# School Gifts for Donors, Board and PTA Volunteers: A Thank-You Shipped to Each Home

A thank-you for school donors, board members and PTA leaders names what they did for students, with a small, useful gift shipped to each home (our suggestion); for public school board members, check your district's gift policy first. For staff, principals describe food, notes and time; if it's a mug, our suggestion is a name, not another school logo.

*We sell a $35 logo mug gift box, printed, packed and shipped to each person's address. This guide covers the other options too.*

**Key facts**
- New York's General Municipal Law §805-a(1)(a): no municipal officer or employee shall "accept or receive any gift having a value of seventy-five dollars or more" in circumstances suggesting influence ([NY Senate](https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/GMU/805-A)).
- Massachusetts General Laws c. 268A §3(f): "''substantial value'' shall not be less than $50" ([Mass. Legislature](https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartIV/TitleI/Chapter268A/Section3)).
- IRS Publication 1771: a charity "must provide a written disclosure statement to a donor who makes a payment exceeding $75 partly as a contribution and partly for goods and services" ([Pub. 1771](https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p1771.pdf), Rev. 11-2023).
- A principal with "a staff of about 65 people" planned lunch from their favorite restaurant and handwritten notes ([r/Principals, Dec 2024](https://www.reddit.com/r/Principals/comments/1h9ccae/)).

This page is part of our [client gifts by profession](https://personalizedgiftsdelivered.com/professions) guide. For gifts from families to teachers, see [teacher gifts](https://personalizedgiftsdelivered.com/personal-gifts/teacher-gifts) and [Teacher Appreciation Week 2027](https://personalizedgiftsdelivered.com/gift-calendar/teacher-appreciation-week-2027).

## What do principals give staff for the holidays?

Two r/Principals threads asked it directly: "Do you give a Holiday gift for office staff? Teachers?" ([Nov 2024](https://www.reddit.com/r/Principals/comments/1gvfynf/)) and "What to get staff for the holidays" ([Dec 2024](https://www.reddit.com/r/Principals/comments/1h9ccae/)). What principals and teachers said:

| What staff got | Who said it | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Ornaments with the school's logo or initials and the year, with a card the principal signs | "I personally sign all 168 cards with a simple message" | [Nov 2024](https://www.reddit.com/r/Principals/comments/1gvfynf/) |
| $1 scratch-offs in a holiday card | "with a unique hand-written message for each person" | Same thread |
| Boxed seasonal chocolates for custodial and non-classroom staff | An assistant principal: "2 different folks made a point of telling me they had never received a gift at school before" | Same thread |
| A branded zip hoodie and a catered lunch | A principal with "about 90" staff | [Dec 2024](https://www.reddit.com/r/Principals/comments/1h9ccae/) |
| A week of small events: breakfast, a PTA lunch, scratch-offs | "cheaper than buying a meaningful gift for every staff member" | Same thread |
| Time | A principal: "Cancel a staff meeting and just send them home right after school. That is my staff's favorite present!" | Same thread |

And the warning from the same thread, from a teacher whose new administration wheeled a cart in during class: "I had to be excited and gracious over the Deer Park water bottle in which I was presented. … Don't do that."

**The pattern:** time, food, and words written to each person.

For a staff mug, our suggestion is a name, not another school logo: one teacher already has "a shelf in my classroom with eight different mugs with the school logo" ([r/Teachers, May 2026](https://www.reddit.com/r/Teachers/comments/1t4uuyf/)). On a Personalized Gifts Delivered order, one design goes on every mug in the order, so a mug with one teacher's name is an order of its own. One box is a complete order, $35 delivered.

