March 19, 2008
I am writing to give the public information about the largest child advocacy group that is run by volunteers. I am talking about the PTA. The PTA is a grass roots organization celebrating over 110 years of child advocacy.
There is a very real misconception of what the PTA’s financial role is in the school building and community.
The Purposes of the National PTA, the New York State PTA, and the local PTA are promoted through an educational program directed toward parents, teachers, and the general public; are developed through conferences, committees, projects, and programs; and are governed and qualified by the basic policies.
The Mission of the New York State Congress of Parents and Teachers, Inc. (NYS PTA) recognizes that every child deserves excellence in education and in quality of life. NYS PTA will maintain its commitment and service to all children and to its diverse membership through increased parent and community awareness, advocacy, education, and involvement.
Its Purposes:
- To promote the welfare of children and youth in home, school, community, and place of worship.
- To raise the standards of home life.
- To secure adequate laws for the care and protection of children and youth.
- To bring into closer relation the home and the school, that parents and teachers may cooperate intelligently in the education of children and youth.
- To develop between educators and the general public such united efforts as will secure for all children and youth the highest advantages in physical, mental, social, and spiritual education.
The New York State PTA is incorporated as a not-for-profit organization under the laws of New York State and serves as a branch of National PTA for the purpose of accomplishing the Objects of the National PTA.
The PTA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, and as such, bound by government rules and regulations. IRS regulations prohibit a 501(c)(3) organization from raising funds for other organizations, entities, or individuals.
While PTAs need to raise funds to support themselves and their programs, they should not be raising funds for other organizations. Any money spent by the PTA must be approved by its membership. The building principal or school employees don’t decide how to spend the money of the organization.
The IRS prohibits 501(c)(3) organizations from running funds through their bank accounts for other groups and the NYS Department of Tax and Finance prohibits the sharing of sales tax exempt numbers. Violations can cause the PTA unit to lose its tax exempt status.". The PTA is a child advocacy organization – it is not responsible for providing funds for school field trips (or the buses for them), Science Fair ribbons, Odyssey of the Mind T-Shirts (both of these should have budgets provided by the school district), or any other school function or program that is not a PTA program. It is not to be used as a supplement where there have been budget cuts or budget inadequacies.
State and National PTA offer opportunities to students to participate in enrichment activities such as The Reflections Program, Parents as Reading Partners (PARP), as well as offer Scholarships to high school seniors going into the teaching professions (Jenkins Memorial Scholarship for Teacher Education), and teachers can apply for the Teacher Fellowship for Continuing Education-In Memory of Richard Gazzola.
PTA members stand next to Teacher, School Board and many other associations to advocate for the monies needed to properly educate our children.
I would encourage people to check out the NYS PTA website at www.nyspta.org and educate themselves about PTA. Then I would encourage people to find one of the local units and join it. You do not have to have a child in school to support the Mission and Purposes of the New York State PTA.
Wendy DelSanto, Southeastern Region PTA Director
