PTO Today

OK, this PTA creatively calls it the “Kindergarten Cry” but I still love the name “Boo Hoo Breakfast” for an event to welcome/support the new parents at your school, who are letting go of their babies for the first time. Fun way to make that first connection and make a great first impression.

Reminds me — there a whole bunch of good “Boo Hoo Breakfast” docs in our File Exchange. Have you seen the File Exchange yet? It’s my favorite new PTO tool of 2008 (though I am a bit biased).

More releases coming out on this blockbuster of a fundraising deal. To clarify from last week’s posting, QSP was not purchased by Time Direct Ventures but instead by Time Inc. itself (and its consumer marketing division). Reportedly, the QSP operations will remain a separate business unit from (and report into entirely different areas within the larger Time, Inc.) Time Direct Ventures. Following…

This is a huge deal for the fundraising industry, a deal which is sure to have effects on PTOs and PTAs. Time — through its Time Direct Ventures group – has been successfully integrating magazine subscriptions into traditional fundraisers for the past several years. And now they’ve purchased the largest of the traditional magazine fundraising companies. Very interesting.

Short-term, we’re hearing that there will really be no changes for groups. But we’ll keep an eye on how this all plays out for you.

Gotta love it when a PTO realizes that involvement takes unique outreach… and then sees great success.

This PTO in Southwest Florida is hosting family events and they’re involvement motto is: “Make it Fun and They Will Come”. How great is that? Check out more about their involvement success in this article.

It’s such a fundamental truth of growing involvement — it starts with the family events. Meetings aren’t the key at all. You can have better meetings. You can have raffles for attending meetings. You can have shorter meetings. But they’re still meetings. When you’re trying to connect with those who aren’t connected, you have to attract them. (Hint: meetings are not attractive.)

This has probably been our number one topic on the site and in our talks (which is why I love this Florida story so much). Looking for more aroud this? We’ve got: My column on why meetings don’t matter nearly as much as most PTOs think. And we’ve got great family event ideas.

If you do nothing else this coming year, think this way. (Now, would someone please help me down of my soapbox???)

While I certainly don’t agree with all the opinions in this linked blog post, I do think it’s very important for PTA and PTO leaders to think about impressions all the time and work to combat the too-common idea that leaders are cliquey and not open to new and/or more casual volunteers. How do you work against that impression? Check out this feature story on the “Are You a Clique?” topic and my column on why we have to actively work against this clique image.

I just ran across this t-shirt site (and this one shirt, in particular), and I think I’ve found the best door-prize ever for a Kindergarten welcome event. Cool stuff. Thought I’d pass it along.

Sentencing comes through for former PTA treasurer convicted of stealing $180,000 (yes — nearly 200 grand!) from her group over 5 year period. Appreciate the fact that other officers and school parents prosecuted and advocated for harsh sentencing. However, looks like the sentence will be one year of home confinement.

There are so many basic tips for solid money management for your PTO or PTA, but here’s one straight from the article: don’t have bank statements mailed directly to treasurer’s home. No way!

Is your group protecting its funds?

Have to give credit to Tennessee authorities for listening and responding to feedback about the 2007 “school support” regulations that came down last year.

Effective July 1, 2008, several clarifications and improvements have been made (Tennessee regs summarized here). The end result: common sense (and parent groupos and kids around the state) win!

In a nutshell, a needed distinction has been made between school funds and school events and parent group funds and parent group events. Parent groups aren’t required to be 501(c)(3)s and funds are not required to be run through the district. Financial best practices still encouraged. Nice.

Wall Street Journal today covers several new fundraising options with a green theme. PTO Today’s expert take on fundraising trends included.

As you’ll see in the article, to me the #1 measuring stick has to be whether the product and company will work as a money-maker, because all the good work you do in your school depends on the earnings you pull in from your fundraiser. Yes, it would be nice to sell only all-natural, recyclable products that also cure homelessness, but that can only be a factor if the fundraiser also works as a fundraiser.

Same key questions should be asked of a green product as a less-green (more traditional product): will it sell? how much will we make? what’s the customer service like? what are return policies? do you have references? how are the forms and delivery and incentive programs handled? etc. The fundamentals remain the same. Fundamentals? Here’s a story we wrote 6 or 7 years ago on the basics of running your traditional sales fundraiser.

Have you used (or are you considerig using) a “green” fundraiser?

Fresno (CA) Bee takes a look at slow, steady decline of PTAs in region and at PTA leadership’s hopes to stem the tide. Good, comprehensive piece captures both sides.

Our PTO v PTA homepage has more on the topic.