Fundraiser rant thead!

[Toby'sFriend]

Sonic doesn't have to pay any workers. The members of the group work for free but keep any tips they make.

OMG - there is no way in 10,000 years you would get me to do that. Sonic is not even donating a portion of what they would have to pay an employee?

I bet their regular employees just love losing their hours to this.

 

[missypie]

Yep. I never tipped the carhops until I read a thread on this board about how badly they were paid. I had assumed they were paid on par with any other fast food worker (Wendys, McD's etc) but apparently they can be paid less.

And since you can pay with a credit/debit card at Sonic, the customer doesn't necessarily have an opportunity to leave a tip.

However, I am guessing that "Sonic night" would be heavily promoted so that folks from the school could purposely come and tip well.

Cici's Pizza chain does something similar - your group encourages people to come to the restaurant on a certain night, and you get a portion of the proceeds.

Only at CiCi's you don't have to work there to get the money!!! I just know that I'm going to be a terrible car hop, deserving of few tips.

 

[RadioFanatic]

sounds like the only one who gets anything out of it is Sonic - and then I bet they figure out a way to get a discount in taxes for this too! UNBELIEVABLE!

 

[missypie]

OMG - there is no way in 10,000 years you would get me to do that. Sonic is not even donating a portion of what they would have to pay an employee?

I bet their regular employees just love losing their hours to this.

It's funny...I just ASSUMED that Sonic donated a portion of what they would normally pay their employees...I checked...no. They only give you the "privilege" of working for tips...plus they make it clear that you have to clean up, too. As for their employees, the ones looking for lots of hours might mind but the fund raising shifts are always over by about 4 pm, leaving the busier dinner hours for their employees.

It's probably not a bad fundraiser for groups of high school kids who are all over 16 and can do the actual work. My our girls are middle school aged, thus the girls just hold posters and look cute and the parents do the actual work.

 

[EthansMom]

I be willing to pay $25 to NOT have to be a car hop for a night!

DH and I buy a few boxes of GS cookies. Other than that, we really don't buy from any of the fundraisers. I did hand out quarters to the kids that did Unicef for Halloween (in addition to candy for them). I like the idea of just handing out a dollar or two to each child that comes around -- I have been known to hand out bottled water to the kids that come around on hot days too.

When my kids get old enough, I'll be one of those parents who will just send them to school with a check -- I'd rather send in the money.

Now our town does have a Country Fair that benefits our Volunteer Fire Department. The town citizens are encouraged to volunteer at the fair every year. Since this fair saves us hundreds of dollars in taxes, DH and I are more than happy to volunteer 4 hours out of our weekend to sell tickets at the gate. Volunteers are also given free admission tickets for the entire weekend, parking passes for closest parking, and meal vouchers for a free meal for each shift you work. That's my idea of FUNdraising!

 

[drgnfly30]

DH is a GM at Wendy's & they have done fundraiser nights... a portion of the $ made during the fundraiser hours go towards the organization - it's heavily promoted so the participants can go & eat & help the cause out. No way would he have non-employees working... I cant even begin to think about the liability they could encounter!

 

[golfgal]

Fortunately our town has been pretty smart about what they sell for fundraisers. The Marching Band sells a discount card for various discounts at local businesses. Those are EASY to sell because people save more over the year then the card costs ($10). Our Catholic School does a HUGE magazine drive, again, easy sale because it has been around for so long and people just renew their magazines then. We also have a Christmas Wreath sale through the Catholic Church, again, stuff people buy anyway. The local water softener company will allow groups to deliver softener salt to people and they donate what they would pay people to do that. I don't like fundraisers, but since I am about the only one what would gladly have their taxes go up to avoid such things, we are doomed to have them for the rest of our days!

 

[minkydog]

I be willing to pay $25 to NOT have to be a car hop for a night!

You and me, both! I'll do a lot of things for my kids but that's not one of them.

 

[missypie]

I be willing to pay $25 to NOT have to be a car hop for a night!

It's not even at night...it's during the 100 degree Texas in August day! It would probably be worth $50 to not have to work it...BUT, I feel like I need to put in "face" time and show my support of the group. I'm a working mom, and can't make all of the 5 pm booster club meetings, or help the girls make posters after school, etc.

I plan to remember how much I make in tips and, unless it's a huge amount, make a donation in that amount next year.

On the topic of fundraisers, here's the BEST one ever. Our son's scout troup is sponsored by a church that happens to be 1 block off of Main Street in our town. Our town holds two very popular festivals every year and the church lets the scouts rent out its parking lot...It's $5 a car and it's 100% profit. Now THAT's a fundraiser!

 

[powellrj]

I have always just written a check for fundraisers and they were always happy. I always wrote the check for 1/2 of what you were expected to sell. (If you had to sell 100 $1.00 candy bars I would send in $50). Last year for ds drama club, I wanted to do the samething, Nope, you HAD to buy the cookie dough or pay the whole $120 for the 12 tubs of cookie dough. I bought cookie dough that I still have in the freezer. Everytime I have to make something to take, you are getting cookies from me until I can use all the stupid cookie dough! I took 6 dozen to a picnic yesterday!

I hope this year I can go back to writing checks because DH and I can't sell them at work, our families live far away or can't afford them and we don't ask neighbors.

 

[missypie]

I have always just written a check for fundraisers and they were always happy. I always wrote the check for 1/2 of what you were expected to sell. (If you had to sell 100 $1.00 candy bars I would send in $50). Last year for ds drama club, I wanted to do the samething, Nope, you HAD to buy the cookie dough or pay the whole $120 for the 12 tubs of cookie dough. I bought cookie dough that I still have in the freezer. Everytime I have to make something to take, you are getting cookies from me until I can use all the stupid cookie dough! I took 6 dozen to a picnic yesterday!

