PTA - what are you raising money for? How do you decide? where do you draw the line?

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Just wondering really. There seems to be some unrest in our group. Our school is a comfortable, in a nice area, no poverty and seems to be that they are struggling to find ways to spend the money. What we do spend it on is very nice stuff and sports kit.

What is the PTA for - is it also to provide a bonding experience, raise money for everyone. Is so what about small groups who want it for them?

If the school doesnt really need anything what special things can it do? what about bringing in specialist people demonstrate/what about gardens, flowers?

Have you raised 'big' money to fund something for the good of all?

Can you do some charity work with it? Do some joint projects with children in more deprived areas? Fund the school to go on a trip somewhere like the seaside? Enrichment activities such as musicians, artists, visiting 'experts'? Technology?

Eg we did a big event today to raise money for a charity I'm connected to. We raise around £2k a year, it goes out to the country we are raising money for, I then arrange for photos and videos of how the money is spent to be sent to the school.

The school already raisies money for charity such as NSPCC.
Not sure if they would like the idea either, the deprived schools in the area receive a substantial amount of government aid which our school doesnt receive.

School trips, planting trees, creating an outdoor classroom, building a bike shed, new school yard toys and equipment, school stage, new projector for the hall or similar items that benefit everyone.

Seasonal free parties for children and their families, supporting the 'school family' ethos.

Sorry, I didn't make myself clear, maybe doing some joint stuff with the more disadvantaged schools, not donating the money to them willy nilly. You could do something like a joint street party for the jubilee or some joint sport events etc. good for your children to see that there is more to life than skiing holidays and two weeks in the south of France as well as being beneficial to the other children as well. Could be a lot of fun.

Buy each class a decent digital camera and some batteries!

We fund trips to the cinema, theatre groups to come and out on performances, an author/poet/artist for a day/week, fund after school activities eg gardening,cooking,sewing,art, play equipment, new books/toys, gifts for the leavers and to commemorate the queens jubilee & the Olympics, coach hire for sporting fixtures, competition prizes, school cups for effort and acheivements, enamel badges for prefects/house captains. etc etc

If your PTA is a charity (and most are), it is illegal to spend the money raised on things not connected with the sole purpose of the charity. So doing a PTA event where some of the money goes elsewhere leaves you on very sticky ground.

RiversideMum - depends on what the stated purpose of the PTA is.

Reading between the lines, I am guessing OP is at a private school and I think their PTAs often raise funds for other charities. As long as it is in their constitution as one of their purposes, they are OK. If it is not, then as you say they are on sticky ground. I was on our PTA and had to explain to the school staff a few times that while we could help them in their charity endeavours, it had to be as parents not at the PTA.

We raised money last year to replace the entire reading scheme at school which cost thousands of pounds. We are this year planning to upgrade outside playground equipment as the major expense while at the same time giving a bit of money to each teacher to spend how they like in their classrooms, putting on a jubilee party and Olympics sports event, leavers disco etc.

giving a bit of money to each teacher to spend how they like in their classrooms

Bottle of gin in the store cupboard...?

Nope, its a state church school.

The teachers are asked but hardly any of them come up with anything. I think there should be more focus on raising something big. We bought outdoor play systems and picnic tables.

Some of them want to buy musical instruments but many disagree as this would only benefit the few, and in the past instrucments have been let out and never returned and who would police a loan system? Some parents think if you want your children to do music at a young age then you should pay for it and from experience only a handful stick at it.

Usually if a circus, display comes we usually pay £2 for the privilage. but agree that more specialist field trips would be benficial.

I defo think more should be done for the olympics. However it is the end of July and the summer school club runs in the school. I will bring this up.

Perhaps the head should really focus on improving the school in some way, the sports dept is weak.

Our PTA bought new wall bars/climbing system for the hall as the old set was contemporary with the building so rather ancient! Reading books and phonics teaching aids would be good as there is Govt match funding for that at the moment.

I would have thought that managing and replenishing a school library could be a bottomless pit for PTA funds and volunteers.

If the PTA is a registered charity (which it should be) then you have to be a bit careful about raising money for another charity - I think it's OK as long as you make it very clear who you're raising the money for. But you can't give an existing amount of money (previously raised for the PTA) to another charity - although OK if it's say a cake sale where you clearly state the money is for Comic Relief or whoever.

I do think part of the mandate of a PTA should be to improve the sense of community, to help find ways to get parents feel more involved. We've bought a PC which is for families to use to access school info/resources/whatever if they don't have a computer at home, and made a room that wasn't really being used into a parents room, with stuff for toddlers to play with, books etc.

You mention weak sports - can you get in specialist coaching for lunchtime clubs - say football or tennis or whatever you have scope for?

We're not in the same boat as the OP, as the school has a mixed cohort and until recently was probably the 'poorest' school in the area - but here's some of the things we have spent/spend money on:

chickens for the school allotment, upkeep for the school allotment
new reading books for all key stages
carpets for classrooms
sports kit for the swimming team etc
musical equipment
music workshop with a great choirmaster
prizes for various competitions/challenges
play equipment
plants for the flowerbeds outside the classrooms
BBQs for the PTA events
fresh sand for the sand pit

We plan to raise 'big money' - if possible - to buy staggered seating for our new hall, when its built.

Our PTA has a very clear two-fold remit: to raise funds to help enhance our children's learning journey, and to support good relationships between children, families, staff, and the wider community. So our fundraising efforts are balanced with keeping an eye on what the majority can afford (ie no hugely expensive tickets for social events, low charges on stalls at the fair so families with low incomes and four kids can participate, etc) and on goodwill and fun being just as important as fund raising

for some reason, my posts are appearing without commas or paragraphs - they are in there, but won't publish

Our PTA receives a wishlist from staff, but generally focusses on one major item at a time. So in the last year, a new trim trail has been constructed in the grounds, with PTA money. This year, they are working towards a shaded area in the rather exposed KS2 playground.

They've also funded smaller things, like special events involving outside groups (e.g. paying for a theatre group to visit), gifts for the children at Christmas etc. I gather they will also be paying for a decent Diamond Jubilee souvenier for each child.

We felt that the staff at our school weren't very forthcoming with ideas for things to spend our PTA money on. We gave each class a gift of £50 to spend on a classroom resource and it took me ages to chase them all up to spend it!! 23 classes in all, in fact 4 teachers didn't even take up the offer!! As a PTA we have now decided to be more proactive and find resources that we think might benefit the children, then we show the Headteacher what we had in mind and she agrees it. Don't be afraid to make suggestions or present things you have found which are good value for money, or would enhance the topics the children are covering. It may be that the staff just haven't seen it or thought about it. I think staff are so busy planning, marking, filling in paper work, going on courses etc that the last thing they have time for is looking for ways to spend PTA money.

Yes tinytalker this seems to happen here too. I find it hard to believe that only 2 teachers can come up with anything. They must have wish lists or needs.

I'm surprised that a nature trail, pond, flowers, tree planting hasnt been discussed part of the 'forest school'/eco club so I will mention this.

The sport thing is a defo.

please keep them coming Thanks

How do you raise the money ? Is it possible (if school are in agreement) that maybe you have reached an optimum level of fundraising and maybe you should cut back on the fundraising a bit? After all the parents are usually the ones that end up contributing and if the school are struggling with how to spend the money then their own children are not getting an immediate benefit from it - which seems a bit unfair and not really good for parent/school relations. You may end up in a situation whereby the PTA ( a few parents) are lumbered with all the fundraising and planning - because it is expected by the school but other parents are sick of being asked to volunteer their time and money so don't help out! I speak from experience.