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Why Volunteer?

Our PTO is strongest when many families contribute a little bit of time. 

Make school events possible. Family nights, fundraisers, teacher appreciation, enrichment activities only happen because volunteers help out for a few hours.
 

Build community for you and your child. Volunteering helps you connect with other families, teachers, and the school. Kids love seeing their parents participate, even in small ways.
 

Support student learning — on your time. PTO efforts fund classroom supplies, enrichment programs, field trips, and more.

 

  • Join a committee

  • Sign up for a shift at an event

  • Help from home with planning or communications

  • Become a team rep​

Volunteers needed

 

Fundraising Committee

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The SMS PTO is seeking volunteers to help form and lead a Fundraising Committee. This committee will play a critical role in strengthening financial support for SMS programs, with initial efforts impacting Spring 2026 and continued work through the summer to build a sustainable fundraising platform for Academic Year 2026–27 (AY 26–27).​

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Committee members will work collaboratively to:

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  • Develop a fundraising strategy for AY 26–27

  • Review benchmark fundraising models and best practices from comparable public middle schools

  • Identify and cultivate opportunities for in-kind donations to support annual SMS needs and events

  • Design and launch a signature SMS fundraising event that:

    • Raises approximately $20,000–$30,000

    • Becomes an annual, sustainable event

    • Does not compete with other fundraising efforts

    • Strengthens parent community connections

    • Is inclusive and offers tiered giving opportunities to ensure broad participation

  • Review and improve PTO fundraising infrastructure, including:

    • Enhancing website tools to maximize donations

    • Supporting corporate matching gift programs

    • Connecting with business that give a percentage of receipts to non-profits (e.g., Google Smile)

  • Create a grant identification and application timeline for local and national grants

  • Collaborate with SMS leadership and teachers to align fundraising and grant efforts with school priorities

  • Build and maintain relationships with local businesses, community partners, and alumni interested in supporting SMS

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This is a high-priority committee. Currently, SMS PTO fundraising levels fall significantly below those of comparable middle schools, limiting our ability to support key programming. As a result, we aim to form this committee as soon as possible.

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  • Bi-weekly meetings beginning in late February to brainstorm and organize

  • A focused work period in early summer

  • Follow-up meetings to prepare for the AY 26–27 fundraising rollout

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This is a meaningful opportunity to make a lasting impact on SMS programs and the broader school community.

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