School Fundraisers

[mhopset]

Have you ever noticed what pieces of crap this stuff is that you buy from school fundraisers? I paid $8.00 for 12 chocolate coverd cherries.

Then Seth brings all the stuff he sold. I could have went to Odd Lots and saved everybody a ton of money. Oh well, at least he is going to get his Limo ride to Bruger King for Lunch next week. He is very exicted.

 

[Big V]

Alot of times when the schools are trying to sell "junk", we just donate a dollar or two and let them keep the "junk"!

 

[Amy]

Yeah, I wish they'd stop all the fundraisers and just tell each family to cough up $10 or $20 so we don't have to sell expensive junk!

 

[nkjzmom]

Great idea Big V.

The only fundraisers I really like to support are book fairs and fruit sales. Sometimes the high schools will offer cards for discounts for shops around town and those are worthwhile...but I don't like going door to door selling gift wrap and the fall festivals get expensive....we just got a package selling products made from our child's artwork. Now, I could just take these pictures to Office Depot and do the same thing for so much less.

Does anyone feel guilty NOT participating....like you're not supporting your school? I figure that I'm volunteering in the classroom, library, and helping with things outside of class time...that's my contribution.

 

[browneyes]

The only fundraiser I like that my kids do is in the winter they sell candy bars. I don't like the other junk they sell. Some schools around here have Krispy Kreme fundraisers. I like it when they do that, too.

 

[Baboo]

At our school this year we decided to try asking for $25. per child and told people that if they didn't want to do this, we'd send home a fundraiser to those that didn't pay. Well, the fundraiser (cookie dough and muffin batter) has gone home this week. It will be interesting to see if any more families pay the $25. or how many take part in the fundraiser. It is so hard to get people to take an interest in raising money for the school, but it sure isn't hard to get them to complain about things! (This is NOT meant to slam anyone that has posted here. I agree about the cheap crap that is sometimes sold for fundraising and wish that schools could get enough money so that parents didn't have to go through this!)

 

[mhopset]

I would not have a problem with the Cookie dough and candy bars. That stuff sells like hot cakes. It's that wrapping paper, sausage & cheese, and expensive candy that I don't like.

I would probably do the $20 donation though.

 

[RUDisney]

This year, so far, we have sold beach towels (in PA in September... didn't go over very well. ) Then we sold Gertrude Hawks chocolates. (I hate that chocolate... too sweet and waxy for my tastes.) The craft fair was last weekend and we are now selling $10 raffle tickets and nut and poppyseed rolls for Thanksgiving. The candy bars are due to be brough home next Tuesday. At least they are from Hershey's. The eighth grade class has had 3 hoagie sales and a number of bake sales and basket raffles in the past two months, so that means extra money goes in with the kids for lunch time.

I understand that they school must keep the tuition low enough so most people could afford it, but I'm sick of selling, my DH is sick of selling and our friends are sick of buying from us. We DO reciprocate for thier kids' sales, too. I'd prefer to be given the option to buy out of the sale instead of having to bug everyone. The school used to give parents the option of paying an extra $200 per student to not participate in fund raising, but decided last year just to tack it on to everyone's tuition instead.

What I see as being wrong with the situation is that the school is part of a Basilica. You'd think there would be some pride to keep the school alive, but the finance committee is too concerned about raising funds for more buildings for the priests and for retreats than it is on financially assisting the "future of the church."

Off soapbox.

 

[Toby'sFriend]

I've been making the same complaint for a couple of years. The stuff is way too expensive and the school only gets to keep about 1/3 of the total amount. You also have to consider the amount of TIME that volunteers have to put into selling and sorting and processing these orders.

I won't let my kids sell to neighbors or family any longer. I'm very aware of the school's need for money, but the well has run dry on Product sales.

 

[Meriweather]

Our middle school ONLY does "pass the hat" at the beginning of the year and that's the only fundraiser they have.

Our "tiny" elementary school has a fall fair and that is the only funraiser they have.

I much prefer both of those then all the other ones all though the year.

 

[disykat]

I can never resist stepping in on these fundraiser threads since I've been in charge of ours for three years. We do the catalog because it works - plain and simple. We encourage people to do donations instead if they so choose, but asking people for money simply does not work for us - the fundraiser catalog does. We do one fundraiser a year and everyone knows we won't be doing any more.

