fund raising in your child's school

[green]

Hello -

During the first week of school (last week) my K and 3rd grader came home each with their packet of stuff to sell for the school fund raiser. This irritates the crap out of me for a couple of reasons...1. It was only the first week of school 2. The food stuff to sell is expensive and IMO not that tasty 3. The 'prizes' the children can earn are CRAP (last year the small item that my oldest 'earned' broke within a day or two) and, 4. I am pretty certain they have a school wide assembly to educate the children on the prizes they can win and the details, etc. (i.e. a brainwashing session).

I am contemplating just writing the school a check for a small amount as a donation and tossing those forms. I want to support my childrens' school but I do not like these sell a thons.

Anyone else?

[robin3]

I know what you mean. I hate the fundraisers! I refuse to have my child participate. I don't like how these companies come to the school and have assemblies to get the kids all excited and ra ra about selling a bunch of crap. I, too, would much rather write a small check in support of the school.

[CarrieMF]

the only fundraisers they do at the girls school is for things like the MS read-a-thon.

[Chinese Pistache]

Originally Posted by green

Hello -

During the first week of school (last week) my K and 3rd grader came home each with their packet of stuff to sell for the school fund raiser. This irritates the crap out of me for a couple of reasons...1. It was only the first week of school 2. The food stuff to sell is expensive and IMO not that tasty 3. The 'prizes' the children can earn are CRAP (last year the small item that my oldest 'earned' broke within a day or two) and, 4. I am pretty certain they have a school wide assembly to educate the children on the prizes they can win and the details, etc. (i.e. a brainwashing session).

I am contemplating just writing the school a check for a small amount as a donation and tossing those forms. I want to support my childrens' school but I do not like these sell a thons.

Anyone else?

I agree completely! I'm thinking of sending a letter along with a small donation telling them what a crock I think it is. The school gets a fraction of the earned money for a bunch of dollar-store quality crap and my kid gets obsessed with winning some cheap prize:

[TereasaT]

Can't stand fundraisers either. I never really understood them. It seems like they would make more money if people would just donate rather than getting a small percentage of the crap that is sold.

Our school actually doesn't do fundraisers. They asked all the families for a donation. They say over 90% of the families do donate the suggested amount.

[EFmom]

I don't do the fundraisers, either. Corporate America can sell its own crap--they aren't going to do it on the backs of my children. My kids were upset because they'd gone to the marketing hype assemblies, and thought I was being mean for not letting them win some junky prize.

I sat them down and explained how these companies were trying to use them as an unpaid sales force. We discussed the fairness of that. Then we talked about the actual prizes they might win, and the value (or lack thereof) of them. We also talked about the percentage of the money that goes to the school, compared to the percentage that the companies make.

They totally got it, and they get mad about the fundraisers, too.

I have no problem with supporting the school. I do wish they'd try a direct appeal, but the ladies who run the PTA with an iron fist love those fundraisers way to much to try it. We tried getting involved in the PTA, but it was clear that it was a non-starter. Whenever there is a space to just send in money rather than buy crap on the forms they send it, that's what I do, and I always include a note saying how much I appreciate that approach.

[bdavis337]

this year, we're doing a walk-a-thon instead of selling candy and other junk. I'm so pleased!!!!!

[Nikki Christina]

i hate them too

the crappy thing they do here.. any kid who sells over $100 worth of stuff gets to go to a party.
its during school hours, so the kids who dont sell $100 worth have to stay in class while the other kids go party.. play on fun jumps, get their face painted.etc
id feel real bad if my kid didnt get to go i also feel bad for the kids who have to stay behind

i only have 1 in school..so it wasent too hard to sell $100 worth.. we just hit up grandparents & an aunt..
but i hate it

[TinyBabyBean]

hate it! second week of school here and they came home with it. all excited and seemingly brainwashed. it is so ridiculous. we are already planning on adopting their classes, all three of them are in elementary.

now this i think is cool fundraising:
http://www.terracycle.net/bb/

especially since the school uses throw away everything, trays and all.