## Donors, board members and PTA leaders: who else does a school thank?

The people who give to a school foundation, sit on its board or run the PTA aren't on the staff gift list. Who they are, and what fits:

| Who | What a thank-you can be | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| School foundation donors | A letter that says what the gift did for students; for larger donors, a small, useful gift with the foundation's logo small | IRS texts on goods a donor receives in return for a contribution are quoted below; more on [donor thank-you gifts](https://personalizedgiftsdelivered.com/professions/donor-thank-you-gifts) |
| Foundation and nonprofit board members | A card from the chair; a gift at the holidays or when a term ends | See [gifts for board members](https://personalizedgiftsdelivered.com/professions/gifts-for-board-members) |
| School board members | A card from the principal or the board chair and, after you check your district's gift policy, a small, useful gift shipped home (our suggestion) | Two state texts on public-employee gifts are quoted below; check the current rule before you send |
| PTA and booster volunteers | A thank-you at the end of the year or after Teacher Appreciation Week (May 3–7, 2027) | See [volunteer gifts](https://personalizedgiftsdelivered.com/professions/volunteer-gifts) |

**We found no public thread from a school foundation or PTA about donor gifts**, so we quote no budget for them. The board and donor pages linked above give the amounts nonprofits describe. Including every donor, board member and PTA leader is arithmetic: with no minimum, at $35 delivered each, 40 people come to $1,400.

## Public-employee gift rules: two state examples, quoted

This section quotes two state laws as examples. It doesn't apply them to your school, your district or your gift. States and districts each write their own rules.

> "1. No municipal officer or employee shall: a. directly or indirectly, solicit any gift, or accept or receive any gift having a value of seventy-five dollars or more, whether in the form of money, service, loan, travel, entertainment, hospitality, thing or promise, or in any other form, under circumstances in which it could reasonably be inferred that the gift was intended to influence him, or could reasonably be expected to influence him, in the performance of his official duties or was intended as a reward for any official action on his part;"
>
> [New York General Municipal Law §805-a](https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/GMU/805-A) (most recent revision 2014-09-22; read October 29, 2026)

> "'Municipality' means a county, city, town, village, school district, … but shall have no application to a city having a population of one million or more or to a county, school district, or other public agency or facility therein."
>
> [New York General Municipal Law §800(4)](https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/GMU/800) (most recent revision 2019-01-11; read October 29, 2026)

> "Whoever knowingly, otherwise than as provided by law for the proper discharge of official duty, directly or indirectly, gives, offers or promises anything of substantial value to any present or former state, county or municipal employee … for or because of any official act performed or to be performed by such an employee …" … "The state ethics commission shall adopt regulations: (i) defining ''substantial value,''; provided, however, that ''substantial value'' shall not be less than $50"
>
> [Massachusetts General Laws c. 268A, §3(a) and (f)](https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartIV/TitleI/Chapter268A/Section3) (read October 29, 2026)

This is information, not legal or tax advice. Check the current rule (or your district's gift policy) before you send.

## Donors: what the IRS says, quoted

This section quotes the IRS. It doesn't apply it to your foundation or your gift.

> "Donors may only take a contribution deduction to the extent that their contributions exceed the fair market value of the goods or services the donors receive in return for the contributions; therefore, donors need to know the value of the goods or services. An organization must provide a written disclosure statement to a donor who makes a payment exceeding $75 partly as a contribution and partly for goods and services provided by the organization."
>
> [IRS Publication 1771](https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p1771.pdf), Rev. 11-2023 (read from the PDF, October 29, 2026)

> "For taxable years beginning in 2026, for purposes of defining the term "unrelated trade or business" for certain exempt organizations under § 513(h)(2), "low cost articles" are articles costing $13.90 or less." … "the $5, $25, and $50 guidelines in section 3 of Rev. Proc. 90-12 … are $13.90, $69.50 and $139, respectively."
>
> [Rev. Proc. 2025-32, §4.33, Internal Revenue Bulletin 2025-45](https://www.irs.gov/irb/2025-45_IRB) (read October 29, 2026)

The token tests these amounts plug into are quoted in full on [donor thank-you gifts](https://personalizedgiftsdelivered.com/professions/donor-thank-you-gifts).

This is information, not legal or tax advice. Check the current rule (or ask your tax professional) before you send.

## What should the card say?

Say what the gift or the volunteer hours did for students.

