MPTSA E-bulletin header
an e-publication of the Michigan PTA • September 2009 Issue

Get Connected…Join PTA! Get Connected

The opportunities for involvement that PTA membership provides are of great importance. Research has shown that academic achievement among students is higher in schools with active PTAs than in schools without these associations. When parents and school staff interact positively and regularly, their enthusiasm and interest is transmitted to students.

The importance of PTA membership extends beyond the individual school.  Current economic challenges require legislators to make difficult funding decisions.  Parents, educators, community members and businesses need to work together to make sure our children’s education – the key to a successful and prosperous future – is not a victim of these tough times.  PTA membership strengthens our advocacy efforts in Lansing and Washington D.C. in lobbying for specific legislative action items on behalf of all children.  With every new member, we increase the power of our advocacy.

Our membership theme this year is Get Connected…Join PTA!  We hope to highlight the importance PTA plays in connecting various resources in support of all children.  We encourage every PTA member and officer to extend a warm PTA welcome to all parents, staff, students, business and community members.  We are all stakeholders in the success of children.

Getting off to a great start is essential. Involving your parents, faculty, and students will ensure that you meet or exceed your goals.  Here are some suggestions for getting organized:

  • Review Your Current Membership Levels and Procedures – Start a procedure book if you did not get one from your predecessor. Review previous successes and failures. Do your families know all the services and support your PTA provides? Do your potential members know that belonging to a local PTA also brings membership benefits of National PTA and Michigan PTSA?  Review the PTA marketing materials included in your PTA’s BIG BOX of Possibilities (Official PTA Kit) for great marketing ideas.
  • Form a Membership Committee – Try to split membership recruitment into different areas:  Marketing/Publicity, Staff Membership, Student Membership, Family Membership, Membership Cards and Reporting, etc.  Have creative parents make membership posters to display at school.
  • Set Your Membership Goal – Baseline goals should be based on the previous years’ totals and any changes in your school attendance.  Next, review your school demographics – is everyone represented? You may want to target certain groups like Dads, families with special needs children, or new families for special recruitment.  MPTSA will no longer set membership goals for units.  Rather, each unit should set realistic targets; a 2-5% growth is obtainable for most units.
  • Select Your Theme and/or Campaign Activities – Use the Michigan PTSA theme “Get Connected …Join PTA!” or brainstorm with your committee on a great theme idea unique to your school. Coordinate activities and events around your theme.  Create colorful charts tracking your membership and display in a prominent location at your school and on your web site.
  • Create a Membership Incentive Program – Work with local businesses or school administrators for in-school incentives.  Encourage members to “show your PTA pride and save” with discounts to school and community events when they present their signed membership card.  Enter members in a raffle.  Provide a free school directory with membership.
  • Plan a Membership Kick-off - You may want to set aside a Membership Drive Month in September or a kickoff week – just remember your membership drive will last all year.  Produce a simple video highlighting your PTA.  Show it at Back-to-School events, Curriculum Nights and/or Open Houses.
  • Create Sign-up and Follow-up Processes – Whether you use membership forms or online enrollments, tie your process to your membership theme. Make sure to ask for name, address, membership type (staff, student, parent, individual), phone number and email address when collecting information. Remember, PTA is an organization of individual members – we need every adult and/or student (for PTSAs) to be recognized as a member. 
  • Get your Membership Cards Ready – Each card should include your unit’s membership number, PTA unit name, members name and expiration date. Consider using the Microsoft Word template for pre-printing everything but member name.  You can write in the member’s name and present the card as they enroll at events. If you distribute cards at a different time, consider distributing the cards with the school directory or with other school communications. 
  • Be a Visible Presence at all Activities – Have a membership table at Back-to-School days, Schedule Pick-ups, Curriculum Nights, meetings, book fairs, sporting activities and other school events and parent/teacher conferences.
  • Track Your Progress – How are you doing against your goals?  Have your targeted communications worked?  Do you know the following membership statistics: percent of staff, percent of students, percent of families and member- to- student ratio?  How will you contact parent s and staff who may have forgotten to sign up?  Create a simple process to track those you haven’t heard from.  A personal follow-up is very effective for gaining additional members.

 

For over 110 years, PTA has represented a community of people dedicated to the health, education and well-being of America’s children. As inheritors of that great tradition, it’s now our job to keep this community strong and growing.

 

Michigan PTA - 3300 Washtenaw Avenue, Suite 220 - Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104
Email: director@michiganpta.org - Website: www.michiganpta.org - Phone: (734) 975-9500