To ask the PTA mums

[user1495362060]

Do you really believe that PTA organized events are an effective way to raise funds for school needs?

(I have absolutely nothing against those events - i think they are great for socializing for those who want it! Perhaps it would be better if there was less sugar and plastic and more male participation. I just can’t wrap my mind around the fact that you try to coax money out of parents by offering them cookies and lottery tickets )

Why don't you run that campaign then?

Well our PTA helps organise a 10k run for nearly 1000 runners and a 1k run for 250 children. I think that balances out some cake sales and ice creams.

would have raised the same amount if you just straight away asked parents to donate to the PTAs bank account.

No way! I only hear about that on MN. Our primary school is not in a naice area. Quite a few housing association kids. Folk find it easier to part with money in dribs & drabs and also in ways that mean the kids feel like they had a good time (school disco, Easter fair games) or did something a bit fun (like fill a matchbox with stuff, or win a colouring contest with 50pence entry). Dribs and drabs is only way or we'd raise nothing. Plus the fete attracts stall holders & some people from the community, so not just tapping our own parents.

My kids love the summer fete... would not love me setting up a Direct Debit. The current primary PTA lot try very hard to be creative, come up with different things each year.

The secondary school PTA: we have very few helpers so I don't see how we'd suddenly get a load of donators if we pursued that model. We make most our money off of disco & school drama performances (amazing high standard). Buys subject-specific equipment.

User if you don’t like the way your PTA do things join and suggest improvements.

Our PTA raised $150k last year and not a bake sale in site.

Oh yeah, carrie - I nearly forgot about the fun run! And the treasure hunt around the town. And the sponsored triathalon... won't someone think of the chilllllldreeennnnnnn?

Of course the PTA is an amazing way to raise funds. Ours raise an absolute fortune

i do agree about bake sales though - we put the price of the cakes up at the last fair and made a boat load more money - I'd rather they ate one cake that cost £2 than 4 that were 50p.

That said, whatever you do for PTA stuff, someone will hate it, and tell you so, vociferously.

We are in a naice area, and we do have a direct donate option but it's hardly ever used. People and their kids generally prefer the events.

we had 2 councillors at our last meeting telling us that there was no money for IT coming along anytime soon, so if we want non-ark age IT, we have to fund it from parental donations. It's not right, but I can't wait around for things to change, my kids only get one shot at school.

would rather give £10 than spend time and money baking a cake which will then be sold for pennies a slice

This is how I always felt about it. I was time poor and barely had time to keep up with my own friends, never mind the school Mums however, wouldn’t have minded ( and often did) just give money.

They are actually, I'm guessing you don't know because you're not on the PTA so try pulling your finger out and giving some ideas.

I'd rather just be given an amount at the beginning of the year than be pestered and made to feel guilty over a £4 go on a bouncy castle

We made an absolute killing at the Christmas fair, that has paid for new playground equipment for everyone to use including those whose parents moan about it and do nothing

The biggest money spinner at dds School is the prize draw. Twice a year, pre summer and winter fairs, every child in the school is sent home with 2 books of tickets worth £10 total (£1 per ticket). With circa 500 kids at the school, this is where the money is made. Not at the actual fairs themselves. They are more of the goodwill package. And they are done very well.

You have a problem with children having cake once a week?

Maybe I am naive, but I believe that 95 percent of the parents would donate say 10 pounds a year for whatever kind of supplies their child’s class needs, 50 pounds a year for a school trip and 20 pounds for a forest School or sports days.
The 5 percent that won’t probably have a good reason not to and should be exempt.

Am in the US so not sure how useful this is, but our local school system has an Education Foundation that is run entirely by volunteers and they've raised $250,000 since 2011 and has this goal:

"seeking and enabling significant corporate, institutional and personal charitable tax-deductible donations and planned giving (estate giving). The Foundation will also serve as a vehicle for soliciting, receiving, managing and distributing funds, including funds from the many available grants that can only be accessed by 501(c)3 non-profit organizations".

So basically they ask people other than the parents for money.

There's also a PTA which raises about $30k per year through more traditional means.

