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1. Invite a friend to attend a PTA meeting with you.
2. Sit with someone new at each meeting.
3. Take a turn at the door greeting everyone who arrives at the meeting.
4. Update your mailing list to include former officers.
5. Distribute a special survey for fathers to determine their interests for PTA.
6. Give a free subscription to the Indiana PTA newsletter (IPT) by drawing a name from those members who joined that evening.
7. Send invitations to join PTA throughout the school year.
8. Ask to speak for five or ten minutes at a staff meeting to encourage participation.
9. Award teachers and staff with a salad and dessert party when they achieve 100% enrollment.
10. Challenge a school of a similar size to a membership increase contest.
11. Attend a retired teachers meeting and give an update on the school and an invitation to join PTA.
12. Address PTA communications “to the family of.”
13. Include a tear-off application to join PTA in each issue of your newsletter.
14. Give the one you love a PTA membership.
15. Ask a different grade or classroom to serve as junior hosts for each PTA meeting. Have the students greet people, help find seating and distribute any handouts.
16. Promote Reflections Program.
17. Arrange for a Student Council liaison to serve on the PTA board.
18. Have the faculty challenge the faculty from another school to a PTA membership contest.
19. Promote scholarship opportunities for students.
20. Subscribe to the Indiana IPT and Our Children for each member of the Executive Board.
21. Establish a telephone committee to remind families of PTA meetings and activities.
22. Offer discounts for special events or activities to members.
23. Establish a “Working Parents Committee” to meet in the evening and plan activities to include more families.
24. When you leave a school, take PTA with you to the next school.
25. Request a PTA bulletin board or showcase in the school office. Keep it current.
26. Prepare a resource book for students to inform them of volunteer opportunities.
27. Ask for a “Membership Minute” on the agenda of every PTA meeting.
28. Participate in council workshops and events.
29. Give an award to members who don’t miss a meeting all year.
30. Utilize the free promotion materials from the Indiana PTA.
31. Sponsor a college financial aid workshop for students and parents.
32. Present a report on the workshops and events attended at the Indiana PTA convention.
33. Use pictures that reflect the diversity of your school community in newsletters and publications.
34. Request time at the kindergarten orientation.
35. Provide a membership table at Back to School Night and open House
36. Involve students in the planning for Teacher Appreciation Week
37. Provide interpreters for non-English speakers at meetings.
38. Budget for as many delegates as possible to attend the annual Indiana PTA convention.
39. Include last year’s accomplishments along with this year’s goals in information sent home.
40. Send Sunshine Grams to students who join PTA.
41. Sponsor a “Sock Hop” for adults; have the students operate the concession stands.
42. Plan activities to include single parents.
43. Ask your crossing guard to join PTA.
44. Request that PTA material be included in “Welcome Wagon” packets.
45. Include PTA meetings, events and activities on school calendars.
46. Suggest that the principal keep a supply of information on your PTA activities in his/her office for use when meeting with new or visiting parents.
47. Send birthday cards to students on their 18th birthdays and include a Voter Registration Card and information on current legislation that affects children and youth.
48. Provide Our Children for the staff lounge.
49. Focus on different school staff, such as custodial, cafeteria or secretarial, at each meeting.
50. Promote a “principal’s challenge” between your school and another of similar size.
51. Include signature of student body president on invitation to join PTSA
52. Sponsor quarterly new parents meetings to welcome everyone to the school family and to join PTA.
53. Provide accessibility for those who are physically challenged at all PTA meetings.
54. Apply for Indiana PTA and National PTA Awards. Everyone loves to a part of a winning team.
55. Display copies of the Indiana PTA newsletter (IPT) and Our Children with subscription order forms.
56. Avoid PTA and education jargon in your meetings and publications.
57. Review your meeting times to determine if a change will encourage more participation.
58. Print meeting announcements, posters and publications in the languages that are spoke by the families within you PTA community,
59. Request that PTA information and an invitation to be join be included with student’s health and emergency card information sent home at the beginning of the school year.
60. Duplicate and distribute copies of this publication to each PTA board member.
61. Challenge each board member to recruit one new PTA member each month.
62. Send PTA announcements home to be colored and brought back to be displayed at meetings.
63. Enroll 100 more new members than last year.
64. Hang a banner in front of the school announcing “PTA Meeting Tonight.”
65. Have a board member become a parent buddy to an incoming kindergarten, middle school or high school parent.
66. Put information about PTA and what it does at your school in kindergarten, middle school and high school registration papers.
67. Send a half page reminder of PTA meeting home.
68. Send an invitation to past presidents to join your PTA.
69. Contact past board members and past Honorary Life Member recipients and invite them to join your PTA.
70. Have your PTA newsletter translated accurately for families at your school.
71. Include extended family members when sending invitations to PTA events.
72. Stagger meeting times to include working parents’ attendance.
73. Promote Family Nights – serve dinner on a Saturday.
74. Form a phone tree. The best way to get people to meetings is to remind them of the date. Remind your board members and school staff, too. The personal call can’t be beat.
