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When you fundraise and there's money leftover at the end of the year ...

  • 1.  When you fundraise and there's money leftover at the end of the year ...

    Posted 08-31-2018 03:05
    When you fundraise and there's money leftover at the end of the school year, does that money continue into the next academic year? or is it absorbed back into your school?

    I've never been in charge of a high school theater budget before so I'm not sure how it works in most departments. How does it work for you?

    For us: Last year we had a budget of $3000, which is used very quickly b/c we have to rent all our theater spaces. I did a fun fundraiser in the spring (Singing Valentines! raised $3400!!) and kept my budget as small as possible for Almost, Maine and Peter and the Starcatcher, trying to save up money to do a full-on musical this year. I had $2400 leftover in my budget b/c of fundraising, and figured that was good - I was planning ahead for the next season.

    I just found out, though, that the money we fundraised is not coming back to us; it's not being carried over into this year. Essentially it's as if the money we raised is "paying back" the school for the budget they "loaned" us. 

    Is this how it's done in your school? or if you can keep the money you raised and apply it to the next year, what is your rationale for this? I need to make an argument to the school to be able to keep the money. 

    Thanks for any insight!
    Arden

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    Arden Thomas
    Sequoyah High School
    Pasadena CA
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  • 2.  RE: When you fundraise and there's money leftover at the end of the year ...

    Posted 08-31-2018 13:36
    We have an ASB account. All money we raise and spend either goes into or comes from our account. All money we have in our account stays there year to year until we spend it. I will also add that the only money we get from ASB each year is based on the number of kids we have in our club that purchased ASB cards. Basically, the money that kids spend on ASB cards is redistributed back to the clubs that have kids in them that purchased them. This usually amounts to a couple hundred dollars each year, hardly a blip on our radar as far as budget goes for the year. Other than that, we are completely self-sufficient. Honestly, I can't imagine not being able to hold onto the money we've raised through ticket sales and such. That's how we pay for future productions.

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    Christopher Hamilton
    Drama Teacher
    Kennewick WA
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    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: When you fundraise and there's money leftover at the end of the year ...

    Posted 08-31-2018 17:32
    Any money I fundraise goes into its own separate account that we keep year-to-year.  The yearly allotted "drama budget" from the school does not carry over.  Thats mostly a "use it or lose it" type of thing.  

    Do other clubs/organizations get to carry over their fundraising dollars?  That would be one of your strongest arguments, if they do.  Have you looked at school board policy for how fundraising money is handled?  

    If all else fails, I'd make a case to your admin that your students worked to raise that money, with the intent that it would go to support your theatre program.  In Iowa, as my understanding goes, if you stipulate what your fundraising dollars are going to be used for, it has to be used for that purpose.  I think on just ethical grounds, you could make a case that your supporters donated under the assumption that their money was going specifically to theatre, not to pay the light bill or whatever.  

    In the future, if your school won't allow your money to be carried over, could you purchase scripts, royalties, etc at the end of the school year for the following year?


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    Derek Friederich
    Thespian Troupe 417/Speech Coach/Jr. High Drama/Fine Arts Center Technical Director
    Postville IA
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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: When you fundraise and there's money leftover at the end of the year ...

    Posted 08-31-2018 18:00
    At my former school, we had a budget that covered rights for plays/musical that was a use it or lose it situation. If we went over the allotted budget, the fund came from the Drama Club account.  Our ticket revenues went into the Drama Club account and became what we had outside of the budget for the next year!

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    Laura Beeman Nugent
    Artistic Director
    Shreveport Little Theatre Academy
    Shreveport, LA
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    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: When you fundraise and there's money leftover at the end of the year ...

    Posted 09-04-2018 18:40
    We do not have a "budget" for productions per se.  The costs for scripts, royalties, etc comes from an account that is self-supported by ticket sales, fundraisers, etc.  So anything "extra" that we have rolls over year to year.

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    Sarah Serbus
    Theatre Director
    Union R-XI School District
    Union MO
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    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: When you fundraise and there's money leftover at the end of the year ...

    Posted 09-01-2018 07:22
    Your situation is unique to me! We have money which the school budgets per year, money which we fundraise, and money which parents raise. The school money resets every year: use it or loose it. The money which we raise is in a separate bank account, managed by the school principal. We keep what we raise year to year. The money which parents raise is in a boosters' account at another bank. That account is not administered by the school but is spent by parents. Perhaps you might be interested in a booster group for your program.

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    Robert Lussier
    Drama Club Advisor
    Hanover Area School District
    Hanover Twp. PA
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    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: When you fundraise and there's money leftover at the end of the year ...

    Posted 09-01-2018 08:38
    This is weird.. My district employs a system of student activities accounts. These accounts are for the individual activity to cpllect funds and spend funds. Anything left over at the end of the year carried over to the next. We are not allotted any money from the district from year-to-year.

    If I was in your situation, I would look into forming a parent booster account with a 501c3 status so you could raise money without the district taken it back at the end of the year.

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    Mark A. Zimmerman,

    Theatre Director
    Akron School for the Arts
    Firestone Community Learning Center
    470 Castle Blvd
    Akron, Ohio 44313

    Troupe 5570

    mzimmerm@apslearn.org
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    Original Message


  • 8.  RE: When you fundraise and there's money leftover at the end of the year ...

    Posted 09-02-2018 08:50

    After reading your post a few times I think I have it figured out in a way I understand.  

    My "daytime" job is teaching carpentry to 9th - 12th graders at a career and technical school.  My program budget gets absorbed back in to the school if I don't use it.  However, we have a "carpentry club" account which is totally separate.  Any funds we make by fundraising goes into that account and is held over.  

