook, helping to set-up for events) List areas you need people in. If you don't get anyone to volunteer and you don't have anyone willing to step in then don't do it. It is to be an organization, not a one or two person show! Make sure you are communicating what is needed. People are usually willing to help if they know exactly what is needed.
You might want your group to look at the article on this website - ABC's of Involvement. It speaks to what you are dealing with in your school.
Remember you are only one, but should not be THE only one!! Don't be a martyr. PTO is designed to be a group thing! Maybe you should get two volunteers and train them to do what you are doing this year and one or both can take over for next year or maybe even after Christmas with your continued support if needed! Now that's an idea!!
Kudos to you for taking on such a task. Personally, I'd rather have a staff member for a treasurer due to convenience.
At the elementary, after our night time events, it was hectic. The treasurer, Principal, and a couple of more people would stay and count. That was the only time she stayed late. For Fall Festival/Spring Fling the booth people (usually teachers) count their money boxes and have it in some sort of order for a recount. This takes up less time at the end. During Basketball tourneys it takes a little more time but with everyone working together, not very long. We also did Santa Shop and a change drive. Again volunteers helped with the money. If you cannot get help counting it and fixing the deposit slips simply lock the money up and tell them it will have to wait until the next day. After a 16 hour day(I know many teachers have LONG days)it is hard to think let alone count money. Tell your pres the chairperson or her/himself need to take care of the money and turn it in to you and encourage your board to seek volunteers if they do not already do so.
My first treasurer's main thing was reimbursements. She was the librarian and teachers would come in and interupt her instruction time wanting their money right then. So she set dates and deadlines for such thing. She also used Quicken which helped greatly.
I need advice!
I am teacher and pto treasurer because our school has next to zero parent involvement. I have done this for two years now and it has given me an ulcer! I have been at school until 7 or 8 at night sometimes doing PTO and planning for the next day! I do not want to do this again, but I know no one else will!
Basically, I need some fundraiser ideas for this year that won't sabotage all my time. I hope this can be my last year doing this...
