Is this a new trend in fundraisers???

[Liz]

I buy something from each of my kids when their schools are having fundraisers. That's all I can afford to do. When other neighborhood kids ask me I feel bad but I tell them I already supported the school by buying something from my kids.

Today I got some fundraising materials in the mail from an elementary school in Ohio. My friend, who lives there, wrote down my name & address and the elementary school mailed this out asking me to support their school by buying a magazine subscription! They'd have done better to save their 37 cent postage because I can't support (and honestly have no interest in supporting) some school clear across the country! This is her only school age child (with 2 more coming up) so I surely don't want to start something by purchasing from this one little boy! And of course I feel guilty because in his own little handwriting it says "thank you".

I've also gotten similar things asking me to support another friend's daughters in California for their school or girl scout troop or something.

This just really rubs me the wrong way! What do you think?

 

[The LK 4]

Each fall, my daughter's Brownie troop participates in the annual Girl Scout magazine and nut sale. If you fill out a booklet with postcards to your family and friends, they will mail them the postcard requesting that you buy a magazine subscription. I think they either give your troop money and/or a special patch for every booklet you fill out. We have enough fundraising to do, so we never do the booklets. I wouldn't feel too guilty about responding "no". I don't like to get bombarded with fundraising requests either!

 

[mrsmom]

I am from Ohio and my kids just brought home the things to fill out to send people for the magazines. I have four kids in school and I don't like this kind of funraiser Because they tell the kids just have your parents fill it out and return it and you get a special prize for returning it. and if the don't fill it out they get nothing, how do you tell a kindergarten no, he can't get a prize This is the second time this year for the same thing. We are new to this school this year and i found this fundraising horrible with my kids.
So you are not alone.
Mrsmom

 

[BWVDenise]

That would rub me the wrong way, too!

 

[nkjzmom]

Hi Liz!!!! Hope all is well with the family...

This same type of fundraiser is used by the little league here. If the kids fill out a whole booklet the league gets money. I don't like it. It's one thing to personally speak with people and ask for their support.....but mailings are another story.

 

[BarryHom]

I put these things in the trash.

Once I had a magazine subscription fundraiser guy knock on my door and tried to sell me subscriptions. I wanted to get him off my back, so I asked him the price of Premiere magazine. He said it was $150 a year! You can buy it from the publisher for $15-$20 a year! I said no!

 

[Sal]

They do this for magazine sales in our school, too. I helped my girls fill out the number of names and addresses so that they could get the prize, but also emailed the people to let them know that they would be getting them and NOT to feel obligated to buy.

I know they need money, but everyone I know would rather just give some money than buy a magazine subscription that they may not even want so our school could get a big 50 cent cut. They sell $5 bags of candy that our Walmart has for 2 for a dollar.
The percentage these companies give back to the school is awful.

I have been on tons of school committies where we raised money and asking a family for a dozen cookies and having a bake sale raises a bunch of money, with little work or hardship to families.

I support my school, but I believe these companies come out WAY ahead of the schools with these fundraisers.

 

[Bunchkin]

I would feel that getting fundraising material from someone in another state would be over the top. Are we supposed to support everyone, everywhere??

My DD will just be entering kindergarten this fall. I have always helped out with our friend's children in the past with buying something from thier fundraisers. I don't know if I still will be able to now that my DD is entering school but if money permits I will try. Our friend's children attend a Catholic school and do WAY more fundraising than any public school I've seen.
And DD will be starting Daisy troops this fall as well, so I'm sure there will be fundraising to do for that as well.

 

[lisajl]

We have gotten a few of these from a niece in Ga.



The only fundraising I let my son do is the popcorn sale from Boy scouts and the annual flower sale through school.
We will not let him badger our neighbors or family for all the other junk the school sells.

Lisajl

 

[Fire14]

I got my mag. Subscrption request from my nephew. It might be becoming more popular but i recall doing this when i was in school too. i choose to renew my mag subscrption thru him because i get better rate than if i renew directly and i will renew anyway so might as well be nice to him.

 

[December99]

Our Girl Scouts do the magazine fund raiser and, like others, if they fill out the address thing which has like 10 address cards the troop get $2 per booklet filled out. In order for our troops to be able to do additional independent fund raising, they have to participate in the magazine/candy/nuts fund raising. If they don't want to sell anything, this gives them a way to earn some money for start up and also let's them fill their obligation as participating. There is no obligation to the person it's sent to. It just gives the people that are doing the fundraising a chance to raise funds without hounding people.

 

[Tess]

When our kids were in parochial school, they had the same magazine sales--each child had to complete a booklet of I believe 8 names and addresses. They also had to sign and thank the potential magazine purchaser. I used those lines to tell the people not to feel obligated to purchase. I felt the same as someone above posted--what's the harm in giving the names and addresses and leaving it up to the consumer.

It's terrible when those prize carrots or "rewards" are given only to those kids returning the completed booklets. The kids also received a tee shirt if two people purchased subscriptions. I always bought one magazine for each child and renewed them each year. My subscriptions are finally running out and I'm now receiving the requests from my nephews in Ohio and friends up north. Must be Karma. . .nope, I don't buy from them nor do I renew. Now that DC is ending, I may have to purchase my own Disney magazine though.

 

[ltldeb]

My girl scout troop does this magazine drive every year. I always tell the girls when they fill out the name and address booklet to tell the people they are filling the cards out for. I usually fill them out with family names and addresses and tell the family members that they are under no obligation to purchase anything. You wouldn't believe how many of those cards I got in the mail this year because some of the girls ran out of names to use and just added mine as a last resort.

 

[disykat]

I got one from a total stranger at another elementary school in our area. It was addressed to my phone book name which is not the name I generally go by. I was so irritated I called the school and asked to have a message delivered to the person in charge of the fundraiser with the child's name. I hate those kind of fundraisers (I'm in charge of our school fundraising and refuse to do them) but sending them to random people in the phone book really took the cake!

I would just ignore it.

 

[Toby'sFriend]

I've never received one of these and wouldn't be happy if I did.

what's the harm in giving the names and addresses and leaving it up to the consumer.

My suspicious mind has to believe that somebody is compiling these lists of names and addresses and selling them to marketers. My name and address is mine to give away or not.
I get quite enough junk mail -- thanks anyway.

 

[BrerMom]

We've only been asked for names and addresses for the middle school magazine sale. I don't have a problem with that, maybe because they've been doing it "forever." We didn't give out addresses this year, but I don't have a problem with it if I think it's a quality product for a reasonable price. I do think I'd let the relative/friend know it's coming, though.

 

[Ilove8Trax]

Fundraisers seem like a competition on who's kid can get the most response just to get a dinky, or sometimes big, prize. They seem forced on the children too.