Fundraisers are an important function of a PTA. PTAs hold fundraisers to raise money for all kinds of things, like playground equipment, teacher pay raises and books. Also, PTAs will typically hold fundraisers when there are school budget shortfalls. PTAs often have some say in how the school allocates the money that they raise, giving their organization a sense of power and value. Finally, many PTAs look for corporate and community sponsorships to garner the money needed for the school.
PTAs help organize school events. Some of the events PTAs usually help produce are school dances, book sales, bake sales, field days and field trips, among others. Note that PTAs serve a valuable function in developing extracurricular activities. They do not necessarily focus on the academic side of school; rather, they tend to foster and develop activities that are beyond academics. The PTA will assign its members roles like obtaining decorations for dances, equipment for field days and finding a proper location for a class field trip.
Every PTA has a number of different positions that have unique duties. Every PTA has a treasurer in charge of accounting and financing. PTAs also have a president or chief officers. Most PTAs have a secretary responsible for leading meetings, recording meeting minutes, and contacting other members about new initiatives and the events that the PTA is going to help create.
In a collaborative effort between teachers and parents, PTAs help develop procedures and protocols for a variety of school logistics needs. For instance, when parents drop off their kids for school and pick them up from school, there are protocols and procedures that regulate how parents, students and teachers are to do this. Parents and teachers in the PTA work together to find the most efficient and safe way for kids to enter and exit the school grounds.