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These dates represent the dates by which materials must be received in the California State PTA office. Earlier due dates by council and/or districts may apply in order to ensure sufficient time for information to flow through channels. Units must observe council and district PTA due dates.

September
September and October are designated membership kickoff months.

October
15   Continuing Education Scholarship applications due in the California State PTA office.

15   Outreach Translation, Cultural Arts, Healthy Lifestyles, and Parent Education grant applications due in the California State PTA office.

23-31  Red Ribbon Week

30   Per capita for 30 members received from units to qualify for Ready, Set … Remit! Award.

31   Expiration date for all memberships from previous year and membership cards.

November
1    DRAFT Resolutions and Convention Action Cover Sheet due in the California State PTA office.

15   If fiscal year ends June 30, tax and government forms are due.

December
1    Last day for state office to receive (through channels) at least the minimal amount of memberships for a unit to remain “in good standing.”

20   Insurance premiums due through insurance portal. Late fee applies for any premiums received after December 20.

January
National PTA Reflections Program entries due in California State PTA office. Contact your district president for the current year’s schedule.

5   FINAL Resolutions and Convention Action Cover Sheet due in the California State PTA office.

31   Ensure that Workers’ Compensation Annual Payroll Report and insurance premium, if any, are remitted through California State PTA’s insurance broker.

February
Check with council/district PTA for California State PTA convention pre-registration deadline and discounts.

1    Graduating High School Senior Scholarship applications due in the California State PTA office.

17   Founders Day honors the three PTA founders as well as past and present PTA leaders.

March
1    Phoebe Apperson Hearst Innovation in Family Engagement Award applications due in National PTA office (pta.org).

April/May
May 3-5, 2024 – California State PTA Convention – Ontario

June
1    District PTA presidents responsible for submitting unit, council and district PTA rosters of officers, including complete contact information for the California State PTA mailing list and directory.

1    Annual Historian Reports to be sent to the California State PTA historian.

1    Leadership Development Grant Report from district PTAs due in California State PTA office.

1    Grant Report from unit, council or district PTA grant recipients due in California State PTA office.

1   Final remittance of Founders Day freewill offerings due in California State PTA office.

National PTA Convention see pta.org for more information.

30   Final per capita for the year is due.

July/August
Use the summer months to begin planning programs, events, and membership recruitment activities for the coming school year.

California State PTA publishes numerous resources to empower and support the efforts of unit, council and district PTAs to impact positively the lives of children, youth, and families.

Download the Communications Job Description

Obtain (from predecessor) and study the procedure book and other materials related to performing the duties of communications leader:

• Print publications: past issues, deadline schedules, duplicating process and mailing permit information, templates.
• Electronic communications: email account names and passwords, web hosting information, domain name information, social media usernames, logins and passwords, webmaster contact information.
• Calendar of events and contact information for PTA officers and chairmen.
• Budget
• Names and contact information for local media contacts.

Download or obtain the Communications section of the California State PTA Toolkit to learn the basics of PTA communications, responsibilities, publications and available resources.  See PTA Style Guide.

Subscribe to California State PTA’s and National PTA’s print and electronic publications and communications.

Meet with communication board members (newsletter editor, social media chairman, website manager, etc.) before the beginning of the school year to develop a communications plan. Work closely with the school principal and the unit president.

Attend communications-related workshops and trainings.

DEVELOPING A COMMUNICATIONS PLAN

Develop a communications plan by first establishing your PTA’s communication objectives.  Solicit feedback to verify that current communications are meeting member needs. Determine:

• Who is the target audience? Consider who you want to reach.
• What are the right communications tools? Determine the best way to reach your audience.
• What is the right message for each tool? Think through what needs to be said and how and where to say it. Be concise and to the point.

Consider using:

• Newsletters (digital or print)
• Website
• Emails
• Mobile
• Social media
• Video
• Fliers
• Banners
• Word of mouth

Review PTA calendar of events. Schedule website, social media updates, event promotion and publicity around these dates.

Set submission deadlines for the year for all publications. Create a content calendar for social media and website postings.

Develop a budget to support the plan.

Present the communications plan to the executive board for approval.

