PTO Today

I'm hoping you can help. Our board consists of 4 and we are constantly at battle over money and how to spend it etc... We have a substantial amount leftover, earned from last year etc... We have bought some items here and there. We need a 5th person to decide, it's always two against two, and I'm to the point where I want to say forget all of this, here are the books and checkbook I'm gone! I don't want the stress and I feel like I'm in high school fighting with my friends, this is an organization that is suppose to promote programs etc for the kids. [B]Any ideas?[/B]

[B]Another thing is there a certain amount we have to spend?[/B] I don't think we should be hanging on to all that money, but our current president wants to spend it on in my opinion meaningless things that won't really benefit the kids. She just doesn't want to spend money here and there and look back and say where did all our money go. But I know and I think even if it's the little things at least we are helping the school so what if we buy 100 small things. Please help!!!!

Maybe you need some different ideas.

Can you unanimously agree on a process for how to decide on spending money, and then stick with it? Can you agree for how long you'll let the process run to give it a chance to work?

Let the process make the decision. Then you can all be friends.

You can then All get mad at the process and All say, "I sure was part of making up that messed up process". We'll rewrite it when the time comes to do that or we'll only tweak it, but I sure do like not having those disagreements anymore.

The process can't say anything about spending on particular things, or you'll be right back at square 1.

It sounds like each "team" has it's own ideas of where the money should go. Why don't you both compromise for this year. Let them spend X amount of dollars on their ideas and you on yours. Then next year get with the teachers and the principal to help access the needs of the school (they in whole could be your fifth person) and work on a year plan/goals from there.

Compromise this year, then next year make sure there is a plan in place.

[I]I'm hoping you can help. Our board consists of 4 and we are constantly at battle over money and how to spend it etc... [/I]

I'm not sure how your PTO is set up but it concerns me that 4 people are deciding how the organization's money is being spent. Does the vote to spend money go to the full membership? That could solve this problem

Your bylaws should clearly indicate how the voting process works. It's odd that the executive board would have total control over the PTO account and not include the membership on decisions.
Most PTO's create a budget early in the year for all expenses and income expected for the year. Then the membership at the first meeting of the year votes in the budget. Don't you have a budget? Even to draw up one and then make changes according to discussions. Then you have the membership making the decisions along with the executive board.

But it doesn't send a good message to the membership when you can't come to agreement amoungst yourselves.

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Doing it for my one and only ~~ my son!