Sign of the Tough Economy or A Great New Fundraiser???

[Purseval]

My daughter went on a band trip every year she was in High School. We DID pay for the airfare or bus fare and expenses but they also had to pay to transport all of the equipment and a million other little expenses. Plus there were families who simply could not afford it and it helped them out. They had everything from bake sales to car washes to yard sales to rent-a-kid, you name it along with fundraising letters. Amazing that when kids go out and actually try to earn a way to do something people can find a way to mock it.

 

[RitaE]

This thread has really inspired me and I think this would be a great way to raise money for our next trip to WDW. I've drafted a donation request letter to send to our friends and family members. I would love to know what everyone thinks about the wording of this letter. Thank you.

you need to include something about the spiritual, intellectual and emotional growth you will all experience in a manner that could never be accomplished around plain and boring old home. Also, mention how you all be in effect "Ambassadors" of your State and Community with the State of Florida and tell how you plan to affect the people and terrain of Orlando in a positive manner with your presence.

bonus phrase points if you can use "Unique and irreplaceable opportunity" in there somewhere.

 

[annsteere]

I gladly give to high school/college aged people going on a mission trip.

In fact, DH and I have a budget item to cover such donations.

The overwhelming majority of people who become missionaries or work in NGOs these days got their first experience as part of a missions trip.

We don't generally give for a second trip for any one, passed on sending a Jr. Hi kid to Tahiti, and know the difference between an educational trip to Europe and a mission trip. But, if it is a missions trip, count us in.

 

[nunzia]

I've never gotten a letter like that either. My kids did church mission trips and fundraising was done in the church, and they still are. This year instead of a mission trip the youth are raising funds to go to a big rally thing..they've already paid for all registration fees and hotels, now it's just travel money. They do the annual Pumpkin Patch (and have to work it), they remodeled a bathroom, they put on lunches after church. I like that they have to work for things and not have it handed to them.
Our community is pretty active in Education Vacation where kids are flooding everywhere you can think of asking for money to go to DC..the concept is good but really, what do they learn racing from monument to monument in a frantic hurry? I never let my kids do that one..

 

[Gigi22]

We have never received one of these solicitations. And, if ever we did--file 13.

 

[Psychodisney]

I'm not a big fan of these letters either. The only benefit I see is that the child/organization gets your entire donation. At least you don't have to buy $25 worth of cookie dough and have the child/organization only get $10 or so.
Here's the spin my DS's high school baseball team does. They pledge to do community service(litter pick up, painting etc) in exchange for donations. I get it....but I'm conflicted by the communtity service which I feel should be volunteer! I only allow him to send the "begging" letters to immediate family.

 

[Pigeon]

I don't do fundraisers, period. If I want my kid to participate in an activity, I'm happy to pay for it. I don't expect other people to subsidize their activities.

I've gotten a bunch of letters for kids wanting to go on missionary trips. I'm not a believer in the value of missionary work, so these I find offensive. If a family or a congregation wants to do this sort of thing, they should pay for it.

 

[RitaE]

Our Church does the Youth Group Mission trip thing and the Church helps by donating supplies and shipping them down ahead of time. We sent down boxes of books this year, and then shoes, and then cleaning and painting supplies.

The kids have to earn their travel money and also the money they contribute to the Organization to help pay for their food etc while they are there. Earning that money is pretty much a year long project for that age group and it's part of the growth process for the kids. I don't think it would be nearly as beneficial to the kids if they money was just given to them.

 

[*disgal*]

Mission trips are acts of charity that I think should be encouraged and supported. It's not as if the kid is asking for money so they can sit on a beach in Cancun all day and drink all night. They're building schools, digging wells, innoculating children, and donating their time off to better the lives of people who have it a lot worse than we do.

As for the "educational trips", well the people who run those trips encourage the kids and their families to fundraise. It's not required but those trips are darned expensive and why not get your aunts, neighbors and second cousin twice removed to help pony up for this once in a lifetime experience? Those are the fundraisers for travel that I have issues with.

This is it exactly. I probably get two or three letters(missions) a year and have for about 15 years. I consider contributing to the the mission trip just like the missionaries I support each month. And they are fantastic avenues to teach things that just can't be learned at home. It can't be measured by money. In fact, I think every teenager could use a trip to somewhere where they can see how the rest of the world really lives.

The educational trip I might tell the fam about but the rest of it I would assume my child has to fundraise or he/she/we have to foot the rest.

 

[dizkids]

My son gets the people to people letter each year and we ooh and ahh but its $5000 or so. Never ever would ask someone for dime and that include immediate family.

 

[angierae]

When DD had her 8th grade trip to D.C. we asked close friends and family if they would donate their pop bottles (Michigan has a .10 refund per bottle) to her fundraising efforts. Some did, some didn't, and she wrote thank you notes to everyone who let us pick up a bag of bottles or dropped some off to us.

I personally wouldn't ask for cash, because with some belt tightening, we could afford it. Although if a family friend or family member had a kid who absolutely was not going to be able to go on a trip like that without help, I would help. My daughter's 8th grade class trip has been one of the highlights of her life and I wouldn't want another kid to miss out on that.

But just peppering letters to everyone you know? I've never received a letter like that and like others have said, unless it's a friend or close family member, no way.

 

[mrsklamc]

For true missions work (which could be not religious, but just things like medical care, drilling wells where there's no water, etc.) I have no problem with this. I do think it's annoying if it's for your soccer team, etc. But I would rather have the opportunity to give to something legitimate for someone I know than find out later and not have the chance. If I'm not interested, I just trash it.

 

[mjbaby]

I don't think that this form of fundraising is particularly new, although it might be enjoying a surge of popularity lately. I remember when my high school German club took a trip to Germany, Austria and Switzerland - 25 or so years ago - we bandied about the idea of doing something similar.