A successful PTA communications plan should:

• Adhere to PTA noncommercial, nonpartisan and nonsectarian policies.
• Inform every family in the school of the aims and accomplishments of the PTA.
• Encourage and highlight attendance at PTA meetings and family engagement in PTA projects and activities.
• Foster cooperation with the school in keeping parents informed about school functions, regulations and/or procedures on child-related issues.
• Inform the community about PTA activities and school functions.
• Express appreciation to those participating in or contributing to programs.
• Tackle barriers such as language and culture.

ENSURING QUALITY COMMUNICATIONS

• Make sure that all publications material is cleared with the principal and PTA president prior to publication or posting.
  • Principal is responsible for the accuracy of school information and compliance with the State Education Code and school district policy.
  • PTA president is responsible for the accuracy of PTA information and compliance with PTA policies.
• Use the PTA logo in all communications.
• Abide by copyright laws and republish articles and art in an ethical manner.
• Do not include photographs of or specific information (names, class, email, address, etc.) about adults or students without written permission.
• Keep your message brief and to the point.
• Create visually interesting communications with careful use of photographs, bullets, quotes, charts, and graphics.
• Date all materials.
• Have 2-3 people other than the author proofread prior to publishing or posting.
• Arrange for translation services.
• Learn more

CREATING MEDIA NEWS

Local media may be interested in news coverage of your PTA event or project if it:

• Piggybacks on breaking news.
  • Be prepared to be one of the experts and demonstrate that PTA is a voice on the issues being debated.
• Ties in with anniversaries and annual happenings.
  • Identify events or dates related to schools and children (i.e.  Back-to-School) and find a way to tie them to PTA  programs.
• Spotlights a special event.
  • Announce activities that may be of interest to a large audience and invite local VIPs.
• Uses a “hook” or “angle.”
  • Tell the story in a new way. Provide a new angle.

ONGOING RESPONSIBILITIES

• Give a regular communications report to your PTA.
• Use PTA publications to promote PTA events and share information.
• Maintain an up-to-date website.
• Use social media to communicate with members.
• Encourage officers and chairmen to contribute short articles and reports for the newsletter, website, or social media site.
• Provide media releases as requested.

ACH/Online Deposit Form
Annual Financial Report (Sample)
Authorization to Purchase on the Internet
Authorization to Transfer Funds Between Accounts
Authorization for Payment Via EFT/ACH/Bank Bill Pay Services
Budget (Sample)
Cash Verification
Check and Checkbook Register (Sample)
Committee Report
Donation Receipt
Facilities Use Permit Addendum
Fiduciary Agreement
Financial Review Checklist
Financial Review Report
Financial Secretary’s Report (Sample)
Hold Harmless Agreement
Ledger (Sample)
Payment Authorization/Request for Reimbursement
Request for Advance/Payment Authorization 
Treasurer’s Report (Sample)
Unit Remittance Form
Workers’ Compensation Annual Payroll Report Form (Online)

Adopted January 2013 – Revised November 2022 – Health & Community Concerns Commission

California State PTA believes in the importance of preventing and eliminating factors that may be detrimental to the health, safety and well-being of all children, youth and families.

Dating violence affects millions of young people in the U.S. each year.  Data from Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey 2019 indicate that:

• Nearly 1 in 11 female and approximately 1 in 15 male high school students report having experienced physical dating violence in the last year.
• About 1 in 9 female and 1 in 36 male high school students report having experienced sexual dating violence in the last year.
• 26% of women and 15% of men who were victims of contact sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime first experienced these or other forms of violence by that partner before age 18.
• The burden of dating violence is not shared equally across all groups—sexual minority groups are disproportionately affected by all forms of violence, and some racial/ethnic minority groups are disproportionately affected by many types of violence.
• Compared with other students, negative attitudes toward LGBTQIA+ persons may put these youth at increased risk for experiences with violence. According to data from the 2015 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), of surveyed LGB students, 23% of LGB students who had dated or went out with someone during the 12 months before the survey had experienced sexual dating violence in the prior year.

