Kids selling stuff for fundraising: Vent and a question

[kendall]

Our family has shifted to the "armchair fundraiser" too - where we prefer to write a check to the sponsoring organization than buy/sell overpriced, varying quality items. If the choir is selling candy, no thanks - if the choir is doing a car wash, well there is some bonding between the kids as they wash cars together, the community can "drop in" (less pressure to buy), etc. I can live with that.

While I understand the argument of the kids having a bit of sweat equity and earning their share, punishment for not meeting a quote is wrong - I can't believe there would be an administrator or school board that would support punishment for not meeting fundraising quotas. I'd be all over that issue if that happened in our school....

 

[DznyFan]

Unfortunately, for some kids/groups, fundraising is a necessary evil. I agree that the OP should not feel obligated to purchase from 25 kids, and the 'rule' of not buying from her students is a good and democratic 'out'.
I have to participate in fundraising, as our school's Jazz Choir is very competitive and travels, and the money for those travel costs must come from somewhere. Many schools' budgets don't include the arts in large dollar amounts (but they can buy a jumbotron for the football field!) so kids are stuck fundraising. Parents are able to supplement the travel costs by simply writing a check either for the entire amount or part of it, but there are also parents who are financially unable to do so, but those kids still need to be able to travel and participate in the events.

So what do we do? We fundraise... selling - YES - overpriced, mostly useless "stuff". Should a student be punished for not reaching a "quota"? No way.

 

[taximomfor4]

I buy the jumbo calendar each year, and my friend buys one from the other elementary child I have. My oldest and youngest, we ignore any fundraisers. Oh, and I don't buy from neighborhood kids, friends' kids, etc. Basically, we dont' participate in fundraisers. Although we do buy girl scout cookies...they are pretty cheap and we LIKE them!

Oh, and for softball we sell one box of candy bars ($1 each). DH sells them at work in about 1 day.

We also don't have our kids sell to friends, family, and neighbors. We spare people.

 

[LoveBWVVBR]

It is common around here for the kids to be punished for not selling the quota. When my kids have to fundraise, I tell them that they are not salespeople, but students and I won't let them. Then I write a check to the coach or school and when I hand it to them, in person, I tell them my feelings. My child does NOT sell things, but that I am happy to donate. Usually they end up getting much more money from me than if my child sold...ie they get 100% of what I donate instead of 10% of what is sold!

I have NO problem paying for what my children need and I will not ask others to do it for me!

Have I bought from others...you bet. But it is usually crap!

This is what I plan to do when my kids are in school. No way do I want my kid out there trying to push this junk on the neighbors!! I have no problem paying for whatever it is my child needed funds for. That's part of education. If they got punished for not "selling" enough, I'd be going to the principal or the school committee to see that that didn't happen again. How ridiculous!

 

[JR6ooo4]

Lately when we are asked, we inquire about charities. We are way over our ideal weight so we buy a few boxes or tubs and have the seller donate them directly to a charity. I trust they are actualy doing that.
SIL 3 hours away from us, and her kids, took them directly to her church collection area.
Mikeeee

 

[Blue Skies]

Our son, who is in 3rd grade, goes to a Catholic school. All the Catholic schools in our Archdiocese have a marathon in the fall. Each school has a differnt location for their "marathon". The kids raise money by having someone sponsor them by how far they run/walk (i.e. $5/mile), or they can get a set donation ($20).

This works out well because:
The kids have to do something to "earn" the money for the school.
No one is stuck with gift wrap, etc. they they don't want or need.
The donation is tax deductable ! The kids give the people who donate a receipt for tax purposes.

Our school of 300+ students has a goal of $50,000 to raise.



-Melissa

 

[liamsaunt]

I only buy from my nephew. Thankfully his school only has one fundraiser. At least this year they have magazine subscriptions on offer. Last year they only had the overpriced wrapping paper.

Reading about schools forcing punishments and quotas for failure to sell reminds me of "The Chocolate War."

