How to Refresh Your PTO or PTA Goals for a Successful School Year

When the new school year is fast approaching, you know it’s time to revitalize your PTO or PTA goals.

Whether you already have ideas or are working with a clean slate, get ready to brainstorm how to assess your needs and envision your success. What better way to do that than by finding new ways to approach your PTO goals and objectives?

Below, learn top tips for refreshing your fundraising, communication, and participation targets.

Set SMART goals

Before refreshing your PTO objectives, you need to set them—and that’s where SMART goals come into play. SMART targets help you and everyone involved in the PTA understand what you want to achieve and when. In other words, a SMART goal is:

• S(pecific) – Your goal is specific, clear, and easy to understand, including all necessary details. The PTO will raise $5,000 through fundraising to update the playground.
  
  
• M(easurable) – Your target is easily trackable and measurable. Through two fundraising events.
  
  
• A(ttainable) – Your goal is something you can reasonably achieve. Dream big, envision any potential challenges, and then edit your objective to accommodate them. The PTO will raise $5,000.
  
  
• R(elevant) – Your goal supports your organization’s missions and objectives. To update the playground.
  
  
• T(ime-bound) – Your target has a specific deadline or timeframe. By January.

When you combine these, your SMART goal is this: The PTO will run two fundraising events to raise $5,000 by January to update the playground.

Plus, you can set school fundraising targets for anything, from raising money for classroom supplies to improving student safety with new playground equipment.

Host unique fundraisers 

Fundraisers should be compelling and accessible. While traditional options like bake sales or family game nights work well, you can also switch it up with ideas like:

• Gift card and shopping fundraisers
• Read-a-thons
• Restaurant nights
• Auctions
• Movie at the park
• Parents’ night out

By hosting diverse fundraising opportunities throughout the year, you can accomplish two things. First, you can meet your earning potential to help your causes. Second, you encourage engagement from as many families as possible, which helps boost membership and support.

Keep parents involved year-round 

Besides engaging parents through various fundraisers, you can help them get involved year-round in other manners.

One of the easiest ways to do this is to coordinate parent strengths and interests to match jobs. For example, talkative, outgoing parents with open schedules may prefer to be chaperones or leaders at events. Parents with less time or personality differences may prefer to help with bookkeeping or social media posts.

You can also make involvement more convenient by offering refreshments or child care at after-school meetings. These ideas can help make it easier for parents to take part by alleviating some other responsibilities. 

Improve communication 

One of the major roadblocks many PTOs face is reaching the right people, from members to community leaders. Improving communication methods helps spread your message efficiently. Here are some tips for specific communication channels:

• Email – Communicating crucial information via email is one of the easiest ways to reach a large group. Send anything from event and fundraiser reminders to announcements or meeting agendas.
  
  
• Social media – Create a members-only or public Facebook group to reach everybody in the community. With social media, you can share information quickly, so focus on posting reminders, updates, and event photos.
  
  
• Newsletter – You can distribute newsletters via email, blog, or as hard copies sent home with students. Newsletters work well for calendars, activity reminders, and sharing goals and achievements.

Better communication makes it easier to discuss your targets with parents, teachers, and the community. Encouraging participation can also simplify setting goals for anything from fundraising to membership.

Read more: PTO and PTA Ideas for Back-to-School Events

Try these other tips 

When refreshing your goals for the upcoming year, keep these other target-related tips in mind:

• Involve as many people as possible when setting PTO goals, whether via a survey, suggestion box, or in-person meeting.
  
  
• Focus on one big objective and several smaller, more attainable ones.
  
  
• Think about your organization’s future. What do you want the PTO to accomplish? Who do you want to be involved? What benefits can you provide students for years to come?

These suggestions can help you effectively set goals and reach as many parents and students as possible.

Achieve your fundraising targets with RaiseRight 

When you’re ready to tackle your PTA goals and objectives for raising money, trust RaiseRight to make the task simple. Here’s a breakdown of our process:

1. Enroll your PTO or PTA in a RaiseRight fundraising program.
2. Add members and parents or guardians to your group as participants.
3. Start shopping—use RaiseRight to buy gift cards for everyday purchases like gas and groceries, and shop online for other retail purchases, travel expenses, and more.
4. Your PTO or PTA earns funds from every purchase—6% on average, up to 20%!

Even the busiest parents can fundraise through RaiseRight and support your PTO or PTA; no matter their lifestyle, preferences, or shopping habits, there’s something for everyone on the RaiseRight platform.