PTA issues

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Venmo does not allow non-profit usage so that should not be used at all.

You are 100% wrong. Shriners Children's -- one of the largest nonprofits in the U.S. -- accepts Venmo (scroll down to the bottom of the page where you can see the payment options)
https://donate.lovetotherescue.org/give/119312/#!/donation/checkout

Tons of nonprofits accept Venmo.

Then appearing it is different from it being allowed. They may have changed the rules recently but in the past it was not allowed. PayPal and square are better options. You can also use go fund me. Square gives you reports and transfers it directly to the bank account. We avoid cash as much as possible. Never should it be on someone’s name. The pta or pto only.

[Anonymous]

I'm a PTA leader who is smack in the middle of setting up a Venmo account and it is really hard.

Basically, if you don't already have a *PayPal* nonprofit account, it is very difficult to verify yourself with Venmo. This is compounded by the fact that all MCPS PTAs share a single EIN, and no PTA has a brick and mortar address separate from the school itself.

So, then you have to register your PTA using the business option. But to do that you need the SSNs and copies of photo ID for all of the leadership, which is onerous and time consuming.

In this context, I can understand one person just volunteering to use their own account and then transfer to the bank account.

[Anonymous]

Setting up one's personal PayPal to receive funds for a school opens you up to all sorts of legal liabilities, not to mention the appearance of impropriety. I wouldn't do it in a hundred years. Set up a platform that multiple board members (at least two or three) have access to, for checks and balances - whether it's GoFundMe or another platform. Better to protect yourself. Remember the PTA treasurer who was caught embezzling school funds. You don't want to be her, or give people the impression you could be her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a PTA leader who is smack in the middle of setting up a Venmo account and it is really hard.

Basically, if you don't already have a *PayPal* nonprofit account, it is very difficult to verify yourself with Venmo. This is compounded by the fact that all MCPS PTAs share a single EIN, and no PTA has a brick and mortar address separate from the school itself.

So, then you have to register your PTA using the business option. But to do that you need the SSNs and copies of photo ID for all of the leadership, which is onerous and time consuming.

In this context, I can understand one person just volunteering to use their own account and then transfer to the bank account.

Square is much easier.

[Anonymous]

It looks like Venmo changed their rules a year ago. There is zero excuse to use a personal account.

https://help.venmo.com/hc/en-us/articles/6678084998291-Charity-Profile-FAQ

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Absolutely not. You can set up a PayPal, square, go fund me or other service.

Venmo does not allow non-profit usage so that should not be used at all.

Very shady.

This!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I really appreciate the PTA volunteers who collect money because it's a pain and it opens you up to these kinds of unfounded allegations.

Unless you have a concrete reason to suspect something wrong I would give it a rest OP.
It's very normal and you will encounter it again and again.

This!


We get more responses to send paper flyers and allow payments of cash and checks, but it’s a pain especially early in the school year for membership sales and spirit wear orders.

Per MCCPTA guidelines. All accounts including bank and PayPal need to be consolidated every month. So the treasurer should be able to check on these transactions on regular basis.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a PTA leader who is smack in the middle of setting up a Venmo account and it is really hard.

Basically, if you don't already have a *PayPal* nonprofit account, it is very difficult to verify yourself with Venmo. This is compounded by the fact that all MCPS PTAs share a single EIN, and no PTA has a brick and mortar address separate from the school itself.

So, then you have to register your PTA using the business option. But to do that you need the SSNs and copies of photo ID for all of the leadership, which is onerous and time consuming.

In this context, I can understand one person just volunteering to use their own account and then transfer to the bank account.

This is a terrible practice, as is mixing personal and organizational funds on any platform. Way too many things can go wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Per MCCPTA guidelines. All accounts including bank and PayPal need to be consolidated every month. So the treasurer should be able to check on these transactions on regular basis.

Look. The point is that more than one person on the PTA should be able to see the exact amount of money coming in and going out. The PTA should be transparent, especially when it comes to finances.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Per MCCPTA guidelines. All accounts including bank and PayPal need to be consolidated every month. So the treasurer should be able to check on these transactions on regular basis.

