Fundraisers...ugh!

[Rowena]

We've always been choosy in our house...

We encouraged everyone to get on the bone marrow registry list....(had them come to our military town with no catalyst), donated as much blood as they'd let us...(tattoos do slow down the process, as do other things, like military service outside the US), Parkinson's disease, breast cancer research...

and lately it's cub scout popcorn sales and autism research fundraising around here.

The popcorn, we sold over $200 worth of it. Last year, we raised almost $2,000 toward the autism research. (Then again, we don't attend the luncheons, award dinners or even accept level incentives...all we raise goes toward the charity. I wouldn't feel right getting something for raising money for a charity! Not a slam on them, as I know why they would do this...but I can't take the "premium". I don't need proof of what we did...doing it was enough.)

Back to the topic....choose what you want to raise to raise funds for.

My DS donated half his birthday money to Habitat For Humanity....$65.50 was what his contribution. Not bad for someone who just turned eleven.

 

[barkley]

my 2 kids attend a VERY SMALL school (25 kids grades k-8). we are not a rich school by any means (we have no playground, the kids play hopscotch, jump roap, shoot baskets, dodgeball, etc. at recess). we do not do fundraising activities (except for this year-the kids asked if they could do several small carwashes on fridays to raise money for the hurrican victims ).

this was a joint decision between our school board and the parents. we do not wish to have our children going door to door, nor do we wish for them to have to bug family and friends. we are also appaled at how little the schools actualy receive from those items they sell (since the wherehouse that packages all of those goodies is nearby and has a twice a year sale to the public it is painfully aware to us how much the companies make out vs. the schools ). we don't do without entirely as a result-we take a couple of great field trips each year (including one that is always a 2 night sleepaway at a state park or camp)-we just scale back on things. we decided to fund these trips and other special activities we would do one thing: once per week (it works out to 2 times per school year per parent) we prepare a hot lunch. we charge $2.00 per person and raise aprox. $50.00 per week. I know that this is not feasable for a larger school to do, but i have known larger schools that did krispy kreme days once a week, nacho bars on a day after school-and one very bright and enterprising school set up a coffee bar with breakfast sweets geared to the parents (when they did drop off they could step inside, save money over what they would spend at starbucks and benefit the school as well).

i just think this whole fund raising thing has gotten out of hand. i can understand it if the funds were going to books, supplies, etc. but i cannot feel supportive of the choir trip to vienna, the band trip out of state, the frech club's trip to paris....it goes on and on....i think the schools (with the encouragement of the parents need to put things into perspective and start being more realistic in the activities and "learning opportunities" they offer.

 

[believe]

My DDs and nieces/nephews are selling right now. I do not sell for my DDs, this is for them to do. They realize they won't get a prize like the other kids if they don't sell. It doesn't bother them. They did sell a couple items, but that is all. DH and I do not take these items to work either.

 

[snoopy]

I stopped doing fundraisers when my oldest was in the first grade. I just write the school a check at the beginning of the year and thats the end of that.

 

[MsLeFever]

My DS's school is right now doing the only fund raiser I've ever enjoyed. They are using marketday.com and you can place an order every month. (It is a year long fund raiser) It's groceries! So I bought burgers and chicken breasts and string cheese - for just about what I'd pay at the store - sometimes less. And the school keeps 10 percent! I order on-line and will go to the school to pick up the box. I highly recommend it.

Naturally no sooner had I thought the school made a great choice than home came the catalog o' cr*p. I bought one sceneted candle so he could help his class get a good percentage of participation but that's it. And they had the that pump up assembly which is terrible IMHO.

 

[golfgal]

I can't believe the school would throw a party for some while other's were excluded! That's awful.
We have our share of fundraisers'(already have gotten the candy, mags, wrapping paper, and entertainment books) and while they do give away prizes, there's no parties going on. Hopefully no one comes up with that idea at our school, I'll be in there screaming to high heaven.

As others' have said, there's really no one to sell this crap to anyways, all of our friends, relatives and neighbors' have kids selling the same junk.

If the prize is a party, then everyone has the opportunity to meet their goal and attend the party, why would you be screaming to high heaven over this. If your family chooses not to participate in a fundraiser, then you also choose not to participate in any of the prizes, including parties.

I don't like doing fundraisers either, I would much rather just write a check and be done, but since our school needs the fundraisers, we participate. My kids benefit from the money earned and I feel we should do our part to raise that money. We start our huge magazine drive on Friday. We have grown our drive large enough that we only have to do 2 fundraisers each year, which is REALLY nice! It has been around for so long that the town just waits for the kids to come buy to renew their magazines. It is a pretty easy $90,000 for our school.

