One of the most important forms for any PTA is the membership form. Whether you’re a new PTA member or a seasoned veteran, getting people to sign up for your organization is crucial to achieving your goals and making a difference in your school. With thousands of PTAs and schools using Cheddar Up for their membership sign-ups, fundraising, and events, we like to think of ourselves as the PTA membership experts.
So, what makes a great PTA membership form? Let’s take a look.
1. Make it Simple
First and foremost, it needs to be easy to use. No parent wants to spend twenty minutes filling out a form just to join a PTA, so make sure your form is simple and straightforward. That means keeping the number of fields to a minimum and ensuring the questions are clear and easy to understand. Get the basics:
- Parent’s First Name
- Parent’s Last Name
- Parent’s Email
- Child’s Name
- Child’s Grade and Teacher
If you have a school directory, you might also want to include:
- Home Address
- Primary Phone Number
- Opt-in to be included in directory
2. Offer Convenient Payment Options
It’s likely that you’re using the PTA membership as a fundraiser. If so, collect payment for the membership dues at the same time they sign up! No more checks or cash. Offer convenient online payments for parents and guardians. Allow parents to pay with as many payment options as possible (credit card, echeck, Apple Pay, Google Pay, etc.). The more easy options they have, the more likely they are to complete the process.
Also, determine whether it’s going to be a one-time or recurring payment. You could potentially earn more with recurring payments, for example, instead of charging a one-time fee of $25 offer a plan for $5/month.
Did you know?
PTA membership dues average $10 for an individual membership and $20 for a family membership.
3. Add Fundraising and Volunteer Sign-Ups
While you’ve got their attention, use it! Include the ability for them to add on an optional open donation, participate in an annual giving campaign, or even purchase school supplies. You can also include volunteer sign-up forms for committees or classroom parents.
PTA donations with an open amount earn 2x as much as fixed donations!
4. Professional-Looking
Another important factor to consider is the look and feel of your form. Your PTA sign-up form should reflect the values and personality of your school. That means using your PTA’s colors, logo, and fonts to create a cohesive and professional-looking form. You want people to feel like they’re part of something special when they sign up for your PTA, and a well-designed form can help make that happen.
5. Promote Your Membership
Of course, it’s not just about the form itself. You also need to make sure you’re promoting your PTA and your membership sign-up form effectively. That means using social media, email newsletters, and other channels to spread the word and encourage people to join.
Cheddar Up makes this easy by providing a custom link that takes people straight to your PTA membership page. You can even generate a QR code to include on flyers or use our message center to send an email directly from Cheddar Up.
6. Follow-Up
Finally, don’t forget to follow up with people who have signed up for your PTA. Send them a welcome email or letter, and make sure they feel included and valued. This can go a long way toward building a strong and engaged PTA community. You can use Cheddar Up’s message center to follow up with all your members.
In short, before you go
A great PTA membership form is simple when you have the right tools. Lucky for you, Cheddar Up makes this ridiculously easy and free.
