What puts off parents from joining PTA

[idlemum]

Would really like some feedback on others' experience of fundraising committess. We don't have a PTA as such but a 'friends' of the school. My dd is now a yr2 and I joined the committee when she started in reception along with a couple of other mothers. Since then we have had one new member last year and none from this year's batch of new parents. There has been criticism in the past that the committee is seen as 'clicquey'. This may or may not be true and has usually surfaced when we have tried to find out why certain events are not popular or why no-one comes to the AGM etc. We think the criticism may have been fair for some members in the past but not now. We will all speak to anyone and genuinely welcome any ideas.So what I am trying to find out is what type of actions/behaviours give rise to this impression. (Or is the impression just an excuse for not getting involved?)Has anyone had experience of this or indeed has anyone felt they couldn't join a 'pta' for similar reasons.
Hope this request makes sense as it is the first thread I have started being new to MN.

This is a query from my SIL who lives in an area of London with great cultural diversity.

How do you encourage parents from other cultures to join in school fund raising activities?? It is something totally alien to them and has had the effect of literally closing down the PTA which 10-15 years ago raised £20-30,000 a year!!!!!!

Any suggestions???

What's wrong with not having a PTA but having an annual parental contribution instead? Voluntary, of course.

Some people do not want to get involved with the PTA. I don't know why other people find this hard to believe or accept.
We're not all the same. Just because some people enjoy being part of the PTA shouldn't automatically mean everyone else has to.
If we were all busy manning stalls, there'd be nobody left to go to the school fair.

As I said further down the thread - the PTA raises funds from the parents.
I object to the school newsletter congratulating the PTA on raising £x from the latest event or saying that the PTA have 'kindly donated' £y for a school trip. Whose money?

Our meetings are held at 3pm on a Friday pm (which fits in with what used to be the big local employer which finished early on a Fri) but unfortunatly rules out those who work Fridays, also stuff is usually after school on Friday too so I can't help then either.
My parents have both been helping at the school and have been dragged in to the PTA,various committees an running the allotment and the book fair

We've been out begging for raffle prizes for our spring fete and have already collected way more in value than the tickets we'll sell iyswim. Technically the lovely local businesses and attractions will have donated anything that gets purchased with the raffle takings.
That's why it's not just a matter of asking parents for a cheque once a year - it can also be about community.

Im to lazy!!

a) I haven't got time
b) I would rather just hand over cash

But whole heartedly support the events!

PTAs do always end up as a bit of a clique, just because you end up becoming friends with the other committee members. I did join mine eventually and made some good friends, enjoyed raising money etc but what put me off for a long time was that the meetings were held in committee members' homes - I felt weird showing up at the house of someone I didn't know. Meetings held at the school, or even the local pub, felt much less cliquey. Our PTA also got a much greater response to requests for help after we put out a newsletter detailing exactly what last year's money had been spent on - all the library books, the "wet play" toys, the theatre visits, playground improvements etc - I think a lot of parents had no idea how that was funded, because no one had ever bothered to tell them.

I get your point 'notothepta' and fully appreciate that this would be way easier for very busy people and personally think it is something we could consider. However, sometime ago I mentioned at a meeting that this was what some schools do and was met with looks of total horror. Immediately, it was pointed out to me that this would be divisive as those who couldn't afford an annual contribution would feel alienated. I guess it's a case that you can't please everyone all the time but I bet there could be some way of allowing for the contribution route in a socially acceptable way if we thought hard enough. I'm also aware of the views that it is the people who attend the events who give the money and not the PTA - absolutely. We always make sure we thank all parents for attending events etc in the newsletter. However, one of the reasons I originally posted was a sense of frustration because what happens at our school is that the majority of people who support events are committee members and helpers. There is a small group of parents who regularly support events but can't help/don't want to join the committee and they are greatly appreciated. BUT there is also a group of parents who never help, never give ideas/feedback and never attend/support events and I suppose I am trying to understand what would motivate them to get involved. After all, (as pointed out by an eralier poster) their children benefit too.

Lurkylou- Not really sure what you are saying about the PTA at your SIL's school. Can you expand on 'it is totally alien to them?'
Without knowing this it is difficult to make suggestions.
However maybe a starting point is to ask the people from 'other cultures' how they would like to be involved.

Mimizan - The British 'raising money for charity thing' is not common in other cultures.

SIL says that parents from other cultures don't join so now that the school is mostly mixed races the PTA will probably stop.

It's a shame but quiz nights and jumble sales are just not 'their' thing but does anyone have any suggestion what could be??

I'm with Issymum - (way up the page) - would rather give cash than hassle people tp contribute to buy plastic tat for the tombolas, then stand in the pouring rain hassling people to spend more money on said tombola. (Also would rather just give cash than fill in endless sponsor form - latest was a colleague asking for sponsorship for a sponsored 'shimmy' ??? in an Arndale Centre somewhere.)
Also, some of just are not 'committee' people - have repeatedly told PTA am happy to do menial, clerical or delivery type stuff, but just cannot organise - and when you get to my ancient age, you just ought to know what you are & aren't good at...

