Unlocking Potential Membership
Let’s put our top effort into recruiting ten (10) more members by March 31! Here are ten (10) ideas to get you started on where to find those members:
- Parents new to the school
- Custodians, paras, bus drivers, secretaries, food service providers
- Administrators and counselors
- Student council members
- Grandparents
- Local business owners, chamber members
- Neighbors close to the school
- Daycare/ preschool parents
- Guest teachers/ substitutes/ coaches/ adults who are often at the school
- Anyone who has not received the love and joy PTA membership provides for all kids!
Thanks to those PTA/PTSAs that have already increased your membership. Share your success story so Colorado PTA can share with others. Send winning strategies to office@copta.org or membership@copta.org or share to social media on Facebook and Twitter (@ColoradoPTA) using #PTALove.
Membership Campaign Tip!
Thanks to Colorow Elementary PTA! We share the “Epic Ice Cream Challenge!” Make the focus on caregivers enjoying time with their kids and focusing on a goal. After completing each activity station, the team would earn points that would get written on a point card.
– Organize 8 activity stations in the gymnasium – many sports or activities related to basketball take-a-shot, Football pass, Jump rope relay, etc. Add some other activities like “make a balloon animal” and a Laser Challenge game.
– Organize an awesome Banana Split bar in the cafeteria. Have tons of topping choices like candies, syrups, cereals, etc. Each topping cost points. After the team is finished in the gym, take the point cards in and “buy” toppings to make an awesome banana split creations, and then eat them there together.
– Tell each adult when they check in to the event that they will earn 10 extra bonus points to buy more toppings for themselves and the students with them for joining the PTA (you can give existing members the points when they come in, or extra points for bringing potential members with them).
– If you are good at getting donations, you can do an event like this for free. If donations are not possible, budget approximately $1 per serving. Work with your PE teacher to get some ideas and borrow some equipment.
Helen Keller PTA: Be present – engage – just ask.
Elk Creek Elementary PTA: Conduct a phone tree race! An existing PTA member for each grade level personally contacts non-member parents in their grade level. The first person to increase PTA membership within their grade level by 20% wins!
Colorow Elementary PTA: Man night – dads and kids work together to complete challenges and earn tickets. Tickets are redeemed for ice cream sundae toppings. Those becoming a member that night automatically receive extra tickets to redeem. (They got 12 new male members that night!)
Garfield Elementary PTA: They started an “active recess” during lunch hour, inviting parents during lunch hour once per month to pay with the kids. They usually have an obstacle course and sports activities. They find moms and dads want to be a part of PTA with this initiative.
Parmalee Elementary PTA: Worked with their principal to push membership at staff meetings.
Membership Strategies
Parent Engagement is what PTA does. Share with teachers and staff that PTA helps to fulfill the Family Engagement mandated by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Talk about how PTA’s work benefits not only the children but the teachers as well. Remember to ask your teachers and staff to join; let them know that PTA is more than a local fundraising group for their school. It is an association focused on the education, safety, and well-being of children.
| Topic | Ideas |
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| Getting Teachers Involved! |
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| Member Benefits | As members join, make sure they know about their member benefits. You can create your own benefits at your local unit too! |
| PTA Booth/Table | Set up a PTA table at all your school events, especially open houses and back to school nights! |
| Market Your PTA | Posters/flyers/brochures showing past accomplishments show the community the value PTA provides. Visibility is a key to success. |
| Membership Profile | Encourage your members to “create a profile.” |
| Set Goals! | Set a goal for your membership. Why not try to recruit 10% more members than last year? The Colorado PTA also has a Membership Challenge & Award Program that you could qualify for by increasing your membership |
| Themes | Generate excitement by developing a theme for the year: Some examples:
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| Every Child In Focus! | The National PTA has developed an Every Child in Focus. Each month spotlights the educational challenges surrounding a particular group and helps to foster family-school partnerships. |
| Membership Mondays |
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| Focus on Inclusivity! |
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Preparing Your Membership Year
It is important to start your membership year prepared to recruit, engage and renew membership. National PTA Provides Membership Recruitment Plans in their Back-to-School Kit.
If yours is a school-based unit, send membership forms and Backpack Bundle fliers home with first-day packets and have a membership table at all orientation and back-to-school events.
Download this helpful Membership Flyers and Resources!
Local Leader Kit
Today’s PTA is dedicated to empowering parents to make a difference in the education, health, and safety of America’s children. This Local Leader Kit shares tips to increase membership, including tracking and retaining members, bolstering diversity and inclusiveness, and marketing PTA membership.