Please take a moment to review the information on these pages. They may help answer some of your questions and help ensure effective communication between committees, PTO members, and the PTO Board, as well as ensure compliance with the PTO bylaws and financial policies.

Getting Started - VP of Events: Each committee will fall under the direction of our VP of Special Events. The VP of Special Events will help you get started and answer any questions. Please keep this person updated on your progress, so that they can report back at Executive Board meetings, or general PTO meetings (if you are unable to attend). Please copy the VP of Events on committee communications and meeting dates/times in order to avoid duplication of efforts whenever possible. As your point person they are also an excellent source for troubleshooting any problems that may arise with your event. Committees should meet with the VP of Special Events after the completion of events to capture what worked and what needs to be improved in the future. This post-event reflection should be done within 30 days. Depending on your event.

Communication Chain: Per District Policy:

1. School Admin/Teachers > PTO President > Exec Board > Committee Chair/Members

2. Members/Committee Chairs > Exec. Board > PTO President > School Admin/Teachers
   

Budget: Each committee will have a budget set by the GB PTO. Your committee should come up with a budget plan for their event and track expenses against the allotted budget. In the case that additional funds are needed: funds under $500 require a vote from the PTO Board. Funds over $500 require a vote from the PTO General Membership at a PTO meeting.

Records: If you are chairing a new committee, please set up a binder or google drive to keep all important information and instructions, as this is extremely important for a smooth transition to a new chairperson in the future. As chairperson, you are responsible for updating the binder/google drive for the current year’s activities and records. This should also include an itemized budget for your committee. All information should be turned over to the VP of Special Events at the end of your event. 

Volunteers: As the committee chair, you would need to let the VP of Special Events know how many volunteers you require for an event and the time slots you’d require the volunteers for. We will then set up a sign-up genius and send out communication for sign-ups via our monthly newsletter and/or PTO Email Blasts. We will also give you a list of volunteers that have expressed interest in helping out via Future Fund. As soon as volunteers are recruited, please contact them, reconfirm their commitment, and go over the details of what they will be working on. Volunteers may not remember signing up for positions and will be grateful for any reminders. Please communicate regularly with your volunteers to keep them informed of event details and changes and enlist the PTO Board to join you in thanking everyone who helped in the event.

PTO Meetings: There will be many PTO Meetings throughout the year. The meetings can be found on the PTO website www.greenbrookpto.org. Please make an effort to attend these meetings, and be prepared to make a short, informal report on your committee’s progress with your event. You may also be asked to attend an Executive Board Meeting should the board require familiarization with your event or if a particular issue has developed that needs to be resolved. If you are unable to attend a meeting, please inform your point person, and provide them with a brief progress report, so that they may update the Board on your behalf. You can also use our PTO Social Hour as a time to meet with the board or your committee. 

Reimbursement Form: Reimbursement requests must be filled out and submitted within 30 days of the purchase for all reimbursable expenses. This form can also be found on the PTO website www.greenbrookpto.org under ‘Forms and Resources’. Once the form is filled out, attach the receipts to the form and submit them to the treasurer. Reimbursements will not be issued without a receipt. 

Petty Cash: If you need petty cash for your event, please contact the PTO Treasurer at least one week prior to your event. Please also make every effort to ensure that your expenses are reimbursed within 30 days.

Deposits: All checks and cash deposits should be given to the PTO Treasurer after the final count along with the ‘Deposit Notice’ form found on our website. Deposits should not be handled for more than 2-3 days. If a cash box/petty cash was needed, please make sure your cash box return is on a separate deposit form from your earnings. 

Check Request: Payment requests in which a check is to be issued to a vendor must be submitted within one week of the receipt of the invoice. Please contact the PTO Treasurer at least one week prior to the date the check is needed. All checks must have an invoice submitted or it cannot be issued. 

Sales Tax: When incurring expenses for your event, please note that we are a sales tax-exempt organization in NJ. Therefore, we are not required to pay sales tax to vendors or most merchants. You may obtain a copy of our tax-exempt letter from your point person.

Contracts: All contracts must be signed by the PTO President (per PTO & District policy) in order to prevent undue liability. Please provide contracts to them and please allow several days to process.

Secure the Date (when applicable): The event date needs to be approved by the PTO Board, to ensure that there are no conflicts. When planning an event, please work with your PTO point person to get it on the school calendar and go through the formalities that are required. 

Room Request Form (when applicable): When planning an event on school grounds, the PTO President must fill out a Facilities Request Form. Please notify the VP of Communications for this submission. This form ensures that your event is registered with the office. This form should be completed as soon as you have a date for your event as many areas of the school are booked in advance by other organizations. Please also indicate any special needs you may have for your event, particularly those pertaining to the custodial staff (this could include use of extension cords, placement of chairs and tables, etc.)

Promoting Your Event or Program: Promoting your event or program is one of the biggest keys to success. Make sure to get a promotional message out about 4 weeks prior to your event or program. Our primary audience for our events and programs is the school community, and we mainly use 3 different channels to promote each event or program:

• GB PTO Newsletter via Parent Square. These are sent out on the 1st Tuesday of every month so you will need to plan accordingly to get your information out in time. 

• GB PTO Email Blast: for PTO members ONLY

• Facebook Posts

Please submit your promotional messages to the VP of Events or PTO President to be sent out. They can share their experience and best practices, provide editorial assistance, help determine what is needed and provide tips on creating an effective message.

PTO Supplies: Please be aware that the PTO has many supplies in the PTO closet including road signs, tablecloths, plates, cups, bottled water, and other items left over from past events. The PTO also has many games available as well if needed. Check with a PTO board member to see if you can reuse or repurpose items for your event or program. For items that are being borrowed, please sign the items in/out via the sign in/out sheet inside the PTO closet door. 

Vendors: There are many different vendors that we have worked with in the past, some good experiences and some not so good experiences. To get the best pricing, and avoid repeat mistakes, please check with the VP of Events regarding vendors and suppliers for your event or program.

Sponsors: If your event or program requires corporate sponsorship, please check with the VP of events or VP of Fundraising to develop a list of companies to reach out to. It is important to approach the right mix of businesses for your event and to be sensitive to companies that have already contributed to the school for other events. The relationships that the PTO has with these companies are very important, and we want to make sure that they continue to support us in the future.

We hope this guideline helps you as you begin your important work for our school. Thank you for volunteering. We hope you find this experience to be fun and rewarding.