Look. The point is that more than one person on the PTA should be able to see the exact amount of money coming in and going out. The PTA should be transparent, especially when it comes to finances.

You can also have a financial review committee, but since we are ES and not a lot complicated income and spending, like Booster clubs have budget for each clubs and sports, our CPA usually handles the review process. If OP is concerned, please ask the board for their detailed process. However, embezzlement does happen, I think 7 or 8 years ago one ES had embezzlement, all pta had to chip in to cover their debt. I was new to MCPS that time, I didn’t remember the details and how it was discovered. The law authority probably were involved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Per MCCPTA guidelines. All accounts including bank and PayPal need to be consolidated every month. So the treasurer should be able to check on these transactions on regular basis.

Look. The point is that more than one person on the PTA should be able to see the exact amount of money coming in and going out. The PTA should be transparent, especially when it comes to finances.

You can also have a financial review committee, but since we are ES and not a lot complicated income and spending, like Booster clubs have budget for each clubs and sports, our CPA usually handles the review process. If OP is concerned, please ask the board for their detailed process. However, embezzlement does happen, I think 7 or 8 years ago one ES had embezzlement, all pta had to chip in to cover their debt. I was new to MCPS that time, I didn’t remember the details and how it was discovered. The law authority probably were involved.

Your pta has a cpa. Wow. We are just thankful when we have a few thousand for the year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All the PTSAs should be using Memberhub, which can accept a variety of donations and leaves a paper trail. We have a "general donation" button in our PTSA store. We direct people there for special types of contributions outside of membership. https://www.memberhub.com/

Memberhub is awful and also charges a fee when you pay. I won't even pay my PTA dues with it - I send in a traditional check.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Venmo does not allow non-profit usage so that should not be used at all.

You are 100% wrong. Shriners Children's -- one of the largest nonprofits in the U.S. -- accepts Venmo (scroll down to the bottom of the page where you can see the payment options)
https://donate.lovetotherescue.org/give/119312/#!/donation/checkout

Tons of nonprofits accept Venmo.

Then appearing it is different from it being allowed. They may have changed the rules recently but in the past it was not allowed. PayPal and square are better options. You can also use go fund me. Square gives you reports and transfers it directly to the bank account. We avoid cash as much as possible. Never should it be on someone’s name. The pta or pto only.

Square charges fees. Venmo doesn't. I want all my money to go to the PTA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Venmo does not allow non-profit usage so that should not be used at all.

You are 100% wrong. Shriners Children's -- one of the largest nonprofits in the U.S. -- accepts Venmo (scroll down to the bottom of the page where you can see the payment options)
https://donate.lovetotherescue.org/give/119312/#!/donation/checkout

Tons of nonprofits accept Venmo.

Then appearing it is different from it being allowed. They may have changed the rules recently but in the past it was not allowed. PayPal and square are better options. You can also use go fund me. Square gives you reports and transfers it directly to the bank account. We avoid cash as much as possible. Never should it be on someone’s name. The pta or pto only.

Square charges fees. Venmo doesn't. I want all my money to go to the PTA.

Then don’t use Venmo. Way too much risk. PTAs already lose money to theft all the time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Venmo does not allow non-profit usage so that should not be used at all.

You are 100% wrong. Shriners Children's -- one of the largest nonprofits in the U.S. -- accepts Venmo (scroll down to the bottom of the page where you can see the payment options)
https://donate.lovetotherescue.org/give/119312/#!/donation/checkout

Tons of nonprofits accept Venmo.

Then appearing it is different from it being allowed. They may have changed the rules recently but in the past it was not allowed. PayPal and square are better options. You can also use go fund me. Square gives you reports and transfers it directly to the bank account. We avoid cash as much as possible. Never should it be on someone’s name. The pta or pto only.

Square charges fees. Venmo doesn't. I want all my money to go to the PTA.

Then don’t use Venmo. Way too much risk. PTAs already lose money to theft all the time.

If the Venmo is in the pta name and goes to the bank account it’s fine. Square is great as it takes lots of different payment types and it’s very easy to track the money. But I believe in full transparency and accountability.