Dear Underwood Families,
We hope you have enjoyed the start to this school year and were able to attend our annual Back-to-School Picnic!
The mission of the Underwood PTO is to support the provision of optimal growth opportunities for our students and to encourage communication, collaboration, and community among parents, staff, and neighbors. We accomplish these important goals through, among other things: direct support to teachers and staff; Creative Arts and Sciences programming for students; budgeting for technology updates; community events such as the Back-to-School Picnic and Carnival; and support for other programs, such as Understanding our Differences, which support our goals. In 2023-24, the PTO is planning to provide nearly $50,000 in estimated support. Our budgeted breakdown of expenses this year for some of our key programs is:
- Creative Arts and Sciences ($14,000);
- Teacher, Library, and Principal allocations ($9,720);
- Planned technology updates ($15,726);
- Community events ($3,000);
- Teacher appreciation ($2,500);
- Updates to buildings and grounds /Garden Committee ($500); and
- Other key programming (Understanding our Differences/Community Cares/CAP) ($2,400).
We cannot support these initiatives without your help. Historically, our membership dues have comprised approximately 15% or greater of our annual income. Last year, we raised nearly $8,000 thanks to your amazing support! This year, in addition to continuing the work we have been doing, we have slightly increased our budget in some key areas, such as Teacher Appreciation, which we feel contribute to the special community we have.
We are writing today to ask for your support through an annual contribution to the Underwood PTO. Our goal is to reach annual participation from 50 families and raise $7,500 through this Membership Dues Drive, in line with previous dues levels. Our recommended donation amount per family is $150, aligning with the average contribution in previous years.
If your family is fortunate enough to be in a position to give, please help us reach our goal by contributing what you can. A gift of any size truly makes a difference and our collective support allows the PTO to support our community and make Underwood a special place year after year. If you are not in a position to give this year you can still support the PTO by volunteering for an upcoming event!
The Underwood PTO is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, so donations are tax deductible and eligible for matching donations from employers. Contributions can be made via paypal.me/underwoodpto, Venmo (@underwoodpto / Selena Chiu) or by check made payable to “Underwood PTO.” Checks can be mailed to: Underwood PTO, 101 Vernon Street, Newton, MA 02458.
Sincerely,
Margaret Silva and Renata Ballesteros
Underwood PTO Co-Presidents
All donations are tax-deductible under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Our tax-exempt organization number is 22-2562184. All parents and caregivers are members of the PTO regardless of contribution.