Violence in an adolescent relationship sets the stage for problems in future relationships, including intimate partner violence and sexual violence perpetration and/or victimization throughout life.  Unhealthy, abusive, or violent relationships can have severe consequences and short-and long-term negative effects on a developing youth. For example, according to the Centers for Disease Control, youth who are victims of dating violence are more likely to:

• Experience symptoms of depression and anxiety
• Engage in unhealthy behaviors, like using tobacco, drugs, and alcohol
• Exhibit antisocial behaviors, like lying, theft, bullying or hitting
• Think about suicide

Dating violence includes four types of behavior:

• Physical violence is when a person hurts or tries to hurt a partner by hitting, kicking, or using another type of physical force.
• Sexual violence is forcing or attempting to force a partner to take part in a sex act, sexual touching, or a non-physical sexual event (e.g., sexting) when the partner does not or cannot consent.
• Psychological aggression is the use of verbal and non-verbal communication with the intent to harm another person mentally or emotionally and/or exert control over another person.
• Stalking is a pattern of repeated, unwanted attention and contact by a partner that causes fear or concern for one’s own safety or the safety of someone close to the victim.

To protect children and youth from dating violence California State PTA supports state legislation that:

• Authorizes school districts to provide education programs and policies that promote healthy relationships and prevent dating violence to pupils through age-appropriate curricular, extracurricular, and school climate-improvement activities;
• Authorizes school districts to work in partnership with parents, caregivers, and youth, domestic violence, sexual assault, or other appropriate community-based organizations, as deemed appropriate by the school district, to provide these education programs;
• Authorizes school districts that choose to provide education programs that promote healthy relationships and prevent dating violence to use research-based materials that are appropriate for pupils of all races, genders, sexual orientations, gender identities, and ethnic and cultural backgrounds, and for pupils with disabilities;
• Authorizes training for all school staff, including any security guards or police personnel that work at the school, on dating abuse and sexual assault, as well as how to handle reports of dating abuse by students, enforcement of the school’s dating abuse policy, and enforcement of civil or criminal orders of protection;
• Requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to provide information about model education programs that are designed to promote healthy relationships and prevent dating violence on the State Department of Education’s Internet Website, as specified.

Adopted March 1974 – Reviewed and deemed relevant May 2021 – Education Commission

California State PTA recognizes that public school employer-employee collective bargaining is mandated by law and that negotiations greatly influence education. As mandated by law, the bargaining parties are required to make public their positions. These details must be provided to the public at the beginning of the process. PTA has the responsibility to become knowledgeable and to inform the public about the proposed contract and any proposed changes through the negotiations. As PTA is an organization whose membership is composed of parents, teachers, students, school district employees, school board members and concerned community members, PTA must remain neutral in a dispute arising from school employer-employee negotiations.

California State PTA believes:

• All school employees are entitled to the benefits of fair employment practices including due process, optimum working conditions and adequate salaries and benefits;
• Locally-elected school boards, as representatives of the people, have legal responsibility for decision-making;
• Local school boards and school employee organizations should be accountable to the public for the terms of the contract and the fiscal impact on the instructional program; and
• Full disclosure of the final contract should be made available to the public and fiscal impact of the contract should be discussed at a public hearing before the final vote of the school board.

California State PTA supports:

• The adoption of policies by local school boards that provide full opportunity for the public to express its views on the issues to be negotiated; and
• The right of school employees, through their organizations, to meet and negotiate in good faith with public school employers to reach written agreement on those matters within the scope of bargaining^† according to state law. (Included in scope is the requirement that the local district peer assistance review process will be negotiated in the contract according to AB 2X, Statutes of 1999.)

The PTA has a responsibility to:

• Study and become informed early in the process about the proposed contracts and the fiscal implications and to analyze the effect on the students and the programs in the district;
• Inform all parties if any issue being negotiated either is consistent with or differs with adopted California State PTA position statements;
• Encourage all parties to work cooperatively to develop procedures to ensure that classrooms and students are not used for propaganda purposes;
• Remain neutral in the event of a dispute^††;
• Continue with normal PTA activities in the event of a dispute; and
• Inform parents and community members about proposed contracts and encourage other school-based and community organizations to study proposed contracts.

