You could show her the stuff from this site about what everyone thinks is just good sense. No business would go a year without having books checked up. You've gone 3. It's not about catching crimes (although an audit will do that) it's about having an extra pair of trained eyes double-checking. She shouldn't mind if you present it right.
we have had the same treasurer for 3 years now. she has never had anyone quiestion what she buys or what is on her receipts. i have worked along side this pto as an officer and a helper. this year i am going to run for president. she may run for treasurer again. i don't know. my quiestion is if i get in i want to have a budget for the year and i believe the books should be audited. how, if i get in, can i have these things done without her taking offense?
there are different types of audits "external" and "internal". An external audit can be expensive. But, it will provide you high confort that errors and irregularities are unconvered. My PTO doesn't do an external audit. Instead we have a PTO member perform an internal audit. It is your fiduciary duty to safequard your PTO assets. Having an audit whether internal or external, protects the board members and PTO from public scrutiny and helps fullfill your fiduciary duty.
Our pto never had real audits until last year...I pushed for it. We normally had two non officers go over the books with the treasurer...but it could not be called an audit because it took all of ten minutes with the treasurer pointing things out. Now thankfully our districts business manager has agreed to audit our books voluntarily. Audits not only protect out going treasurers but also in coming as well of any discrepancies.
Our Bylaws clearly state that we should have an annual audit of our financial books at the end of our fiscal year in July. I don't think this has ever happened, and luckily, we've never run into a problem. However, I am the outgoing treasurer, and I want to have the satisfaction, confidence, and protection of an audit.
Who audits your books? An independent professional? A member of the district staff? A qualified parent? Do you pay a fee or is it done by a volunteer? What information do you provide and about how long does it take? Thanks for the insight.
