We raised almost $100,000 last year. We have about 850 students and about 700 families (K - 6). We do a pledge drive at the beginning of the year where we ask $180 per child ($1 per school day). Last year we raised about $40,000 with our pledge drive alone (our neighbor school, same population but slightly different demographics raised $100,000 in their pledge drive). We do a gift wrap fundraiser in the fall, a huge Halloween carnival and basket silent auction, a Scholastic Book Fair, a cookie dough fundraiser, and a jog-a-thon to raise other money. We do ink cartridge recycling, Box Tops for Education, sell t-shirts and school supplies and hold monthly bake sales and weekly pizza sales. Don't think that all we do is raise money - we have family art nights, a sock hop, movie night etc. for free to give back.
The reason we are able to raise so much money is that we have really great need. We are in California and our school budgets have been decimated. The school district provides only books, classrooms (and we're even short of those) and teachers. No teacher aides, very few supplies, no art program, music only for grades 4, 5,6 once per week. No PE unless we pay for it. No assemblies or field trips. We only get a nurse one day a week, no real librarian, and all the computer equipment that's been bought in the last five years came from our fundraising.
We never split the funds, but ownership of the fundraisers has changed. When I first became involved 8 years ago, the PTO owned both of the two allowed sales fundraisers. About 5 years ago, the district auditor asked the school to take one back with the rationale that with only 2 fundraisers permitted and only X dollars really possible, the school should not relinquish total control. (This was right after a PTO embezzlement.)
Two years ago the district asked the elmentaries to take back most of the fundraising and requested the PTOs focus more on activities and volunteerism.
Note - the PTO's role in fundraisers hasn't really changed. It still provides the volunteers just like any other school program. But the principal makes the final decision as to selection and the funds get deposited in the school's account.
We put line items for money to the school in our budget each year. We give the school $10,000 for instructional supplies (the principal decides how to spend it), $10,000 for custodial supplies, and $10,000 for the copy machine lease. Our principal gives us a "wish list" each spring before we do our budget and then we decided whether or not we can afford it. The rest of the money we raise goes directly into programs for the kids (art, field trips, PE, etc.).
I would not like to be told that I had to share the money we raise with the school. However, it all goes back to the school in some way so I could live with that if required. Our school does not raise money on its own, we do all the fundraising for them.
Thanks for the replies. I'm not worried about the money being squandered. The accountability is very high and we know where our money goes that we gift back to the school. We ended up with over $11,000 at the end of this past school year. That's never happened to have that much left. We did our family nights (not as many as I pushed to do for this school year) and they were free. Remember, we did 5x better at our carnival & silent auction this past spring. I must tell you I worked my rear-end off to get donations and such for events so we ended up doing very well with our budget. That's why I added so much more for next year. You remember my long list I posted on the thread about Family nights etc. -- we're actually going to do ALL of them!! That includes the Junior Engineers through Utah State Univ. that will cost us $1600.
Anyway, we ended up gifting to our school $8000 directly for instructional materials. Which will go towards particular sets of classroom books that are $10000 and each classroom will get a certain amount out of the set that is appropriate for their grade level. I hope that makes sense??
If we decide to go the other way, with the percentage, they will get money throughout the school year that is earmarked for certain things the school wants to do but can't necessarily totally fund and it will eliminate the "arguing" a couple of our members like to do when gifting money to the school. They'd rather have it sitting in our account. The rest of us want it spent on the kids in some way.
Our Principal is extremely supportive of the PTA. He attends every meeting and gives his opinion without being pushy and always reminds us that it's our decision. For the most part he lets us do what we want (as long as it's for the good of the kids and not out in left field stupid!). He trusts that we make good decisions and like I said is extremely supportive and active in our events and such. Our Assistant Principal is wonderful too. We're very grateful to have the admin. support.
I was just curious if other schools or districts do anything like this? We're part of the 5th largest school district in the country, so most things like this are just school to school. I know the district's lawyers have informed Principals that inquire about budgets etc. that this is within their scope of what they can ask for or I guess require. Our Principal isn't "requiring" us to do this, he just asked. We'll vote on it the end of Aug. I just wanted to inquire within other PTAs/PTOs about this.
wow this is very interesting to me to read about "required" gifts to your schools. It also show that more and more schools are depending on the Pto's to help supply things that they can no longer afford. Our group puts every cent back into free fun things for the kids (fun nights,assemblies,monthly contests, "free" school store-they earn coupons no money, reading celebrations, etc.) I am not sure how I would feel if all of a sudden our mission changed to do the supply thing, and I hope ot is not something that our district ever has to do! As far as doing your fundraisers like that I have heard of schools who require this.
"When you stop learning you stop growing."