    My "nights and weekends" are spent at a different school running the Drama Club.  We have no budget.  So the shows and fundraising pay for everything.  The students have a "student activity" account.  All of that money remains that of the club.  We have to do it that way.  Last years spring ticket sales are now paying for our fall show rights and our ITS dues.  

    That being said, if your club does not have a parents booster club you need to find good parents to establish one.  The Drama Parents are the lifeforce behind our club.  They raise a lot of money throughout the season and they control where it goes.  Last year they purchased a new soundboard for me.  The best part is, the school had no interest in helping us so the board belongs to the parents and they allow us to "use it" for our fall and spring show.  That way it doesn't get destroyed by other organizations throughout the year.  

    So this is a long answer but to sum it up, I could see why the money was reabsorbed if it's set up to go back into the program budget.  That obviously is wrong and needs to be changed.  

    Sorry to see that happen to you when we all need every penny we can get.  
    Hopefully they'll be able to give you an account for money from fundraising so this won't happen again.  And if they refuse, then I'd really push to have a booster club to help. 



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    Chuck Yarmey
    Advisor/Technical Director
    Wyoming Area Drama Club
    Thespian Troupe 4795
    Exeter PA
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    Original Message


  • 9.  RE: When you fundraise and there's money leftover at the end of the year ...

    Posted 09-03-2018 13:27
    I have never had this happen in 40 years of teaching.
    But I also never taught at a private school.
    If It happened to me, I would think I had been robbed (come to think of it, that did happen once....but that person was fired for skimming out of student body accounts.)
    You should speak to your administration about this. If they continue with their "what's ours is ours and what's yours is ours also." philosophy, I suggest you make a list of expensive things that you always need every year: scripts, black paint, gaff tape, hardware, makeup, lumber, swords, etc) Spend out your budget at the end of the year and stockpile stuff.Leave as little money as possible in your budget at the end of the year.
    Who do you have to rent performance space from?

    Billy Houck
    Theatre Teacher, retired
    Carmichael, CA



    Original Message


  • 10.  RE: When you fundraise and there's money leftover at the end of the year ...

    Posted 09-04-2018 09:37
    Talk to your administration.  As far as how things work in your building you need to talk to s/o in your <g class="gr_ gr_249 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling ins-del multiReplace" id="249" data-gr-id="249">bld</g>.

    also, think about starting a boosters organization - It'll take some <g class="gr_ gr_125 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Style multiReplace" id="125" data-gr-id="125">parents ,</g> but it can be a huge benefit.

    break a leg

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    [Drama] [Dan] []
    [Drama Teacher/Director]
    [Dublin Coffman HS]
    [Dublin] [Ohio]
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    Original Message


  • 11.  RE: When you fundraise and there's money leftover at the end of the year ...

    Posted 09-04-2018 10:41
    This happened to me once.  All the money left in the accounts of various groups was used by the principal as he saw fit.  The football team got new helmets, and I started with $0.  I wish I had an answer, but I chose to leave the school at the end of the 2nd year when I saw nothing was going to change.

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    C. J. Breland
    Asheville High School
    Asheville NC
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    Original Message


  • 12.  RE: When you fundraise and there's money leftover at the end of the year ...

    Posted 09-05-2018 08:57
    Hi,

    A way to secure your use of left over funds is to select your musical and play in the spring and pay for rights and scripts before the summer. That way, even if the money goes away over the summer, those essential big ticket items are already covered.

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    Nathan Rosen
    Baltimore MD
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    Original Message


  • 13.  RE: When you fundraise and there's money leftover at the end of the year ...

    Posted 09-05-2018 11:27

    The same thing happened to me when I changed schools.  The former teacher took every tool, gel, flat,  platform, and stick of lumber to his new school (within the district), so it took me several years to build back basic materials we needed.  After 3 years, we ran our first surplus (over $2,000.00), and when I returned the next year,  like C. J. and other teachers, we had a zero balance. My principal explained that any funds we made were district funds, and he could spend them any way he wanted.  After that, we spent our account down to around $10.00 before we left for summer.  We paid next year's royalties, ordered supplies, upgraded mics, even bought  "Thank You" tee-shirts for parents in the Fine Arts Booster Club.  The lesson we learned...Spend It Or Lose It.


    Bob Fowler

    Interactive Educational Video, LLC




    Original Message


  • 14.  RE: When you fundraise and there's money leftover at the end of the year ...

    Posted 09-05-2018 11:42
    Each school, district, and state may be different; however, generally I believe all money raised in the name of the school becomes property of the school and the school can use it as such. At the end of the year a principal can choose or may even be required to use leftover money and balance back to zero on at least certain areas of their overall account which often includes club funds. This is something to discuss with your bookkeeper and/or principal. Many programs maintain a boosters club which holds an account outside of the school to carry money from year to year for exactly this reason. 

    Personally at my school my current principal doesn't remove leftover funds from our account at the end of the year, though he has the ability to do so. The principal before him maintained the same plan; however, I am aware that there are schools in my area where club accounts have been drained every year of all leftover funds.

    ------------------------------
    Kathleen McNulty Mann
    mcnulkl@bay.k12.fl.us

    Program Director
    Arnold High School Theatre
    Thespian Troupe 6371
    Panama City Beach, FL

    District 10 Chair & State Logistics
    Florida State Junior Thespians

    Board Member
    Membership Committee Chair
    Florida Association for Theatre Education
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    Original Message


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