fundraising issues, advice needed

[Callie]

One of my groups Im involved in on campus decided at the last minute to do a Jellybean fundraiser. Well the orders are due Monday now, and they just sent out a message saying we are now required to sell so many bags or else we need to fork out the money.

Now no one in my family likes JellyBeans, they are nasty!
I also think since we didn't vote on this, and have like no time to sell things, that we shouldn't be required to sell them?

 

[maelstrom]

I would tell them precisely where they could shove those jellybeans. But that's just me.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

If they didn't give you adequate time to sell them, tell them so and refuse to pay. If they gave you adequate time to sell them then you need to pay, IMO.

 

[clh2]

UGGHHH...I hate when the rules for fundraisers get changed in the middle of the event.
How close are you to the minimum amount? Can you use any as gifts?

 

[kidzmom3]

I would complain. If they won't change their mind and you don't want to leave the organization. I would buy them myself and continue to sell them. The plus is that you can actually give the jelly beans when people agree to buy them.

 

[lovetoscrap]

I am guessing that since this was last minute, someone forgot to read the fine print and missed the part about a minimum order of some sort being required. Thus they have now set the selling minimum for each person to be able to meet that. If this is the case then the organization needs to assume the risk of buying the minimum amount if it is not met by individual sales, and then see if they can arrange some booth sales-- set up a table at the local supermarket, or somewhere on campus-- and possibly require each person to work at the booth a set number of hours to sell the additional jelly beans.

Who decided this? Christmas is a terrible time to sell jelly beans! They should have waited until spring. This time of year people want to buy baked goods and their money is already stretched tight. Jelly Beans are just not something that people will be interested in. I am assuming these are Jelly Belly's?

At the very least if they didn't set out the parameters for selling in advance (everyone must sell x amount) then I would tell them to get stuffed. Especially if they didn't even allow enough time to really make a good effort at selling. Frankly I would suggest that they cancel the fundraiser, refund any money already collected (if there is a minimum order they won't be able to meet) and wait until closer to Easter for this. This was doomed from the start!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Tell them to cancel the fundraiser and refund people's money.

What are they raising money for?

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I would quit the group before forking over money. Honestly.

Having been in a group in college that required so many things--it just isn't worth it. TRUST ME!

I had no money in college to be buying mandatory fundraisers and I had zero interest in hawking goods to raise money. (I have done other charitable things, but nothing involving me being obligated to fork over funds if I did not succeed at a task--I had no money!)

Now if the group is that important to you, buy the beans if you can and then try and sell them where you can.

In the future--suggest to your group that there are better ways to raise money that don't requiring purchasing over priced goods without a vote.

I have done some fundraising and the ones I was good at did not involving selling overpriced anything.

 

[MrsPete]

Groups need money to operate. That's just the nature of the beast. And you probably couldn't find an item upon which everyone would agree -- someone is allergic to nuts, someone else doens't like chocolate, someone else is mad because wrapping paper wasn't chosen.

The real issue is the last-minute timing.

At this point, I'd ask you one question: Do you want to continue with this group?

If the answer is yes, if you find it beneficial, if you have friends there, if it helps you in some way, if you want to stay . . . cough up the money and a couple items. Give them to someone as a small Christmas gift. I'd probably do half the minimum. In reality, they won't fuss about it if you've done SOMETHING.

HOWEVER, at the next meeting, I'd bring it up. I'd say nicely that it was stressful and inconvenient to be handed a mandatory fundraiser (especially one that seems appropriate for Easter) at the last minute and at Christmas. I'm sure other people will agree.

And, of course, you know what to expect next: If you complain about this fundraiser, you'll be asked to plan a better one for the next time.

On the other hand, if you DON'T really want to stay with the group, if they've pulled this kind of thing before, if you don't get much out of interacting with the people, if you are only a marginal member . . . then use this as an excuse to leave.