This is our second year. Last year we had about 200 members and we were determined to get more on board. This year our numbers are around 264 which is a terrific increase. We've also created an email update list that goes out to 389 families of our school (we decided to include non-PTO families as well). We use myriad approaches including a website, newsletters, and programs that we advertise and brag about. We do a lot of "free stuff" and a lot of community involvement stuff. Finally we are there all the time at the school, are very friendly and very chatty with folks. It gets them going to see people. I also write a presidents column in our newsletter that is not about how folks can help. It is more focused on community building, leadership coordination and anecedotal in nature. People like it and look forward to it so that helps a lot to get folks involved. You can look at the types of things we do at brentpto.com. Our newsletters are all posted there as well as updated information on the things that we are doing.
I guess if you embrace everyone, let the m know you appreciate their ideas and support their initiative, then it all works to bring folks in...
I know how hard it is to get beyond what was done in past years with a PTO. By opening discussions for new ideas and events we have had one of our PTO's best years for meeting attendance as well as establishing a larger volunteer base. Many people were not involved because they didn't feel the PTO welcomed new ideas.
One thing that we have done at our elementary school was to request each classroom have a PTO Room Representative. We encourage parents to share this responsibility so that each classroom is covered per meeting. Their only real responsibility is to attend monthly PTO meetings and submit notes back to their child's teacher regarding issues discussed at the meeting. By sharing the post, the parents work out which meetings they can attend. It has increased our attendance with very little work on the board's part.
We had this same problem. I am the vice pres this year. Our president met the girls that started a parent involvement program called three for me. Parent are asked to sign a promise card to volunteer three hours. We started it this year and it was unreal what happened. We went from like ten people at meetings and the same faces at all of our events to hundreds of parents volunteering. We have so many volunteers and so much fun now that we all love it! We were really getting BURNED OUT!! They have a website that you can look at. I can't remember the site address, either threeforme.com or three4me.com, but check it out. If it helps you even half as much as us, you'll be so happy.
With about $250 (even less if you charge for concessions), you could do a free movie night in your gym. It's a great way to get people into the school, and connected to the potential of increased parent involvement. You could have a few opening words about your vision for parent involvement in the school, and then let the movie run. No obligation to the attendees, just a fun family night out. And you can easily pull it off with 5 volunteers.
Maybe have an interest survey sheet available as they enter/leave, but I wouldn't push "Sign Up Today!!" on this audience at this time.
Follow up the (very successful, very fun) Movie Night with an invitation to help plan the first ever free Donuts with Dad (another easy, cheap event) or Family Reading Night and see if people step forward. The law of reciprocity should kick in and a few parents who had fun at the free Movie Night should feel pulled to help with the next event. Little by little, connect with the parents. Concentrate on easy, cheap events, with very little or no fundraising for a few months, maybe even a whole year. You'll get them up the involvement ladder, just don't scare them off! I'd avoid levying dues or running a big fundraiser for the first year. Focus on connecting, not capturing.
I am going to be our school's new pto president, begining in June. We have a very poor volunteer base, and only 4 or 5 that come to meetings consistently. My problem is with turning this around, and getting new life into the organization. I'm tired of hearing about how it used to be, or how it was 10 years ago. We need to worry about the now, and it seems to be such a daunting task. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!