75. Help families new to the school feel welcome by hosting a “Welcome to ABC School Orientation” – specially designed for parents new to the school. Provide a welcome packet.
76. Give each member a business size card with dates of PTA meetings on it. Encourage them to keep it in their wallet. This is great when sent home along with their PTA membership card.
77. Set up a table in the quad at middle and high schools so students may join the PTA/PTSA. At the high school level, be sure to have scholarship information available for seniors.​

78. Visit a senior citizens center and invite the seniors to visit the school and join PTA. Recruit them as volunteers after they have joined.
79. Invite your friends and neighbors who have older children.
80. Get the mayor to proclaim “PTA Week” in your community.
81. Have a PTA booth at the county fair or citywide event.
82. Contact local education reporters and establish a relationship with them. Send the reporters PTA calendars, newsletters, and flyers about programs and events.
83. Visit the Student Council meeting and invite students to join the PTA.
84. Publicize PTA volunteer hours in school board newsletter and local newspapers.
85. Work with your local cable station to publicize local PTA events.
86. Participate with a float if your community has a seasonal parade.
87. Request that PTA meetings be included in community calendars published in area newspapers.
88. Call businesses with marquees and request space for PTA messages.
89. Promote PTA on the Internet.
90. Include PTA materials in the information packets that local hospitals give to new parents
91. Set up a Reflections display at a local library, shopping mall, bank or school district offices.
92. Request local stores print JOIN PTA on customer’s bags.
93. Prepare press releases about your Honorary Life Member Award recipients.
94. Request exhibit space for PTA at the local library.
95. Ask local Realtors to promote PTA with ads in their publications and mailings.
96. Ask permission to set up membership tables during “adult education” classes.
97. Invite city council members to join PTA.
98. Tailor programs to the needs of your school community.
99. Post public meeting notices and fliers on other community bulletin boards.
100. Invite non-PTA affiliated schools to participate in parenting programs.
101. Invite those businesses that have supported PTA projects to come for a special recognition event and an opportunity to visit the school,
102. Invite your legislator to join PTA.
103. Invite representatives from AARP to join your PTA.
104. Invite your local business owners to join your PTA.
105. Invite your neighborhood childcare, preschool, Head start staff and parents to join PTA.
106. Invite your county superintendent of schools and county school board members to join PTA.
107. Sponsor a Grandparents Day and recruit grandparents to become active PTA members.
108. Advertise an upcoming event in local newspapers, on foreign language radio or television channels. Have brochures available.
109. Send flyers to various service agencies and any neighborhood association, including local churches.
110. Translate membership invitations as needed. Follow up by translating PTA events as needed.
111. Send a school newsletter to businesses, service organizations, etc. Remember to not only ask businesses for money or donation, but also to invite them to help at school events… offer them the opportunity to join and to provide services..not just money and supplies.
112. Put National PTA Our Children magazine in local area dentists and doctors offices; school libraries; district offices, etc.
113. Have a local business become a member of your PTA. Work together with them on community project.
114. Invite local school board members to join PTA.
115. Invite school district personnel to join PTA.
116. Update your mailing list to include former PTA award recipients.
117. Include former award recipients at this year’s Founders’ Day.
118. Issue the membership card with pride to everyone.
119. Introduce Reflections Program winners at a school board meeting.
120. Give PTA membership as a holiday gift.
121. Share information about legislation, health and education issues that have an effect on children and youth.
122. Sponsor a poster contest and ask the local businesses to display the students’ work.
123. Consider the dates of all ethnic holidays and observances of your school community in planning your PTA year.
124. Send a letter asking for continued support from former graduates.
125. Publicize state and National PTA projects that have an effect on children and youth.
126. Publicize workshops and training programs being led by council or Indiana PTA.
127. Write a letter to the editor of our local newspaper thanking all of the volunteers for a successful PTA event.
128. Sponsor an SAT workshop and a practice test for high school students in your community.
129. Ask ALL members what their definition of involvement is (you may be surprised – most parents consider themselves involved.
130. Send out interest surveys.
131. Attend a council or school board meeting and bring membership envelopes to encourage people to join your PTA.
132. When planning dates of meetings, programs, and events…be aware and take into consideration your school’s and community’s needs. People are more likely to help out (both volunteer time and financially) if they feel the PTA is sensitive to their needs and interest.
133. Schedule events at various times, not always the traditional mornings and evenings.
134. Sponsor career workshops for non-college bound students.
135. Talk to everyone you meet about PTA and what it does for children.

135 Ways to Promote PTA