So many groups unfortunately struggle to boost membership and involvement, so know it’s not just your group that has this issue.
The good news is that it doesn’t have to be like pulling teeth to get parents involved!
We have a ton of blog posts and resources to both help inspire and motivate parents to step up as volunteer and leaders for your PTO and improve your school community.
There’s so much goodness here, so grab a cup of your favorite beverage and settle in to read and learn.
Membership Chair Duties and Responsibilities
How to be the Best PTO Membership Chair – All the best ideas and tips for being hands down the absolute best Membership Chair for your PTO. Simple ideas that break down this sometimes intimidating board position.
How to Set Up the Perfect PTO Membership Table – Learn how to set your membership campaign up for success and have everything you need to sign up dozens of new volunteers and members!
Does Your PTO Really Need a Welcome Packet? – Learn if Welcome Packets are a waste of time or an essential part of your membership campaign. You’ll be surprised to learn the true answer!
Tips and Tricks for Boosting Membership and Parent Involvement
The Secret to Getting Parents Involved in PTO – Pssst, I know you want to be let in on this well kept secret, so give this post a read!
How to Get Even More Parent Involvement in Your PTO Easily – Don’t resort to begging to get parents helping out as volunteers for PTO events! Use these strategies to boost parent involvement the healthy and more effective way instead.
5 Things PTOs Do that Parents Hate – Hold on to your hat for this tough love piece on things that PTOs do that are literally driving parents away.
Creating Community
How to Get Engagement on Facebook for Your PTO – Looking to expand your PTO’s reach beyond the take home folder or email inbox of students and families? This post outlines strategies for getting more eyeballs on your PTO’s Facebook posts.
21 Ways to Publicize PTO Events
Need some help thinking of some out of the box places to promote your PTO events to boost involvement from school families, community members, or both? Just think how fantastic it would be to have a well attended event, whether it be a school dance, PTO meeting, Color Run fundraiser, or Reflections Art Show. Quit wracking your brain to come up with publicity ideas because here are a bunch of places to consider posting information about your next PTO event.
Funny T-Shirts for PTO Leaders and Volunteers
A T-Shirt can go a long way in helping parents feel like they’re part of the PTO Tribe. Find some options that’ll give members a chuckle or two.
Ideas and tips for getting the best PTO shirts for your board! What colors to avoid and what the shirts should say!
Events to Boost Involvement
7 Events that Get Parents Involved in PTO – Sometimes seeing is believing and these school events will inspire parents to not only participate, but motivate them to get involved in your PTO to help continue the awesome events!
How to Get Parents to NOT Ignore PTO Events – It can sometimes seems like parents are straight up not paying attention to what’s happening in your PTO. This post breaks down how to avoid that frustrating situation.
How to Parents to Show Up for Your PTO Events – Planning an entire event and having no one but your PTO BFFs show is a bummer. Read this post for how to avoid that unfortunate situation.
Recruiting and Retaining Volunteers
How to Recruit and Manage Volunteers for Big Events – Need a bunch of volunteers for an upcoming event? You’ll want to read this article for tips on filling up your slots with willing helpers!
The Biggest Volunteer Recruiting Mistake PTOs Make – Sad to say, but too many PTOs default to this method of getting new volunteers and it almost always backfires. Learn what to avoid.
How to Keep PTO Volunteers Coming Back – Getting parents to volunteer one time is one thing. Getting them to sign up to help again, or better yet, step up as a leader is entirely another. Easy strategies any PTO can use to get volunteers coming back like boomerangs are revealed in this post.
A Hack to Get More Volunteer Sign Ups – Fun fact, you’ll get more volunteers when you reduce the barriers as much as possible. This hack shines the spotlight on a huge barrier most PTOs don’t even realize is there!
Why Parents Don’t Volunteer – Getting PTO volunteers isn’t as easy as the Field of Dreams “build it and they will come method.” Get the inside track on what that is in this article.
How to Get More PTO Volunteers – I know you’re ready for even more tips and strategies for increasing helpers, so give this post a read.
