How to Build Stronger Relationships with Your School as a PTA Volunteer

Your PTA is most successful when it has strong, collaborative relationships with the school community. As a volunteer, it’s important to know how to approach different school stakeholders and organize the plans you make with them so that everyone benefits.

Whether you’re coordinating with administrators, working with teachers, or supporting extracurricular programs, a positive partnership helps ensure that your PTA’s efforts support real school needs. This article outlines best practices for cultivating these relationships.

Collaborating with school staff and administrators

A strong PTA-school partnership starts with open communication and mutual understanding—but different school employees have different needs and priorities. Here are some suggestions for tailoring your approach:

Working with school administrators

Principals, assistant principals, and district officials are responsible for managing school operations, policies, and academic success. They tend to have a top-down view of things—which means you need to focus on the big picture when working with them.

Here’s what we suggest:

• Respect their time – Keep meetings and requests concise, and come prepared with clear proposals.
• Understand school policies – Be aware of district regulations to ensure PTA initiatives align with school rules.
• Build relationships early – Establish rapport before you need to make requests so that collaboration feels natural. Here are some ways PTAs can show appreciation for teachers.
• Support school-wide goals – Frame PTA projects in a way that reinforces the school’s educational mission and priorities.

Working with teachers

Teachers know their students’ needs better than anyone, making their input invaluable for PTA initiatives. But they also have extremely busy schedules, and many are underresourced—so you need to be detail-oriented but also efficient to work effectively with them.

Here are some tips for approaching teachers:

• Invite their input – Find out what teachers need most instead of assuming.
• Respect their workload – Avoid unnecessary meetings or extra tasks. The more you can streamline your communication, the better.
• Offer practical support – Whether it’s classroom supplies, organizing volunteers, or funding special programs, make sure you can show how the fundraising projects you ask teachers to support meaningfully improve student experiences.
• Maintain open communication – Encourage teachers to share feedback about PTA initiatives to ensure they remain beneficial.

Working with coaches and extracurricular leaders

Athletics, music programs, and other extracurricular activities often rely on PTA support. The key to engaging coaches and extracurricular program heads is often to demonstrate that your fundraising plans will be effective—since their survival often depends on it.

When working with these groups:

• Understand funding gaps – Some programs receive more financial support than others. Identify where fundraising can help.
• Coordinate fundraising efforts – Avoid competing with other school groups by scheduling fundraisers strategically. For instance, wait until after your annual fun run to start your high school Lift-A-Thon.
• Encourage PTA involvement in booster clubs – Strengthening ties with existing parent-led groups can make collaboration easier.
• Recognize their work – Show appreciation for the time and effort extracurricular leaders put into student activities.

Aligning PTA initiatives with school goals

To make the biggest impact, your PTA projects must always support the school’s priorities. Follow these steps to identify what your school needs, prioritize different fundraising options, and coordinate with the school staff whose help will be required:

Step 1: Identify funding needs

• Meet with school leadership – Ask administrators what programs need additional funding.
• Survey teachers and staff – Gather input on what resources or initiatives would benefit students the most.
• Analyze past fundraising efforts – Review what’s worked before and identify areas for improvement.
• Include parent feedback – Conduct a survey to learn what parents see as the most important funding priorities. Here’s a guide on how to plan your first parent survey of the year.

Step 2: Prioritize initiatives that align with school goals

• Support academic programs – Fund initiatives that enhance learning, such as tutoring programs or STEM resources.
• Focus on student well-being – Consider programs that promote mental health, playground improvements, or extracurricular opportunities.
• Ensure inclusivity – Choose projects that benefit a broad range of students rather than specific groups.

Step 3: Coordinate fundraising efforts with school leadership

• Get approval for fundraising plans – Confirm that your initiatives align with the school’s overall priorities.
• Plan a fundraising calendar – Avoid scheduling fundraisers that conflict with major school events or other fundraising efforts.
• Be transparent about fund allocation – Clearly communicate how funds will be used to build trust with parents and donors.

By fostering strong relationships with the school community, keeping communication open, and aligning PTA projects with real school needs, your PTA can have a lasting, positive impact on students, teachers, and families.