This next school year I am going to put our letter and volunteer form in the back to school packet of papers that each parent has to complete. I am hoping that the parents will be in the "form filling" mood and fill it out and send it back with the required forms.
I really think that personally inviting people to get involved is the key! People liked to be asked... makes them feel special !
Another thing we've been doing this year to increase involvement... A week before the general membership meetings, we've been sending out a letter "challenging" those who attended the previous meeting to find one guest to bring... if they succeed, they get an extra ticket for the door prize drawing. (Obviously, we've also started offering door prizes, too!)
At the meetings (which are bi-monthly), I send around our volunteer sign up sheets for upcoming events. Everyone who signs up gets another ticket! The sign up sheets are 90% full by the time they get around the room. And once I've got these new people to work at one event, I've found it's much easier to get them to help again!!!
Hope these ideas help a little with increasing your membership... best of luck!!!
Do you have pamphlets/flyers that get distributed to parents so they know what your group is all about? Communicating what your group does and how people can get involved is crucial to bringing people in. Make sure that your group has a regular newsletter that touts your accomplishments and offers suggestions on how to get involved.
A few years ago we looked at each of our board and committee positions and thought of ways to break them down more. It made the jobs not seem so overwhelming and provided more opportunities for involvment for those parents who can only spare a few hours, but want to be a part of the group.
Also, nothing beats just plain talking to people and asking them to get involved. Have some very specific tasks that you can recruit people to do, then start making phone calls and chatting with people at the school and at events. Even if it's just a "personal" invitation to come to a meeting, it can be a bigger influence than a note that gets sent home.
I just became the PTO New Member Recruiter for my boys school. We have over 1,000 students and only 25 adults on the PTO Roster and only 8 to 10 come to each meeting. How can I get more involement with Parents? I have SO many ideas, I just wonnder what other schools do? I'll take anything anybody wants to offer.
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