Most catalogs have the school keep 50% (if you are getting less - change companies!). No school is going to turn down a flat donation - they don't have to give away any of it. Don't let your child get absorbed in the cheap prizes - there comes a point when the parent has to bring them down to earth. It doesn't make much to make a child's eyes pop, but parent's can help them keep their expectations realistic. If you're selling to get the prizes - something is wrong. We try really hard to keep the emphasis on selling to help the school with ............. and let the kids know what they are helping with.

Just because the school sends something home doesn't mean you have to buy it. Buyer beware applies in these cases too. I will pay more for items, but I won't buy stuff I think is too junky. For myself, I just figure out if I would be willing to pay half that price and donate the other half to school (that's what you're doing) as my guideline for buying.

 

[ryanpatricksmom]

I send a $25.00 donation each year instead. I also buy Ryan a cheap toy comparable to what he would have gotten if he had sold from the catalog.

It's really become counterproductive in our area anyway. All of the schools are selling the same garbage, so you can't sell to friends or families with children. I really have no need for $50.00 worth of items that they sell, so making a donation works much better for us.

 

[CamColt]

When my niece started school she sold some stuff to us. DH bought a calendar from her that was like 12.00. We saw it a week later at the dollar store.

I buy stuff from my kids and my nieces, but thats it. My oldest niece does the magazine drive. We bought some last year and seriously dont have time to read magazines. The ones I like to do are the raffles for money. I know I dont have much of a chance of winning, but its not too expensive, raises money for the school, and if you do win its something useful.

 

[grinningghost]

I hate that wrapping paper. It costs a fortune, only to be ripped to shreds. That, to me, is throwing money away. DD sold Entertainment Books this year, which was well worth the $23. I like the cookie dough too, but usually it gets eaten before it's ever turned into cookies.

 

[Buckalew]

Our school (tuition) does 3 a year. One is a "school coupon book". Cost is 10.00 and area business put in great coupons. We don't even have to "sell" these...they just sell themselves!

Another is pecan sales. That was about 2 or 3 weeks ago. We took orders and they'll be delivered next week. They were also easy to sell as I guess people who bake look forward to them.

And last, in the Spring we do Krispy Kreme Donuts. Need I say more? LOL

I don't mind these but all that wrapping paper, candy and knick knack stuff is junky and hard to sell.

 

[Planogirl]

I normally avoid most of the fundraisers but did buy some wrapping paper because I need it. A few parents told me that this particular company sold pretty good stuff but I guess that we'll see. At any rate, I've gone back to my usual practice of ignoring fundraisers. Partially because there's just way too many of them. Our school has several and it gets to be way too much.

 

[aprincessmom]

Does anyone feel guilty NOT participating....like you're not supporting your school? I figure that I'm volunteering in the classroom, library, and helping with things outside of class time...that's my contribution.

ARRRGGGHHHH!!!! DD is attending public school for the first time this year and this fundraiser stuff is crazy. So far since Sept. she has come home with 4 different ones, each for different things. One was for her elementary school, one for the PTO, and two for the schools overall.

That's in addition to the scholastic book orders (schools get a kickback on those in the form of free books and software), the gym equipment (stacker cups...what the heck are those at $20 a pop...the school gets a set of free ones to use for every X number they sell to parents), the room fund for treats when they do something good, items for the estimating jar (including prizes for the top 3 estimators and, if possible, consider putting enough stuff in the jar so each child can then take one home after the exercise), etc., etc.

I don't want my 6 year old going door to door to sell anything. And I am not interested in begging my fellow employees only to have to lug that crap to work with me to distribute.

After the third one came across my doorstep I called the principal and asked how many more were coming...and there were more throughout the year. I said I'm making out a check which will equal a distribution of $20 to each of the different groups sponsoring the fund raisers. Consider that our contribution.

I would just prefer they give me a bill for it at the beginning of the year...like they do for school bus service, lunches, extra curriculars, etc. I tell you, I'm starting to think private school was a bargain compared to public school. At least I knew the cost up front and no one spent the year nickel and diming me to death.

 

[disneygals]

WAHHH! we don't have Krispy Kreme here, or I'd be at the head of the line. We do the wrapping paper one. I buy and sell to my mother, that's it!


I should have been so sensible on Girl Scout cookies! I still have boxes rotting in the basement that I was "going to sell after I bought them" HA!!!

This year I have 3 girls in scouts and we just can't meet the minimums expected per troop. I learned my lesson

Vivienne

 

[Buckalew]

PG, I bought wrapping paper once that was beautiful and the roll just lasted and lasted. It seemed like the never ending roll! LOL
It was good quality paper and helped my packages look better because I'm the world's worst wrapper! I hope you get as lucky as I did!