P&C Fundraising Points
P&C Fundraising
Some of the finer points
All P&C’s are fundamentally raising funds to benefit their school. Other than the commercial activities such as tuckshop, uniform or bookshops, a P&C will invariably conduct one or more other fundraising activities from organising an annual fair to running a simple sausage sizzle.
When you do this, apart from making sure all the food items are ordered and knowing who is going to collect them, do you know the requirements and restrictions contained in the P&C Accounting Manual?
Your school’s P&C is sanctioned under the Collections Act 1966 to fundraise for a community or charitable purpose.
Other guidance for fundraising is also included in The Department of Education’s Fundraising Policy and, in some circumstances, guidance from The Office of Fair Trading may be required.
The starting point for any fundraising activity is to seek compliance with these guidances.
For a P&C, the fundraising should primarily be to supplement the school funding and improve the resources for the school. So it is important to know that the funds from the activity meet what is allowable.
To assist, some of the general responsibilities as set out in the Accounting Manual include:
- Full compliance with the Collections Act 1966
- Comply with cash handling, insurance and banking requirements
- Ensure local approval, licence and registrations are met
- Ensure the school is the beneficiary of fundraising
- Nomination of an individual in writing to promote the activity (eg school principal)
- Develop a fundraising program outlining the purpose and use of funds for each activity
- The P&C may not endorse a product through fundraising activities
- Consideration of information, privacy and security issues
- Requirements of Smart Choices Healthy Food and Drink Supply Strategy for Queensland Schools are met where food and drink is involved
- Understand the guidelines on what gifts, benefits and donations you can accept in preparing for an event
All of the above are just a sample of the requirements set out in the latest P&C Accounting Manual for fundraising.
It’s not uncommon for P&C volunteers to be confused about what they can and cannot do in terms of their school’s fundraising.
What often seems to make perfect sense in the real world may not line up with what is required. With the P&C Accounting Manual to hand, the executive, fundraising committee and volunteers have every reason to check and make sure their fundraising is the best it can be.
It would be a shame for much-needed funds not be raised just because there was a lack of attention to the requirements.
