Fundraising is the method of raising money to finance PTA programs and projects. The fundraising project must support the goals of PTA and be related to the educational, charitable, and philanthropic purposes as a tax-exempt organization. When planning the year’s activities, PTAs should use the 3-to-1 Rule: There should be at least three non-fundraising programs aimed at helping parents or children or advocating for school improvements, for every one fundraiser.
Fundraising should involve as many members as possible and be fun. It should not be a burden to the school staff or parent volunteers, compete with or detract from school lunch and nutrition programs, or conflict with other PTA, school, or community events. Children should never be used to sell door-to-door or exploited to raise funds. It cannot involve commercial or advertising obligations.
The fundraising project must have the approval of the membership in advance of the event, and the vote must be recorded in the minutes. Projects must have a specific purpose. If the fundraising project is ongoing (e.g., Amazon Smile), it must be approved each year by the association membership.
3-to-1 Rule: There should be at least three non-fundraising programs aimed at helping parents or children or advocating for school improvements for every one fundraiser.