(The above statement is a policy of the PTA as an organization, and is in no way intended as an infringement on the activities of its members acting as individuals.)

^† Scope of bargaining – The law defines “scope,” as a broad range of issues and subjects that either party may or may not introduce for negotiation. Scope is a crucial, dynamic, and frequently litigated area.

^†† Dispute – a verbal controversy, a controversy, a debate, or quarrel on any issue under discussion.

Adopted March 1986 – Reviewed and deemed relevant May 2016 – Revised February 2021 – Health & Community Concerns Commission

According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, every year, millions of men, women, and children are trafficked in countries around the world, including the United States. It is estimated that human trafficking is a $32 billion per year industry, second only to drug trafficking as the most profitable form of transnational crime.

Human trafficking is a hidden crime, as victims rarely come forward to seek help because of language barriers, fear of the traffickers, and/or fear of law enforcement.  Traffickers use force, fraud, or coercion to lure their victims and force them into labor or commercial sexual exploitation. They look for people who are vulnerable for a variety of reasons, including economic hardship, natural disasters, or political instability. The trauma can be so great that many may not identify themselves as victims or ask for help, even in highly public settings.

According to National PTA, at least 200,000 children across the United States are estimated to be victims of domestic trafficking.

As an advocate for children, California State PTA believes PTA has the responsibility to work with schools as well as social and government agencies to support:

• The ongoing operation of a state clearinghouse to serve as a missing children information center that would tie into the National Crime Information Center;
• The maintenance of the California Violent Crime Information Center to assist in the identification and the apprehension of persons responsible for the disappearance and exploitation of children, plus an automated computer system for response to reports of missing children;
• Requiring local law enforcement agencies to make immediate assessment of steps needed to locate minors and, within 24 hours, file report(s) with clearinghouses and other agencies as may be appropriate;
• Establishment of a statewide computer system to provide multi-jurisdictional coordination;
• Programs to assist runaway and homeless youth and their families, including programs to temporarily provide safe shelters while families and/or appropriate agencies are contacted;
• Legislation that would provide stringent punishment for murderers of children and for perpetrators of serious and repeated physical, mental and sexual abuse crimes against children;
• Adequate funding for missing children programs and national missing and exploited children centers/clearinghouses;
• Legislation to require that the school records of missing children who had been attending school are appropriately marked in case another school requests that child’s cumulative folder;
• Establishment of uniform school district policies statewide that would require appropriate school personnel to immediately contact law enforcement when they believe a child to be missing and report any suspected missing child in attendance at school to law enforcement as is required in cases of suspected child abuse;
• Encouraging elementary schools to offer age-appropriate child abduction prevention curriculum to children and to their parents;
• The display of posters or pictures of currently missing children in an area accessible to school personnel only within each school;
• Ensuring the reintegration of long-term missing children who have been located back into the school system; and
• Legislation to secure the safety of the school facility.

Signs of human trafficking can be recognized by the following red flags:

Common Work and Living Conditions:

• Is not free to leave or come and go as he/she wishes
• Is in the commercial sex industry and has a pimp / manager
• Is unpaid, paid very little, or paid only through tips
• Works excessively long and/or unusual hours
• Is not allowed breaks or suffers under unusual restrictions at work
• Owes a large debt and is unable to pay it off
• Was recruited through false promises concerning the nature and conditions of his/her work
• Faces high security measures at work and/or living locations (e.g. opaque windows, boarded up windows, bars on windows, barbed wire, security cameras, etc.)

Poor Mental Health or Abnormal Behavior:

• Is fearful, anxious, depressed, submissive, tense, or nervous/paranoid
• Exhibits unusually fearful or anxious behavior after bringing up law enforcement
• Avoids eye contact

Poor Physical Health:

• Lacks medical care and/or is denied medical services by employer
• Appears malnourished or shows signs of repeated exposure to harmful chemicals
• Shows signs of physical and/or sexual abuse, physical restraint, confinement, or torture

Lack of Control:

• Has few or no personal possessions
• Is not in control of his/her own money, no financial records, or bank account
• Is not in control of his/her own identification documents (ID or passport)
• Is not allowed or able to speak for themselves (a third party may insist on being present and/or translating)