I'm sure I must give around £150+ a year to PTA events. Its pretty much all child focused stuff fairs, discos, picnics etc and the kids have a great time with their friends. Can you imagine the uproar if schools asked for that amount. 2 form entry school, PTA makes around £20k for which I'm sure the school are very grateful. So loads of play and IT equipment is funded, plenty of different enrichment days etc. Meanwhile buildings are falling apart, support staff being cut. I'm sure most PTA members would rather schools were properly funded.

I think the idea that people would willingly just give cash is nonsense! Dsis is a teacher at a school which has a voluntary fund (lots actually do). Less than 40% contribute.

We struggle to get parents to spend 50p on a raffle ticket let alone donate directly via bank transfer
I think if you have a demographic at the school where that’s viable then that makes easier for everyone. I would love it if we could get away with it at our school.
We raise about £10k a year through traditional PTA type events. The kids enjoy them but please don’t think they are social events for the organisers. They are not, they are thankless days of hard work. We’re doing our school fair on Friday it has taken months to organise and I will be there from 830am -7pm (and using up a day’s annual leave!) setting up stalls, running the fair and cleaning up after. We will raise c. £2000 which is worth it for us as we would never be able to persuade 200 families to give us £10 with nothing in return.

Although here it's called a PTO rather than a PTA...

sofabitch what's stopping you giving an amount at the start of the year? Sure the PTA will take the money and could give you an amount they'd raise for the events you usually attend but don't want to. Both the direct donate and the event donate people have valid views, neither's precluded.

Yes, I do have a problem with cake being sold in school! It clearly isn’t the only cake the children have, but an additional cake!
They have “pudding” every day at lunch!

I don't know how much but I'd imagine the pimms stall at £3 a pop last summer made a fair whack of profit.
Given how difficult it was to get people to put into their own child's school trip fund I Don't think a dd would work here but totally think paying a £5 for ingredients and the cakes that sell for 50p each is illogical too

I am not PTA, but I know they've already raised more than 20k in my kids Primary so far, and there's still a few things to go this year, including the summer fair which raise a ton.

They've organised so far 2 school disco, monthly movie nights, a "star gazing" night, a reptile afternoon, a craft afternoon, a Christmas day, an Easter egg hunt, and the list goes on. All things that the children loved as all events were well attended. They are the ones organising the second-hand sales, so thanks to the PTA parents can buy dirt cheap uniforms, as well as the book sales.

We haven't got baked sales in my local schools, apart from the ones on fair day or over events, where visitors are happy to pay for refreshments and cakes.

I am not even PTA, and I am getting really bored of the PTA bashing threads on here. Parents are delighted to use PTA events as free childcare, they are happy to have discounted trips because the PTA put a chunk of money, they are happy for the kids to get access to new equipment the school cannot afford.

I am sure nothing is perfect and not everything is professional, but if you can do better of simply have suggestions, why don't you join and get involved, even for a few hours. All the PTA members in my school have jobs, and there are dads there too. It must be depressing to work hard and be constantly criticised, let alone struggle to find volunteers because no one can be arsed to spare 1 hour here and there.

These events are 'old fashioned' however they raise money for the school and are effective so yes in a sense they're effective.

This.

A lot of my schools PTA events are very popular with people who don't have anything to do with the school, or with children who left years ago, we are in a fairly well off village but within walking distance of the neighbouring towns new council estates so events that get money off our better off neighbours are preferable to asking for donations off of parents who are struggling to make ends meet.

I believe that the children get enjoyment from cake sales, summer fairs and discos. So if you are going to run them for the children (and building a community feel) then they might as well raise a decent profit too.

Is it the 'most effective' way of raising money? Maybe not. Though I am sure most PTAs would bite the hand off anyone offering to be 'in charge' of applying for grants or donations.

Events are also a good way of letting people 'donate' differing amounts of money without it being obvious. No one tracks whether family A didn't attend, or came and spent £1, versus family B which bought £30 of raffle tickets and said 'keep the change' at various stalls.

Glitter Have you offered to lead up a new event? Offering to actually run with it yourself should make it much more appealing to the PTA Chair.