Parent-teacher associations and booster clubs are important support organizations, providing the supplemental educational materials necessary to accommodate our students. Many of these support groups serve the interests of the entire school population. The funds they generate depend on the number of parent volunteers, the quality of the volunteers' organizational skills, and the association's level of fund-raising activities.

Sometimes it's important to form a splinter group that focuses on the financial needs of one department. For example, a science teacher might require parent support if a program requires additional funding for extraordinary projects, expensive supplies, traveling to science fairs/competitions, or equipment for research projects. Many schools simply can't afford such costs, and parents must provide an additional support mechanism.

Music technology is just one component in a music department, and it is one of the most expensive line items to maintain. Purchasing and updating computers, software, keyboards, and other items is a never-ending process that can absorb a huge portion of a department's budget. As a result, finding funds for technology is also an endless process and often requires assistance from numerous sources. Parents are your best advocates, because their children directly benefit from additional funding.

Consider establishing a music-parent association. If organized so that it does not conflict with the school PTA agenda, it can be a huge resource. Consider this newly formed organization an educational business. When developing the organization, the chair of the music department should be the point person, working in consort with other staff members.

To begin with, send a letter to the parents that focuses on your curricular and educational requirements — in this instance, technology. Stress any existing or forthcoming budgetary constraints that preclude the department from meeting the student's curricular needs with respect to technology. If you have no music-technology lab and want to fund one, explain why it should be a major component in the educational process. If you have a music-tech lab, explain which items are most essential, why they are required, and — very important — what they will cost.

FIG. 1: Here is a basic flowchart of a well-organized music-parent association that focuses on raising funds for music technology.

The letter to parents should be accompanied by a general-information form for them to complete and return in an enclosed, self-addressed envelope. The form should include the parents' contact information and some indication of what they are interested in doing for the cause (serving on a committee, volunteering time for an event, and so on). Once you have the completed forms, schedule a date in the evening for a general meeting at which the parents and staff can discuss the details of your request.

To ensure that everyone is on the same page, discuss the following points with your staff and with a few parents whose support you can count on.

• What type of association do you want to organize? Is it purely for fund-raising, or is it for other activities as well?
• Identify individuals who will invest time in developing the organization.
• Ask whether any of the parents are attorneys or accountants. They could be invaluable if and when legal or financial issues arise.
• Form a planning committee. Select parents to serve as temporary officers and assume leadership responsibility until an executive committee is elected.
• Organize committees (see Fig. 1).

Be sure to distribute meeting notices to everyone, and don't forget the principal. Be sure not leave the school administration out of the loop. They may choose not to be directly involved with the organization, but they will certainly want an updated report regarding the group's agenda.

Be aware that the bylaws of most foundations prevent them from awarding more than one grant per year to the same organization. Contact the grant department of your school district to ensure that grant requests by your parent group and requests by the school district are not submitted to the same foundation. It is possible that a small grant you inadvertently receive for one music department could prohibit the foundation from approving a much larger school-district proposal intended to address systemic needs, and that is something you want to avoid at all costs.

Hard copies of important information should be given to everyone at the meeting. Outline your needs, including an educational rationale, timelines, projected cost, and most significantly, how getting the funds will impact the students' education.

Once the organization is formed, bylaws written, officers elected, and bank accounts established, serious consideration should be given to applying for IRS 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. That is a critical decision, particularly if the organization plans to raise funds for an ongoing program, such as technology for a school music program. All documentation of incoming funds and expenses will become the responsibility of this separate entity.

Once the Internal Revenue Service gives your organization tax-exempt status, donations and grants will be tax deductible, subject to IRS regulations. For further information, see Publication 557, “Tax-Exempt Status for Your Organization,” at www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p557.pdf.

Many university law schools have a center for nonprofit community organizations. At these centers, every consideration is given to assist support groups with the complex organizational process, usually for a reasonable fee.

Stephen Wilensky is the music-department chair at Central High School in Philadelphia and is a Temple University faculty member and Fulbright Award recipient. Please email him at swchs@earthlink.net with comments, questions, and suggestions for future “Finding Funds” columns.