Fundraising

Why fundraise through the Ann Arbor PTO Thrift Shop?

AAPS schools have raised many thousands of dollars to support their PTOs, teams, clubs, classrooms, groups, choirs, orchestras, bands, and others for field trips, travel, and many other enrichment and extra-curricular activities.

Fundraising proceeds help offset growing costs for travel, equipment, uniforms, special events, entry fees and more. Schools, groups, clubs and teams working together with the Ann Arbor PTO Thrift Shop can help make these valuable activities more affordable for all students.

How does a school get started?  What is a School Rep?

Every Ann Arbor Public School’s PTO has a volunteer liaison with the Ann Arbor PTO Thrift Shop: this is your School Rep. The Rep is the Ann Arbor PTO Thrift Shop’s primary contact for each school. If you don’t know who your School Rep is, contact your school’s PTO.

Each participating School Rep:

• promotes the Ann Arbor PTO Thrift Shop within the school community by publicizing the Ann Arbor PTO Thrift Shop in school newsletters (including online versions), on school websites, on PTO blogs, through flyers in “back-pack mail”, on bulletin boards, etc. Artwork is provided by the Thrift Shop to use in promotions (See FAQs tab for downloadable files of the current year’s promo and other helpful items.)
• communicates information and reminders from the Thrift Shop to the school PTO and school community, and brings suggestions and/or concerns to the attention of the Thrift Shop.

Individual clubs, booster clubs and arts/music groups can have their own reps to insure they are informed of all opportunities available for fundraising. The funds they earn will be included in the school’s payout.

Contact us by email: each rep is responsible for emailing their school/club/group name, their name, their email address, and phone number to a2ptothriftshop@gmail.com to insure they will receive any communication sent out regarding fundraising and promotions. Click here to review our Fundraising Activities and decide what your group would like to do.

When do school PTOs receive the funds?

The Ann Arbor PTO Thrift Shop distributes the earnings from fundraising activities to PTOs throughout the school year, provided there are profits to share.

Our regular scheduled payouts include SEPTEMBER (for fundraising activities completed from June through September), JANUARY (for fundraising activities completed from October through January), and MAY (for fundraising activities completed from February through May).

Itemized fundraising earnings are given to the school PTO treasurer for allocation or distribution to each participating group within their school. We cannot distribute funds to individual booster clubs or arts/music groups – only to the school PTO/PTSO.

Groups receiving Ann Arbor PTO Thrift Shop funds are responsible for compliance with IRS regulations regarding 501(c)(3) fundraising (i.e. funds must benefit the group as a whole, not any one individual or individuals).