Montana PTA Voice Providing PTA news and information for Montana PTA local units, councils, and members Volume 8, Issue 3 October 2016 TREASURER s Message Hey Treasurers, it is time again for you to file your annual 990 tax returns. Don't let that spook you. It is usually very simple. The deadline to file is the 15th day of the 5th month after your tax year end. So, if your tax year end is June 30th, the deadline to file is November 15th. The next question to ask yourself is whether your total receipts are normally $50,000 or less. What that means is if your total receipts for this year are over $50,000 only because of a onetime grant or fundraiser, then you can still file the 990N. If your total receipts are normally over the $50,000 limit, you must file the 990 EZ. The IRS uses a 3 year average to determine normally. Another thing to consider is that when you are looking at your total receipts, you don't have to add in the dues that you send to the MT PTA. In other words, if you charge $8 for dues per person, and $6 of this goes to the MT PTA, then you only include the $2 dues per person that your unit keeps. For some of you that may help you stay under the $50,000 limit. Once you have determined whether you can file the 990N or the 990EZ you can continue. You will need your unit tax ID number. You are a Subordinate of Montana PTA, so you MUST make sure that you use your OWN tax ID number, not MT PTA s number. If you aren't sure what that is, please call the MT PTA office. To file the 990N, go to the IRS website at www.irs.gov. 1. The first tab at the top left of the page says Filing. Select this tab. 2. On the left side of this screen, the 3rd entity on the list says Charities and Non-Profits. Select this one. 3. In the new screen that opens, the 1st highlighted title says: efile for Charities and Non- Profits. Click on this heading. 4. Just down the page there is a link that says, See e-postcard (Form 990-N) for more information about this requirement and a link to the filing system. Click on the underlined e- postcard. 5. Near the top of the page, it reads How to File in red. Click on Form 990N Electronic Filing System (e-postcard). The Form 990-N electronic-filing system moved from Urban Institute s website to IRS.gov in February. All filers must register at IRS.gov prior to filing their next Form 990-N. This is a one-time registration; you won t be asked to register again when filing next year. If you registered before 2/18/16, you must register again as a First Time User because your username and password will not work. 6. Once you receive your login, return to this site. Now, create your 990-N by responding to the questions. 7. Submit by clicking the submit button. 8. You will receive an email from the IRS that your E-postcard has been accepted. 9. Check your filing status page to view your filing. Print out a paper copy of your electronic filing at this time. Make sure you print out a copy to send to the MT PTA office or you can save a copy to your computer and email it to Montana PTA at mtstatepta@gmail.com. 10. If you determine that you need to file the 990EZ, go to the IRS website and print out the 990EZ form and the Schedule A that goes along with the 990EZ. Upcoming Deadlines October National Bullying Prevention Month National School Bus Safety Week October 17-21 November 1 Deadline for 1st Dues Remittance November PTA Healthy Lifestyles Month As always, if you need help, please contact the Montana PTA office or myself. Thank You! Michelle Duncan Montana PTA Treasurer
P R O V I D I N G P T A N E W S A N D I N F O R M A T I O N FOR M O N T A N A P T A L O C A L U N I T S, C O U N C I L S, A N D M E M B E R S P A G E 2 President s Message Happy Fall everyone. First I would like to thank everyone who attended our 101 st Annual Convention in Great Falls. It is so important to attend convention. The overall experience and training and information for you to have a successful year for your Local PTA Unit were available at Convention. Workshops and General Sessions business, meeting other unit leaders from around the state and our 3 National PTA Leaders that attended, and guest speakers was a lot of information in our new 1 day format but we got it all in. Please be sure to sign up for the PTA Family Reading Experience Give away. Your school could win free Kindles. The deadline is December 1, 2016. Go to the National PTA Website for the link to this program. There you can also find many activities and programs for your Local PTA Unit. October is Membership month. The theme for the 2016-2017 school year is A Key to the Future. Membership drives should target teachers and parents. But did you know anyone can join your PTA? Grandparents, school staff, coaches, bus drivers, school board members and Dad s. It s a fact that children do better in school if their parents are involved at school. Membership Chairs have all the tools needed for a successful Membership drive at their fingertips. Please go to the Back to School Kit information that was sent out in August