Your support of PTA is more important than ever! PTA membership allows you to stay involved with your school and neighborhood community, and keeps you informed & updated on legislation important to all children! Everyone can join PTA. Please reach out to neighbors, parents, children, grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, and siblings.
Membership Incentives
Membership is PTA’s strength and our voice. We want all of our local PTAs to have the tools they need to increase membership.
2023-24 CAPTA Membership Challenges
1. Tell Us Your Theme and Goal
Any PTA unit, council, or district that forwards their membership theme for the 2023-2024 membership year, along with a membership goal that reflects an increase over their final membership total from 2022-2023, will receive a digital badge and be recognized through California State PTA social media platforms. No application is required; email info to: membership@capta.org Due Date: 9/30/23.
2. 100 in 100*
All PTA units that forward a minimum of 100 members on or before the 100th day of the 2023-2024 PTA term will receive a digital badge, recognition on California State PTA social media platforms, and a ribbon at the 2024 California State PTA Convention. No application is required. Due Date: 10/9/23.
3. Ready, Set, Remit
All PTA units that forward a minimum of 30 members or before the deadline will receive a certificate celebrating their success and a digital badge and will be recognized on California State PTA social media platforms. No application is required. Due Date: 10/31/23
4. 100% Teachers
All PTA units that achieve 100% teacher membership and forward their membership on or before the deadline will receive a digital badge and will be recognized on California State PTA social media platforms. Application is required. Due Date: 11/30/23.
5. Halfway There Award
This award is given to local PTAs that have forwarded membership totals equal to or greater than their entire membership total for the 2022-23 year based on the December 2023 CAPTA Membership Report. No application is required. Unit PTAs will receive a digital badge and be recognized on California State PTA social media platforms. Due Date: 12/31/23.
6. 10% Student Membership*
This award is given to local PTAs that have forwarded membership totals at least 10% of student members of total student enrollment. Application is required. Units will receive a digital badge, be entered into a prize drawing, and will be recognized on California State PTA social media platforms. Due Date: 1/31/24
7. Founders’ Day Membership Challenge
PTA Founders’ Day is February 17. Any unit that submits 17 new memberships for the month of February will earn a digital badge and recognition on California State PTA social media platforms. No application is required. Date: 2/29/24.
8. Membership March*
Units that increase membership over their 2022-2023 membership total will earn one of the following awards:
Bronze: 1-33% increase
Silver: 34-66% increase
Gold: 67-100% increase
Each unit will receive a digital badge indicating their award level and will receive recognition on California State PTA social media platforms. No application is required. Due Date: 3/31/2024
9. Best in 5 Award*
Any PTA unit, council, or district with a membership total on or before the deadline that is higher than the largest year-end total since the 2019-2020 membership year will be awarded a digital badge, will be recognized on California State PTA social media platforms and will receive a recognition ribbon at the 2024 California State PTA Convention. No application is required. Due Date: 3/31/24.
10. 5 for 500*
Any PTA unit, council, or district earning 5 of the incentives above on or before the deadline will be entered in a drawing to receive a $500 cash award. They will also receive a digital badge and be recognized on California State PTA social media platforms. No application is required. Due Date: 4/15/24
* Awards may be subject to change or substitution
Ideas for signing up new members….
- Post your PTA membership link or PDF of membership form on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and other social media platforms.
- Have a PTA Membership Sign-up Day during the months of January and February.
- Ask the Principal to email parents the PTA membership link with a message about activities your school’s PTA supports.
- Set up TOTEM for your PTA by clicking here.
Questions? Contact Lori Fentress, Ninth District VP-Member Services Director at member-services@ninthdistrictpta.org.
Need membership campaign ideas?
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Electronic Membership with TOTEM!
TOTEM, the electronic membership system, is an additional way to collect memberships. Units, councils and districts are not required to use the new system, but we encourage you to check it out. Click here to learn more about TOTEM or to follow the easy set-up guide. PTAs can continue to collect and remit membership as you always have.
If you need help signing up for TOTEM, talking about membership strategies, or have general membership questions, please contact Lori Fentress, Ninth District Vice President – Member Services Director at member-services@ninthdistrictpta.org .
TOTEM FAQ’s
- Is this the only way we can collect memberships? No, use ALL of your resources to sign up members! Please use envelopes, websites, and TOTEM.
- How much will it cost? There is no cost for a local unit to use the system. Each member that joins using the electronic membership system will pay a $1 convenience fee per membership. This will cover all the processing fees and other costs of the system. This dollar will be paid by the member and it is added onto the membership dues. It will not reduce the portion of dues deposited in the local PTA unit bank account.
- Can a unit opt out of using the donation part of the program to avoid the 5% fee? TOTEM can set up an account to eliminate offering the donation options to members. We believe that offering donations here will increase overall donation amounts to units because of the ease of to donate, and that the 5% fee will be outweighed by the increased donations. TOTEM is working on giving members the option to the pay the 5% in the near future to allow your units to keep 100% of the donations amount.
- Does the auto renew occur at the beginning of the school year or one year from purchase date? California State PTA’s membership year is July 1 to June 30. An auto renew notice will be sent to the members the last week in June and auto renew will occur near July 1 (depending on holidays). Bulk upload this year’s members to make sure they receive an automatic renewal message. New bulk upload feature on TOTEM! Now you can upload all your members into the e-membership system and have one source for all your membership information. You can do it yourself with the Google sheet and FAQs from TOTEM, or for a small fee, TOTEM can set it up for you. All members in the system will receive renewal notices to make joining your PTA easier.
California State PTA Resources For Leaders and Members
Online Toolkit
9/14/2024