The PTAs I’ve been involved with had a great working relationship with the school. We were called Friends of .......
To help with engagement we made tea and coffee at all events where there were parents. So open evenings, meetings for new parents, class assemblies, sports day and Christmas plays etc. It meant that we were routinely visible to parents and it wasn’t a huge amount of work as we had a team doing it.
Another school ran a second hand uniform shop. You do need storage for that though.
We ran a Christmas fair and a summer fair. The infant school that did this had many helpers and it was always successful. At the junior school we hosted a craft day where craft people hired hall space and a table. We charged entry. We advertised like mad and it was really busy.
We always tried to look at regular income streams and at the junior school we ran a hugely popular school disco instead of a Christmas fair. That school also did quiz night in the spring term and summer fair in July. Spreading events out and thinking of things to get you engaged with parents regularly helps.
Of all the years I’ve spent on Friends groups, it’s always been easier to work with positive people and to work with a school they wants to join in and see themselves as part of the process.
The other big thing that helps is the school having something they want to spend the money on! Something medium sized and not too grand which feels light years away. It needs to be attainable. If parents know their DC will benefit, they will support you. We provided a gazebo for outside shade, paving for buggy parking instead of muddy grass, outside play equipment etc.