 

[nuke]

We have raffle tickets, candy bars, and magazines to sell this year. That's for school.
Then I have popcorn for scouts. That kicks off this weekend.

Yesterday he brought home an 8th grade fundraiser (wrapping paper) for their class trip and some Avon thing for something or other.

I do what I can and not worry about the rest. We have no problem selling the raffle tickets or magazines. We bowl every Friday and the candy goes quickly. I just open the box and before the night is out the candy is gone and the money is in the box.

My husband is Cubmaster so we are out there standing in front of stores every weekend from now until the end of October.

 

[JunieJay]

I write a check for $100 at the start of the school year and give it to the PTA, and that is the extent of my "fundraising".

 

[CookieGVB]

I'm on the Board of my son's band - we are CONSTANTLY fundraising. Most of the fundraisers are for the student's individual accounts (which pays for their band trip), and there are a few for the general account to cover expenses during the year.

I try not to hassle my family/friends. I bring the stuff to work, and put a notice on our Intranet bulletin board. Whoever responds, responds. Since we have over 1,000 people working in just this office, there's usually at least 1 or 2.

I'm not crazy about it, but can't afford the overblown price of the trip that would cost me much less if I'd booked it myself (last year was Disney World, for $900+ for 4 days).

And I only guilt the people I work for, since they have the $$!

 

[Becky2005]

That's awful, I would have a problem with them having physical punishment for not selling stuff. I'm a mean mom, I won't let my kids ask their teachers unless we know them in some other capacity. I figure they get hit up enough.

LUCKILY, the only fundraising we do that has a minimum is for my DD's gymnastics. They used to let us do a buy-out but now they don't, we sell cookie dough & it's a minimum of 20 tubs we have to buy. So far we are at 10 and if we don't meet the minimum, then we will end up buying the other 10 items so she reaches her minimum. That one I don't mind so much because I do know it actually goes to help buy the more expensive equipment that they can get better training on & helps the entire program as a whole. We just have to directly buy the uniforms & such. Our cookie dough is only $7.00/tub though. I think they get more money as a group the more tubs they sell, which is why they won't let us do the buy-out anymore (I know one year I got a call on it because they were trying to reach the next level for amount of tubs & they weren't happy when I told them I was doing the buy-out).

Other than that we have Cub Scout Popcorn -- thankfully, they count the booth sales for the kids for their prizes. That stuff is way too expensive.

Our grade school just straight up asks for money, so no selling there.

Middle School is magazine sales & that is just us ordering ones. There is no minimum required.

 

[tgmousechick]

Last Friday, DD (almost 4) came home with catalog-o-crap from PRESCHOOL!!!!!!!!! The fundraising goes towards the corporate community service mission. There was no way I was going to take to work and schill, but I was tempted to pick up a few boxes of candy to have out for holiday visitors. Hmmm, after reading this thread, I think I'll just write a donation check instead.

My previous sitter's kids were constantly hitting me up for one fundraiser or another for school projects- at least the corporate one is easier to ignore.

Unforunately, fundraising is successful enough that instead of filling the occassional gap, it has become part of the budget as expected revenue. I'm not a sales person (I'm a scientist, darn it! ) and fundraising was HELL for me in school, it made me ungodly uncomfortable. I think we'll keep DD's efforts to a minimum.

 

[dcgrumpy]

I must be the only weirdo who doesn't mind buying from candy and wrapping paper from kids.

 

[Cindy's Mom]

At my kids Catholic School, I agreed to chair the annual Gala with the understanding the I do not have to do any other fundraising for the year. This is my second year and I'm loving it. Wrapping paper order forms are due today and you know what? I don't care!!

 

[nuke]

I must be the only weirdo who doesn't mind buying from candy and wrapping paper from kids.

I always buy it too.

Editted to add that we actually seek out girl scouts to buy cookies.

 

[JunieJay]

I must be the only weirdo who doesn't mind buying from candy and wrapping paper from kids.

