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Third District PTA�Membership Workshop�September 17, 2022

www.capta.org

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Membership Basics

www.capta.org

Course Learning Objectives

Explain why membership is so important to PTA.
Understanding your role as a membership chairman.
How to set goals and create a membership marketing plan.
Access tools and resources to help you succeed including awards, perks and incentives.

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Why is Membership Important?

PTA is a Membership Funded Non-Profit Organization

Without our members, there is no PTA

Membership + Advocacy = SUCCESS

www.capta.org

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Membership Basics

Responsibilities of the Membership Chairman

Set Membership Goals
Create and Implement a Membership Plan
Promote Membership Throughout the Year
Help Set the Membership Budget
Collect Dues and Verify “Per Capita” is Remitted
Create a Membership List
Distribute Membership Cards

Basic Responsibilities

www.capta.org

Set Goals – pretty self explanatory and we will spend some time on this later.

Creating and Implementing a Membership Plan – What is your membership goal or goals? What is your plan to reach those goals?

Promoting membership – How long should your membership drive last? Do you just stop after September or October? NO!! Membership is a year long campaign. How do you promote membership? Do you use visuals like a bulletin board? Do you send emails to your school population? Do you write something in the PTA newsletter?

Now that you have your goals and your plan, are you going to need money to help reach your goals?

Collecting Dues – does everyone understand the dues system and what the “per capita” is? Per capita means the amount of money the unit passes up the chain. For example, in Long Beach Council, every membership has a per capita of $5.05 - $2.25 for National PTA, $2.00 for CAPTA, 50 cents for District, and ???? cents for your council if applicable.

Membership lists – you need to know who your members are for various reasons. The #1 reason is so you know who can vote at your association meetings.

Membership cards – electronic? Paper? CAPTA. By the way, what is the membership year for CAPTA? (July 1 – June 30). When does your PTA membership expire? October 31

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Membership Basics

Responsibilities of the Membership Chairman

Set Membership Goals
Create and Implement a Membership Plan
Promote Membership Throughout the Year
Help Set the Membership Budget
Collect Dues and Remit “Per Capita”
Create a Membership List
Distribute Membership Cards

Basic Responsibilities

www.capta.org

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Goal Setting�

Where are you?
Where do you want to go?
What strategies will you use to get there?

www.capta.org

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Goal Setting�

Where are you ?

Know your past membership numbers
Keep track of your members

www.capta.org

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Goal Setting�

Where do you want to go?

Set number goals for each month
Set goals for target groups

Parents and Family members
Teachers
Students

Check against your goal

www.capta.org

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Membership Basics

Responsibilities of the Membership Chairman

Set Membership Goals
Create and Implement a Membership Plan
Promote Membership Throughout the Year
Help Set the Membership Budget
Collect Dues and Remit “Per Capita”
Create a Membership List
Distribute Membership Cards

Basic Responsibilities

www.capta.org

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Parent Mindset

Parents’ biggest problem is lack of time.
Working parents often feel guilty that they don’t spend enough time on their children’s education.
Parent sphere of interest is how the school is serving their child.
Primary point of contact with the school is their child’s teacher.
Parents are concerned about their finances – current and future.
Additionally, immigrant parents do not know what is expected of them in terms of involvement/ participation; they may feel intimidated.

www.capta.org

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Perceptions of PTA�

Parents’ image and perceived value of PTA is completely based on the people, programs and tangible benefits they see at their own school.�
Local Leaders are PTA leaders.

Awareness of State/National PTA

is extremely limited.

www.capta.org

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Why Parents Don’t Join PTA�

Don’t want to be forced to volunteer.

Don’t want to be obligated to attend meetings.

Don’t want to be asked to take on a task.

www.capta.org

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�Most Effective Messages�Top three identified�

Don’t want to be forced to volunteer.

“By joining PTA, your dues do not obligate you to volunteer or make other commitments. Your PTA membership helps support other parents who do have the time to volunteer.”

Don’t want to be obligated to attend meetings.

“By joining PTA, your dues support our school and students. Although we would love to see you at a PTA meeting, there is no requirement to attend. Your PTA membership shows everyone that you care about our school and our kids.”

Don’t want to be asked to take on a task.

“By joining PTA you are supporting valuable programs and services being delivered at our school.”

www.capta.org

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Market and Promote the Value of PTA

Add voices to the PTA advocacy voice.�
Understand what PTA has accomplished

and continues to champion.

Assess and address the reasons people don’t join.

Encourage current members to rejoin.

www.capta.org

To successfully market PTA and grow membership, each one of us must understand the benefits of PTA and be able to explain them.

Marketing generates awareness, promotes programs/events/campaigns, influences others to buy/choose/value, and strengthens the “brand”.

