The last three years have been difficult, but the worst is behind us. The good news is we hit bottom and are heading up. We have much, much better times ahead of us.  Washington State PTA is a reasonably barebones operation. We have 4 employees at the office, support from a handful of contractors, and…

Dear Members,  Those volunteer leaders who pay close attention to our newsletters may have noticed that we tried something new last fall and then did it again this month. Any ideas? Here’s a hint, it had to do with money. Give up? Fair enough. We published articles on resource development, better known among local and…

Dear Members,  Those who have been on their annual treks to warmth and sunshine, know that there has been very little of it. Many vacation plans have gone awry with the storm that blew in off the Pacific coast. So much for big plans!  At a conference in 1957, President Eisenhower said, “Plans are worthless,…

Dear Members, What a difference a vacation makes! I love our holiday break. It is an opportunity for proper rest. So much of our little world also takes a break at the end of the year. We can return to PTA knowing that work has not accumulated much during our absence. That annual break always…

Dear Members, I love to plan. When I started my journey with nonprofit work in the mid-1990s, I was fortunate to be sent to facilitator training. There I learned the value and wisdom that comes from effective group processes. Collaboration is key to creating good strategic plans. We start developing our strategic plan with an…

Dear Member, As I was waiting at the airport to fly to D.C. for the National PTA Hill Day and Convention last month, an announcement came over the intercom. “There will be no internet access on the flight to D.C.; you might want to download movies now.” My first reaction was frustration since I planned…

Dear Members, As a Washington State PTA member, you can take advantage of various discounts for goods and services. Our Member Discounts webpage lists the opportunities available to you. The options include vacation activities, supplies and shipping, and a few personal products. If you want to save some money for your next family vacation or…

Dear Members, Our job at Washington State PTA is two-fold. We advocate at the state level on behalf of our members as directed in the principles, issues, and resolutions that are approved by the membership. We also support, train, and empower the members and volunteer leaders of local and council PTAs to fulfill their mission…

Dear Members, In January, I wrote about a few of Washington State PTA’s nonprofit partners, those organizations that we rely upon for the support and services they provide. This month I will share with you a bit about our vendor partners. Our reliance on our vendor partners is different but no less critical. Our vendor…