PTA/fundraising at secondary: what works and what doesn't?

[nobutreally]

I am potentially going to get strong-armed into taking over as chair of my secondary PTA next year. I've been chair at primary but secondary seems so different, and I'm wondering what will/won't work, in terms of reasonable parental involvement!

For context: we are a typical mums net style 'leafy comp' - relatively wealthy catchment, sought-after school with well above average results for the area, although an area where loads go private at secondary. At the moment, the PTA is pretty low key - one key event a year, with a very small group of dedicated volunteers who do pretty much everything.

I'd like to 'up' things a little: but I can't quite get my head around what might work - so mn, at your secondary schools, what are the good earners for the PTA, and what has helped drive engagement? As a parent, what do you love ... and hate?

I'm a firm believer that the role of the PTA is both to raise money and to promote the 'community of the school' - but I can see that the latter is harder to do in the context of a secondary. As a parent do you want to stay at arms-length with school/the PTA - or is the fact that you are in school so little actually a reason to want engage a bit more... (hopeful, I know!)

I've been debating suggesting a ball as I know these are usually serious earners - although may take a while to get enough momentum behind it? Do balls still work at secondary?

[OrlandaFuriosa]

The money club ... you subscribe each month, each month there’s a winner for less than the input. Easy to run.

Getting professional style photos from one of your parents for the leavers proms and the achievement evenings. Needs a couple of willing parents who are good photographers. Sell the product at reasonable mark up to cover costs etc. .

If a pretty unleafy comp, a make up evening for parents. Will start slowly then after two years snowball

If you have enough DBS parents, a pay for crèche at parents evenings...

[Petalflowers]

Fundraising ideas that seem successful:
Quiz nights
Race nights
Tribute act nights
Christmas fair
Non-uniform days
Refreshments at Parents evening, school concerts, etc
Christmas/Easter raffle

[BubblesBuddy]

I think a charity week is a bit too long. One day focussed activities and giving. They did like to promote giving to the school and it’s difficult if the charity always comes first.

[nobutreally]

Yes, there must be two of them, iprefercoffee (earl grey for me, if you're making) ;-) They do try and do that, I believe - but there doesn't seem to be a great take up! I agree that may be a thing to push more, as by secondary, lots of parents aren't in 'making a cake and coming to the fete' mode

[Iprefercoffeetotea]

Our school recently sent a letter home asking if people would be happy to donate by standing order. They made the point that parents don't necessarily want to be involved in organising, or go to, things like Christmas fairs, and would people prefer to donate £5 a month etc. They sent the letter a couple of weeks ago though and I don't know if the run-up to Christmas is the best time.

We also have an Easy fundraising account. And second hand uniform sales. It's also a leafy area (but we don't have a sixth form, so I think different leafy area to you, OP).

[nobutreally]

Thanks for those additional ideas - the comedy play sounds amazing MrsKnightley (and very Jane Austen if I've 'read' your name right) - I wonder if we would get volunteers....

We have a charity week, Bubbles - each house has a charity over the year, and they fundraise for the charity through the year, but with a special push that week. However, I think all those funds go direct to the charity, not split with the school.

Lljkk - yes, I think you are probably right. I guess the question always with that sort of thing is whether it's better to ensure everyone can definitely make it (as there are bound to be some where even £3 might just put them off, and currently it's a lovely bonding thing...). The impression I have (I'm early days on the PTA and learning) is that the school really values inclusion and does everything it can to ensure that all events are open to everyone. I don't want to damage that ... but I wonder if a voluntary donation would at least push the coffers up a bit!

[BubblesBuddy]

Our school had a fund raising day for the school charity. It changed every year. They dressed up and did a walk or other activities to raise money on the day. Also half the ball profits to the charity. The destination of the funds was clearly stated to parents.

[LoniceraJaponica]

I take my hat off to all you hard working PTA members. PTAs are pretty successful at primary schools round here, but no-one is bothered once the children go to secondary school.

[MrsKnightley]

We made a fortune putting on a short comedy play with adults (staff and parents) and using the school facilities for the performances. Lots of work (and fun) for those in the plays but made lots and lots. It was only an hour long so we had a buffet after. Tiny school (120 pupils) but we raised nearly £4000 and all those involved loved it. Lots of the kids have frustrated performer parents. Likewise" xxx Has Got Talent" with adults / kids etc competing for £100. Judges pick 4 finalists and audience vote on those.

