Blah PTO Fundraiser

[castleview]

Ok, I'm a member of the PTO. I always work the book fair and run the plant sale. The organization at my kid's school really does do a nice job. I normally don't mind the fundraisers either - we only sell to ourselves and the grandparents. But this one my DD came home with is so BORING to me. It has the usual wrapping paper and candle thing, but there is nothing that remotely interests me. Maybe if I keep on looking at it, something will pop out. Anyone else been there?

 

[clarabelle]

I just give a donation and skip the selling

 

[grinningghost]

I usually don't mind the candles, but the wrapping paper drives me nuts. I'm just not one to spend that much on wrapping paper that people pay no attention to and throw away immediately.

I'm a dollar store wrapping paper girl.

 

[CEDmom]

I've been there and have just opted to give a donation. I the end it costs less/does more than buying something I don't really want.

 

[golfgal]

If there is nothing I want, I give a donation too.

 

[I Love Pluto]

Don't buy junk that you'll never use. I agree with all of the others to give a donation.

 

[disykat]

I've run the fundraiser many years - and I still just give a donation. We always advertise that this is an option, but even if it's not advertised - do it! The checks go straight into the PTA account and they don't have to give any of it to the fundraising company.

If I see something I like in one of the catalogs, I look to see if it is worth anything close to what I am paying the company for it to me. For example - $8 for a roll of wrapping paper, the school gets 50% of it, am I willing to give the school $4 and pay $4 to the company for the paper? If not, I skip it and just give the donation.

 

[kejoda]

I can't stand the gift wrap fundrasiers. Our school is still doing it. I'm on the sorting commitee. That parts fun but I doubt I'll be buying this year. I was happy to see the school start selling the entertainment books this year. I'll be buying a couple of those.

 

[PaulaSue]

OP, does your book also have the magazins sub in it? I found a few good ones in ourz and even my parents liked them too. Just an idea...

 

[tar heel]

Ours came home today, and I think it's the worst one I've ever seen. Of course, it might be the second worst b/c last year's was also awful. Company is called EPI. Our "quota" is 10 items, and I can't find 10. I opted for the $50 donation last year and likely will this year, too. I do NEED wrapping paper this time, but there isn't 10 rolls I like. I'm not giving $10-$12 for a 5 oz. box of candy either.

We have magazine subscriptions, but we already receive all the magazines I'm interested in at a significantly lower price. The subscriptions to the weekly mags were for a quarter year -- you would get renewal mailings before you started getting the magazine!

 

[JennaTX]

My DD came home on Friday with not one but TWO fundraisers. The Entertainment Book and the wrapping paper book. I could not believe they are doing two at the same time!

 

[Jenn Lynn]

When we were in grade school we had to sell Christmas cards. The samples came in this big box we had to lug around in the fall/winter of the midwest. And there were 3 kids, so 3 boxes, trying to sell these damn cards!

The only thing DD's school does is a scholastic book fair. I do my part and buy lots of books so the preschool gets $. And I also buy a book or two for the classroom from DD. That I don't mind doing.

 

[mamacatnv]

I love the wrapping paper and eagerly await the arrival of it, some brands "Apple" I like better than others. For 4 straight years I had the same kid hunt me down. It was his high school band fundraiser and even after the family had moved to another neighborhood , he knew I was a quota filler

He kept my number & called every year to set up an appt. He is probably now at some Fortune 500 Co. where he is the head of sales & marketing.

 

[barkley]

I love the wrapping paper and eagerly await the arrival of it, some brands "Apple" I like better than others. For 4 straight years I had the same kid hunt me down. It was his high school band fundraiser and even after the family had moved to another neighborhood , he knew I was a quota filler

He kept my number & called every year to set up an appt. He is probably now at some Fortune 500 Co. where he is the head of sales & marketing.

you need to take a day trip twice a year near my home. the apple wearhouse is nearby and they have 2 open to the public events where you can get the wrapping paper for 50 cents to a dollar a roll (i have to admit that their wrapping paper is very good quality just not worth what the schools have to charge to get a tiny profit).

 

[Eeyore'sthebest]

My DD came home on Friday with not one but TWO fundraisers. The Entertainment Book and the wrapping paper book. I could not believe they are doing two at the same time!

These are probably the same company. I know Sally foster and the Entertainment book are the same group.
Our new fundraising chair tried to do the Kids Stuff coupon book and the wrapping paper at the same time. I'm the only one on our board that spoke up. I told them outright that while I supported each and every fund raiser that if I got 2 at once I was only supporting one. They looked at me as if I had two heads. I told them that there was just so much money on the money tree in the backyard. They needed time between fund raisers for me to grow more. Again, the two headed look!
Finally I just blurted out - you're going to cannibalize your profits!! They seemed to get it then. Needless to say, the new fundraising chair isn't fond of me.

 

[mamacatnv]

you need to take a day trip twice a year near my home. the apple wearhouse is nearby and they have 2 open to the public events where you can get the wrapping paper for 50 cents to a dollar a roll (i have to admit that their wrapping paper is very good quality just not worth what the schools have to charge to get a tiny profit).

Where is this place????? We drive over the hill periodically to shop.

 

[100 acre wood]

selling magazines, here. I feel your pain. On the very first day of school, my dss came home not excited about school, but excited about the cheap prizes the could win, courtesy of the brainwashing session, ahem, I mean assembly they had to sit thru.

 

[bananiem]

For those of you that don't like the fundraiser... Why don't you join the fundraising committee and go through the stacks of catalogs and read the letters that come monthly telling how "your PTO can make $XXX" and then decide if it will work with your school situation. The fundraising committee is a PITA committee, but if the PTO doesn't raise money to give for field trips and the school starts charging parents the fee instead, then the parents will gripe about that. I'm the treasurer for my son's PTA. Our budget this year is slightly over $20,000. The middle school is $30,000. We send them on some fantastic, educational field trips.
Also, there are a lot of magazine or gift wrap fundraisers that will guarantee you $20,000 in sales. That's hard to pass up.

 

[castleview]

OP, does your book also have the magazins sub in it? I found a few good ones in ourz and even my parents liked them too. Just an idea...

No magazines. I'm a magazine junkie so I could have done with that, but this one has a bunch of organizers, kitchen gadgets, and wrapping paper - but nothing worth the money - I think anyway. Plus, we learned they won't be doing the cookie dough drive and will sell Gourmet frozen pizzas instead. Am I the only one who liked the cookie dough?

 

[castleview]

For those of you that don't like the fundraiser... Why don't you join the fundraising committee and go through the stacks of catalogs and read the letters that come monthly telling how "your PTO can make $XXX" and then decide if it will work with your school situation. The fundraising committee is a PITA committee, but if the PTO doesn't raise money to give for field trips and the school starts charging parents the fee instead, then the parents will gripe about that. I'm the treasurer for my son's PTA. Our budget this year is slightly over $20,000. The middle school is $30,000. We send them on some fantastic, educational field trips.
Also, there are a lot of magazine or gift wrap fundraisers that will guarantee you $20,000 in sales. That's hard to pass up.

Hi,

Please don't think I'm knocking the fundraising committee...that's the job everyone tries to avoid in my school. Sorry if I sounded catty and offensive.