5 min read

Free Websites for Spokane Parent-Teacher Groups

Your parent-teacher group could soon have a fully funded website — and a powerful way to welcome families before they even move into your neighborhood.

I’ve launched a new partnership program that connects parent groups with local businesses that thrive when school communities are strong. The first partner is a Spokane realtor and Hutton Mom, Jamie Reyes. She is willing to cover the cost of websites for parent groups across the city.

Here’s how it works: families exploring a move often want to know what the school community is really like. With the family’s permission, Jamie can share their name and email with your group so you can reach out. A short introduction email is all it takes for this partnership to fully fund your website.

You’ll get a Big Nest website tailored to your parent-teacher group. One place to grow community, fundraise, and connect families.

Whether you’re a PTO, PTG, PTSO, or PTA this is your chance to create a digital front door that showcases everything you bring to your school community.

How the Program Works

A Website, Paid in Full Your parent-teacher group will get a website customized to reflect your community. Jamie Reyes will cover the full cost.
A Personalized Welcome Email I’ll help you write a short, friendly email template that introduces your group and gives newcomers a sense of what life is like at your school.
Introductions to New Families If Jamie is helping a family move into your neighborhood, she can pass along their name and email (with permission) so you can send a friendly welcome message.
A Warm Welcome from the Start The family receives your welcome email, with a friendly invitation to reach out. If they have questions or want to learn more, they can simply reply and you can continue the conversation from there.

A Welcome That Opens Doors

This personal introduction helps new families feel welcome and gives them a clear path to get involved.

It doesn’t have to be long. What matters most is that it feels genuine and welcoming. Here’s a sample:

Subject: Welcome! Hello, my name is Jane Doe and I’m the president of the [School Name] Parent Group.

I hear you’re considering a move to our neighborhood. If you’d like to know more about the school or the area, we’re happy to share what life is like here.

Every fall we start the year with a big family picnic, host movie nights in the winter, and wrap up with a school-wide ice cream social in June.

Our website has info about upcoming events, programs, and ways families get involved: www.cool-ptg.com.

Feel free to reach out with any questions. We’re always happy to help.

Jane Doe President, [Parent Group Name]

This isn’t a sales pitch. It’s a chance to show how your group helps families feel at home and involved.

This simple approach creates real benefits for both your current families and the ones still on their way.

In the short term: Your new website will lighten the workload for leaders, boost parent engagement, and make fundraising and communication easier.

Over time: You’ll build a pipeline of engaged parents who want to be part of your community from the moment they arrive.

Strong Communities Are Good for Business

When a school community is vibrant, the neighborhood becomes more attractive to potential buyers. That’s good for everyone, including local businesses.

One of the first questions home buyers ask is, “How’s the school?” A well-run parent group gives them a strong first impression.

Here’s the challenge: real estate agents have to remain neutral. They can’t say, “This is the neighborhood for you” or “This school is the one you want.” That’s called steering, and it’s prohibited by the Fair Housing Act.

If you ask a realtor whether an area is safe, they can only direct you to public resources like CrimeCheck.org. If you ask about the quality of the school, they might send you to GreatSchools.org.

But what they can do is connect potential buyers directly to the people who know the community best: you.

By pointing them to your parent group’s website or having you send a welcome email, the realtor stays objective, and the family gets a much richer picture of the neighborhood they’re considering.

The first backer is Jamie Reyes, a longtime Hutton parent who has sponsored PTG events and supported families around Spokane. If this succeeds, I may bring on one or two more local realtors, but I’ll be selective—it’s important that we end up partnering with businesses that truly care about building community.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if we already have a website? That’s great—you can still participate. Big Nest plays well with others.

How much work does it take to manage the website? Very little. Big Nest was built for busy parents who don’t want to spend hours learning new tech. Most groups manage everything with a few updates each school year.

Will I constantly be responding to emails? Not at all. Your Big Nest website will automatically send the first welcome message when Jamie shares a family’s name and email (with permission). If the family replies, you can choose whether to continue the conversation.

Will the realtor have access to any of our members’ personal information? No. Realtors will never see your community’s data. They’ll be able to submit a request to welcome a specific family (name and email only). That’s it.

Do we have to use Big Nest for our fundraiser? Not at all. If you already use another platform (like 99Pledges, Booster, or Apex), that’s totally fine. Big Nest meets your group where you are. It’s here to simplify, not replace what’s already working.

Can we customize the look and feel of our site? Yes. You can personalize content, photos, events, and more. It’s built to reflect what makes your community unique.

What if we’re a private school? Private school PTGs and PTOs are absolutely welcome. This program is open to any school-based parent-teacher group, regardless of type.

Does it cost us anything? Nope. The website is fully funded in exchange for your willingness to welcome families to your neighborhood.

Participation Matters

This program only works if parent groups across Spokane join in. Realtors can’t highlight just a few schools (that’s steering), so for the program to launch citywide, we need broad participation.

But if most parent groups in Spokane sign on, everyone benefits.

Parent groups get professional websites and steady visibility to incoming families
Families get an authentic look at their future school community
Jamie provides consistent, helpful connections, all while staying within Fair Housing guidelines

Ready to Join?

We’re ready to launch. Now we just need enough schools to say yes. There’s no cost to you, and no commitment at this stage.

A special thank-you to Julie Shepard, president of the Woodridge PTSO, who inspired this program. She personally welcomes each new family to her school. Most groups can’t offer that kind of one-on-one attention, but this program makes it possible to greet every family early and help them feel at home before they even arrive.

Let’s build something together. If you’re part of a PTA, PTO, PTG, or PTSO and want to join, just fill out the form below. Together we can make Spokane’s parent groups more connected and welcoming.