[lljkk]

If your local primaries routinely profit from balls, then probably the local parents can rustle up a fiver for their kid to have a nice disco experience (£3 entry & £2 for sweets).

[nobutreally]

Thanks for all of these ideas - much appreciated and I'll trawl through. Interestingly, quite a few of these we do but they are done in aid of the charities the schools support and/or managed by the school as non-profits: so our Y7/8 disco for example is free entry - the PTA do sell some refreshments, but it's priced cheap for obvious reasons. Maybe we need to rethink the balance a little!

Ito parents balls - round this way I've seen tickets at more like £50-£60 pp I think: the policy tends to be to cover the costs with ticket then milk the auction/raffle/extras for the real cash!

[lljkk]

2nd hand uniform.
Yr7-8 discos.
Refreshments at talent show & music recitals (or similar events).
50:50 club? I never do it, but it makes a steady trickle income (staff like it, apparently).
Sometimes town fairs or craft fairs where they do tombola or similar.

Our big earners are the school shows, though. A BIG musical production (cast = 60 kids, crew=another 12+ kids) every year plus a non-musical play (cast of ~30). The parents pay about £10/ticket & will go to multiple shows & rope in half the family to attend, too. We the Friends sell cakes & booze & drinks at breaks. Co-run with the drama dept & an army of volunteer parents who help backstage.

Not the slightest titch of a chance local people would pay £75/ticket for a ball here.

[Leeds2]

Make sure your PTA is signed up for easy fundraising, then try and persuade parents to register (it is all free of charge) before doing their on line shopping.

[Lancelottie]

Ours just does a sponsored walk, asking (nicely) for everyone to try to raise at least a fiver.

In a school of 1200, that must surely give them £5000 profit even if they have to do massive risk assessments and pay for a crossing attendant.

Anything else is a low-key, in-school effort involving cake.

[karriecreamer]

One of the things that helps keep the "friends" of my son's school active and prosperous is that they really try to keep hold of leavers by inviting them to the events and produce a newsletter to keep ex-pupils aware of developments and events, etc, so the evening and weekend events aren't just for current parents/pupils, they're also gatherings of old pupils too which really boosts the numbers. There are also some ex-pupils on the "Friends" committee which gives a lot of stability and experience over several generations of pupils.

I know with my old school, who didn't keep in touch, they lost a lot on valuable knowledge/experience as parents felt they had to relinquish their positions once their children had left the school, as that was simply "the done thing", and as a pupil, the day I walked out of the grounds was the last day I went near the place - never heard anything from them again, just cut dead. I think that trying to maintain even minimal contact with ex-pupils and their parents is something that could make a massive difference these days.

[karriecreamer]

Our school have a "friends of" rather than a PTA. They have an on-site shop in a spare room to sell second hand books, revision guides, uniform, etc. as donated from older pupils, but also new stuff such as the recommended calculator, and a few branded items such as key rings, pens, greeting cards, T shirts, Hoodies, etc and other stationery items. It's staffed by "friends" and open Friday afternoon and Saturday mornings (just a couple of hours) and on open days, intro days, sports days, etc. The "friends" also do a stall selling refreshments at open days, parent evenings, sports days, etc.

They do a few annual events, including gin and wine tasting evenings, gala evening, auction of promises, fun run, Burn's night. Aside from that, they heavily encourage people to join their EasyFundraising Account, and run a "500 club".

According to published accounts, they generate an income of £30-£40k per year.

[bigbluebus]

Have PM'd you notbutreally so as not to out where I live.

[BubblesBuddy]

It will definitely have to be over £50 a head. Is there not a school hall? This would keep the cost down. Venues really ramp the cost up. Whether a ball is worthwhile or not really depends on what parents you have. How many will go? The idea of having the leavers or 6th form there is that the parents go with their children so numbers are good.

We found 17/18 year olds off to university really do not mind their parents having a good time at the same venue. I think they are mature enough to go out with parents if it is sold to them! I am glad our school did not have a prom. It is just an American idea that we have adopted but we could be a bit more inventive!

I do think state school parents are glad to be rid of PTA events in some cases which is a great shame. At our private school it was totally the opposite and the PTA was a hub of activity and friendships.

[Evelynismyspyname]

I'd rather do all sorts of unappealing things than go to a patents' ball It sounds horrendous, but I guess I'm not your target audience! I am rather astonished that's a thing!

