05-441 Islip SEPTA, Suffolk Region
As a district-wide unit, Islip SEPTA is composed of a group of parents who love what they do for their community. To encourage membership, they offered raffles at the Sweetheart Dance for families and a raffle basket for teachers, which the central administration helped to promote with an email blast campaign. They also set up a membership table at every Meet the Teacher event and hosted a pumpkin decorating night to raise money. Other fundraisers include John’s Crazy Socks, an organization founded by and in support of individuals with differing abilities.
12-378 Gloversville Elementary PTA, Northeastern Reagion
Solidifying their position as an information source for families, the Gloversville Elementary PTA set up large welcome tables at the open houses for all of the elementary schools in their district: Boulevard, Kingsborough, and Park Terrace. The tables featured information from the school, the NYS Department of Health, etc. that families could take home with them. This presented an opportunity to speak directly with families, putting a face to the PTA unit. They also had drawings for prize bags at each open house as well. In October, all of their hard work paid off as the unit received the Savvy award for reaching their membership goal.
05-116 Birchwood PTA, Suffolk Region
Every school event this year has been an opportunity to have membership representation for the Birchwood PTA. They had a table with a tear-off countdown to how many members remained until they hit their membership goal. They also made sure to have a bilingual board member with them at every opportunity, as they have a large Spanish-speaking school population. Being intentional about meeting their community’s needs definitely allowed them to connect with more parents and students while doing their PTA best!
05-336 Merrimac School PTA, Suffolk Region
The Merrimac School PTA has run several membership campaigns for the 2024-2025 school year, including raffles for small items and even a custom set of Merrimac-branded cornhole boards for a larger raffle. They also hosted a breakfast encouraging grandparents and extended family members to join. This was the first event of this type they ever ran! Rather than letting the usual mid-year slump in enrollment deter them, this unit actively works to promote PTA’s impact beyond the local level. They also provide an inclusive atmosphere that allows all families, regardless of membership status, to participate in and enjoy events.
05-173 Grundy Avenue School PTA, Suffolk Region
The Grundy Avenue School PTA got a head start on the school year by holding a drawing for free amusement park tickets for those who joined by certain dates. That was a big boost for their membership over the summer, but as school started their enrollment came to a sudden halt. In December they created a challenge to get the last 74 members needed to hit their goal. The school principal, Mr. Lipani, was an incredible supporter who did whatever he could to make that possible. In addition to offering prizes to students for hitting smaller milestones, the grand prize for the school was Mr. Lipani dressed as an elf on the last day of school before holiday break. When all was said and done, their amazing principal played his part and donned his costume. He even danced on the roof to holiday music as all the kids left school on the last day, much to the students’ delight!
Thanks to the combined efforts of the executive board and school staff who help distribute information to all students and parents, the Grundy PTA met their membership goal on time and earned the December Savvy Award.
04-207 Clarkstown High School South PTSA, Central Hudson Region
The Clarkstown High School South PTSA has been actively focused on increasing staff and faculty memberships, first by setting up a table to receive membership payments for the 24-25 school year during the staff appreciation lunch in May 2024. This simplified the signup process instead of requiring them to do it online, and all staff/teacher members received one free spiritwear t-shirt. They also offer a grant to teachers/staff on a student impact project. Distributed by the school principal, the grant application includes the names of previous recipients and descriptions of their projects. To date, the unit has more than 40 staff/teacher members, and they truly understand the value of their support.
By creating bundled membership options in their Givebacks store (Standard + Student membership), the unit encouraged and rewarded students and parents who joined together.
19-467 Buffalo Community PTA, Western Region
More than just another email to clog the inbox, the Buffalo Community PTA’s monthly newsletter has become a valuable membership and communication tool for this unit. While expanding their reach to every public school in the city of Buffalo, they have been able to connect with more parent leaders than ever before. Content for each month varies, but mainstays include information about upcoming events and updates on the unit’s successes.
10-406 – George A. Jackson PTA, Nassau Region
Recently Jackson PTA hosted a Family Day at the Movies that gave priority access to paid members, while non-members were placed on a waiting list. Registration was full in just a few days! For a small fee, guests received a drink/snack/candy combo to enjoy during Moana 2, and the event was an overall success. Offering exclusive perks and incentives can be a great way to attract and retain new members, while increasing engagement for existing ones.
