View and print our How to Get Started Guide (Spanish) and check out the following tips to set your PTA up for success!

Take advantage of all that National PTA has to offer

Connect with National PTA

• Subscribe to National PTA’s E-Newsletters so you can stay connected
  

• Follow National PTA on Social Media – scroll to the bottom of the page

• Join the Local Leader Facebook page to learn from and connect with other leaders, ask and answer questions
  

• Subscribe for more information and regular updates on Transformative Family Engagement

Explore National PTA:

• Make a commitment to improving family-school partnerships at your school and earn recognition as a nationally recognized School of Excellence. Look for enrollment to open on May 1

• Easily integrate membership into everything you do! Utilize the customizable You Belong in PTA membership resources. The Member Benefits and the Membership Marketing Campaign can help your PTA grow, while showcasing the many benefits of PTA membership

• Check out National PTA’s Advocacy Tools

• Apply for grants that can help your PTA implement or enhance programs. Visit PTA.org/Grants for available funding opportunities

Seek input to determine needs

• Be sure to gather input from the whole community to learn what initiatives are most needed or most interesting. This will help your PTA tailor programs to meet the needs of all families. Be creative and inclusive when seeking input from families. Use multiple methods and languages to reach ALL families.

• Meet with your school leader and gather input from leadership, both school administrators and PTA board of directors. What goals can you support with a National PTA program?   

• With information from your families and school leaders, you can start to tailor your PTA program to meet the needs of your school community.

Engage all families

• Build your planning team and make sure your team represents the community. Think about who you are serving. By better understanding your community and seeking diverse perspectives in the planning process, you make your PTA programs stronger and more impactful.

• Explore the National PTA DEI Resource webpage to find additional tools to welcome and include all families.

Many National PTA Programs incorporate events. You can design your In-Person and At-Home programs and program models to meet students and families where they are. Use these customizable sample resources to plan your PTA Program and consider any barriers that may prevent participation. And be sure to visit the program-specific webpages for more information and resources to help you plan!

• In-Person Event Planning Guide (en español)
  
• Agenda (en español)
  
• Budget Template (en español)
  
• Invitation to Volunteer (en español)
  
• Volunteer Sign-up Sheet (en español)
  
• Tips for Recruiting Non-PTA Volunteers (en español)
  

We encourage you to spread the word about your PTA Program. This helps to promote your PTA’s accomplishment, stokes interest in the local program you are planning, and creates greater awareness about the opportunities and benefits of PTA for your audiences and beyond. Alert your school leadership about your PTA Program and encourage the school to share the news across its channels. Post on your PTA’s website, newsletters and social media accounts. Send an email to all your PTA members with the news.

Promotion Tools

• Letter to Elected Officials
• Morning Announcement (en español)
  
• Backpack Flyer (en español)
  
• Event Invitation (en español)
  
• Flyer Template (en español)
  
• Press Release (en español)
  
• Media Release (en español)
  
• Media Advisory Template (en español)
  
• Social Media Posts (en español)
  
• How to Place a Facebook Ad (en español)
  

Each PTA program offers ready to use, free materials for both In-Person and At-Home programs. Utilize the resources found on the program-specific webpages for information on how to host your PTA Program.

• Media Release (en español)
  
• In-Person Event Day Checklist (en español)
  

Every PTA Has a Story

The work you do throughout the year demonstrates the power and value of PTA as we meet the critical needs of our children, families and schools. We want to help you share your story to the world! Why? Well, not everyone understands or is fully aware of what PTA does in our school communities. Use Storytelling: How to Share your PTA Story as a guide for what to share, how to get the information you need and how to share your story.

Ask your community for feedback during and after the program to see how your program was perceived, to learn if your intended goals were met and to identify and enhance your next PTA program. Share program success stories with your community and beyond!  

• Don’t forget to thank those that participated with these Sample Thank You Letters 
  • Volunteers (en español)
  • Attendees (en español)
• We encourage you to share the post-event Family Survey at PTA.org/Survey with your program attendees to help National PTA celebrate and enhance our programming.
• Share successes with your entire school community, State PTA and National PTA. Tag us to your photos and stories @NationalPTA using hashtags #PTAProud and #HowWePTA! Visit How We PTA to see examples of amazing PTA stories.
  

• Check out ShopPTA.com to purchase general and customizable merchandise to celebrate your PTA and Programs! Just click on your state PTA to get started.