Blogs

February 18, 2019

Are you picking the right online payment solution for your PTA?

Engaging in online transaction with online payment has become second nature to all of us. We pick a product, add to cart, hit the checkout, easy as 1, 2, 3.   This trend is also reflected in the increasing number of School Parent Organizations, such as the Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs) are now moving towards online fundraising. In response to the online fundraising need, numerous online fundraising, solutions are now available through various vendors that provide membership management solutions for school parent organizations. Each of these solutions comes with a different payment processing system and with different transaction charges. As a result there are a multiple permutations of accepted payment methods, payment gateways for processing the transactions and transaction charges. Thus, choosing a reliable and trustworthy eCommerce system to manage online fundraising for the Parent Organization can be very difficult. We address the top 5 critical questions asked about the online […]
January 24, 2019

Selecting an online school directory for your school parent organization, insider tips:

Is your school PTA considering a mobile and online school directory for your school parents? How will you select from the number of vendors that are available? What will be your criteria? Trust: It can be a daunting task to select from a large number of available school directory vendors. The key driving force should be to find a trusted product by a trusted vendor. Word of mouth is always a good start in the selection process. But, Google search can also provide you with a list of directory providers. Choose a provider that has been doing business for several years minimum and has built up solid product repertoire and an online presence. Assess the founder and the team behind the product. LinkedIn is an excellent platform to find additional information about their professional background and expertise. The websites for each of the vendors will also provide you with information […]
August 3, 2018

A conversation on fundraising and school directory with School Zone

Welcome to the school zone school fundraising ideas podcast. We interviewed top fundraising and resource companies to help you find a solution to your next school, fundraising or school resource need. Are you ready to simplify the search? Now, here’s your host, Matt Miller. Matt Miller:       Hey. Hey, school zone audience. Matt here, once again. I’m excited tonight to have a really neat guest in the school zone with me. Niru Mallavarupu. Did I get it right? Niru:   Yeah, it’s Close, its Mallavarupu Matt Miller:  Mallavarupu. That’s great. Niru Mallavarpu. I, I’ll get it right doggone it. Anyway, I got a chance to meet Niru at the Philadelphia PTO Today expo here a couple of weeks ago and was very, very, very impressed with her company MobileArq, and had to get her on the show to talk about what they’re doing, how they are simplifying communication within schools and a whole […]
October 6, 2017
school fundraising app

School Fundraising: ‘Crush it’ with these three simple hacks for PTAs and PTOs

School Fundraising takes time and it is a lot of work! Organizing a school fundraiser is no simple task. You need to find sponsors, recruit volunteers, arrange a location/activities, spread the word about the fundraiser and hope the weather cooperates. The list is endless and ticking off each item requires multiple hours of volunteer work.  Overall, school fundraising takes time and it is a lot of work!  What if you could do away with 80% of your school fundraisers? Over 76% of schools in the US have 5 or more fundraisers/year. With this flood of fundraisers, it is no surprise that parents have become weary of these PTA organized events. Clearly, the standard fundraisers are not working! The three hacks to ‘CRUSH’ your school fundraising goals Compile a school directory app and give that away to parents in exchange for PTA membership dues Parents are BUSY and they are the school […]