Ways to introduce your group to families: market yourself like a business!
1-develope a pto logo or mascot that goes on EVERYTHING you send home. that symbol will become a household name. think about the golden arches and how you know that it is McDonalds with no words!
2-Develope a flyer that talks about you group, dues, projects, meetings, a contact number/place.use that logo!
3-Talk to your principal about having a regular PTO columm in the school newsletter. Use your logo and write about your groups happenings, recognize hard work put forward by volunteers on events.
4-Attend Every school function possible, develope a tri fold display board and display this at open house, conference night,block party , community night,kindergarten orientation, registration, etc. Have a sign up sheet and follow up with the signups, develope a group scrapbook to display as well. Even a display in the lobby on concert night can help!
5-At any event you put on have a big banner in the lobby that reads "another fun event being brought to you by xyz pto". at your events have a pto table just for parents to look.
6-If you have access to a bulletin board put pictures of your events up, the kids and families love seeing them and a picture is worth a thousand words!
7-Dont be afraid to use you local newspaper by putting in pictures of events you have done, make sure you have permission to use the kids pictures in the paper.
8-Develope a realtionship with other groups, departments at your school. Within time it will be a relationship that will allow you to feed off one another.
9-Don't be afraid to be a voice, have others talk to parents that they know about helping out.
10-If none of these help put on your sandwich sign and walk the main street...okay I have never done that but it would be a strong message.
It takes time but truly doing a little bit at a time will help, parents need to see it a few times to recoginze and want to be a part of it. On any of this keep it simple ...to the point...no back to back flyers, to much info means they will never read the whole thing, i once heard that you have like 10 seconds to grab your audience! stay positive and have fun with it!