It is important to remember that when you approach people about PTA this is sometimes their first exposure to PTA. Therefore, the information that you give them needs to be meaningful! Often people have NO IDEA of the PTA history and the work that PTA does. How many of you know this history of PTA and of the legislative achievements that PTA has been a part of? Creation of Kindergarten classes; child labor laws; juvenile justice system; hot and healthy school lunches; public health service; mandatory immunizations; arts in education; school safety. Did you know that PTA was advocating for comprehensive sex education back in 1912? If you need help with PTA accomplishments: (Morgan Hill Case)

lots of informative and summarizing sheets we couldn't include that you can find on the website and in brochures that summarize key phrases and ideas
Encourage people to illustrate with their personal experiences….
Feel free to watch and use videos created by California State PTA—Youtube CAPTA channel

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Your Membership Plan = Inclusiveness

Reach out to all audiences and ask them to join PTA

Create an inviting environment for all
Consider cultures, languages and religious holidays
Develop and maintain respectful relationships
Make sure your PTA represents your community
Avoid clique-like behavior
Consider who is missing – men, military, grandparents

www.capta.org

Strategies For Success

As you go through your membership year—if you are successful—most of your families and teachers will have joined the PTA—going beyond the school can strengthen not only you PTA membership numbers but your relationships with the community and maybe even your volunteer force.

Create an inviting environment for all diversities.

Form respectful and trusting relationships.

Does your PTA represent your whole community?

SAY NO to cliques!

Look at your membership and look at your executive board. Is it representative of your school population as a whole? If not, what are you doing to encourage inclusiveness? This applies to your teachers and administrators as well. Are you asking them to join? What benefits do teachers and administrators get for joining? Helpers, extra eyes, money, programs, teacher/staff appreciation, etc.

--

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Successful Membership Plans

Start early and use multiple touch points.
Use teachers as key influencers and campaign drivers.
Utilize one-on-one outreach by PTA board members and parents.
Utilize personal outreach by bilingual board members and/or PTA parents to non-English speaking parents.
Reach out to parents of special needs students.
Reach out to students.
Reach out to past PTA members.
Include other school groups (boosters, ASB, sports teams, etc.).
Track and reports membership progress.
Target those who have not signed up yet.
Publicly post progress – citing specific classrooms and even specific teachers.
Organize events, contests, prizes and incentives.

www.capta.org

From the survey—these are some tactics that work

Start early and use multiple touch points.
Use teachers as key influencers and campaign drivers.
Utilize one-on-one outreach by PTA board members and parents.
Utilize personal outreach by bilingual board members and/or PTA parents to non-English speaking parents.
Reach out to parents of special needs students
Reach out to students
Last year’s membership roster is a great way to get you started with your membership campaign. WHY? Because you know that these folks already support PTA, you have their information, so a simple ask to rejoin will probably get you a “YES.” Remember, for every member you lose, you need two new members to replace the one you lost. Research has shown that members will return each year if they feel valued and appreciated, believe that the organization is relevant and meeting their needs, and are kept informed about the organization and feel part of a useful community.
Include other school groups (boosters, ASB, sports teams etc.) Are there join incentives you can work on? For example PTA members get into sports events for a discount, PTA members get a discount on yearbooks, prom tickets, or dances.
Track and reports membership progress.
Target those who have not signed up yet.
Publicly post progress – citing specific classrooms and even specific teachers.
Organize events. Have a PTA membership back to school BBQ, picnic, pot luck, or ice cream party. Have a teacher membership themed tea. Have a day where families can purchase school supplies or spirit wear, do give-a-way drawings like turkeys at Thanksgiving.

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“The Elevator Pitch”

www.capta.org

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“The Elevator Pitch”

www.capta.org

Join PTA because it helps the school and it helps all the children. It allows you to be involved in your child’s education. It also keeps you informed with what is going on at the school. Without PTA, our kids would not have art, field trips, or our yearly carnival.

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Membership Basics

Responsibilities of the Membership Chairman

Set Membership Goals
Create and Implement a Membership Plan
Promote Membership Throughout the Year
Help Set the Membership Budget
Collect Dues and Remit “Per Capita”
Create a Membership List
Distribute Membership Cards

Basic Responsibilities

www.capta.org

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Promoting Membership�

Why PTA?

www.capta.org

Having a PTA table and a PTA bulletin board are great ways to keep your membership campaign going all year long and promoting PTA membership. How many events or programs does your PTA put on every year? You should have a membership table at every one of those events.

Here we see a membership table. What is good about this table?

Theme, information, lots of signage, visually appealing.

Do you see any problems with this table?

Remember to regularly communicate the PTA’s goals, programs and activities so that members and potential members know what your PTA is doing on behalf of your school and students.

Remember to share why we want members—not dues—but membership—start with what your local PTA is doing for students—what programs does your PTA put on, support, sponsor??