[3boysmom]

Our school has (thank goodness!) made the move to Direct Donation in lieu of those terrible fundraisers. Each family is asked to give a direct doantion of $50 per student (or whatever they can afford, but most give at least $50) at the beginning of the year to support the various programs at the school. This is tax deductible and the entire amount goes straight to the school - with most fundraisers, the school only gets about 30-50% of the funds raised. We switched a few years ago, when I was PTA President , but even before then, I refused to take part in the sell-a-thons. I simply wrote a check each year directly to the school...just like I do now, and I ignored all fundraising info. that came home. When you do it that way, it is a donation so you can use your cancelled check as a receipt and deduct it at tax time.

[lisalou]

It was the thing I dreaded most about school. I hated having to sell things. And in high school our class had to sell a certain amount of raffle tickets in order to get a day off. Woe to the class that didn't sell their quota. We actually didn't look at a preschool for dd b/c right on their website it stated every Valentine's day you had to write 10 letters to family and friends asking for donations to the school. We'll happily write checks at the beginning of the year and let dd decide to be a salesperson when she's an adult if she wants to.

[astrophe27]

If you can just write a check and donate that to show your support -- by all means do! Then the school is getting 100% of your donation support instead of a percentage!

The reason those things go out now is to tap the excitement of the start of the school year and hopefully get it done before the holiday blahs hit.

I have to organize fundraising from time to time and it really is a pain to try to find things that are not objectionable.

A.

[mirlee]

We are in private school this year. There is a $250 fundraising goal for each family. It tallies up very quickly, but it makes me crazy thinking about it. There is the option of just donating the cash, but not too many do that.

[Jilian]

I don't like fundraisers either, I especially hate having to ask people to buy something so I usually don't. I usually just buy a small item and DS's dad also buys some stuff and that is it. I like the idea of just donating directly to the school and skipping the fundraiser alltogether.

How aful about the party for kids who raise $100, that is just cruel to leave some kids out of the fun like that! I'd be writing a nasty letter to that school if it were my son's school.

[zoebird]

i really hated these things as a kid. and, as an adult i dislike them too.

i often wonder why public schools needed fund raisers, where the money went, etc. because, i'd rather just give money to the school's library or what have you.

[Oriole]

We have fundraisers to cover field trips. We take kids to the theater, ocean, university visits. Our school is in a very poor community, school budget is laughable (as is my salary heh). I would hate to give up field trips, and I don't think anyone is going to write checks to cover the expenses...

Some parents can't stand them, some parents help to organize them. When you need the money, what else can you do? I think it's better than to ask parents for money.. At least you have a choice whether or not you will participate in it.

[EFmom]

Some parents can't stand them, some parents help to organize them. When you need the money, what else can you do? I think it's better than to ask parents for money.. At least you have a choice whether or not you will participate in it.

Well, you have a choice whether or not to give a direct contribution, too.

The thing is, suppose that you need to raise $10 per child. If you do it by fundraiser, you need each child to sell at least $20 worth of crap, in order for the school to get it's share, assuming a 50% profit. Kids aren't supposed to sell door to door, and if they try it's likely that their target audience also has kids doing the same fundraiser. So for many parents, that means that you end up having to buy the $20 worth of crap that you didn't want in the first place yourself. How is that better for the parents than coughing up the $10 directly to the school and saving all the time and aggravation involved?

[Oriole]

Our school has a goal for fundraisers, but it doesn't say that each child MUST raise this much. So if you don't like it - you don't have to participate or to contribute out of pocket.

Our school is located in financially disadvatanged area, and we are certain that many parents couldn't contribute even if they wanted to. Funraiser is just a way out. I would assume, if I send a lette home saying everyone must pay - I'd get a lot of "sorry, can't do!" Fundraiser is optional though, if you really can't stand it - you don't have to. There are many kids that do raise a lot of money, and it is very helpful.

[kennedy444]

I'm with you. When it comes to wrapping paper and candy we just don't sell. I support the schools in so many different ways and this just isn't one of them!

[Luvmyboyz]

Originally Posted by bdavis337

this year, we're doing a walk-a-thon instead of selling candy and other junk. I'm so pleased!!!!!

What a terrific idea! Good for your school. I'm jealous!