The PTO is now a 501(c)(3) public charity
The Anchored School PTO was incorporated in Texas on July 7, 2026 and received IRS recognition as a 501(c)(3) public charity on July 13, 2026 under EIN 42-3747658. Texas granted franchise and sales tax exemption the same month.
Six days between incorporation and a determination letter is unusually fast, and it happened because the paperwork went in complete. We mention it because it is the same standard we intend to apply to everything else: get it right the first time, so the people who give us money never have to wonder.
The facts, for anyone who needs them
| Legal name | The Anchored School PTO |
|---|---|
| Entity type | Texas domestic nonprofit corporation |
| Date of formation | July 7, 2026 |
| Texas SOS file number | 806691948 |
| EIN | 42-3747658 |
| IRS determination | Letter dated July 13, 2026; exemption effective July 7, 2026 |
| Public charity status | 509(a)(2) |
| Fiscal year | July 1 – June 30 |
What it means if you give
Gifts to the PTO are deductible under Section 170 to the extent the law allows, and we send a written acknowledgment for every gift with the language the IRS requires to substantiate a contribution of $250 or more. Employers can match them. Foundations and corporate giving programs can fund us, most of which will not consider an organization without a determination letter. Vendors can accept our Texas sales and use tax exemption certificate, which stretches every dollar we spend on materials.
One line we will keep repeating because it matters: tuition and school fees paid to The Anchored School are not charitable contributions and are not deductible. The PTO is a separate legal entity from the school. A gift to us funds programs for children; it does not pay anyone's tuition, the school's payroll, its rent, or its operating costs.
What it obligates us to do
Recognition is not a trophy; it is a set of duties, and we would rather list them publicly than discover them later:
- Annual filing. Our first return to the IRS is due November 15, 2027, covering the fiscal year that ends June 30, 2027. IRS filings are public once made.
- Donor receipting. Written acknowledgments, issued promptly, with accurate substantiation language.
- Restricted-fund tracking. Money given for the greenhouse is tracked separately and spent on the greenhouse. If a project becomes impossible, we go back to the people who funded it.
- Financial controls. Dual approval on disbursements, two-person cash handling at events, conflict-of-interest provisions, and monthly minutes.
- Honest answers about our age. We have no Form 990 yet and no audited financials, because no fiscal year has closed. Funders who ask get the determination letter, the bylaws, the officer list, and a plain explanation instead of a vague one.
What comes next
Recognition is what makes the rest of the plan possible: grant applications, corporate matching, local business sponsorship, and capital projects like the greenhouse. The full picture of our governance and the documents we can send you is on the accountability page.