So all the parents are vying for the same babysitters at primary so they can all go out as couples to a school ball? Then all those pre teens and teens are home alone on the night of the secondary school parental ball?

But if people are used to it at primary I guess it'll probably work at secondary.

[TeenTimesTwo]

would you like the PTA to do more

Not if I have to organise it! I was on the primary PTA for 7 years and am more-or-less PTA-ed out. I do have a particular role on the PTA, but have said that's all I'm doing, I'm not helping organise other stuff. I wouldn't attend a ball I don't think. And to be honest my DD finds normal secondary enough stress-wise without adding other stuff in like Christmas fairs.

Our school doesn't send out 'begging letters' to parents, though I can see it might have to go that way. If it asked & got the top 10% wealthy families to give £100, the next 30% to give £20 and the next 10% to give £10 per year it could get £17,000. Which thinking about it, is really quite a lot. Maybe I'll suggest it.

[Evelynismyspyname]

At DD's secondary the kids (student council) sell refreshments at parents evening. They ask for donations instead of setting prices so the profit margin on a cup of coffee and a biscuit ends up at about 95% and the audience are captive and waiting about between appointments, and have often skipped dinner to be there...

PTA could do that. I don't think we have a PTA (abroad ... Very hands off )

[Allthebestnamesareused]

If you do a ball you will have to decide whether it is a social event or a fund-raiser.

The cost of hiring a venue, entertainment, providing a three-course meal, decorating the venue etc can bump up the price per head to easily over £50 per head. Money can be made on the bar if you source your own booze and parents man it on a rota basis or you budget to pay staff in the catering firm to man your own bar.

Is it the type of area that you'd be able to run an auction or silent auction to "fund raise" and the costs of the actual event/meal etc be the ticket price.

Would you be able to sell tickets at £75.00 per head as before you know it can easily be this.

[nobutreally]

Thanks everyone. Some of this is stuff that we already do (refreshments at plays/open day/musical events/sports day) - so I increasingly suspect we are pretty 'normal' - it's whether the school would be able to take it up a notch!

Thanks for the info about the fair @HRTpatch, that's really helpful - Made me think about sponsorship (something we don't have now...) and about getting the 6th form more involved. The 6th form do a very active charity fundraising week (which must be soon, actually) so we'd need to time any events well away from that week, but it would be a brilliant way of increasing the helper head count!

And thanks for the ball info @BubblesBuddy - that makes sense so I guess it would depend on how the kids felt about it - I suspect that prom go-ers might just prefer to keep the parents at arms length (although maybe I'm quite wrong and all the teenage parent-embaressment is starting to wear off at that stage!)

@bigbluebus - tell me more about the overnight stay awake thing (although I'm nervous just thinking about it!!)

@TeenTimesTwo - out of interest, would you like the PTA to do more? I know lots of my mates have heaved a sigh of relief as we have headed out of primary into the 'low parental involvement' of secondary...

[TeenTimesTwo]

Our school doesn't do much , but what it does do is low effort for relatively good reward.

• Quiz night, bring your own drinks & nibbles
• Refreshments at school productions
• Refreshments at school open evening
• Lottery

The school has a system of ensuring pre-owned uniform goes to those in need so we don't interfere with that.

One thing is try to make donating to the PTA really easy by having an entry on your school's online payment system.

[BubblesBuddy]

A money tree is a type of tombola where you buy a ticket on entry and it corresponds to a numbered envelope pegged onto the tree which guests then look for. You can use a synthetic Christmas tree. Someone will have one. Some envelopes have money in them that you win as a prize. Obviously most do not win a prize and you need to know ratios of empty envelopes vs price of tickets and how many you are likely to sell.

The ball we had at school did have the parents there too! It was a bit glamourous and the girls dressed accordingly. It was not a "prom" for 17/18 year olds. If the parents are there and you glam it up, you can raise a lot more money. We had a band followed by a disco. The bar can raise a bit too! The ball for parents and pupils is a fun night for all, not just the pupils. In a 420 nor school, the ball often had 350-400 guests.

I do agree with you that a secondhand uniform shop is a very community spirited activity, so if you have time and space and dedication - go for it.

Any school with sell-out plays and music events can get the PTA to do drinks etc before it starts and at the intermission (build one in by agreement with the school). It is not a massive amount of work and is very social for the parents. What about the same at Sports Day?