I hate school fundraisers. Hate them. I hate the idea of sending little kids out to peddle crappy goods to raise money for their school. I hate trike-a-thons, dance-a-thons, and jump rope-a-thons. I hate seeing kids sitting outside the grocery store selling candy bars and popcorn. I hate that they even have to worry about raising money for their school.
It should not be the kids problem.
School fundraising is not new. As a kid, I remember lugging a white and red cardboard box filled with trinkets around my neighborhood. I went to Catholic school and wore my scratchy, plaid uniform around town, knocking on doors, hoping to sell enough to win a big prize.
Of course, I never won a big prize. Usually I won something small and cheap. A prize that broke within days of receiving it.
I hated school fundraisers then and I hate them now.
Don’t get me wrong, I understand that schools need help. I’m happy to help in any way I can. But I have rules. I will only give one hour of my time for meetings and I will not sell things to my friends and family. With rare exceptions (like my friend Kay’s awesome Pink Papaya products) I hate when friends sell me stuff. So I don’t try to sell them stuff. Ever.
I’ll volunteer in the classroom. I’ll cook, bake, make anything they need. But I won’t sell stuff.
Even though the boys are only in kindergarten, they’ve already been asked to become little Willy Loman’s. The school fundraising industry is slick, they know how to get to kids. This week the boys brought home brightly colored catalogues and prize pages. The prizes range from a “mystery box” for selling up to four items to and iPad 2 for selling 200 items.
200 items. Seriously?
Not only did they have exciting catalogues, but they’d been shown a video.
A school fundraiser propaganda video.
The video instructed them to email their grandparents and aunts and uncles. To ask their neighbors what they wanted to buy. It also showed them the amazing prizes (A FRISBEE!) they could win.
But here’s the thing, they’re six – they don’t really get the whole fundraising thing. Jackson calls it “funraising.”
He also thinks you have to do the things on the prize page to win something. So to win a frisbee, he has to play frisbee. To win a ball, he has to play with a ball.
See, it’s “fun raising.” Get it?
He also thinks we can just pick out what we want everyone to buy and show it to them. No problem. He planned to sell one of the neighbors a “present” which was really just wrapping paper. I asked him, “what if the neighbor doesn’t have any money?” He replied, “it’s ok mom, all grown-ups have money.”
We told him that we would not be selling anything to our friends and family. Instead, I would call and see if I could make a donation to the cause. I think parents should have this option. Either sell the garbage or make a donation. I’ll make the donation every time. Seriously.
The boys seemed ok with that once we sweetened the deal by offering to buy them a prize too. I just hope they’ll settle for the frisbee instead of the iPad 2.
I strongly agree! I don’t even buy crap from the fundraisers! i don’t need a $16 tub of cookie dough when I get get one for $4 at Winco. My 9 year old came home yday and said “here’s a magazine fundraiser but I’ll go ahead and trash it since we aren’t the kind of people who sell that crap to our family and friends.” Yes I’ve taught them well.
I’m stealing that”we aren’t that kind of people” line.
Only a small percentage of the money raised actually goes to the school anyway. It is a scam I tell you!!!
I think it’s a scam too!
AUGH!!! I must admit in the beginning I got sucked into buying stuff or hitting my mom up. When the boys got to around grade 4 the school (with some parents’ help) decided to go with a cheque drive which I was more than happy to donate to. As Robbie says…you only need so much cookie dough. Ha!
A check drive is an excellent idea!
I agree with April. The schools get such a small percentage that it’s a crime. Also, if you have multiple kids, their chances of winning anything worthwhile are divided by the number of kids — there’s only so many grandparents to go around. When my kids were in school, they were “motivated” to sell stuff because they wanted to win a portable tv (big deal at that time). I convinced them to pool their efforts and turn in everything in one kid’s name. We won the tv, but the other teachers were livid – evidently there was a classroom competition. Too bad. BTW, I’ve heard Judy talk about a “buy out” poeeibility — sending a check instead of fund-raising.