California State PTA urges immediate reporting of potential child trafficking situations:

• If a child is in urgent need of assistance, contact law enforcement or child protective services to report abuse, neglect, or exploitation of a child.
• The Childhelp® National Child Abuse Hotline professional crisis counselors can connect a caller with a local number to report abuse. Contact Childhelp at 1.800.4.A.CHILD. (1.800.422.4453).
• The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children® (NCMEC) aims to prevent child abduction and sexual exploitation; help find missing children; and assist victims of child abduction and sexual exploitation, their families, and the professionals who serve them. Contact NCMEC at 1.800.THE.LOST (1.800.843.5678) or report incidents at http://www.missingkids.org/gethelpnow/cybertipline
• The National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) operates a hotline 24 hours a day, every day. The NHTRC will help callers identify and coordinate with local organizations that protect and serve victims of trafficking. Contact the NHTRC at 1.888.373.7888.

Founders Day is a perfect time to renew the dedication to the Purposes of the PTA that were defined by PTA’s founders more than a century ago. Each year in February, PTA honors the three founders as well as past and present PTA leaders. Through special programs and events, PTA also attempts to increase the awareness of its members and the community by highlighting achievements, activities, projects and goals.

The Founders Day celebration was created in 1910 by Mrs. David O. Mears, a charter member of the National Congress of Mothers founded by Alice McLellan Birney and Phoebe Apperson Hearst in Washington, D.C., February 17, 1897. The Founders Day observance has continued through the change of organization names in 1925 to the National Congress of Parents and Teachers, and the uniting in 1970 with the National Congress of Colored Parents and Teachers, founded in 1926 by Selena Sloan Butler, to become the National PTA (A Brief History: Working Together for Children Since 1987).

Issues concerning immigrants, homeless children and families, the unemployed and the uneducated, and numerous health and safety concerns still need attention. However, through PTA advocacy to enact and enforce laws, children’s health is better protected and children are better fed, housed and educated, with parents more involved in their upbringing. The vision of PTA’s founders has been realized in many ways, and now it is up to present PTA members to continue the vision.

Purpose of Plan

Explore alternate solutions to identified problem(s).

Open informal communication among various community groups.

Share information and resources and avoid duplication of efforts.

Ensure that program improvement and changes are relevant to the community.

Steps to Follow

Consider the probable community response.

• Is the political climate receptive to improvements in this area?
• Have there been previous efforts?
• What is the general community’s attitude toward this problem?

Identify influential leaders to be involved. Make sure the group is balanced and no special interests dominate. Ensure that participant’s time and talents are utilized effectively. Consider representatives from the following groups:

• Parents of preschool and school-aged children;
• Students, teachers and school administrators;
• School board members;
• Media representatives;
• Professionals in the field, such as health, welfare, social services;
• Key people from public and private agencies serving children and families;
• Business and civic leaders;
• City, county and/or state officials;
• Representatives from the religious community; and
• Community volunteers and other interested persons.

Set specifics of initial meeting:

• Date, time, place;
• Identify chairman and secretary;
• Establish meeting format and agenda; and
• Assign hospitality responsibilities including coffee/tea/sodas, name tags, and sign-in sheet.

Prepare and send letters of invitation to potential participants. Include the following in letters:

• Meeting purpose;
• Invitation to participate;
• Date, time, place and directions;
• Due date and contact person for response;
• Preliminary agenda; and
• List of invited participants.

At the meeting:

• Review identified problems/leadership needs/goals;
• Determine whether any existing school and/or community programs deal with the problem;
• Analyze existing beliefs, attitudes, circumstances, etc., in the community regarding the problem;
• Determine what changes could cause things to be different (e.g., beliefs, attitudes, circumstances, laws, time, money);
• Develop a tentative action plan;
• Brainstorm ideas;
• Prioritize action (may include immediate and future action);
• Examine obstacles to plan implementation;
• Decide whether ideas presented are feasible;
• Identify available group resources (e.g., people, enthusiasm, dollars);
• Identify obstacles that will prevent effective action;
• Remove obstacles and/or develop alternatives for each part of the plan;
• Determine if additional information is needed;
• If necessary, schedule another meeting in order to obtain additional information;
• If any obstacle cannot be removed, select an alternative action; and
• Assess alternatives for potential obstacles.