I hope this year I can go back to writing checks because DH and I can't sell them at work, our families live far away or can't afford them and we don't ask neighbors.

Yeah, we've got cookie dough, too. Wonder if I'll be able to get rid of it before it's time to buy more?

 

[KIRSTIN'S MOMMY]

DD started kindergarten on Aug. 15, we had to go to an "open house" on Sun. Aug. 14, and were handed the Sally Foster envelope. Hello! School hasn't even started yet and we're already selling stuff? Anyway, I just sent an e-mail (that you can set up on the SF site) to reletives out of state and asked family members here. I guess I've got lots more years of this ahead of me, huh?

 

[swilphil]

So far:

DS14 is selling expensive candy for French class.
DS14 is selling passbooks for the choir trip. Cookie Dough and pies will be next month.
DD12's dance company is working at Sonic (PARENTS work at Sonic because you have to be over 16) and having a garage sale.
DD12'a school dance team is doing the same two fundraisers.
DD12's choir is also selling expensive candy, candles and gift wrap.

The thing that bugs me about all this is it's the candy/cookie/passbook/gift wrap/candle companies and Sonic who are making the money. Yeah, I know the school gets a little bit, but it's a drop in the bucket compared to their profits.

To me the only worthwhile fundraisers are car washes and bake sales--pure profit. You can make money off garage sales, but they take a lot more work and if you have them every year, you're really just hauling away people's old junk that they don't want anymore.

Your older kids might like the book The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier. It's about a kid who refuses to sell candy.

 

[minkydog]

Your older kids might like the book The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier. It's about a kid who refuses to sell candy.

Emphasis on older kids. The language is a bit much and there's a lot of bullying that goes on. My problem with this book is that the bully doesn't get brought to justice, but instead leaves the reader with the vague sense of anxiety.

Now back to your regularly scheduled thread...

 

[missypie]

The thing that bugs me about all this is it's the candy/cookie/passbook/gift wrap/candle companies and Sonic who are making the money. Yeah, I know the school gets a little bit, but it's a drop in the bucket compared to their profits.

To me the only worthwhile fundraisers are car washes and bake sales--pure profit. You can make money off garage sales, but they take a lot more work and if you have them every year, you're really just hauling away people's old junk that they don't want anymore.

Your older kids might like the book The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier. It's about a kid who refuses to sell candy.

Boy, do I ever agree with you!!!!!!! One of my kids said, "The person who sells the most gets $100 cash!" That tells you how much profit the fundraising company makes. Another company holds a pizza party for all the kids who sell over 30 items...everyone at the party gets a prize...some are stuffed animals, etc. but a few are DVD players.

Why can't those "in charge" see what a scam this all is? Of course, since I'm not willing to be an officer in any of the booster clubs, I can't really express an opinion.

The one fund raiser I refused to participate in was when the dance team sold the "support our troups" car magnets...I think our cost was $1 and we were selling them for $5. People tend to think that the troups (or some military assistance group) get some of the money...I didn't want to be involved in anything misleading.

 

[OzFan]

We just give a donation and skip the overpriced "stuff".

I'd rather give a $20 check than have to sell to others or buy more stuff I don't need. You have to sell a lot of "stuff" to make a $20 profit! It's easier for me to make a straight donation.

It takes you buying or selling at least $40.00 for the organization to get $20.00, most of the time a donation is appreciated more than an order! I have done PTA fundraisers for the last 4 years, I'm glad someone else took it over, people were starting to run when they saw me! LOL

 

[Disney_1derland]

My child just started kindergarten two weeks ago. she brought home her first selling fundraiser last friday. I have already told the PTO that my child is not their tiny cute fundraising machine and that we will not participate in anything she is required to sell. I told them that I think it would be nice to offer us an alternative such as an 'average' amount of money they expect to make from the 'average' kid and we will request donations from close family or pay it ourselves. I think it is absurd to expect my child to sell a minimum of 12 items when everyone else's kids are doing the exact same things and I work in an office of 29 people where 14 of us all have fundraising children. Dh works somewhere that they are not aloud to fundraise at work. I'm certainly not going door to door, that's ridiculous.

I have a feeling the PTO and I are not going to be great friends, but I've paid my membership just like everyone else. I am willing to help them out with creative fundraising but selling just isn't going to happen on our end.

Okay, I'm done ranting, thanks for starting this thread, I guess I really needed to get that off my chest!

 

[MinnieM3]

We just bought a bunch of wrapping paper and some other stuff for DS6. I like the wrapping paper because it's good quality.

With DS16 in band this year we're selling out the wazoo! Latest was cheesecakes, which I did sell at school. I"m not selling the "box o' fruit" that'll be coming up later! They have a billion fundraisers!

I'm used to fundraisers and try to always buy something, but rarely ask family members. Don't want to hear the griping when the cookie dough sucked or the magazine didn't come for 3 months!

 

[DVC-Don]

Nope, don't send our kids out on these things. We may buy some from our own kids, but that's it. One dad across the street asked why I did not buy some discount card his son was selling for the football team the other day. I asked him if he ever saw my kids at his door selling anything. When he said no, I told him my kids are banned from bothering the neighbors with this stuff.

 

[va32h]

My problem with this book is that the bully doesn't get brought to justice, but instead leaves the reader with the vague sense of anxiety.

That's exactly why I love this book though - one of the things young adults need to learn is that life is not fair, the bad guys are not always caught and punished. But I digress!

I will be the leader for my daughters GS troop this year - it's a new troop of Jrs and we'll get a small start up grant from the council, but I'll have to collect dues to keep us going for most of this year, until cookie season even comes around.