Q&A

Budget that has been voted on

I am the President of my school's PTO. Earlier in the year the executive board and myself made a budget and it was voted in by the general board. We had a special line item on this budget for teacher's needs. Now most of my Executive board has gotten upset with a decision that our principal has made and would like to hold the funds for teacher's needs over to the next year. My question is can they do this without getting a vote from the general board? If so, how many votes would be needed in the Executive board to pass? Also we are a 501 3(c) organization so would this have any bearing on the decision?
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I think the situation, involving a little bit of controversy, probably merits a vote. You would need a simple majority to make the change. You don't mention any of the details, but is it possible to negotiate a compromise? Assuming the teachers still need the money, is there a way to make your point without doing something that might have a direct effect on their effectiveness? The article Negotiating With the Principal offers some tips for getting your point across.
- Craig
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Negotiating With the Principal: https:/www.ptotoday.com//pto-today-articles/article/176-negotiating-with-the-principal

One more thing -- this kind of decision isn't affected by your 501(c)(3) status. The IRS primarily cares that you continue to spend your money in a way that matches your mission (helping the students and the school). It's up to you how you allot the money within that context.
- Craig
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