I am new to the PTA board this year. I was wondering when we host an event at the school like Movie night and such which we charge admission. Could we or should we offer a discount to PTA members to encourage more signups? What do you think?

Here are our Membership Incentive perks so far. We plan to add more:
Logan Council PTA Membership Perks

We are really focusing on literacy, reading and getting our kids writing this year, so the main membership perk goes along with that. All parents can order the books and have a portion go toward paying for the Literacy Festival in the Fall, but each PTA member gets to order one book per month at 30% off. We hope that this will encourage reading as well as parent involvement, the kids reading AND writing, etc. I'll let you know how it goes.

Our membership costs $5.00 per year and for that membership dues, the family receives a PTO directory which lists the faculty, phone numbers and email addresses, students with addresses and phone numbers, class lists, meeting dates for the PTO and Board of Education, school calendar and the PTO chairperson listing & event calendar. Its GREAT for getting in touch with people you need to contact, for setting up playdates and carpools and for sending out birthday card invites. The family can also be a part of our emergency notification phone chain. this is for all school closings and delayed openings. Other parents would have to get out of bed and listen for the announcements on radio or TV, so it's great to just get the call! For those two things, our membership has been pretty steady with most parents signing up. Kindergarten parents have known ahead of time to be sure to sign up for the book alone!

You need to provide something to the parents that others will not get if they don't sign up. Something that the parents would want; not the kids. although the discount is great, you would have to constantly update your list and have it at every event to check it when they arrive and pay and redistribute it to anyone running an event or selling for your PTO so they provide the discount appropriately. *although you could make up a discount card for them to show at PTO events for items purchased in person, it wouldn't work if they sent in orders for things.

Also remember if your doing discounts for events for joining PTO you run the risk of turning those off that cant afford to join or dont want to join or havent joined yet but want to help, attend events, etc.

I'm all for the raffles, discounts (on spirit wear, PTO school store), giving away incentives (local business discounts, etc) but not discounts for school events held at a public school (even if the Private Non Profit is running it)

We just started having a paid membership last year. We gave them a school tag for their car. This year we're going to let them choose between a tag and a coupon towards a fundraiser we do. (some that didn't join last year might want a tag)

PTO Membership Incentives;134627 wrote: We would like to encourage our parents to join PTO. Does anyone have incentives that worked for their school? I am thinking a discount at an event, etc. Thanks FL

Hi PTO -

What do you mean by "join"? Do you mean "pay the $5", for example? Or do you mean "get engaged and volunteer and maybe move up into leadership"? Because they are different questions.

If the first, then incentives can work. Some groups provide all members a free copy of a school directory. or they enter all paid members into a raffle. Or the like.

But if it's the second, then I agree with previous posters that incentives are -- at best -- a very short-term band-aid. I always say that: "Raffling off Applebees gift cards for meeting attendance is a great way for folks who already would have attended your meeting to get Applebees gift cards." There aren't many folks who are on the couch, clicker in hand, who shoot up and say: "Oh shoot, I've got to get down to the PTO meeting for my chance at an Applebee's gift card."

Growing involvement and engagement is a multi-step process built on a bunch of basics.

Is being connected with your group fun? Or does it feel like arduous labor?
Do you have some signature events (not fundraisers) that folks want to get connected with?
Do you serve parents and families (family events are great for this) as their introduction to your group? (Or is it always: "please help us.")
Are you primarily a fundraising group? (There aren't a ton of folks at home dying to get deeply involved in fundraising, though there may be lots who'd love to get deeply involved with a really fun, well-run group that does great things for the school and kids and respects their time, etc.)

Don't think: "We only have 6 people doing all the work and their 400 families in this school, therefore we stink."

Rather think: "We're getting some really good work done with 6 people; imagine what we could get done with 12." And then make it your goal to develop just 6 more core volunteers using some of the above philosophies and strategies. Much more attainable goal. From 12, aim for 18. And so on.

Tim