Question: Parent Involvement and Filling Vacant Positions

How do we get our vacant positions filled within our PTO organization? It is always the same parents who volunteer. We need some new faces. We have tried approaching people directly, blast e-mails, newsletter announcements etc. We are a small school (450 students K-8) non-for-profit and don't really want to implement a service hours clause to our parent handbook. HELP, please.

Asked by Anonymous

Answers:

Advice from PTO Today

Rose H writes:
Well, first, you are not alone. Lots of parent groups struggle with this issue. Secondly, it sounds like you are trying really hard to get volunteers, so feel good about that. And, thirdly, there are some additional tactics you might want to try. It is helpful to think of recruiting volunteers as a long-term process. You might look at your group of parents and spot a few folks who may not be ready or interested now, but over time they could gradually step up to a leadership position. That doesn't solve the immediate problem of filling vacant slots now, but it will help you over time. As an immediate solution, how about asking parents who are already friends to team up to run a committee or even serve as co-leaders on the board? Often parents hesitate to take on the more visible positions because they are intimidated and doing it with a friend makes it more comfortable for them. We have an article about volunteer recruitment strategies that has additional tips that you might want to check out as well. Good luck!