Our group started 4 years ago. we do not collect dues because in our area, a farming community, we feel it would not get parents to join. however we are asking local business to support us and become a member.
We are beginning this year as a PTO, after four as a dues collecting PTA.
Part of our reason for changing was so we did not have to collect dues and we could make every employee and caregiver a member.
I sent home a letter the first day of school explaining that everyone was now a member but there was another level of membership. Members can make a $5 "parent group contribution" and it gives them voting priveleges. I did explain that the $5 could be used towards purchasing x number of pencils or towards transportation for a field trip, etc. We have more paying members this year than in the past four combined now!
Does your school require that volunteers be PTO members? If so, then dues may be prohibitive to some of your folks. If not, then get the at-risk parents involved through volunteering.
Our school has several dynamics, and one of them is a focus on at risk children. This topic hasn't come up yet in our meetings as we're just getting started and working on our bylaws. But if one of your goals is to do all that is possible to get the at risk parents involved - would you wave dues? Would you wave it across the board? We have zero dollars going in to this school year, so dues would be a quick way to get some funds in, but I fear it would also exclude a large population of our parents/families from being more active and attending meetings, etc.
