Why PTA?
PTA is the oldest and largest child advocacy association in America. Today's PTA is comprised of 5 million parents, teachers, grandparents, caregivers, foster parents and other caring adults who share a commitment to improving the education, health, and safety of all children. We speak for every child with one voice. Whether you are a lifetime advocate or new to PTA, we invite you to join us. We welcome new ideas and value enthusiasm from members and volunteers, old and new. Learn more about PTA's history.
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the power of membership
It's more than a membership. It's a partnership! Today, the issues affecting our children extend beyond their individual schools. The PTA's nationwide network provides parents with the forum and tools to collectively influence the decisions that affect children not only at their schools, but also throughout their districts, within their states, and across the nation. PTA is a proven champion for families at every level of policy-making.
Join any PTA (and as many as you like) to help support Bellevue students and schools by ensuring every child has a voice. Whether a parent, grandparent, educator, or community member, your membership will impact the lives of millions.
Join any PTA (and as many as you like) to help support Bellevue students and schools by ensuring every child has a voice. Whether a parent, grandparent, educator, or community member, your membership will impact the lives of millions.
PTA's positive impact
Over 120 years, PTA has helped solve some of the biggest issues facing America’s children. Many of the structures all children benefit from today—child labor laws, universal kindergarten, the National School Lunch Program and the juvenile justice system—were accomplished as a result of PTA members’ advocacy. Discover more about the PTA difference.
By getting involved in PTA, you'll help make positive changes. With schools facing challenges like shrinking budgets and lack of educational equity, PTA is more important than ever. Local PTAs play an important role in fundraising to provide building improvements, curriculum-based programs, and social events — all vital to a school's success. With PTA, you gain valuable experiences and get on-the-job training. It's an opportunity to put your skills and hobbies to good use for a good cause—your child and all children. Check out these videos to understand the power and impact of PTA:
By getting involved in PTA, you'll help make positive changes. With schools facing challenges like shrinking budgets and lack of educational equity, PTA is more important than ever. Local PTAs play an important role in fundraising to provide building improvements, curriculum-based programs, and social events — all vital to a school's success. With PTA, you gain valuable experiences and get on-the-job training. It's an opportunity to put your skills and hobbies to good use for a good cause—your child and all children. Check out these videos to understand the power and impact of PTA:
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MEMBER OFFERS & DISCOUNTS
When you join a local PTA, you get a triple Membership because you join your local PTA, the Washington PTA and the National PTA. Did you know you can save 15% at Great Wolf Lodge in Grand Mound? Check out the Washington State PTA and National PTA Member Benefits web page for details about these and much more!
MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS
As a PTA member you have access to important benefits, including:
- Dozens of national programs, experts, and turnkey resources
- Regular updates and advice in the form of e-newsletters, PTA.org, Our Children magazine, and a robust Back-to-School kit of resources
- Leadership development through state and local training, webinars and e-learning courses
- Millions of dollars in grants to help build PTA capacity and skills
- Prestigious national awards
- Cost savings from national and state retailers and other PTA partners
- Invitations to PTA conventions as well as our conferences for emerging minority leaders, male mentors, and advocates
- Support services and staff to help establish and manage your PTA
who can join?
Any living person! Quite literally, as long as the potential member is human and alive, they can join your PTA. We do not discriminate based on geographic location, age, other PTA memberships, occupation, familiarity with the school or district supported by the PTA, or any other factor. While parents and teachers continue to serve as the backbone of PTA membership, there are many other potential PTA members: school staff, relatives, students, community supporters, friends, neighbors, local leaders, ... Will you join us?
HOW TO JOIN?
Join a local PTA. Find and join a PTA in Bellevue.
Join any WA State PTA. Join your voice to the other 125,000 members across the State in more than 875 local PTAs.
Start a Unit. If you are a parent, school employee, or maybe a concerned citizen in an area without a PTA, starting a new unit is easy to do. If there’s no parent group activity at your school now, or your existing parent group wants to realize all the benefits of PTA membership, contact WA State PTA.