Now let’s look at the bulletin board. What do we like about this bulletin board? What could be better (if anything)? -- we have theme, but we don’t have a goal. We have a visual, but we don’t know where were are in the membership campaign.

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Membership Basics

Who can join PTA?

Any individual who subscribes to the purposes and basic policies of PTA becomes a member upon payment of dues to a PTA or PTSA unit.

www.capta.org

Basic Responsibilities

Every member of the community should be thought of as potential PTA members. Families of ALL students, teachers and staff, students, and even local business and community members can belong to the PTA. They all provide unique perspectives and opportunities that can benefit your students and the school community.

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Membership Basics

Responsibilities of the Membership Chairman

Set Membership Goals
Create and Implement a Membership Plan
Promote Membership Throughout the Year
Help Set the Membership Budget
Collect Dues and Remit “Per Capita”
Create a Membership List
Distribute Membership Cards

Basic Responsibilities

www.capta.org

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Membership Basics

Responsibilities of the Membership Chairman

Set Membership Goals
Create and Implement a Membership Plan
Promote Membership Throughout the Year
Help Set the Membership Budget
Collect Dues and Remit “Per Capita”
Create a Membership List
Distribute Membership Cards

Basic Responsibilities

www.capta.org

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Ways to Join

www.capta.org

Basic Responsibilities

Have a systematic way for people to join (envelopes or other)

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PTA Electronic Membership

Multiple memberships and donations

Options for next steps, social sharing, info.

True electronic membership card

www.capta.org

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Electronic Membership Highlights�

Easy and fast login using Facebook or email

Geolocation and search to find the right school

Simple forms, multiple schools all in one step

www.capta.org

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Flow of Money

Council

Unit

Member

Council

Unit

CA State PTA

National PTA

District

Member

$ 1 convenience fee

District

Electronic Membership Flow

Regular cash/check Membership Flow

Simultaneous transfer to all levels

www.capta.org

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MEMBERSHIP

BASICS

Remit Dues

Help keep financial records in good shape
Maintain “good standing” status
Forward the portion of dues to council (or district if out-of-council)
Keep a current and accurate membership list

www.capta.org

Basic Responsibilities

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Membership Basics

Responsibilities of the Membership Chairman

Set Membership Goals
Create and Implement a Membership Plan
Promote Membership Throughout the Year
Help Set the Membership Budget
Collect Dues and Remit “Per Capita”
Create a Membership List
Distribute Membership Cards

Basic Responsibilities

www.capta.org

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Membership Basics

Responsibilities of the Membership Chairman

Set Membership Goals
Create and Implement a Membership Plan
Promote Membership Throughout the Year
Help Set the Membership Budget
Collect Dues and Remit “Per Capita”
Create a Membership List
Distribute Membership Cards

Basic Responsibilities

www.capta.org

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Membership Basics

Membership Cards:

Membership cards are provided by California State PTA and distributed through PTA channels. Each member should receive an official membership card from the unit PTA upon payment of dues. The same PTA membership card is used by all PTAs.

Basic Responsibilities

www.capta.org

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Awards, Incentives & Perks

www.capta.org

Strategies For Success

National Contests and Incentives

State Contests and Incentives

District Contests

Council Contests

Unit Contests and Local Perks

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Third District PTA� Membership Incentives

Early bird with 15 members = certificate

Early bird with 100 members = certificate, presentation from 3^rd District board

200+ members = certificate, school banner, presentation from 3^rd District board, choice of treat for entire school (granola bar, juice pop)

One half of school student + staff (min. 300 members) = certificate, school banner, presentation from 3^rd District board, choice of treat for entire school, showcased on 3^rd District website

400+ members = certificate, school banner, presentation from 3^rd District board, choice of treat for entire school, showcased on 3^rd District website, and $50 toward program of choice

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These Units already have 100+ members �using Totem �

Bella Vista HS PTSA

Rio Americano HS PTSA

C. K. McClatchy HS PTSA

Edna Batey Elementary School PTA

Elk Grove Elementary PTA

Folsom Hills Elementary PTA

Riverview S.T.E.M Academy PTA

Two Rivers Elementary PTA

Heritage Oak Elementary PTA

Olive Grove PTSA

Hernon PTSA

Theodore Judah Elementary PTA

Mariemont Elementary pta

Pioneer Elementary School PTA

Arden MS PTA

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Resources and Tools

California State PTA�www.capta.org

Toolkit, membership marketing tools and past issues of “Membership Monday”

National PTA�www.pta.org

www.capta.org

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Idea Exchange

www.capta.org

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www.capta.org

Membership Support

Please remember that YOU ARE NOT ALONE!! We are all here to help you!!

Peggy Parker, Membership Chair

E-mail to: membership@3rdpta.com

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Questions?

www.capta.org

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Thank you for attending!

www.capta.org