above all else, ask the principal what s/he needs!

* help organize a school auction
* volunteer in the school garden
* help the school make an amazon wishlist
* donate stuff for saturday/summer school
* organize a happy hour or coffee event for prospective parents
* write articles for local blogs or newspapers about the school
* take a day off to help with Career Day or whatever the school has
* buy a school shirt and wear it around the neighborhood
* see if teachers want help cleaning up or setting up their classrooms at the end or start of the year--you might even be able to get a group of volunteers involved!

Anonymous wrote:You could also go on websites like Donors Choose. Look up your neighborhood school and fund a project. Teachers are the ones creating these projects and they are usually for items more pricey or luxury than just standard school supplies.

If you have a special skill you could definitely offer that to the PTA.

I love Donor's Choose. I have even given gift cards from here to friends/family from here. Many of my teacher friends have successfully used this as a way to get new books for the class, computer programs, art supplies, etc. It has been such a blessing for them to not have to spend out of pocket but to be able to provide great learning experiences for their students. They still buy a lot with their own money but this helps so much!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A big help that costs nothing is simply being supportive. Talk the school up. When chatting with people tell everyone how excited you are about the changes happening in your neighborhood school. Learn about the school and be informed. Don't feed into the DCPS is the worst talk that happens at work or at the playground. Know and offer concrete examples of successful programs offered at your neighborhood school. Follow the school on Facebook and like/share events and positive things happening at the school. You will find out about various fundraising efforts and might be able to participate in some of these as well.

Being supportive does not have to cost a dime. Then again, sending a big check helps tremendously.

This.

Also, go to an open house when you're considering what schools to send your child to. Even if you think you will not choose that school, go anyway. You might be surprised by how much you like what you see. I know I was.

+1. Keep an open mind and be skeptical of negative talk from people who don't really know. For our neighborhood school, when I hear a negative rumor, I ask for more details-- and often, the person has very little basis for what they're saying, or the rumor is several years old.

Anonymous wrote:A big help that costs nothing is simply being supportive. Talk the school up. When chatting with people tell everyone how excited you are about the changes happening in your neighborhood school. Learn about the school and be informed. Don't feed into the DCPS is the worst talk that happens at work or at the playground. Know and offer concrete examples of successful programs offered at your neighborhood school. Follow the school on Facebook and like/share events and positive things happening at the school. You will find out about various fundraising efforts and might be able to participate in some of these as well.

Being supportive does not have to cost a dime. Then again, sending a big check helps tremendously.

This.

Also, go to an open house when you're considering what schools to send your child to. Even if you think you will not choose that school, go anyway. You might be surprised by how much you like what you see. I know I was.

A big help that costs nothing is simply being supportive. Talk the school up. When chatting with people tell everyone how excited you are about the changes happening in your neighborhood school. Learn about the school and be informed. Don't feed into the DCPS is the worst talk that happens at work or at the playground. Know and offer concrete examples of successful programs offered at your neighborhood school. Follow the school on Facebook and like/share events and positive things happening at the school. You will find out about various fundraising efforts and might be able to participate in some of these as well.

Being supportive does not have to cost a dime. Then again, sending a big check helps tremendously.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/60/463967.page

The comment at 09:33 at the link above has a pretty good "what not to do" list.

whoa, brutal, but good tips

continuity is key

I think a one time donation is fine, if that donation is really actually helpful. Sending 10 books into the library that doesn't need them isn't helpful. Sending the $50 you would have spent to PTA or to a specific classroom is helpful. It might not really make a huge difference, but it can at least be allocated in a helpful manner.

PTA funds can be grossly different in the schools. Writing a check seems like a cop out, but it is truly the best way you can help if you don't have a lot of time to put into the school.

Some schools also have various fundraisers that take little effort on your part. They don't make a huge difference, but every little bit helps. Things like linking your Safeway card or shopping through Amazon Smile.

You could also go on websites like Donors Choose. Look up your neighborhood school and fund a project. Teachers are the ones creating these projects and they are usually for items more pricey or luxury than just standard school supplies.

If you have a special skill you could definitely offer that to the PTA.

Anonymous wrote:http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/60/463967.page

The comment at 09:33 at the link above has a pretty good "what not to do" list.

whoa, brutal, but good tips

continuity is key

Anonymous wrote:Your neighborhood school can tell you more about what it needs than we can. You can call the school and ask the main office. And if a PTA exists, you can reach out via email to the school's PTA for ideas. (The PTA's email address might be online somewhere, e.g. website or FB page, or the main office can tell you.)

But money always helps.

Agree. If you really want to 'give' something besides money, school supplies is a good idea. But always important to ask the school first.

Your neighborhood school can tell you more about what it needs than we can. You can call the school and ask the main office. And if a PTA exists, you can reach out via email to the school's PTA for ideas. (The PTA's email address might be online somewhere, e.g. website or FB page, or the main office can tell you.)

But money always helps.

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/60/463967.page

The comment at 09:33 at the link above has a pretty good "what not to do" list.

Our PTA meets in the evening, usually starting around 6:30 pm. Your neighborhood PTA might do the same. Check and see!

Volunteer to tutor some kids after school, or run an enrichment project once a week for a couple of months.

It has the benefit of showing you who the kids really are (hint: generally not the DCUM image of them).

Financially supporting the PTA is a great. There may be volunteer opportunities on the weekends such as making improvements to the grounds. They might also like help with fundraising. All these are things I have done as the parent of a baby, without a kid in the school.

There was a comment in the Deal/Wilson boundary thread about the need to "invest" in EOTP schools in up-and-coming (or up-and-came) neighborhoods. I'm homeowner in one of these neighborhoods (Columbia Heights) and don't have kids yet but would love to send my future children to a neighborhood DCPS school one day. But I don't have a clue as to how I can help the improvement efforts at this point. I have a job during regular business hours (and beyond), so volunteering during the school day is out. I would be happy to help financially support the PTA, etc., but I'm not sure to what extent that helps. Any ideas?