or to the Montana PTA Website and click on the Back to School Kit, then click on Membership. Let s make increasing membership a top priority for this school year, which will increase parent involvement at your school. The more involvement by parents the stronger your school and Local Unit PTA/PTSA will become. Let s make every child s potential a reality today. Please be sure to contact me if your unit would like me to attend a meeting or event at your school. Remember the PTA Mission. The overall purpose of PTA is to make every child s potential be a reality by engaging and empowering families and communities to advocate for all children. Sherry Holderith President, Montana PTA Membership Cards and Dues Important! DON T FORGET The first submission of Dues and Membership information is due November 1, 2016. The 2016-2017 Remittance Form is included in this newsletter and on our website at www.montanapta.org. Please note: To be in good standing, the two annual deadlines for dues are November 1st and April 1st. However, new memberships may be reported and dues submitted ANYTIME throughout the year and is encouraged to do so monthly as Montana PTA has to submit dues to National PTA on a monthly basis. Membership Cards As mentioned in the Welcome! and Membership Packet emails, State PTA s will not be receiving membership cards from National PTA to be distributed to the Local Units this year. National PTA plans on rolling out an online member card program within the next year or so. With this system, your local unit will effectively track and manage members, communicate with members, and have features and benefits they have not had access to in the past. For the 2016-2017 year and until the new online member card program is in place, the State PTA s have been provided a membership card template (fillable PDF) to send to their Local Units so each unit can fill in and print their own membership cards if they choose to do so. As always, please feel free to contact me at Montana PTA with questions. Michelle Scoles Montana PTA Office Manager
M O N T A N A P T A V O I C E P A G E 3 2016 Montana PTA Convention Thank You s Break Sponsor of the 2016 Montana PTA Convention Thank you for providing photo name badges and lanyards to all registrants and for the Montana PTA and National PTA group photo and banner! Bronze Level Sponsor of the 2016 Montana PTA Convention! Heads and Tails at Convention THANK YOU to all of you who donated to the Heads and Tails game during the 2016 Montana PTA State Convention this year. Through playing and donating prizes, Montana PTA is able to fund grants to send a fellow PTA member to attend State Convention, who may not have the financial means to do so. Thank you for your support with the Heads and Tails game! Thank you to the following local units, individuals, and businesses for donating to the scholarship basket raffle!!! You make it possible for Montana PTA to give out scholarships each year. Bronze Level Sponsor of the 2016 Montana PTA Convention! Montana PTA Board of Directors Lockwood PTA Yellowstone Valley PTA Council Dee Hensley Maclean Chief Joseph PTA Roosevelt PTA Montana City PTA Mountain View PTA Laurel Elementary PTA Anyone else we may have missed! Silver Level Sponsor of the 2016 Montana PTA Convention!
M O N T A N A P T A V O I C E P A G E 4 Convention NEWS "SAVE THE DATE" The 2017 Convention will be October 7, 2017 in Billings, MT at the Red Lion Hotel (formally Billings Hotel and Convention Center). Thank you for all who attended convention in Great Falls. Thank you for surveys. We are taking everything into consideration for next year. There will be some schedule changes and new information presented. Michelle Duncan Montana PTA Treasurer (former Convention Chair) Montana PTA needs one local PTA leader to be on our Governance Restructure Committee. Please if you are interested call the Montana PTA office or email Michelle Duncan at montanaptatreasurer@gmail.com.
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M O N T A N A P T A V O I C E reflections NEWS We hope you are all busy preparing for this year s Reflection Program. It should be inspiring with the theme being What Is Your Story?. We can t wait to see the creativity from our Montana students. If you are a Local Unit Chair for Reflections and not signed up for the mailing list, please do so by sending an email to mtstatepta@gmail.com. The Montana PTA State Reflections information will be updated on our website very soon. Please check it out for the most current information. Go to www.montanapta.org, click on Programs and then Reflections, then begin under Getting Started. Congratulations to all of our winning Local, State and National students this year and thank you to the local Reflections Chairs who allow them to shine! Montana PTA Reflections Montana PTA is on Facebook! Stay connected with Montana PTA! LIKE us on Facebook! P A G E 6 Along with this newsletter, FB is a great way for Montana PTA to communicate with local units and pass on important information.
