What are funding requests and how do they work?

Most of what a PTA raises ends up being spent on things the school asks for: a sensory garden, playground equipment, a visiting author. The process is usually the same everywhere. A member of staff asks, the head teacher or senior leadership team agree it is a school priority, the committee votes on it at a meeting, and then it is paid for. Finances > Funding Requests records each of those steps, so the committee can see what is waiting, what it has promised, and whether it is being fair across the year groups.

The steps

• Received - a committee member has recorded the request, usually from the form the school filled in.
• Agreed by school - the head teacher or a senior leader has agreed it. Their name and the date are recorded on the request; they do not need an account.
• Approved - the committee approved it at a meeting. The meeting date and where it is minuted are recorded, and from this point the money counts as committed.
• Declined - turned down, with the reason on the record.
• Paid - linked to the transaction or expense claim that paid for it.

What does "committed" mean?

Once the committee has approved a request, that money is promised even though it has not left the bank yet. A fund can look healthy when most of it is already spoken for. So on the Finances Overview, once anything has been approved, each fund shows its balance, what is committed to approved requests, and what is actually available. That is the figure to look at before voting on the next request.

Who can record and approve a request?

Administrators and anyone with the Finance role. School staff do not need an account; a committee member records the request on their behalf and names them on it. The person who recorded a request cannot be the one who approves it, so there is always a second pair of eyes, which is what an independent examiner looks for.

What about year groups?

Each request records the year groups it benefits, or the whole school. That is how the committee can check that one year group is not getting everything.

Related reading

• Recording a funding request from the school's form
• Approving, declining and paying a funding request
• What are funds and which type should I choose?