OH PAHLEEEESE! Critter, if it isn't broke, don't fix it! MyKidsMom was offering 'asked for' advice in response to ptocopres. Why the obvious hostility and sarcasm of your last sentence?

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr> If your PTO has a history of putting this year's money aside for the next year, I suppose your parents all understand and accept that approach.
<hr></blockquote>

You can't change the Bylaws that MyKidsMom works with, and their Bylaws work for them, so why be sarcastic about it?

In response to MyKidsMom - we take the complete opposite opinion on spending PTO funds. We try very hard to spend as much of this year's income, this year. The feeling is that the parents who supported the fundraisers this year have a right to have their children enjoy the fruits of the fundraising -- this year. Our bylaws stipulate a $2000 carryover, and we always seem to carry over more, but our philosophy is spend this year, what you earn this year.

If your PTO has a history of putting this year's money aside for the next year, I suppose your parents all understand and accept that approach.

Our PTVO has never had a 'budget' per say. We are going to do one starting next month, planning for next year. I've been told that I just need to put my calender on paper with costs, but I would really like to see what a proposed and exsisting budget looks like. Please email me at the below email. I can also accept faxes to my attention (Elizabeth Metz) at 928-753-7756.

Elizabeth aka TheMetzyMom
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P.S. Is it me or does it seem that the same people asking for a formal budget aren't paying attention to the Treasurers report? Everything I'm being told I need to do seems to have been presented A) At the end of the year so that I can set dates ~and~ All costs are posted monthly in the Treasury Report. What then do I do? Send a copy of it home to all the parents? Make copies of it for each meeting? I can hear the paper cost soaring...lol...

[ 03-15-2002: Message edited by: TheMetzyMom ]</p>

We are without a Treasurer this year and with that challenge I sat down with the school's bookkeeper and she gave me the most logical advise I am passing on to you.... look at how you set up your household budget and go from there. With our group any monies brought in this year goes in our account BUT NOT included in THIS YEARS spending. Between you and me I feel I'm geeting the shaft as this years fundraisers have been doing A LOT better than last years so next year the Board will have a better bank to work from BUT what's a girl to do!

Really you need to look at what your group what's to do for your school, how much will it cost/how much will you need to raise, how much do you want to keep in the account to carry over to the next group... lots of goal setting and planning.

Hope this helps and makes sense!

I am the PTSO treasurer this year and am using MS Money for our account. It is great - the budget is set up neatly and clearly and the reconciling is a breeze!! I think we have all the kinks in our budget worked out - it is fairly easy to read. I have saved a copy of the budget in a TXT format and will email to all those requesting - I am not sure how clear it will come across in this format - but we can try - if you have a fax number please email it to me and I will fax the report straight from the computer so you can see how great the program lays out the information in the report format!!

We are starting from scratch too--will anyone please email a sample budget. I agree it is hard to make one when you don't know what kind of money you'll even have....