I received a call from a parent at a nearby elementary school. The currently have a PTA and have not been very successful in raising money. I don't mean that to sound like it's because it's a PTA, it's just a matter of the demographics of their area and several other factors.

Anyway, they are looking into starting an independent booster club or foundation in order to apply for grants from businesses and foundations. They were asking for advice on how to get started. I gave them some ideas and pointed them to this website. Here's my question - they have been told that they can't use their PTA to do this type of fundraising. Is there some PTA regulation that prohibits this? We have been applying for (and actually receiving some) grants using our PTO (we're a 501(c)(3)). Why can we do it and they can't? We're all in the same school district so it's not a district policy. Any ideas?

Makes no sense whatsoever. PTAs can get grants. The interpretation there is wrong.

Sometimes I feel like there's so many levels in PTA that it's one big "telephone game" with the messages that reach the end often nonsensical.

Before my cyber censors jump in, I'm not saying that this makes PTOs better -- PTO leaders can be confused, too. It just seems that this kind of unfounded "fear of the PTA police", especially where the fear is based on an inaccurate analysis of PTA regs is unique to the large organization that PTA is.

Tim

One PTA I'm in is relatively new, and we have just started applying for grants. Some for which we would like to apply are only available to schools, as opposed to parent groups associated with schools, so perhaps that is where the confusion comes in. Right now, we only work on grants that we can get as a PTA.

The other PTA I'm in has a grants chairperson who spends a ton of time researching grant opportunities, both for the PTA and the school. She works with the teachers to help them write grant applications, even if the money goes directly to the school. If it's a situation where the money can go to the PTA, she applies under the PTA's name, otherwise she works with the teacher or principal or whoever, and gets the grant for the school. She has been very successful, and hasn't received any flak about it.

Yes, it's completely untrue that PTA's cannot apply for grants but like mum24 states, there are different kinds of grants and there are guidelines for most that include who can and cannot apply for grants. A good example would be the outlines provided here http://www.davis.k12.ut.us/staff/diane/applications.html

In a situation where a grant may only be available to a school, we have had a PTA person work on the paperwork to obtain it, but applied it to the school. Being a PTA in no way would prohibit this as a PTA policy.

Like Tim says, much misinformation is circulated about what PTA will and will not allow. It can largely be attributed to it's size and the distortion that happens when information is verbally passed on and rumors can get started by someone who is angry and then it becomes "truth".

[ 10-29-2004, 08:20 PM: Message edited by: Rockne ]

We are a PTA and have applied for many grants. Never had a problems with it....we've won more than $20,000 in grants this school year already. We have two talented writers that volunteer their time for our PTA by searching for and writing grant applications. It's a lot of work, though! I think they are working on two more, currently, for $5,000 each.

I'm a current State PTA Board member, and I don't know of any restrictions on PTA's applying for grants. In fact, our state has a training session on grant writing every year.

Go out and get that money wherever you can!