Why You Want To Be a Plus Member

Check out all the awesome benefits Plus members get. You can have them, too!

06/18/2021

What’s it like to get first dibs on sampling programs, free stuff, discounts, customized flyers, access to an exclusive Facebook group, and a direct line to PTO Today experts and our best content?

You’d have to ask a PTO Today Plus member because they received all that—and more—in the 2017-18 school year, and they’re loving it!

For example, the Pocahontas Elementary PTO in Powhatan, Va., has been a Plus member for more than five years. PTO president Pattie Hughes considers the program an “amazing asset” for her PTO.

“With the extra perks of the Plus membership, you have a wider variety of services at your fingertips,” Hughes says. “We are the first to know of contests that are happening, and we’re loving the new Facebook group for Plus members.

Along with Hughes, thousands of other Plus members enjoyed many freebies and resources this school year, including:

First Dibs on Sampling Programs

When we do a sampling program sign-up, Plus members go to the head of the line. That’s a huge benefit because there are always limited quantities of samples, and the programs close fast!

Dana Paul, president of the Eagle Point Elementary Parent Group in Oakdale, Minn., loves the freebies. “Our PTO Plus membership has been awesome,” Paul says. “My favorite part is getting first notice on all the amazing things that PTO Today gives away. I have been able to use the giveaways in our school and they are so appreciated!”

We have many popular sampling programs; here’s a look at a couple of our Plus members’ favorites.

Laughing Cow Cheese Dippers: Working with our friends at Laughing Cow, we offered a sampling program that gave groups 250 Laughing Cow Cheese Dippers and 100 Laughing Cow coupons worth $1 each.

Tara Michelle Duarte, president of the Lake City (Ga.) Elementary PTO, handed out the snack at a PTO meeting and reports that they were “a huge hit!” We think their display is a hit, too!)

Ready. Set. Teach! goody bags: Plus members had the first shot at our Ready. Set. Teach! program, a teacher appreciation-inspired giveaway of goody bags. Each group received 60 bags with freebies and coupons inside to supplement their teacher appreciation celebrations.

Lori Angermeier, copresident of the Cambridge Elementary PTO in Kendall Park, N.J., says the bags were “an extra special addition to our teacher luncheon.”

Other giveaways this school year included Hyland’s Get Better sample packs and LeapFrog Epic tablets and LeapStart Interactive Learning Systems.

VIPlus Box

We shared a box of fun treats and resources for Plus group board members that included pens, notebooks, bumper stickers, and a flash drive loaded up with PTO Today resources. We have another box in the works, which Plus members can expect to receive during the 2018 back-to-school season.

VIP Treatment at Events

Plus members had a blast ringing cowbells (a special Plus-only gift) and getting some extra love at the PTO Today Live expos, including an express check-in line. We even did one-on-one consults for Plus members at select locations. Our team is working hard on plans for Plus-only perks for the 2018-19 PTO Today Live expo season.

Priority Access to Leader Support

Plus members get one-on-one time with our Leader Support team members who can tackle almost any problem, from the challenging, like dealing with a difficult principal, to the fun, like coming up with craft ideas for a family night.

“PTO Today is always there with any questions we have,” says Hughes of the Pocahontas Elementary PTO.

Facebook Group

Hundreds of Plus people are talking, sharing ideas, and getting help in our members-only Facebook group. The group also gives these leaders a place to get advance notice on sampling programs, freebies, discounts, and exclusive content.

We do giveaways, too—the fave so far was $500 worth of school supplies to make an awesome school supply cake! There are also lots of mini giveaways, like T-shirts and coffee gift cards.

Customized Flyer Service

We know how busy Plus members are—now they don’t need to spend hours creating flyers because we’ll do it for them! Plus groups select their designs and tell us what information to include. We started with flyers for field day and end-of-year celebrations; Plus groups selected their design and told us what information to include, and we created them. More flyer templates will be available at back-to-school time.

Updates to Our Expert Guides

Plus members love getting all eight expert guides (worth $332!)—including kit updates as soon as they’re available—as part of their Plus membership. This year, we did major overhauls to our Startup Toolkit and Treasurer’s Toolkit! Other kits available to Plus members are the Leader’s Toolkit, Secretary’s Toolkit, Meeting Toolkit, Volunteer & Teacher Appreciation Toolkit, Auction Toolkit, and Parent Involvement Toolkit.

Exclusive Content

We’re packaging up templates just for Plus members to make them easier to access and use. Just one example: Our teacher appreciation printable pack, which gives Plus members a set of four activities groups can do with students to create teacher gifts.

Nikki Grant, president of the Heron Heights Elementary PTO in Parkland, Fla., says the downloables were a huge help. “The website has been a wealth of information, and we’ve gotten a lot of our forms and flyers through the PTO Today Plus membership,” Grant says. “We continue to use this membership every year!”

PTO Today Magazine

This year, we offered Plus members a new way to get PTO Today magazine by providing online access to the issues. This means all members of your group can get the magazine anytime—no more passing around one hard copy!

Now It’s Your Turn

Wow, what a year for our Plus members! For $149, you can get all these benefits, too. If you’d like to have a fantastic year like our Plus members did, sign up for your own annual Plus membership. Any questions, call our Leader Support team at 800-557-2670.

Comments   

# Maritza Zapata 2018-09-27 13:04
Our school become a plus member and we didnt recive anything.
# Cheryl Balabanis 2018-09-27 13:31
Hi Maritza,

When you become a Plus Member in order to be chosen for our programs there are a few criteria:

You must opt in for the program and agree to the programs parameters. Some of our programs have criteria that the sponsor sets so you would need to be within that criteria (grade, age, market area...). Please feel free to reach out with any questions. Cheryl PTO Today cherylb@ptotoday.com

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