Join any WA State PTA. Join your voice to the other 125,000 members across the State in more than 875 local PTAs.
Start a Unit. If you are a parent, school employee, or maybe a concerned citizen in an area without a PTA, starting a new unit is easy to do. If there’s no parent group activity at your school now, or your existing parent group wants to realize all the benefits of PTA membership, contact WA State PTA.
Membership Resources for PTA Leaders
WHAT IS A MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE?
Effective membership recruitment and retention is the responsibility of the entire board. However, your PTA may have a Membership Vice President/Chair and/or a Membership Committee to focus specifically on growing membership. An ideal membership committee candidate may:
- Be excited about PTA and willing to share their excitement
- Be reflective of the families in your community
- Be a past PTA officer who knows your PTA's history and successes
- Be a new member who is enthusiastic about the work your PTA does
- Have experience in marketing, public relations, sales, recruitment or statistics
- Be someone who can make the ask of people to Join PTA
THE ROLE OF THE MEMBERSHIP CHAIR
This role may vary from PTA to PTA but a Membership Vice President/Chair is responsible for growing membership and ensuring timely, accurate communication with other PTA committees and officers. Membership Chairs are often tasked with:
- Developing and deploying a year-round membership campaign
- Drafting and distributing membership promotions and sign-up tools
- Promoting membership at events at PTA, school and community events (host a membership table)
- Developing, distributing, collecting and tracking membership forms and dues in partnership with the Treasurer
- Entering data from membership forms into MemberPlanet (WA State PTA membership database)
- Encouraging online PTA membership sign-ups
- Providing membership reports to the officers or board
- Provide PTA history and accomplishments
MEMBERSHIP GUIDES, TOOLS & RESOURCES
Connect with us
- Share your PTA's Membership Success Story with us!
- Follow us on Facebook for timely updates
- Join our Local PTA Leader discussion group
- PTA now more then ever resources from WA State PTA
- Membership Handbook (8/2019) PDF
- Membership Form Quiz (10/2019) PDF
- Membership Strategy that Works (03/2020) *updated* PDF
- WSPTA Membership Theme Ideas (1/2019) PDF
- 10 Reasons to Join Flyer (10/2019) PDF
- 10 Reasons to Join Flyer – Spanish (10/2019) PDF
- National PTA's New Membership Campaign
- More resources from National PTA
MEMBERPLANET RESOURCES for database admins
- August Checklist for Relaunching – Here are the key things you will want to confirm/complete upon (re)activation of your database account. Thorough explanations of each step are also included.
- Membership database resources (how-to videos, guides, ...) password: WSPTA-LocalLeaders2020
- memberplanet webinar recording
- WA State PTA memberplanet Success Site
- How-to to setup Online Membership
- How-to manual for Offline Membership (manual entry)
- How-to manual for Offline Membership (bulk entry)
QUICK START FOR MEmBERsHIP CHAIRS
- Request access to memberplanet to your PTA president or previous database admin.
- Enter or update your board members' information on memberplanet;
- Setup an online join link on your PTA's website or through memberplanet;
- Ask everyone on your board to join or renew their PTA membership (don't forget yours!);
- Send an invitation to renew to last year's members;
- Reach out whenever you need! Our team is here to help you. Submit questions, concerns or ideas. This will help us plan Membership roundtables to better support our local PTAs.
SOCIAL MEDIA KITS
We know communication is one of the most important tools in a PTA's toolbox, and when done well, improves every aspect of your and your members’ PTA experience. We are here to help you create impactful online communication, with ease. This year we are providing ready-to-use social media kits (images, blurbs and hashtags) that you can use or/and schedule as needed. These social media tool kits provide content for supporting and promoting PTA on social media and help us unify our message: Every Child. One Voice.
We would love to see your Membership Drive Campaigns! Email us or post on our Discussion Group.
We would love to see your Membership Drive Campaigns! Email us or post on our Discussion Group.