I just ran across this t-shirt site (and this one shirt, in particular), and I think I’ve found the best door-prize ever for a Kindergarten welcome event. Cool stuff. Thought I’d pass it along.

Sentencing comes through for former PTA treasurer convicted of stealing $180,000 (yes — nearly 200 grand!) from her group over 5 year period. Appreciate the fact that other officers and school parents prosecuted and advocated for harsh sentencing. However, looks like the sentence will be one year of home confinement.

There are so many basic tips for solid money management for your PTO or PTA, but here’s one straight from the article: don’t have bank statements mailed directly to treasurer’s home. No way!

Is your group protecting its funds?

Have to give credit to Tennessee authorities for listening and responding to feedback about the 2007 “school support” regulations that came down last year.

Effective July 1, 2008, several clarifications and improvements have been made (Tennessee regs summarized here). The end result: common sense (and parent groupos and kids around the state) win!

In a nutshell, a needed distinction has been made between school funds and school events and parent group funds and parent group events. Parent groups aren’t required to be 501(c)(3)s and funds are not required to be run through the district. Financial best practices still encouraged. Nice.

Wall Street Journal today covers several new fundraising options with a green theme. PTO Today’s expert take on fundraising trends included.

As you’ll see in the article, to me the #1 measuring stick has to be whether the product and company will work as a money-maker, because all the good work you do in your school depends on the earnings you pull in from your fundraiser. Yes, it would be nice to sell only all-natural, recyclable products that also cure homelessness, but that can only be a factor if the fundraiser also works as a fundraiser.

Same key questions should be asked of a green product as a less-green (more traditional product): will it sell? how much will we make? what’s the customer service like? what are return policies? do you have references? how are the forms and delivery and incentive programs handled? etc. The fundamentals remain the same. Fundamentals? Here’s a story we wrote 6 or 7 years ago on the basics of running your traditional sales fundraiser.

Have you used (or are you considerig using) a “green” fundraiser?

Fresno (CA) Bee takes a look at slow, steady decline of PTAs in region and at PTA leadership’s hopes to stem the tide. Good, comprehensive piece captures both sides.

Our PTO v PTA homepage has more on the topic.

Interested and heated discussion on the Atlanta Journal-Constitution site. The crux: should heavily-involved parents get (or expect) occasional school benefits in exchange for their volunteering?

Love the spirit and the results of this North Carolina PTO’s efforts. Group put together a fun family event (during summer break, no less) where incoming students brought in books from home to donate to school classrooms.

The results? More than 300 books for the school and a whole bunch of kids already feeling connected to their new community. Nice.

Wow — $65k is definitely one of the biggest embezzles we’ve seen. This one from a middle school PTA treasurer in California.

Of course, our embezzle blog posts wouldn’t be complete without our plea: please use common sense, basic financial controls.

Had to figure this would happen. School Committee in Massachusetts in hot water after using the PTO-funded emergency phone system to blast a pro-budget override message to all school families.

Several issues: 1) non-profits not allowed to advocate for a certain vote; and 2) Massachusetts election laws may also have been violated.

Technology — these phone trees and email solutions like our PTO Manager tool — is going to make this kind of thing even more tempting. Important that we use it well.

Jersey columnist does a nice job capturing the spirit of a local PTO’s “flocking” event (think: pink flamingos on a parent’s lawn).

Writer includes my take on events like these, but — as happens — the editing process changes things a bit. Basically, I’m a big fan of events like this. Think they add a ton of fun and spirit to a school year, and more fun and more spirit are definitely good things when a PTO is trying to connect with parents.

But even if these events make a few bucks, they shouldn’t be mistaken for fundraisers. Or at least not for good fundraisers. It would take an awful lot of pink flamingos (and more parents than you likely have in your school) to make as much from an event like this as you’ll make from a well-run, more traditional fundraiser. Better to think of your big fundraiser(s) separately from a spirit effort like this. Pink flamingos? Great. A really successful big fundraiser? Great. Pink flamingos as a really successful big fundraiser? Unlikely.

Agree or disagree? Would love to hear your thoughts.