Use this genius strategy to get and retain parent volunteers for your school parent group, whether PTO or PTA long term. Genius idea that any group can use to get more helpers and grow their volunteer base.
All PTA and PTO groups want and need more parents to get involved in their group. Learn the best ways to make parent engagement happen plus mistakes to avoid!
Recruiting Parent Group Leaders
How to Recruit Leaders for Your PTO- Easily! – Turns out there’s an easy way to get new leaders for your PTO and this post reveals all!
How Not to Recruit Leaders for Your PTO – Need some fresh ideas and helpers to carry on the PTO workload? Don’t do any of this!
Volunteer Appreciation Ideas
8 Ways to Recognize Volunteers and Increase Involvement – Showing the love to your PTO’s volunteers will inspire them to come back and help, and here are eight ways to shower them with appreciation.
17 Easy Ways to Thank PTO Volunteers
Recognizing PTO volunteers for their time and effort to make your PTO and school better is crucial for keeping a deep roster of helpers and making their effort feel truly appreciated! Check out 17 different ways to show them the love.
Holiday Gift Ideas for PTO Volunteers
Let your PTO PTA volunteers know how much you appreciate all they do for your school and parent organization with one of these fabulous gifts. The holiday time is the perfect time to express your appreciation for their dedication and support.
5 Ridiculously Inexpensive Gifts for PTO Volunteers
Giving each of your PTO’s dedicated volunteers doesn’t have to be expensive! This post has some awesome gifts they’ll appreciate a ton, all at super budget friendly prices!
Great Gift Ideas for PTO Volunteers
Finding the perfect gift to thank your PTO PTA volunteers for their dedication and hard work as never been easier! So many fantastic ideas rounded up in this post!
Working with the Principal and School to Boost Family Engagement
How to Partner with Your Principal
Every PTO should know how to develop a strong relationship with their school Principal for a smooth school year. Good relationships with your Principal can be the difference in a well functioning PTO and a hot mess.
5 No-Brainer Ways Principals Can Support Their PTO/PTA
Let’s explore five powerful strategies for Principals to boost parent engagement in their school’s PTA / PTO (Parent Teacher Organization). Whether you’re looking to start a PTO, grow a small one, or strengthen family involvement in your school, these tips will help you build strong relationships with parents and create a more vibrant school community.
PTO-School Family Engagement Collaboration Ideas
Looking to boost family engagement and parent involvement in your school? Collaborating with your school community’s PTO / PTA parent group is a great way to make that happen! Partnering for family and student programs and events can be a game changer to meaningfully increase engagement of parents and families in the school. Read the post now for fantastic ideas!
Top Membership and Parent Involvement Resources
In addition to all of the blog articles focusing on membership and parent involvement, we also have some brilliant resources:
Stop struggling to recruit PTO members.
Get results with the Parent Involvement Success Kit.
This comprehensive toolkit provides everything you need to attract, recruit, and engage families effectively.
Forget generic flyers; we’re talking customizable action plans, proven engagement strategies, and ready-to-use templates for welcome packets, back-to-school information, and new member orientation.
Streamline your membership drive, build a strong parent community, and make a real difference in your school.
Get organized, get results.
Unlock Effortless Classroom Community with the Room Parent Success Kit.
Whether you’re building a program from the ground up or looking to organize and streamline your existing efforts, this kit is your essential resource.
Our comprehensive manual guides you through every step of establishing a thriving Room Parent program, while our ready-to-use templates and forms simplify party planning, volunteer coordination, and donation management.
Plus, discover simple strategies to transform classroom volunteers into powerful advocates for your PTO or PTA. Â
Empower your school, simplify your life, and build a stronger community, all with one kit.
Transform Your Meetings from Dread to Delight!Â
Stop wasting hours on unproductive meetings.
Discover the secrets to running engaging, efficient sessions in under an hour.
Our Meeting Success Kit empowers you to captivate parents and PTO members, turning them into eager participants.
Say goodbye to meeting dread and hello to energized, productive gatherings.
Learn more and reclaim your time!
