Why Choose PTA?
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PTA is the oldest and largest child advocacy association in America. PTA is comprised of four 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 with one voice for every child.
Today, the issues that affect our children extend beyond their individual schools. 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. This mission is unique to PTA.
Many of the benefits our children receive today, such as universal kindergarten, the National School Lunch Program, and a juvenile justice system, were accomplished as a result of PTA’s mission.
Click here to see the amazing things that PTA has accomplished in New Mexico.
Looking to Become a PTA?
Whether you are switching over your existing unaffiliated parent organization or starting from scratch, we can help you establish a Parent Teacher Association (PTA) or Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) in your community!
- Become informed.
- Read https://www.newmexicopta.org/why-choose-pta/.
- Take pertinent information from this page to meet with your administration.
- Express your interest in becoming a PTA to vp.membership@newmexicopta.org.
- Engage your community.
- Host a meeting to share the benefits of starting a PTA, gauge interest, and find potential volunteers and leaders. You may request a New Mexico PTA Board member to attend this meeting. Three volunteer officers are required to charter a PTA.
- If there is sufficient interest, share the New Mexico PTA Givebacks Store URL for community members to pay dues before the next meeting: https://nmpta.memberhub.com/store.
- If you have members wanting to pay by check, the checks should be made out to NMPTA, have your new PTA’s name in the memo, and be mailed to PO Box 14706, Albuquerque, NM 87191.
- Default dues for new PTAs are $6 per person per year. Your PTA may vote to change this amount effective the July 1 after chartering. Please contact vp.membership@newmexicopta.org if you would like to start your dues higher than $6.
- Charter your PTA.
- Hold a meeting to officially vote to become a PTA, elect officers, and approve three check signers for your bank account. You may request a New Mexico PTA Board member to attend this meeting. Those who have paid dues may vote.
- Contact vp.membership@newmexicopta.org to obtain a list of paid members.
- You must have at least three officers to organize your PTA.
- Your officers and your check signers must be paid members of your PTA.
- Hold a meeting to officially vote to become a PTA, elect officers, and approve three check signers for your bank account. You may request a New Mexico PTA Board member to attend this meeting. Those who have paid dues may vote.
- Submit the Application for Local PTA Charter to New Mexico PTA via email at vp.membership@newmexicopta.org.
- Attach the meeting minutes where your members voted to charter.
- New Mexico PTA completes the following tasks on your behalf.
- Secures an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS for your PTA. This number allows your PTA to make tax-free purchases.
- Registers your PTA with National PTA and issues you a Local PTA ID # that will be used on your membership cards and other PTA forms and applications.
- Generates a Givebacks account for your PTA. After chartering, Givebacks will be the method of submission for membership and compliance documents.
- Requests a check made out to your PTA for the members that have paid dues.
- Open a bank account.
- Take your EIN and check from NMPTA to open a bank account at the financial institution of your choice. Your PTA should not pay any fees for this account.
- Take minutes from your organizational meeting showing the names of those approved to be check signers.
- PTAs should not have debit or credit cards.
- Take your EIN and check from NMPTA to open a bank account at the financial institution of your choice. Your PTA should not pay any fees for this account.
- Work on your PTA’s compliance requirements. (See Standards of Affiliation document.)
- Contact bylaws@newmexicopta.org with any questions regarding the steps to approve your PTA’s bylaws.
- Enter your members (those received from NMPTA and new ones) in Givebacks and submit monthly dues.
- Complete the Officer contact information in Givebacks.
- Your Officers should prepare a proposed budget to present at your next PTA meeting. Only paid members can vote to approve the budget. Once approved, submit the document via Givebacks.
- PTAs do not complete audits or 990s in their first year.
- As soon as possible, preferably within 120 days, purchase insurance for your PTA. Submit proof of policy through Givebacks.
- President, VP, Secretary, and Treasurer should complete at least one online Thrive course at https://thrive.pta.org. Submit a certificate of completion for each officer through Givebacks.
Thank you for your interest in starting a new PTA in your school community. We appreciate your willingness to step up and work through the chartering process. Please don’t hesitate to reach out via email at vp.membership@newmexicopta.org if you have any questions as you begin your PTA journey!