Why have both the PTA and Foundation at our school?
Fairly strict guidelines govern the PTA and the amount of money they can raise and spend as well as the types of projects they can fund. PTA's are required to spend ALL their money listed on their budgets year-to-year on a fiscal vs. calendar year basis. Because we are fortunate to have parents that are willing to give above and beyond of their time, money and resources, the need was seen back in 1996 to form a separate organization that could “put the icing on the cake.”
Once the Foundation was formed, it became the goal of the two organizations to first and foremost meet the budget of the PTA. After the PTA meets its budgetary requirements, the Foundation is then able to put forth proposals and opportunities for the parents and friends of Sope Creek to help fund with their time and money. This in essence meets the mission of the Foundation “to provide resources, beyond those provided by the Cobb County School District or PTA.”
Through the years, the PTA and the Foundation have worked together to fund certain projects that one organization alone may not have been able to fund either time or resources for. One example is Art Day. Though both organizations provide some funding, the Foundation provides the bulk of the funding, while the PTA provides the man power. The latest endeavor of both organizations is the ongoing support of the Boosterthon. The Boosterthon occurs in the fall and is in essence an in school fun run that raises money on a per lap basis as run by the children.
It really is a win/win/win!
We all win!
The Foundation is the icing!
Smart Boards, Gym floors, teacher grants, bulletin boards, phone systems, Traffic Cop, Brain Pop and more……
The PTA is the cake!
Academic Enhancements, calendar, handbooks, Meet and Greet, School Newsletter, Science Day, Thanksgiving Feast, Time for Kids, Talent Show, Fifth Grade End of year party, teacher grants.
What is the difference between the PTA and the Foundation?
Sope Creek is fortunate to have both a PTA and a Foundation working together in our school. Did you know that many schools who have both a PTA and a Foundation find that these two organizations often times end up being at odds with one another!
This is not the case at Sope Creek. On the contrary, the Sope Creek Foundation and the Sope Creek PTA work diligently TOGETHER toward common goals linked by a single thread…..our students!
The PTA is like the cake and The Foundation is like the icing; and it is our school that benefits from having both organizations working hard to provide the very best for
our students.The PTA, a 501 c(3) organization, works in cooperation with many national education, health, safety, and child advocacy groups and federal agencies. The national PTA organization collaborates on projects that benefit children and that bring valuable resources to its members. Our local PTA chapter funds in school activities as well as assists the community at large with a focus on many sister schools who are less fortunate than ourselves. The PTA works off of a strict budget with nationally mandated rules and regulations to meet and exceed chapter goals. Furthermore, the PTA reaches out at the government level to follow both local and state policies and how they affect our school. Our PTA is recognized at the national level for their efforts within our school and community.
The Foundation is an independently incorporated 501 c(3) non-profit organization that functions solely off of the tax deductable donations of friends of Sope Creek. The Foundation has no national rules or standards in which we are mandated by other than those of meeting federal regulations of being a not for profit organization. Funds raised by the Foundation are dispersed by the governing board to provide resources, beyond those provided by the Cobb County School District or the PTA that benefit all students at Sope Creek. In general, the Foundation’s focus is solely on Sope Creek and its students, staff and parents.
