Communication is something that our PTO has worked on alot this year and it is paying off. You have some great ideas. I would be happy to send you a copy of the letter that we sent out at the beginning of the year if you would like. Just email me at bevshorespto at cs.com.
Your ideas sound great! Before you approach your PTO board, may I suggest that you have not just great ideas, but examples of what the brochures might look like, examples of better ways to advertise your dinner and meetings, etc. You want to show them that you are more than ideas, that you are able to put those ideas into working formats...
It is very difficult to advertise a years worth of fundraising. First of all, in writing it looks tacky and greedy... Talk to your board about this. If they do the same ones over and over (and most do), you may just need better advertising, or maybe just earlier promotional activities.
I do want to caution you ahead of time: If you helped out once in a while, you may not be real well known by your board. Don't go in with any thing that might be contrued as attitude. It doesn't sound like you have one, it really sounds like you have some great ideas, but you just want to take it kinda easy until they get familiar with you. I'm not saying it will happen with your group, but I've seen groups take new ideas the wrong way... sometimes it comes across as though the new guy doesn't think the old or current guys were doing enough or doing things right... I hope you know what I mean because I'm certainly doing a lousy job of explaining it...
Good Luck and Welcome to PTO!!!
A little history, please bear with me. I'm not on the board, but after joining/reading the post you have giviing me some wonderful ideas. I'm just not sure how to approach the subjects.
This is my first year being fully involved with the PTO. Last year I helped out when I could, but that was far and few inbetween times. This year I would like to add some new ideas.
We have our spagetti dinner a few weeks after the start of school, and it goes over great....exepcet for the newcomers who don't know anything about it until the last minute.
We also don't have too much participation. Out of a school of 600 students, we have about 10 parents attend meetings.
My ideas are: ( and please tell me if I'm thing of this in the wrong way) I would love to have a brochure, paper explaining what the PTO is and what we do, future fundrainers and what the money raised would go towards, how, where, and why we need volunters, etc. This would be availible when parents sign up their child for school and at open house. Have a form with the packet for the parents/guardians to join the PTO, state the hours/days/events they are available.
Sorry this is so long, but I hope you get my drift. We need more parent/caregiver involvment and need to get the word our ahead of time.
