Founders Q+A: MyPTA
MyPTA on developing an app to amplify fundraising and parent engagement in schools
Founder of MyPTA, Nazia Anwar, discusses the challenges of running a socially conscious business and developing an App all while working full time and juggling motherhood.
ESGmark®: What inspired you to found myPTA?
Nazia Anwar (NA): It’s been a long journey- well, a long journey in a short time! I initially set out to find a solution that I could use, to ease my pressures, when I volunteered to chair the parent teacher association (PTA) at my son’s school. I was working full-time, and raising a child alone, taking on the chairing role pushed me to my limits.
ESGmark®: What are some of the big challenges that parent-teacher associations face and how is MyPTA solving these issues?
NA: You can summarise the challenges down to a single word - resources. PTAs are led by parent volunteers primarily, and in some schools, with school staff also on the committee. Nobody really has the surplus time to manage and run a PTA with ease. The App has been designed so it’s very simple to create and share content to the whole community, in a few simple steps. Once members have spent some time familiarising themselves with the app and admin panel, they can easily share content via the app in less than a minute. Where parent actions are needed, e.g. booking their child’s place at the Christmas fair, this can also be done just as quickly.
On resources, another big one is money! Schools and PTAs don’t have surplus cash lying around either. Given the economic challenges, parents are also not able to donate as much or as often as they’d like, yet children still need that extra value brought to their educational experience from PTAs. This in mind, I decided to launch on an entirely free basis last year, so that all schools and communities have a platform that they can use to engage their members more while also fundraising more. This boost in fundraising comes from access to a suppliers directory, within the App where PTAs can advertise local and parent led businesses to their communities. PTAs, and essentially, the school will benefit from any 100% of the revenue generated in this way. And once this feature is running within school communities, well, this element of the income is also automated, it’s a win!
All along the journey, I’ve stopped and actively thought about what would make life easier for school staff and parent volunteers.
ESGmark®: What are some of the positive environmental and social impacts of MyPTA?
NA: Although in its early stages of development, myPTA prides itself on being a socially and environmentally conscious company. This can be seen in a variety of ways, for example, our work with Ecologi. Via this platform, we have a plan in place to make positive contributions to pro-environmental initiatives. For example, when a new school registers with us, we plant 25 trees in their honour and attribute these to them. Each time a new user is added to the platform, we plant a further tree. As fundraising commences through the app, we continue to fund carbon reduction projects in their honour. This way, we can take active steps for the short and long-term health of our planet, but also educate our community along the way as we provide updates to them.
Additionally, we have a ‘collections’ feature enabled within the app allowing communities to collectively fundraise for a cause they feel passionately about. This way, PTAs can celebrate their community spirit. Another advantage is that any external charities that are supported, are done so via the charity's own website as a link in the App. This means that these charities can, where consent is given, collect donor data and build on their list of supporters for future and ongoing campaigns.
We’ve also been having conversations on how we can support charities and worthwhile causes as an organisation, and look forward to sharing more about this.
ESGmark®: Could you tell us a bit about how the app works?
NA: The App has two spaces. Kind of a back office where the PTA committee can create and share content with their community and the mobile app where this content is then accessed by all community members.
With safeguarding and security in mind, only active parents of the school community have access to the app, and this activation is done by the PTA administrators.
In terms of the type of content that might be shared, we have a range of features that all perform a valuable function, in addition to those already mentioned.
For example, within the ‘events’ section, PTAs can promote and sell PTA events to their community members. This also allows for e-tickets to be issued, resulting in less paper being used.
There is also a ‘news feed’ where PTAs can keep their parent body up to date on key messages and other announcements. This takes away the need for multiple emails, letters in bags, posters on walls… and also makes it easier for parents to relocate information down the line.
There is also an online shop. This provides a valuable function in offering a space where reusing takes place! As children grow out of their uniform, there is now a free space where PTAs can sell this and generate income. But it doesn't have to only be uniform. PTAs are free to sell any merchandise suitable for their community through the App. This might be mothers day gifts, books, plants…
For any transactions going through the app, parents can decide whether to pay with Apple or Google Pay, or to select ‘cash’ or a bank transfer. We’ve kept the options open so parents can decide what works best for them.
One final feature I’d like to mention is the chat function. The parent community can use the chat function within the app to communicate privately on a 1-2-1 or group basis without now having to use their social messaging platforms. This helps with the division of social/family time against PTA/school time. As a security feature, there is no photo or video sharing function within the chat.
To sign up, PTAs can visit our website and register their school. We'll be in touch shortly after with more details: https://mypta.co.uk/register/
ESGmark®: What has your experience been like working in a small team with three people?
NA: It’s been amazing! That’s the first word that comes to mind and that’s because I'm working with people that I’ve chosen to work with. People who as a group, naturally align in many ways making things work without unnecessary stress. The dynamic is spot on!
We are a solid team of 3 females and have been working together for over a year now. Both Polly Peart and Ludovica Quarranta work on a freelance basis for me which means they regain a lot of control over their work life which can then fit as needed, around family life and other responsibilities.
The team is growing though! I have been working on a trial basis with a CTO, and this has been going very well in enhancing the technological foundations beyond the app build. Look out for further announcements on this!
As I fundraise, I’ll also be looking to fill a number of roles and I’m super excited to see what the team will become in the next 6-12 months. And I won’t lie, it’ll be great to be able to share my responsibilities with others, as I’m currently doing around 90% of non-technological work in the business. I wear many hats, and as much as I’m actively trying to maintain a good balance, it is tiring.
ESGmark®: What do you envisage, in terms of future growth, for MyPTA?
NA: We have lots of plans! We are currently nearing the completion of our second version of the App which has taken on board early user feedback, and we’re also planning our beta version. Once we have these development projects complete, we plan to start mapping out additional features to make the app more interactive. We want to bring an element of machine learning to our platform- and just this month, I’ve started a formal course on the subject, with the Machine Learning Academy, and I’m super stoked about this.
I’m also fundraising for my first pre-seed round and after weeks of research, learnings and conversations and I’ve got a number of exciting meetings lined up. I’d love to chat with any readers interested in finding out more about this.
ESGmark®: What advice would you give to someone else looking to create an app?
NA: Work through the processes! Do your due diligence and choose your developers carefully. Finding developers that share the vision is something many founders I know have faced difficulty with. Align yourself with people and companies that share your purpose and not those that see you as the next project. It’s so important to have allies and partnerships if you’re entering this world for the first time, and what I’ve found is that there are so many people willing to help, just to help. I developed professional relationships early on with people who became my mentor/advisors and they were a lifeline in the early days. If you don’t have a technical background, like me, find someone who does that is willing to advise you as needed.
I’m also more than happy for anyone to reach out with any specific areas that they think I might be able to help with.
ESGmark®: What are you reading at the moment?
NA: That’s actually got nothing to do with apps or business life. I’m reading ‘Helping your Child with Fears and Worries’ by Cathy Cresswell and Lucy Willets. Above all, I am a mother and that’s been the most rewarding, yet most challenging responsibility I’ve had. Sadly, it’s not uncommon for children to struggle with anxiety. What I’m learning from this book is to focus more on me as a parent and how that might be impacting things in ways subtle or indirect; things that I may not have picked up on. This book is full of strategies, some of which I’ve started implementing.
For more on MyPTA, head over to their website.
Speaking to our founders is central to keeping the ESGmark® community connected - read our other interviews with Lavender & Lemon on creating safe cleaning products and Prosody London on natural fragrance and business karma.