Develop a final action plan (Final Action Plan):

• List all steps needed to carry out the plan;
• Identify the person responsible for each step;
• Establish the time frame for each step;
• Identify budget needs including amount and sources;
• Obtain necessary approvals;
• Obtain letters of support from appropriate community individuals, organizations and agencies if outside funding is required;
• Identify evaluation method for each step;
• Set date for project completion and final evaluation; and
• Determine whether the agreed-upon goals and objectives are met.

Take the action plan to the PTA board and general membership for final approval.

Implement the Action Plan

Through the evaluation process, show to what extent the group can be a viable community force.

Purpose

• To ensure the action plan is being implemented.
• To make modifications to the plan, if evaluation data indicates changes are needed.

Steps to Follow

Monitor progress of the action plan through regular reports.

Modify the action plan as necessary. Be flexible.

At a meeting of the group, review:

• Action taken;
• Time and funds spent;
• Difficulties encountered;
• Successful experiences; and
• Unmet objectives.

This section defines or explains terms that financial officers and chairmen may encounter in their PTA work.

• Approval by Membership – The requirement that all expenditures, programs and projects, including those specified in the budget, must obtain approval and/or ratification by the membership. All approval of expenditures, programs and projects MUST be recorded in the minutes.
• Authorization for Payment – An authorization for payment documents approval to pay bills for services or supplies, or reimbursement to a member for expenses. After approval by the association, the completed authorization for payment permits the treasurer to write checks. All bills, receipts and invoices should be attached to approved authorization.
• Bylaws – Specific rules of operation for the orderly conduct of business adopted by vote of the members. All PTA bylaws have certain specified, starred sections in common which cannot be changed. Any change in bylaws requires approval of the state parliamentarian, a 30-day prior notice and a two-thirds vote of the membership.
• Cash Verification Form – A form to document receipt of coins, currency and checks from membership, fundraisers, and donations, which protects and safeguards volunteers’ handling of PTA funds.
• Carry-over Funds – These funds represent the amount which is set aside to begin operations at the beginning of the next PTA fiscal year, prior to the onset of fundraising activities.
• Certificate of Insurance – A document issued by the insurance broker certifying that an insurance policy covering general liability is in force. A Certificate of Insurance is emailed to all unit, council, and district PTAs in good standing. A copy may be obtained by contacting the California State PTA insurance broker.
• Channels – The formal communication route through the association to ensure that each level within the association is informed. In PTA, the channel is from the unit to the council (if in council) or from the unit to the district PTA (when there is no council), from the council to the district PTA, and from the district PTA to California State PTA.
• Commingled Funds – Funds from two organizations deposited together. Because a unit is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit association, it must comply with all Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requirements, regulations and laws. The IRS considers all funds in PTA accounts to belong to the association regardless of source. A PTA must handle only those funds over which it has full control and the total amount must be declared as gross income to the PTA. All funds in the PTA account must have association approval for disbursement.
• Contract – A legally enforceable agreement between two or more persons or organizations. Contracts must be approved by the PTA membership before being signed by two elected officers, one of whom must be the president.
• Contributions – Donations of money, property, or services received by the PTA from individuals or businesses. PTAs must follow Internal Revenue Service guidelines for receipts for contributions.
• Embezzlement – Stealing of money entrusted into one’s care by means of fraud for one’s own use.
• Facilities Use Permit – A permit required by most school districts that when approved authorizes the PTA to use school site facilities.
• Fiscal Year – The financial accounting period established by the PTA, and identified in the Bylaws for Local PTA/PTSA Units, Article XIII, Section 7, as a time for the association to close its financial books and records for the past 12-month period. The IRS is notified of the fiscal year at the time of organization when IRS Form SS-4 is submitted.
• Founders Day Freewill Offering – A freewill offering commemorating the founders of PTA. Contributions are forwarded through channels to California State PTA and set aside in a special fund for leadership services. The contributions are considered as “funds not belonging to the unit, council, or district” and are not included as income in the budget.