I prefer my $$ go directly to the school rather than just a percentage, which is why I write a check to the PTA rather than buy wrapping paper. I'm not opposed to wrapping paper, I just don't want to pay the middle man.

I'm also surprised the number of you who say you sell at work. That has been against policy here for years. If you get caught doing it, you could lose your job.

 

[golfgal]

I always buy it too.

Editted to add that we actually seek out girl scouts to buy cookies.

Yes, but Girl Scout cookies are something totally different .

I will seek out fundraisers for thing I would buy anyway. The volleyball team in our old town sold pumpkins, they put them on a trailer and hauled them door to door around town, even put them on your front step or where ever you wanted. They sold them for $5/each. One of the families on the team grew them on their farm so 100% profit for the team. The church youth groups sells Christmas wreaths/garland, I will call the church office if no one comes to my house because I would buy those anyway. I won't buy stuff I don't want and will usually give them a donation or just say no if I don't know the kids.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Let's see. Are we even 6 weeks into the school year yet? I don't think we are. Anyway...

I have already gotten an envelope to put my PTA dues in. $10 for EACH parent, $10 for "activities" and $5 for Dad's club, so they are waiting for $35 from me right there.

Every week I get an e-mail (or several) telling me I need to come up with 3 donations for the auction at the Fall fundraiser. I also got an envelope to give cash for "underwriting". Oh, and we're expected to purchase tickets to attend the event. If we can't attend we should buy tickets and give them to a teacher so she can attend. Tickets are $50-$75 each. I haven't paid attention this year so I don't know exactly how much they are.

Earlier this week DS brought home the Giant Book of Crap that he is supposed to sell from. Overpriced GARBAGE. Candy, candles, wrapping paper, "gifts", the selection is endless! It looks like a Dollar Store sale circular! Only the candy is $9 for 6 oz.! We don't know anybody who wants to buy that stuff, and I don't want DS to ask anyone to buy it!

Next month we will be expected to sell poinsettia plants. We are supposed to buy our Halloween pumpkins from our "sister" elementary (the elementaries that feed into the same middle school).

DS is also expected to get donations for a diabetes walk. If you don't raise a certain minimum amount you aren't allowed to participate, and they do the walk DURING SCHOOL HOURS. I have been on the committee for the local AIDS walk for the past 5 years, and all of our "asks" are for that. For the past couple of years I have written a check for the minimum required donation so DS can do the diabetes walk with his classmates.

This is all BEFORE the kids get out for the Christmas break. Oh, and it is a public school!

 

[mickeyboat]

Our PTA did away with the fall junk fundraiser. They suggested every family donate $10, and they would have more community event-type fund-raisers to raise additional funds. Last year I donated $ instead of buying the junk, and so did my FIL.

I don't mind buying from other people, I just hate asking friends and neighbors to buy stuff.

I think it is horrible to connect performance or punishment to selling. That burns me up.

Denae

 

[Rock'n Robin]

I just wish they weren't all at the same time! DD#1 is selling some stuff for choir--pizza, cheesecakes and cookie dough. I am buying a couple of items and we will probably end up selling 6 items total-the cheapest item is $12. Now next week the magazine sale starts. In all honesty I love magazines and buy a bunch for the kids too--Disney adventures, Ranger Rick, National Geographic Kids--and now DD #1 gets Seventeen and cosmo girl. I throw out all of our renewals and wait for this time of year. DD#2 is in her last year of that (6th grade) and DS is also selling, but almost all of our sales will go to DD#2 because it helps fund her trip to 6th grade camp in the spring.
The WEEK after magazines are done, they send out the wrapping paper brochure. I don't even do that one anymore. Both of those fundraisers are for the elementary parents. Now they also sell candy in the spring but I don't do that one either.
As for work, I have been chased down for the last 5 years by people wanting girl scout cookies. I never take the other fundraisers in. Now that DD#2 quit scouts, I am going to take the popcorn flyer in for DS's cub scouts, but I won't canvas the building to the same extent. And we do go around the neighborhood, but only to the people we know personally in the subdivision.
Robin M.