Friends of Thurgood Marshall Elementary (FTME) Board Volunteer Positions
Note: Board members are expected to attend Friends of Thurgood Marshall Board Meetings (6 during the calendar year) and general meetings (typically 4 during the school year).
In the spring, the FTME membership elects the next year’s officers: President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. Positions are created, shared or vacated, depending on the needs of the school community. Some positions may be shared by more than one person.
PRESIDENT or CO-PRESIDENT – (2-5 hours/week, with certain projects taking more time as they arise)
- Presiding officer and official representative of the association
- Presides over all meetings and sets meeting agenda
- Communicates regularly with officers
- Oversees all committee work
- Responds to email inquiries from community (parent and staff)
- Promotes a positive image of the PTA within the community
- Advocates on behalf of school community
- In partnership with Treasurer and Budget Committee, sets the budget for following year and seeks approval from general body
- Oversees PTA budget and ensures that Board stays within budget
- Should maintain a positive relationship with the Principal and staff
- Manages Opportunity Grants from staff members and ensures that Board members vote
- Updates and communicates Standing Rules
- Establishes a process to have the monthly bank statement reviewed and signed by a Board member who is not a signatory on the account
- Ensures that all Executive Committee members are entered into the WSPTA database
- Should be aware of the deadlines for the payment of: 1) Membership service fees 2) Registration for workshops and training 3) Award applications (if applicable) 4) Annual corporation report, 5) Charitable solicitations registration, 6) Insurance renewal, 7) Federal tax filings. With support of the Treasurer.
- Has voting right and is a member of Executive Committee
VICE PRESIDENT – (1-3 hours/week)
- Performs the duties of the President in the absence or inability of that officer to serve
- Assists the President when called upon
- Implements special projects as determined by the President and the PTA board
- Has voting right and is a member of Executive Committee
SECRETARY – (1-2 hours/week)
- Maintains minutes and records all business transactions that occur at all Board and general meetings
- Prepare minutes for approval at the next meeting
- Issues all notices of meetings and works with the President to set the agenda
- Takes attendance at every meeting to ensure that quorum is met
- Work with Treasurer (and Member Chair, if existing) to maintain membership database
- At the end of the year (June 30), ensures that all copies of legal document notebooks and permanent record files are in order and ready to transfer to new officers
- Ensures that all newly elected officers are entered in the WSPTA database at end of term/beginning of new term
- Has voting right and is a member of Executive Committee
CO-TREASURER: Budget & Financial Reporting – (2-4 hours/week)
- Authorized custodian to manage the funds of the PTA on behalf of the membership and Board of Directors
- Chairs the Budget Committee and presents the budget to the Board and membership
- Ensures that all deposits are promptly deposited into bank account
- Keeps an accurate record of all funds received and funds disbursed
- Pays all authorized financial obligations of the PTA, including membership fees to the council and/or State PTA
- Works with external CPA as needed for federal tax forms (990N, 990EZ or 990), state sales tax forms, and collaborates with Co-Presidents for charitable organization reporting.
- Creates and submits financial reports at least quarterly (for board and general PTA meetings)
- Reconciles bank statements monthly (1 hour)
- Records ACH deposits once a month (1 hour)
- Records stock sales (30 minutes once or twice a year)
- Processes 1099 for Vendors (30 minutes once a year)
- Works with Budget Committee in April (5 hours)
- Renews government licenses (30 minutes three times a year)
- Develops and presents the budget for the following year, with support from budget committee
- Submits a final annual report prior to end of fiscal year
- Prior to delivering the books to the successor Treasurer, submits the current year’s records to a financial review committee.
- Has voting right and is a member of Executive Committee
CO-TREASURER: Accounts Payable/Accounts Receivable (1-3 hours/week)
- Collects invoices and issues checks every other week (2 hours)
- Collects checks written to FTME and deposits in bank (30 minutes once a week)
- Works with Enrichment vendors on invoicing (2 hours in Sept., Jan., and April)
- Has voting right and is a member of Executive Committee
ANNUAL FUND CO-CHAIR, Promotions (1-4 hours/week, depending on time of year. September, December and mid-Spring are the busiest times.)
- With Board support, devise and implement strategies to meet Annual Fund goal (dollars and participation)
- Communicate progress to Board and general membership with the Annual Fund Co-Chair
- Create bulletin board display in foyer to communicate progress
- Responsible for outreach via mailings/email/Pup Press/etc.