Raising money via letter doesn't strike me as terribly different than a rent party or shaving one's head for charity (one I received just yesterday). I wouldn't support every request that came down the pike, but they don't bother me, either. In fact, I think I'd rather give money for someone in my community to do something interesting or educational than "sponsor" someone to walk around a track 50 times or whatever.

 

[CandleontheWater]

I don't have a problem with kids fundraising, and if I run across a child selling candy or wrapping paper or cookie dough, I will usually buy a little something. I have more than a few boxes of girl scout cookies in my house right now

I remember having to do fundraisers for my marching band back in high school. I always worked very hard at selling the various things (discount cards, blankets etc) and I worked at the big fundraisers (classic car show, antiques show) to support our band and to save for band trips. I appreciated everyone who helped me out, and I intend to help out kids that are in the same position today as I was 20 years ago.

That being said I wouldn't just send money, I feel like that is a little tacky. I worked my tail off going door to door, the least they could do is make the request in person.

 

[DawnM]

Missions trips don't usually bother me when asking for donations and here is why:

I come from a missionary family. I hope that through the experience this child or adult has, he/she might become more aware of the needs of the 3rd World and either donate more time or money or both in the future. This is particularly true of those who haven't traveled much before.

So, I do donate.

Now, I got some donation requests for camp and such that I simply will not donate to, I have enough of my own kids' activities I don't solicit funds for to donate to yours.

Dawn

 

[The Pluto People]

We were solicited by a niece to contribute to her $3,500 mission trip to Kenya. Fifteen kids were going on the trip. That's over $50,000. Do you think the village they were going to "assist" would prefer 15 high school kids "helping" for a week or a $50,000 donation?

 

[IMALOVNDISNEY]

Mission trips are acts of charity that I think should be encouraged and supported. It's not as if the kid is asking for money so they can sit on a beach in Cancun all day and drink all night. They're building schools, digging wells, innoculating children, and donating their time off to better the lives of people who have it a lot worse than we do.

As for the "educational trips", well the people who run those trips encourage the kids and their families to fundraise. It's not required but those trips are darned expensive and why not get your aunts, neighbors and second cousin twice removed to help pony up for this once in a lifetime experience? Those are the fundraisers for travel that I have issues with.

Exactly.....
I am a buisiness manager for a local Drs office. And we have patients and or their children coming in with these "sponsor" letters because their dance studio is going to Disney for a compatition. And they want "us" to pay their way. I have a problem with that. And they go every other year.
One patient came in the first time and asked. We did "sponsor" her child. Never did get a thank you of any kind. But, when they came home from WDW mom came in with pictures and bragged how it only cost her family of 4 less than $500 because their family had "raised" so much sponsor money..
EXCUSE ME I have to pay for my family to vaction. When the mom asked again the second year. I kindly told her that we would be happy to sponsor her family's vacation, if she would in turn sponsor mine and the Drs next vaction. Of course she didn't. And even tried to ask the Dr. without me knowing. But, he and I were in agreement that no more "sponsorships" would be given out for things like this. So, he too told her that we no longer do that.
BTW...my family is going to WDW next year. So anyone that wants to help pay my way. Please PM me direcly. I accept personal checks, Paypal, Money orders. and of course Disney Dollars. (just kidding by the way)

 

[stczt]

my kids are involved with a church youth organization and a few summers ago oldest ds went on a mission trip. He sent out letters and got his trip paid for by doing that. This summer my other ds is wanting to go on a mission trip to nova scotia with the cost of the trip and full passport its ending up being pretty costly. He will again write letters I don't know if he will receive the help my older son got, but we will find a way for him to go. Dh and I both went on mission trips as teens. We tell people to wright the checks to our church and then we get a church check and the people get a tax deduction.

 

[ceecee]

I work in a dental office and we get them all the time as well. I don't mind a fund raiser where they do something (ie car wash) or sell something. But to ask for a donation just because...no, it's tacky. Especially the People to People things which are just vacations that cost $3000-5000. If the parents can afford it, fine. DD started getting letters in 5th grade and every year for the next three years. We could take the family for $5000 and I would know she was supervised. 3 weeks is too much for an 11 yr old in my opinion.
Missions trips are different, our youth group at church does fund raisers for that and we are more than happy to support them. Our 8th grade DC trip had full and partial scholarships for kids that couldn't afford it...the company gave us $ back if a certain # of kids pre-registered and the PTO kicked in $ as well. The kids did several fundraisers as well, selling candles, pizzas and subs.

 

[Marionnette]

We were solicited by a niece to contribute to her $3,500 mission trip to Kenya. Fifteen kids were going on the trip. That's over $50,000. Do you think the village they were going to "assist" would prefer 15 high school kids "helping" for a week or a $50,000 donation?

Well, considering that many mission trips are to areas where the governments are totally corrupt and the money would never reach the people it is meant for, I would bet that the village would prefer to see the kids.

Corruption aside, a mission trip is a blessing to both the people being assisted and the missionaries. If you could give the money straight to the village, you will have eliminated to opportunity for the missionary students to receive blessing for their charitable work.

You also have to realize that money means nothing if you have no means to access the things that you need to buy. Small pox vaccines aren't exactly the kind of thing you can buy when you go into the one big city nearest to your village. And if you can, you will pay many times more for it than the missionary would pay to bring it to you.

Lastly, mission work provides a person-to-person experience that opens both the giver and the recipient to new worlds. Whether it's for the purpose of spreading the Word, or enhancing the good will of your country, you can change the way someone thinks about things by showing them that a real person cares enough about them to leave their comfortable life behind in order to make their life better.

So that's why I would rather give to the mission than give directly to the village.