Also - the money recently raised by our PTA with blood, sweat and toil to build a new school hall has had its surpulus spent tarting up the teachers toilet - why can't their employers pay for that?? Meanwhile, kids are being told they can't move up a reading stage because there aren't enough booksto go round!

I would rather hand over some cash and get the PTA to gift aid it or whatever you have to do to get the government to chip in the tax. I do go along and help do things like set up for the school fayres, contribute raffle prizes. But I have found that until now there have been a couple of people doing it for years now who are in a routine ie the same events and very resistant to change or new ideas that have been suggested.

5 minutes of walking behind two of them on the way home one night listening to a very bitchy conversation about someone and a pint of milk did make feel that life is way to short to deal with that sort of thing. Luckily some new people have joined and it is beginning to change and I will consider joining.

An important function of the PTA is to raise money for the school. Ideally this money is spent on extras, suchas helping to fund school trips, presents at christmas etc. Unfortunately a lot of schools, especially those in disadvantaged areas are underfunded and struggle to provide just the basics. Sometimes money that has been fund-raised will be used to fill the gap in state funding. This is not fair but then the education system is rife with inequalities. Schools in disadvantaged areas are likely to have poorer families who may not have spare cash to donate. Local businesses may then have a inportant role to play in supporting their local school, and therefore investing in their local community.

Encouraging parents to be involved(if they choose to, and if they have time) in the running of the school is another function of the PTA. Perhaps parents have skills they could share to set up after-school clubs. For example there maybe parents who are experts in Indian dance who could run a class.

Lurkylou- the PTA could encourage different groups to integrate more by organising events such as food sharing where everyone brings a dish from their culture to share with others, or by holding a fashion show. Events like these get people together to share ideas, build bridges and communicate, and essentially feel part of what is going on.

notonthepta - I would just like to pick up on this point that you made:-
"As I said further down the thread - the PTA raises funds from the parents.
I object to the school newsletter congratulating the PTA on raising £x from the latest event or saying that the PTA have 'kindly donated' £y for a school trip. Whose money?"

Actually a lot of PTA events raise money from the wider community not just the parents - for example the summer fete and the fireworks display at out school attracts a lot of people from the village and its surroundings.

Raffle tickets are often sold to friends, family and work colleagues, with the prizes being donated by local businesses, so again funds are not just raised from the parents.

Our PTA actually raises a lot of money for a school of its size and there is no way that all that money would come just from the parents.

and for all you cash rich time poor people, we do offer a giftaid option for regular or even one off giving - strangely enough the take-up of this is extremely low

I can't quite bring myself to go for it properly - I did help at the Christmas Fair, but I feel quite shy and paranoid about the whole thing. Also there seems to be some dispute at the DSs school about the role of the PTA and the extent to which teachers should also get involved in things like the Christmas Fair.

Iota - from the experience of my kids' junior school, on the edge of town, it is only the parents and possibly g & gd who go to the PTA events.

I give money to the secondary school - £x per year and no raffle tickets, bliss!

Well done NotothePTA but I suspect you are in the minority.
Has anyone actually written in their September newsletter "We take Cheques"?

I find the bitter and twisted 'nay sayer' hard to cope with. Any iniative to help the school that is struggling to get out of special measures in an area of high depravation is met with a 'I don't agree with that' everytime.

Look love, tell us what you do agree with and we'll try to work eith that...OK

Most of the meetings - and socials- are in a local pub.
I hate smoke........maybe I'll start going in July when there should be an atmosphere I can see through!

In response to Idlemum, the main reason I don't get involved with the PTA is that I have three children aged five and under and I find leaving them hard - I get quite panicky in meetings (in case I'm needed at home - daft I know) so tend not to go for this type of thing. I think a lot of mums who have anxiety or PND type problems struggle with this type of thing.

Aside from that, the PTA can't organise anything for parents that doesn't involve getting plastered. As I can't think of anything sadder than a bunch of drunk thirty-and forty-somethings I tend to avoid their functions (I did go to their shopping evening but even there someone was drunk and abusing the stallholders.). It most definitely has a cliquey, bitchy feel that I want no part of.

I do think that they spend their money well though - always on treats or facilities for the children, and we do give money when asked.

I've just taken over being Chair of our PTA, and can add a couple of things: firstly, I have to admit that our committee is cliquey- I joined because some of my friends were on it and were evidently having an excellent social time as a result. This is inevitable, I think, and I know I would have been put off had I not known a few people on it.
Secondly, people shouldn't feel defensive for not joining- people generally do what they can do, and some definitely have more time than others! My youngest has just started school, so it has suited me well to get involved with this before facing more serious stuff.
Thirdly- for god's sake, no one is forcing anyone to join in! If you don't want to get involved, don't bother, but don't bitch about those who do!

End of rant...

I put off joining the PTA because I felt nervous about walking into meeting where I didn't know anyone.Then they arranged a coffee morning in the school where there were toys for the younger children to play with and coffee and biscuits for the mums(and other significant people!!)

There was a list to circulate which you could sign if you were interested in joining, but no pressure, and they got twenty signatures that day, and now us newys are arranging the food for a forthcoming event, and feeling that we are helping our childrens school