 

[kasar]

If the prize is a party, then everyone has the opportunity to meet their goal and attend the party, why would you be screaming to high heaven over this. If your family chooses not to participate in a fundraiser, then you also choose not to participate in any of the prizes, including parties.

I don't think they should have a party at the school either. The parents (who make the decision to do the fundraisers or not, usually) aren't going to a party, it's the kids in the school. What if they don't have the money to participate? What if they have no family around to hit up? What if they are foster kids or their parents are sick or whatever? Some kids just can't "choose" to participate in fundraisers through no fault of their own. A better idea would be to set a school-wide goal and if that goal is reached there will be a party. Or better yet, use the money that's spent on the party for school projects or field trips (which is what the money is for, right?). Kids don't need to be praised and rewarded for every little effort - they're raising the money for themselves and to me, that should be incentive enough.

We make a donation to the school in lieu of fundraising. More money for them, less hassle for us.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I just bought 42.00 worth of candy...yum.

 

[geffric]

This week is the mag fund raiser at DS#2 school, the high school discount card for fast food and then last night at the Boy Scout Meeting we got the Popcorn and the wreaths.

We participant at the lowest level for the school fund raisers, not that I don't think the school needs the money but - who do you ask? Every kid on the block is selling the same stuff?

With the Boy scouts, we know that 66% goes to help scouting ..

 

[golfgal]

I don't think they should have a party at the school either. The parents (who make the decision to do the fundraisers or not, usually) aren't going to a party, it's the kids in the school. What if they don't have the money to participate? What if they have no family around to hit up? What if they are foster kids or their parents are sick or whatever? Some kids just can't "choose" to participate in fundraisers through no fault of their own. A better idea would be to set a school-wide goal and if that goal is reached there will be a party. Or better yet, use the money that's spent on the party for school projects or field trips (which is what the money is for, right?). Kids don't need to be praised and rewarded for every little effort - they're raising the money for themselves and to me, that should be incentive enough.

We make a donation to the school in lieu of fundraising. More money for them, less hassle for us.

In an ideal world, we wouldn't need fundraisers, but kids are NOT going to sell stuff without some kind of prize incentive. Our magazine drive has several turn in days on which the kids can earn prizes of various types. We have an ice cream party for those families that turned in so many orders by a certain date and if your family hasn't turned in enough orders, your kids don't go (I chair the drive and my kids didn't go to the ice cream party last year because they were holding out for a prize later in the sale, not a big deal to them). We have a pizza party for the homeroom that turns in the most during the sale and if we meet our goal, then we have some kind of schoolwide function for everyone. At our school last year we had 3 families that did not participate in our sale, which overall is GREAT, but since our sale is the only "sale" we do all year, their kids are benefiting from the efforts of others and year after year, these same 3 families don't participate. Personally, I don't think they should be included in the parties--the dad is a dentist in one of these families, you can't tell me he doesn't order magazines ever.

 

[AdventurerKat]

This is our first year of the fundraising frenzy, but since school started down here, August 8th, there have been four different fundraising items sent home with him. My favorite is the Entertainment book one, which, the book they sent home doesn't even really have anything for our area! I know we can buy one for someplace like Orlando but I don't use them much, especially up there as I eat on site. I just think its sad that some people might buy these books thinking the coupons for McDonald's are good in our area and will come to find out you have to drive an hour south to use them.

I am just going to write a check to the school and be done with it.

 

[mainewmn]

Aaahhh the sound of the fundraisers coming home crumbled in the back packs, the joyous sounds parents make as their son/daughter hands them the envelope over with hopeful eyes that this year you will be able to sell X amount of items so that they can get the “WONDERFUL” prize on page X. I hate it! I am so much more willing to open up my wallet to give the school money if they need it rather then harassing strangers to buy this junk! DS came home yesterday with the pocket and as always I took it to work today and left it in the break room, he usually gets a few small sales from my work, I usually buy paper from him and the packet makes its way trough our family. Normally he will sell a few items relatively painlessly but I know parents that I work with that are like Nazi with the fundraisers expecting you to purchase from their kids every fundraiser. Its one the “joys” of parenthood that I definitely don’t enjoy!

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

I'm a PTO fundraiser coordinator.
I'm ready, flame away. I can take it!


