Last week Herald reporter Diana Hefley wrote an article about the former treasurer of the Martha Lake Elementary School PTA allegedly stealing almost $40,000 from the nonprofit’s funds. This story caught my attention because I am the treasurer of a school organization. I won’t name what specific group, because I try to protect my children’s privacy whenever possible, but it’s very similar to a PTA.
Being the treasurer is an enormous amount of work which I didn’t fully understand before I volunteered for the two-year term. I manage anywhere between $15,000 to $40,000, depending on cash flow, and spend 15 hours a month keeping the books. I deposit donations, write checks, visit our post office box, update the budget, pay taxes, seek out matching funds and mail all donors year-end statements for their tax records. I also photocopy everything and log pertinent information in four different places.
I was brand new to world of accounting before I volunteered. But I do have the two most important qualities for being a nonprofit treasurer: I am honest and organized.
Still, this job isn’t a very good fit for me. Some people probably enjoy adding up numbers, making spreadsheets and balancing out columns, but I’m not one of them.
I also get freaked out when I think too hard about the responsibility the job entails. Our organization requires two signatures on every check, but Bank of America does not. That means the second signature is superfluous. Sure, our co-signing procedures give the board a better idea of what is happening, but they wouldn’t stop an immoral treasurer from writing out a fat check to the Tulalip Casino and having a really fun weekend. It would be difficult to discover the transgression until the yearly audit — but it would eventually be caught.
The parents who do our audit are two tough mothers. In real life, they’re the nicest ladies you’ve ever met, but in the audit room, they will hunt for every penny.
Two hours into my 2013-2014 audit, $18 was missing. Three hours later it was discovered on a bank statement as a charge for pre-printed deposit slips. I still get heart flutters when I think about it. My audit was clean, but I was advised to do a better job of putting the disbursements in numeric order, instead of just shoving them in the binder.
To all of the trustworthy treasurers out there, you have my sincere respect. Most parents have no idea where PTA money goes. Sure, they know where it’s supposed to go — carnivals, camps and classrooms; but they don’t understand the paper trail of how those funds travel through the bank. It’s a heck of a lot of work.
To the children of Martha Lake Elementary who worked so hard to raise money and then were robbed, you have my deepest sympathy. As soon as the dust settles, please count on me for a donation.
Jennifer Bardsley is an Edmonds mom of two. Find her on Twitter @jennbardsley and at www.heraldnet.com/ibrakeformoms and teachingmybabytoread.com.
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