- In spring, consult with full Board to set goal for next year
- Has a voting right
ANNUAL FUND CO-CHAIR, Accounting – (1-3 hours/week, depending on time of year. September, December and mid-Spring are the busiest times)
- Communicate progress to Board and general membership with the Annual Fund Co-Chair
- Monitor monetary and participation goals throughout year
- Track checks, credit card payments and other data in Excel or in database
- After recording checks, deliver to Treasurer for deposit or other action
- Compose and mail thank you letters/tax receipts for each donation
- Manage the “matching fund” checks from companies
- In spring, consult with full Board to set goal for next year
- Has a voting right
COMMUNICATIONS CHAIR – (1-3 hours/week)
Note: The Communications Chair often delegates the Pup Press editor, webmaster and/or bulletin board manager responsibilities if volunteers assume one or both of these as separate roles. In this case, she/he will be the liaison between these jobs and the Board.
- Editor or Co-Editor of Pup Press (weekly newsletter) (3-6 hrs/week; may be a separate volunteer)
- Webmaster for PTA website: www.tmlink.org (1-2 hrs/week; may be a separate volunteer)
- Coordinate weekly with Principal, FTME leadership and others on content of Pup Press
- Maintain PTA indoor bulletin board and outdoor message center to keep community informed
- Assist with fliers for all-school events
- Manage all-school email distribution list
- Assist Event Chairs with fliers and/or communications regarding their event
- Consult on other outreach, such as Class Reps emails and Enrichment catalog/fliers
- Produce First Day packets, with input from Board members
- Has a voting right
VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR – (4-6 hours/week in Sept., 3-5 hours in other months, unless there are multiple events taking place)
- Responsible for securing volunteers for key positions and chairs for FTME-sponsored events
- Communicate volunteer needs in a timely way throughout year
- Work with committee chairs on specific volunteer needs
- Manage volunteer sign-ups at “First-day Coffee(s)”
- Maintain volunteer job descriptions to be publicized on tmlink.org or elsewhere
- Ensure volunteers complete any required SPS background checks
Much of the Volunteer Coordinator position can be done from home, but it is helpful to make periodic visits to school (or volunteer yourself at events) to meet potential volunteers.
SUPPLIES COORDINATOR – (up to 20 hrs/month during busy period from mid-July through September, then 2-10 hours/month during the school year)
- Prepare supply order forms for teachers with accurate items and prices in April – May
- Share online/paper order forms with teachers in May – June
- Purchase classroom supplies for all students in June – July
- Organize distribution of all student supplies in August
- Solicit supply donations from families during Ice Cream Social or ensure someone else collects funds during this event in September
- Resolve supply discrepancies (student body/teacher adjustments) in September
- Approve Amazon business spending for staff & FTME throughout the year
- Maintain records of Amazon spending within allowed budgets both physical and online with Treasurer(s)
- Advise communications regarding supplies to communications partner
- Recommend budget for supplies to Board
ENRICHMENT COORDINATOR – (up to 20 hrs/month during busy periods leading up to and during the launch of each enrichment session (fall, winter, spring))
- Set up full year calendar – Session dates, days off, registration dates.
- Collect vendor information, proposal forms, and background checks
- Create a schedule
- Collect background checks
- Create and coordinate printing and distribution of Enrichment Catalog
- Update and manage the Active website for registrations (enter catalog information, set up codes and registration dates)
- Coordinate with communications team to post catalog info and links in Pup Press, website, eblasts, etc.
- Serve as point of contact for registration (answer questions, enter data from small number of paper registrations, manage wait-lists, assess classes to cancel if insufficient enrollment and notify families and process refunds)
- Manage and communicate class rosters, and ensure teacher liaison has arranged for room assignments
- Answer questions from both students and vendors
- Process late registration and withdraws
- Keep an eye on anything that might affect enrichment and communicate with vendors/students accordingly (severe weather; schedule changes; etc.)
EVENTS CHAIR – (2 hours/week)
- Oversees all sponsored events and responsible for being liaison between event chairs and FTME Board
- Trains specific event chairs on school logistics; i.e., scheduling, accessing our storage closet, replenishing supplies
- Communicates budget needs of each event and ensure that events are running smoothly
- Has a voting right
SPECIAL EDUCATION LIAISON – (2-4 hours/month)
- Liaison between Board and PEACE Academy families
- Ensures that we are an inclusive community and meeting the needs of all families
- Has a voting right
EQUITY LIAISON – 2-4 hours/month
- Liaison between FTME Board and Equity Action Teams
- Has a voting right
Positions that are sometimes left unfilled:
ARTS LIAISON – (1-2 hours/month)
- Serves as a parent representative on the TM Creative Advantage Arts Team: help develop programs within the school, and artistic links between the school and community artists and arts organizations
- Report to the PTA Board about developments on the Creative Advantage Arts Team
- Oversee the various arts’ partnerships between the school and the larger community, and to promote new partnerships
- Write periodic blurbs for the Pup Press about arts/Creative Advantage happenings at the school
- Other responsibilities: investigate and promote interesting new field trip opportunities in the arts; encourage arts assemblies (bringing in dance groups, music groups, poets, theatre); coordinate with families, the teachers and the staff about arts events at the school