I hate the catalogs too, but this is how our school got our new playscape(the kids voted on 3 designs), new back boards for the gym, and an incubator for the science lab, plus countless educational programs.
We did the big party last year, never again! I lost my mind with that one.
One of our PTO mom's donates money since she doesn't like to fund raise. Don't forget to write off all cash donations on your taxes. I tell all my parents this.
BTW we only do 1 fundraiser per year and we have 237 kids in the school grades pre- 3yr old - 8th.

 

[ckay87]

I'm a PTO fundraiser coordinator.
I'm ready, flame away. I can take it!


I hate the catalogs too, but this is how our school got our new playscape(the kids voted on 3 designs), new back boards for the gym, and an incubator for the science lab, plus countless educational programs.
We did the big party last year, never again! I lost my mind with that one.
One of our PTO mom's donates money since she doesn't like to fund raise. Don't forget to write off all cash donations on your taxes. I tell all my parents this.
BTW we only do 1 fundraiser per year and we have 237 kids in the school grades pre- 3yr old - 8th.

You're right and I think fundraising is one of those necessary evils. Our PTO does so much good - it would be a sad school without them.

I think it's the sales that are the most annoying. The trick is (and it really is a trick) to find appealing, easy, and inexpensive fundraisers. Love Boxtops for education and stuff like that. I love buying certificates for places that I go to anyway (like our local sub-shop.) I've run carnival games at our local festivals for cub scouts and other organizations. 50 cents at a time can = a lot of cash if it's an easy win.

But I am on your side - it's necessary.

 

[missypie]

Ah yes....you are not alone. The big campaign of selling begins this week at our schools. And very soon, our church youth group which my daughter just joined will be selling wrapping paper. THEN, there will be a PTA basket auction fundraiser following in November. The wrapping paper is not a big deal as they don't have a "quota" to sell. The school fundraisers on the other hand are quite different. I HATE that they have a huge assembly touting all the fabulous prizes you will receive if you sell X number of books. And I just learned at the middle school, they even throw in even MORE prizes (including cash) for selling. UGH!!!! I hate it. What I hate the most is how they throw all that stuff in front of the kids to get them hyped up. So many kids do not have anyone to sell this stuff to nor can their families afford to even buy the first thing. It's just cruel to wave all the "fabulous prizes" in front of them.

I HATE the fundraising company the middle school choir uses. If you sell a certain number of items, you get to draw from the cash jar...amounts range from $1 to $100. If you sell a greater number of items, you get to go to a free pizza party, where everyone gets a prize, ranging from a stuffed animal to a DVD player.

The choir director is normally an intelligent woman, but can't she see that the fundraising company must be making HUGE profits if it can give away these fabulous prizes!!!

 

[DisneyAddict_M]

I'll buy chocolate and girl scout cookies. The rest is useless to me.

 

[barkley]

we have lots of groups that send people to the twice a year open wherehouse sale at the big company for school fundraisers ("red apple") near our home.

the cookie dough is sold for around $3.00 a tub, the cookie jars (which retail in the catelogs for around $45 or $50) sell for $5.00, $7 and $10 items sell for 50 cents each. they sell it without the use of the catelog company and make a much larger profit.

 

[OhMari]

I know PTO's and private schools do fund raising, but now almost every sport in our area does fundraising.

I once asked who audits the money, does it go to the school bookkeeper? People looked at me like I had 2 heads. The coach has the money and he spends it as he wishes. He does buy uniforms for the kids on all levels of play, he bought equipment for the weight room. But he also uses it to take top sellers of his football cards to major league baseball and bb games. He has a steak night, pizza nites for his varsity teams.

I heard he made almost $60,000 in all the tournaments and fundraisers he has. Why am I writing about this. He resigned as the basketball coach and he does not want to give the basketball league any money. So the elementary basketball league is at ground zero again.

Anyone else ever ask to see a budget or audit sheet on income and expenses for these fund raisers?

 

[rhanditresmom]

.....thank god i'm not alone......!

 

[lbgraves]

I am also PTO Secretary & fundraising chair this year. We do keep records & give out accountings of expenses at every meeting...if only parents would care enough to come & participate in them. We ordered as much playground equipment as possible last year & now have less than 700 in our account this year. Everyone has submitted budget requests...but we can't do anything yet. We usually allot each teacher 150 reimbursement for classroom materials, fund educational programs at the school, and a ton of other things. Without this money nothing is going to get done.

My kids spent last night going thru the prize folder. I told them that they would not be getting any of the big prizes. I will allow them to approach the neighbors on either side of us but that is it! DH can't take it to the office & there is no family here. We do offer rewards for donations as a tie in with our boxtop/tyson A+ panel collection. I will be giving my kids a toy from my prize stash.