M O N T A N A P T A V O I C E P A G E 7 ADVOCACY NEWS For those who missed the ESSA presentation at convention and those who want more information on ESSA Resources: http://opi.mt.gov/media_center/essa.html#gpm1_1 http://www.pta.org/advocacy/content.cfm?itemnumber=4745&navitemnumber=4760 The Office of Public Instruction is seeking applicants for its K-12 Data Task Force. The task force, established in 20-7-104, MCA, is made up of 29 individuals who serve in an advisory capacity to the Office of Public Instruction. OPI is seeking to fill ten positions. The first meeting of the task force will be held on November 16, 2016 from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM in Helena. Task force members will be paid $50 for each day in which the member is engaged in the performance of task force duties and reimbursed for travel expenses. Members who are full-time salaried officers or employees of this state or of a political subdivision of this state are not entitled to be compensated for their service as members but are entitled to be reimbursed for travel expenses. Applications will be accepted through October 21, 2016. The application form is posted at http://opi.mt.gov/pdf/k12datataskforce/16k12datataskforce_nominationform.pdf
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P R O V I D I N G P T A N E W S A N D I N F O R M A T I O N FOR M O N T A N A P T A L O C A L U N I T S, C O U N C I L S, A N D M E M B E R S P A G E 12 ADVERTISING in the MONTANA PTA VOICE Newsletter: Would you or do you know of someone who would be interested in advertising in this newsletter? If so, please contact the Montana PTA office at 406-628-9007 or mtstatepta@gmail.com for rates and information. All advertising is subject to approval by Montana PTA. Montana PTA reserves the right to reject any advertising it feels is not in keeping with the character, goals, and purposes of PTA. Disclaimer: Articles and advertisements in The Voice do not necessarily represent the viewpoints or policies of Montana PTA. Montana PTA does not endorse non- PTA products or services mentioned in the publication." Board of Directors President: Sherry Holderith (406) 860-9743 montanaptapresident@gmail.com Secretary: Andrea Barrow (406) 403-3658 montanaptasecretary@gmail.com Treasurer : Michelle Duncan (406) 855-3160 montanaptatreasurer@gmail.com President Elect: VACANT montanaptapresidentelect@gmail.com MEMBER REPRESENTATIVES VACANT montanaptamemberrep1@gmail.com VACANT montanaptamemberrep2@gmail.com APPOINTED CHAIRS Advocacy: Sheryl Scheafer (406) 254-6222 or (406) 208-5611 montanaptaadvocacy@gmail.com Convention: VACANT montanaptaconvention@gmail.com Diversity: Dee Hensley Maclean (406) 363-1608 or (406) 207-0420 montanaptadiversitychair@gmail.com Membership: VACANT montanaptamembership@gmail.com New Unit Development: VACANT montanaptanewunit@gmail.com Program: VACANT montanaptaprogram@gmail.com Reflections: Jessica Sosa (406) 671-6552 montanaptareflections@gmail.com Health & Safety : Kathy Aragon (406) 698-2992 montanaptahealthandsafety@gmail.com
MONTANA CONGRESS OF PARENTS & TEACHERS ASSOC. P.O. BOX 1269 LAUREL, MT 59044 Inside this Issue 990 Tax Filing Page 1 President s Message Page 2 Membership Cards and Dues Page 2 2016 MT PTA Convention Thank You s Page 3 Convention News Page 4 Governance Restructure Committee Page 4 Reflections News Page 6 Advocacy News Page 7 2016-2017 Dues Remittance Form Page 9&10 Financial Review Form Page 11 Advertising in the Voice newsletter Page 12 Board Information Page 12