• Gifts to Individuals – A personal gift to a PTA member or school staff. Gifts to individuals cannot be paid for with PTA funds. Personal gifts include gift cards, gifts for baby showers, secretary’s day, bereavements, weddings, or birthdays. If the unit wishes to recognize an individual, donations must be collected as freewill offerings and the money maintained separately from PTA funds.
• Gifts to Schools – Gifts to the school that benefit the largest number of students possible. Be sure to check with the school district before purchasing any materials for the school. Gifts should be in the form of a donation, presented and accepted by the school board at a school board meeting, and recorded in the school board minutes. Always use a fiduciary agreement.
• Good Standing – The term applies to units, councils and districts that have met all requirements specified in the bylaws, which includes remittance of insurance premiums and membership per capita to California State PTA by the established due dates.
• Grants – A specific set of dollars given by businesses, foundations, and corporations to an organization to perform specific functions. Projects for which PTA is seeking grants must promote the Purposes of the PTA and be relevant to the goals of PTA.
• Gross Receipts – The total amount of receipts before any deductions are taken or expenses are paid. For the purpose of completing the IRS Form 990, monies forwarded through channels to the California State PTA office are not considered gross receipts. This includes membership per capita, Founders Day freewill offerings, and insurance premiums.
• Hold Harmless Agreement – An agreement in which the signing party assumes responsibility for all acts and all liability for any injuries that occur related to an event. PTA MUST NOT SIGN A HOLD HARMLESS AGREEMENT WITHOUT PERMISSION FROM AIM INSURANCE. California State PTA insurance does not cover vendors, concessionaires, or service providers; these entities must provide Evidence of Insurance to each PTA unless annual Evidence of Insurance has been filed with the California State PTA Insurance Broker. A Hold Harmless Agreement may be found in the Insurance Guide.
• Membership Per Capita – The amount of money that must be forwarded through channels for each membership received in the unit in order to be considered a unit in good standing by California State PTA.
• Minutes – The permanent legal record of all action taken by the association and the executive board. All financial reports become a part of the minutes.
• Noncommercial Policy – A policy requiring that the name PTA, a registered service mark, or the names of PTA officers shall not be used in conjunction with the commercial activities of other organizations including, but not limited to, the promotion of their goods and services.
• Ratification – The approval by the membership of an action taken by the PTA executive board as specified in Bylaws for Local PTA/PTSA Units, Article VIII, Section 2b.
• Reconciliation of Funds – The process of bringing into agreement the bank balance as shown on the bank statement, the checkbook ledger, and the check register. The purpose is to ensure that the bank records and the association’s financial records are correct, to identify outstanding checks, and to determine the actual balance against which future checks may be drawn.
• Reimbursement of Expenses – Allowable out-of-pocket officers’ expenses shown as a line item on the budget adopted by the association are reimbursable. Reimbursement is made upon the submission of an expense statement and/or receipts.
• Sales Tax – A tax imposed on the purchase of products. Units are considered consumers by the California State Board of Equalization and they are not required to charge sales tax on merchandise sold. Units do pay sales tax on the price of merchandise purchased for resale or use.
• Scrip – A coupon which may be redeemed in lieu of using cash at the store that issued the scrip. Scrip is purchased, usually from grocery stores, in large amounts for a discount off the face value. The PTA sells the scrip at the full value, raising funds for the unit. Many companies now offer electronic e-scrip.
• Scholarships – Funds to assist students in furthering their educational objectives. The scholarship program, including the amount and number of scholarships to be awarded, must be approved by the membership.
• Sponsorship – Financial support received from a business. The law permits a PTA to receive corporate sponsorship income tax free, if the sponsorship is linked to a specific event and the event is held once per year. The PTA gives the corporate sponsor an acknowledgment of thanks in return for the sponsorship.
• Unallocated Reserve Funds – The amount remaining after making allocations for budgeted programs and activities, and may be used to cover any unexpected or unplanned expenses in the current fiscal year. The association must adopt a budget amendment to transfer funds from Unallocated Reserves to a specific budget category prior to disbursing funds.