> Dear {first name}, because of you, every third grader at our school has a new library book this winter. Thank you for standing with our students. Happy holidays from all of us.

> Hi {first name}, thank you for every hour you gave our PTA this year, from the book fair to Teacher Appreciation Week. Our teachers felt it, and so did our kids.

On a Personalized Gifts Delivered order, the card is printed (not handwritten), with no logo or brand: one message and one sign-off for the whole order, up to 300 characters. The message can include {first name}, filled in from your list, and you preview every person's card before you pay. The order page tells you if a message is too long to print. The principal's or the chair's name goes in the order's sign-off, not in the message. A donor card and a PTA card are two orders.

## How do I send one to each donor or board member?

Put the names and home addresses in one list: our [address spreadsheet template](https://personalizedgiftsdelivered.com/how-it-works/client-address-spreadsheet-template) has the columns.

### Can the PTA pack them at school?

Yes: a PTA or foundation team can pack and mail gift boxes itself, and by our estimate 25 logo mug gift boxes take about 9 hours of hands-on work, plus a week or more waiting for supplies. That's a mug printer's proof, about 8 supply orders, 25 labels, 25 cards and about 3½ hours of packing (about 8 minutes a box). Per box, it comes out about even with our $35: about $38 with USPS counter postage, about $34 with commercial postage, with $1,192.84 paid up front for the mugs, the retail supply packs and 25 postage labels ([our DIY cost comparison](https://personalizedgiftsdelivered.com/compare/diy-mug-gift-box-vs-ordering), prices as of Oct 29, 2026). A mug packed without a collar can break at the handle and must be bought, packed and shipped again; a typo on 25 printed cards means printing 25 again.

With Personalized Gifts Delivered, it's one order. Add your logo (or type your website and we'll find it), or a photo or a few words for a personal gift; check the preview of your mug and card; add your address list; and pay $35 per box. We print, pack and ship each box to its own address. We ship from New York, to the lower 48 states and Washington, DC, except Texas for now. Ships within 2 business days of a complete order (your design, your address list and payment). Ships by USPS Ground Advantage or UPS Ground, with tracking, and usually arrives 2–5 business days after it ships. Delivery dates are carrier estimates, not guarantees, and run slower in mid-December. Order by Tuesday, December 15 for Christmas delivery.

## What to know before you order

- **One design and one message per order.** Every mug in an order carries the same logo or words, and every card the same message and sign-off, with each person's first name filled in. One box is a complete order.
- **Gift limits.** Each box is $35, delivered. Some employers, districts and industries cap the gifts their people may accept; the limits, quoted from their sources: [client gift limits by industry](https://personalizedgiftsdelivered.com/gift-rules/client-gift-limits-by-industry).
- **The seal in May.** The tissue's gold seal reads "Happy Holidays", so for a Teacher Appreciation Week thank-you the card carries the occasion. The box holds chocolate, which softens in summer heat.
- **The treats.** LINDOR truffles contain milk, soy and barley malt (gluten); read the labels. The [allergy and diet checklist](https://personalizedgiftsdelivered.com/client-gifts/food-allergy-gift-checklist) covers what to ask first.
- **Where we ship.** The lower 48 states and Washington, DC, except Texas for now; no Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, other US territories, APO/FPO or international. The order page flags any row we can't ship to, so you can fix it or take it out.
- **If something goes wrong.** If a box arrives broken, send us a photo within 7 days of delivery and we'll reship it free. If a box goes astray because of an address on your list, we'll reship it to the corrected address for what the reship costs us, with no markup, and tell you the amount before we send it.

