The most treasured volunteers in a school are often parents who volunteer in the Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO). They give their time, talent, and leadership to school initiatives. One of their most vital roles is to be the driving force behind PTO fundraising campaigns.
Parents are busy ensuring their children are supported, loved, and doing well in school. Carpools, after-school activities, and homework are enough to make a busy parent’s mind spin. So, if you’re fortunate enough to get a parent who wants to be an active PTO participant, you’ve hit the jackpot.
Therefore, a school’s staff and team members must ensure they are maximizing the skills and time of each parent who raises their hand to participate in PTO fundraising campaigns. With that idea in mind, we’ve outlined some key ideas to motivate parents and inspire them to give their time and skills.
Welcome Parents Warmly
First impressions matter, and that’s also true for parent volunteers. Be welcoming by providing coffee, pastries, and social interaction before or after your PTO meetings. Host planning committee meetings at private homes, allowing everyone to bring drinks or food to share. Make the PTO a social event, and you’ll attract some new parents seeking social gathering opportunities.
Assemble a Welcome Packet with information about the school and key PTO leadership members. Include the mission and activities that are already planned for the year, as well as the overarching ‘why’ that drives the PTO’s collaboration to raise awareness and funding for the school. Capture stories of students and how their days have been affected by the work of the PTO. Illustrate not only the importance of the organization but also how students are influenced by the funds raised and volunteer time given.
Discover Their Strengths
Once a parent has joined the PTO, make a point to reach out to them one-on-one. Maybe it’s by email or phone, but the goal is to make personal contact with the new volunteer. You want to get to know them and why they have chosen to volunteer. What level of commitment can they make?
Ask questions and listen to their responses. Take notes, as this is a crucial step in identifying where the parent is best suited to fit within the PTO structure. You want to uncover their strengths, time commitments, passions, and willingness to participate. You want to suggest a placement in the organization that best suits their characteristics and strengths. The more they feel a sense of winning and acceptance, the more likely they will stay involved and create the momentum you seek from a volunteer.
Make the Case for Participation
When it comes to PTO fundraising, the case for why funds are needed is a critical moment for parent volunteers and their buy-in. People are motivated for different reasons. People need to be inspired to know where they’re going, what they’re striving for, and why their work, time, and effort will make a meaningful difference.
Do you have a fundraising goal for the year? Do you have participation goals? Share them. Do you have multiple events that require varying levels of strategy and participation? Outline them. Is the money being raised going toward a specific program? Paint the picture.
The more people understand what needs to be done and why, the more likely they are to participate.
Host a Kick-Off Party
Parents are more willing to offer their assistance when they understand what is required. Consider hosting a kick-off party for your large annual fundraiser, rather than sending home a bundle of forms and expecting parents to read through everything. Host an after-school event with ice cream, music, and games. Here, you can inform everyone about your expectations and how to achieve success. It’s also an excellent way for parents to network with one another and perhaps provides an opportunity for PTA members to seek out new volunteers.
Limit the Number of PTO Fundraisers
One very important thing to keep in mind is that kids have other engagements that require fundraising. If they are involved in Scout programs, they are likely required to sell cookies or popcorn. Sports teams also host fundraisers to raise money for competitions and equipment. Try to minimize your general school fundraising events to one or two per year. You don’t want to burn the kids out, but you also don’t want to burn out the parents or the community networks that are contributing to these causes.
Make Fundraising Easy
Set up a user-friendly fundraising website where you post all the details of your fundraising campaign and allow people to make online donations. Make it easy for parents to promote the fundraiser by sharing the link with family and friends. Many relatives live out of state and would like to contribute, so creating a simple one-click method will help bring in more donations. This also encourages crowdfunding for your school via social networking. Students and parents can post announcements on their Facebook page, Twitter account, Instagram, and more, and attract the attention of hundreds of people without having to make a direct appeal.
Motivate the Kids with Prizes and Incentives
Parents love to see their children passionate about something. If the kids are excited, the parents will be too. Offer prizes for students who reach specific goals. Host a pizza party for the class that raises the most funds (encouraging bonding in the classroom and healthy competition throughout the school). Offer a raffle for the parents that includes prizes they would like (i.e., spa or restaurant gift cards). Perhaps a special parent-child award for the families that worked hardest. Using crowdfunding software for schools allows students to create a personal fundraising page where they can collect donations and track their progress against others.
Celebrate the Wins and Give Thanks
After a successful fundraising campaign, volunteers must be celebrated, acknowledged, and thanked for their efforts. An important step in this part of the relationship is ensuring that the school staff track the volunteers, their participation levels, and the amount of money raised.
A great way to track this data is through peer-to-peer fundraising software that allows groups to track both the donor and the student with whom the donor has a relationship. This software works for Fun Runs, service campaigns, school sales contests, and all of the best PTO fundraisers. The parent volunteer may be a donor, but they can also be the lead in the relationship with other key donors. The team will want to track that relationship to ensure everyone is thanked for their gifts and participation in the campaign.
Conclusions on Motivating PTO Volunteers
Ensuring that parent volunteers get involved and help with fundraising is key to your PTO’s success. So, focus on new volunteers and provide them with the tools and personal attention they deserve. Treating volunteers the way that they would like to be treated works. It’s as simple and beautiful as that.
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