Fundraising for school PTA

laurel7172

My children's PTA use to complain they didn't get many people to their meetings.

I started off making the effort, but I got tired of having it made clear that my energy and ideas weren't welcome, and they just wanted somebody to move the chairs in aid of their own grand designs.

So I stopped bothering, along with 95% of the other mums, while the clique whinged about having to do it all themselves.

Unfortunately, once you've had a PTA with a reputation for that sort of behaviour, it takes years to rebuild. The willing mums scorned when their eldest child was in in EYFS will be at the school for the next decade, they never come back to the PTA-and they're likely to tell others how they were treated.

Savvy_Sue

jaibaby wrote: »

Hmm.... and? We ask for donations of homemade cakes at each event we hold. I make a load too.

Cakes are cheap to make, unless you get someone who likes to show off with fancy icing etc

But woody had said this:

woodywoody wrote: »

We can't ask parents for donations as we need their help for the summer fayre?

and rightly or wrongly I felt that asking for cakes might be something they didn't want to do.

jaibaby wrote: »

We struggle to get 3 parents to our meetings. Ok, so it's not a great big school (70 ish pupils) But three is shocking! Especially as I'm one of those three. I have put letters out, questionaires, nothing seems to make these parents sit and think "well maybe we could help, it is all for our kids".

I have been there, and worked my little cotton socks off in the same way. But the best way to get other parents to come to meetings and help at events I found was to ask them, individually, and get the other two parents to do the same, and then each of those we'd asked could ask another person to help, and so on.

One thing I tried to do to get over the 'clique' thing was to make sure that even if I thought something wasn't a good idea, or had been tried before, that we'd do it again and think about it afterwards. For example, we never made much (if any) profit on the Bouncy Castle, and I'd have preferred not to hire one, but other people felt they were good for drawing people in. So we'd hire one, and then look at which stalls made a profit, and which were more trouble than they were worth.

On the day of any event, I'd spend the whole afternoon bombing round like the proverbial headless chicken, making sure every helper had a cup of tea / someone to relieve them / a chance to look round and spend their own money!

mymerrywidow

mandragora wrote: »

Just out of interest, anyone involved in a PTFA for a secondary school?

i am, have a son at seconadry

toffifee

At our school they have a story night about once per year where everyone goes back in in their nightwear (teachers included) for hot chocolate and stories.

They also hold a film night occasionally - one or two short films (last time it was Wallace and Gromit and The Gruffalo) + popcorn and a drink.

mandragora_2

mymerrywidow wrote: »

i am, have a son at seconadry

Thanks for this - how do you get on? Ours sort of limps along and I'd love to re-invigorate it. We have 600 kids. At our last meeting it was me and the secretary. I gave up hope then and there. I understand that when your kids are that age they hate you being too visible, but I can't do a lot with just one other person. Who then, incidentally, went on to resign.

netti

I belong to my son's high school PTA and can empathise with mandragora. High school is so different - no socialising of parents at the school gate. It is getting harder and harder to get people along to events and we have cancelled the last two due to lack of interest. We also considered folding...

Have any of you heard of easyfundraising? Register your school and persuade your parents/teachers/friends who are buying online anyway to access the shop through easyfundraising. The school collects a percentage of the purchase at no extra charge to the purchaser - average 2%-5%. We collected over £200 last year from just 30 users.

mandragora_2

I'd heard of this, but it got turned down when it was suggested - as being unlikley to be worth the effort - now I think I'll suggest it again. Thanks for the iddea. I think secondary school PTFA is a lot of work unless you have a group of people who want to throw themselves into it and make it a social occasion for themselvesas much as anything else. Several round here have folded, sadly.

Savvy_Sue

mandragora wrote: »

I think secondary school PTFA is a lot of work unless you have a group of people who want to throw themselves into it and make it a social occasion for themselvesas much as anything else. Several round here have folded, sadly.

Secondary school is just so different, I think a different approach would be needed: not only do you not get the school gate contact, but also you don't get the frequent teacher / parent interface. I also feel - and this is perhaps subjective - that the secondary schools aren't as communicative about their needs, eg the one my boys were at never asked for Computers for Schools vouchers, nor the ones from the other supermarkets, whereas I knew all the local primary schools WERE collecting. And then again, expecting my boys to actually give anything in at the office was a lost cause too ...

I was very active when mine were at primary school: when the eldest started at secondary school I continued to do primary, and by the time the youngest started at secondary I was working full-time, and I felt all PTA-ed out!

I know there was a PTA at the boys' school (they've all left now!) because they used to serve tea and coffee at parents evenings, and sell second hand uniform at some evening events. They also run quiz evenings and the like, but nothing's ever really appealed to me. So I went from a very active PTA person to a completely non-active one.

If a friend from primary school had suggested we went to a secondary PTA meeting together, they might have got me there, but that secondary didn't take many from the primary my boys were at. However it might be worth targeting groups of parents, IYSWIM, definitely see if you can do a plug at any evenings for new parents!

concerned43

What are the funds to be used for?
I was a fund manager for a school and I let the PTA raise money through 'fun' days i.e.
Crazy hair day
non uniform day
talent contest day
tuck shop day
( all requiring a 50p donation)
They had a 'old clothes' week as well - bags were given out to be filled with old clothes, this brought in £2k!
They also held a 'culture cafe' with parents being invited to see their kids perform - entry was £2 per ticket tea/cakes were provided.

I focused on particular funding projects i.e. smart boards, computers, gym equipment, football team strips and boots etc.
I contacted ASDA and Tesco who give out small community grants and also asked local sports shop to supply football kit.
I also asked large computer company for computers (you will find the likes of IBM, Compaq, Unisys) have a social fund!
I have also applied for grants via http://www.grantsonline.org.uk
a great website that provides up-to-date grants for schools.
I am currently looking into 'gift aid' for the school as I feel that will bring in a constant stream of funds.
Good luck with your fund raising.

Savvy_Sue

concerned43 wrote: »

I am currently looking into 'gift aid' for the school as I feel that will bring in a constant stream of funds.

that will only work if the school is a registered charity, of course. Our secondary was (CofE VA), so I did support it through a monthly donation, had almost forgotten that!