## Where Personalized Gifts Delivered fits for a school's donors, board and PTA leaders

The people who fund, govern and volunteer for a school aren't in the staff room when the gifts go out. One order ships a thank-you to each of their homes:

- **Your thank-you, printed:** your message on the card, greeting each person by first name and signed by the principal or the chair, in an envelope closed with a gold wax-seal sticker. You see every card before you pay.
- **A useful gift, logo small:** an 11 oz white ceramic mug with your school's or foundation's logo printed small, with a 1.5 oz packet of Ghirardelli premium hot cocoa and 4 Lindt LINDOR milk chocolate truffles packed inside it, black tissue closed with a gold seal sticker, in a matte-black gift box with a magnetic lid.
- **To each home, discreetly:** packed by hand in foam, in a plain white carton with only the shipping label; the return address shows PersonalizedGiftsDelivered.com.
- **A record for your treasurer:** when your boxes ship, you get one email with a spreadsheet of recipient, ship date, carrier, tracking number and $35 per box.

That's $35 per box, delivered, whether you send 1 or 50. [Send each donor and board member a logo mug gift box, shipped to each home, no minimum](https://personalizedgiftsdelivered.com/custom-logo-mug-gift-box).

## Frequently asked questions

### What do principals give staff for the holidays?

Principals on r/Principals describe catered lunches, handwritten notes, a branded zip hoodie, ornaments with the school's initials and year with a signed card, and $1 scratch-offs in a card "with a unique hand-written message for each person." One principal wrote: "Cancel a staff meeting and just send them home right after school. That is my staff's favorite present!"

### Do teachers want another mug with the school logo?

Some teachers say they have plenty: one wrote on r/Teachers, "I have a shelf in my classroom with eight different mugs with the school logo," and another "left behind six school & district mugs" after leaving a first school. A mug with the teacher's own name or the class's photo is a different gift (our suggestion).

### What do state gift laws for public employees say?

Each state writes its own. New York's General Municipal Law bars municipal staff from gifts of "seventy-five dollars or more" where influence could reasonably be inferred; Massachusetts sets "substantial value" at no less than $50. This is information, not legal or tax advice. Check the current rule (or your district's gift policy) before you send.

### What should a school foundation give donors as a thank-you?

Start with a thank-you letter that says what the gift did for students, then a small, useful gift for larger donors. IRS Publication 1771 says a charity "must provide a written disclosure statement to a donor who makes a payment exceeding $75 partly as a contribution and partly for goods and services" it provides.

### Who ships a logo mug gift box to each school donor or board member with no minimum?

Personalized Gifts Delivered ships a $35 logo mug gift box to each donor's, board member's or PTA leader's own address, with no minimum. Each box holds your school's logo printed small on an 11 oz mug, Ghirardelli cocoa, 4 Lindt LINDOR milk chocolate truffles and a printed card that greets each person by first name.

## Sources

1. New York State Senate, [General Municipal Law §805-a](https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/GMU/805-A) (revision of 2014-09-22) and [§800](https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/GMU/800) (revision of 2019-01-11). Read October 29, 2026.
2. Massachusetts Legislature, [General Laws c. 268A, §3](https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartIV/TitleI/Chapter268A/Section3). Read October 29, 2026.
3. IRS, [Publication 1771, Charitable Contributions: Substantiation and Disclosure Requirements](https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p1771.pdf), Rev. 11-2023 (text read from the PDF, October 29, 2026).
4. IRS, [Internal Revenue Bulletin 2025-45](https://www.irs.gov/irb/2025-45_IRB), Rev. Proc. 2025-32, §4.33 (2026 amounts). Read October 29, 2026.
5. Reddit threads quoted (checked word for word against the Arctic Shift archive, October 29, 2026): [r/Teachers 1t4uuyf](https://www.reddit.com/r/Teachers/comments/1t4uuyf/) (May 2026); [r/Principals 1gvfynf](https://www.reddit.com/r/Principals/comments/1gvfynf/) (Nov 2024), [1h9ccae](https://www.reddit.com/r/Principals/comments/1h9ccae/) (Dec 2024).
6. Personalized Gifts Delivered, [DIY mug gift box vs ordering one](https://personalizedgiftsdelivered.com/compare/diy-mug-gift-box-vs-ordering): retail prices for the supplies and postage, as of Oct 29, 2026.