Planning For Fundraising: How to Create a PTO
From classroom supplies to field trips, your PTO has plenty of ways to support students, but deciding what you can afford is harder when fundraising income is uncertain. Creating a PTO budget helps you prioritize those needs and determine how much you need to raise. Once you have a goal, Gifts ’N Things fundraisers for schools offer flexible ways to get your community involved in reaching it. Here’s how to organize your expenses, choose fundraisers, and bring everything together in a budget for the school year.
What Should You Include in a PTO Budget?
Start by reviewing last year’s bank statements, receipts, and event records to understand where your PTO spent money. Then talk with school staff and PTO members about this year’s needs, including recurring expenses and new requests. Estimate the cost of each item using past spending as a guide, allowing for price changes. Group expenses into categories and rank them by priority so your team knows which commitments to fund first and which activities could be scaled back if necessary.
Common PTO expense categories include:
- Classroom support: Supplies, books, equipment, and teacher requests
Student experiences: Field trips, transportation, assemblies, and guest speakers - School events: Food, decorations, rentals, and seasonal celebrations
- PTO operations: Administrative supplies, promotional materials, and applicable fees
How Much Does Your PTO Need to Raise?
Once you have estimated expenses, look at the money available to cover them. Start with your PTO’s current balance, setting aside anything already committed to outstanding bills or a specific purpose. Add expected income, such as membership dues or confirmed donations, then subtract that total from planned spending. The difference is your fundraising target. Check that target against past results and likely participation. If it looks difficult to reach, revisit optional expenses before promising more than your group can afford.
Here’s a simple example:
- Planned school expenses: $12,000
- Available funds and expected non-fundraising income: $5,000
- Fundraising target: $7,000
Your PTO needs to keep that $7,000 after any fundraising costs, so include those costs when estimating what each campaign can contribute.
Choosing the Fundraiser That Fits Your PTO’s Goals
Choose a fundraiser your community will be excited to support. Think about what families enjoy buying, how they prefer to shop, and which fundraising approach will drive the most engagement. Gifts ‘N Things brochure fundraising options feature gifts, candles, and gourmet treats, with printed brochures and online ordering to help you reach supporters. Matching the products and format to your community can encourage participation and help your PTO raise more toward its goal.
With Gifts ‘N Things, we provide fundraising kits, planning resources, and excellent customer support to help you get the most out of your fundraiser:
- Fundraising kits: Product brochures, order forms, and promotional materials to introduce your campaign.
- Chairperson tools: Planning resources to help volunteers organize and manage the fundraiser.
- Prize incentives: Rewards that encourage students to participate.
- Customer support: Guidance and answers to your questions throughout the campaign.
How Do You Put Your PTO Budget Together?
After you’ve chosen your fundraisers for the year, bring your income estimates and planned expenses together in one spreadsheet. Add columns for budgeted amounts, actual results, and the difference so you can track progress throughout the year. Include payment dates and when fundraising proceeds should arrive to make sure funds will be available when needed. Then follow your PTO’s approval process and review the budget regularly as money comes in and expenses are paid.
Your budget should clearly show:
- Money available at the start of the year
- Expected income from each fundraiser and other sources
- Planned expenses and payment dates
- Money expected to remain for the following year
Support Your PTO Goals With Gifts ‘N Things
A thoughtful budget helps your PTO give students more to look forward to while keeping spending manageable. Once you know what your school needs and how much you need to raise, we’re here to help you plan a fundraiser that fits. Explore our catalog fundraisers and let’s put your PTO’s fundraising goal into action.