I will talk to Judy. Thanks & you’re right – with multiple kids it gets expensive!
Demand the option. Frankly, I can write you a check for, say $100, and you get every single penny for your cause…OR I can buy $100 worth of crap I will throw in a land fill and you get $25 of the $100. Um, duh?
Once kiddo hit high school that’s what we started doing. She only gets a marching band fundraiser every year. If she wants to hit the pavement and sell, that’s on her but I want nothing to do with it. I don’t touch any of it. I write a check and the program gets every penny. Done. Over.
When she was younger, I set a dollar limit. Don’t care about the cool, cheesy prizes. I’m spending X amount and that’s it. Have a nice day.
I’d rather write a check and have them get it all!
It’s sad that we have to raise thousands of dollars for an education we thought our taxes covered. I’m on two PTAs and we’re fighting for RECESS! Recess. Don’t even mention art or music, when we don’t have books with all the pages intact. Yeah. But teaching them to be door to door salespeople – guess that’s okay with the Board of Ed, right?
Seriously. Kids should just get to be kids, let the adults worry about money.
Oh my GOD. I HATE that stuff. I will be the parent who will buy the 200 items myself just to keep from annoying people with my kids’ junk. The donation is a great idea. I don’t want my kids to peddle stuff and I HATE those parents who shove their kids’ fundraising crap in your face. Gah. I’m not looking forward to any of that.
Seriously. I don’t want to buy crap, but I’m more than willing to donate!
So you don’t want any Scentsy? Okay. Noah sells magazines now. I’m okay with that, but only I buy. I don’t allow him to try to pimp them off on anyone else. Except our neighbors. I bought wrapping paper (because it’s really good) and she bought a magazine. THAT. IS. ALL.
I keep hearing about this great wrapping paper. Who needs good wrapping paper? You just tear it off!
Since I teach high school, I get hit up for fundraisers, not for the school as a whole – that seems to be an elementary school thing – but for sports teams, band trips, causes and clubs, those of our own 1900 or so students and those of the children of the hundred or so folks who teach and work there. In certain seasons (one fast approaching) my hallway can feel like one long pandhandlers’ alley. None of it is stuff I want. None of it is reasonably priced. All of it is crap. All of it makes me, and our students, feel like crap when, even if I buy more that I want, need, or have anyplace to put, I say no. And I know the teachers in the next ten classrooms are going to have to say no too. What I want to say: If our school needs money, parents – and high school students, too – devote the time and energy you would have put into peddling popcorn into donating to, and volunteering in the campaigns of, candidates who will vote to adequately fund public schools. If your kid’s club or sports team needs something: *adult* fundraiser. Beer and brats at the Pop Warner coach’s house. Exactly, Bridget: it’s not the kids’ problem.
I didn’t even think about how much you teachers must shell out! I should know, since my Mom is a teacher. Ugh, I bet you’d love a donate option!
I hear you, I’d so rather volunteer in the classroom and just write a check!!
True that sister.
I could not agree with you more on this issue. I suppose some kids want to grow up and be sales people and will find their calling this way, but I sure as hell don’t want to be a sales person (which is what it boils down to when your kids are that young). I’ll choose donation every time, too. And we are never, EVER doing girl scouts just because of the freaking cookies!
At least the cookies are good, that Boy Scout popcorn is just gross!
i like jacksons idea….we SHOULD fun-raise!!! get all the kids and all the family and friends and neighbors you would usually sell stupid shit to, and pick a time to all come to the gym or the playground at your school and pay a one or two dollar fee to come and “play”!!! kickball, frisbee, freeze tag, red rover, all the fun games kids play and do it as a community AND raise some money!!!! good thinking jackson!!! you should run for class president!!!
You know this is a brilliant idea right?
SOOO like the donation option.
I think everyone agrees!
I’m with you!! My daughters’ school did the best fundraising EVER!! At the start of the school year each parent was asked to donate $25 or more if they could afford too, to the school. There would be NO fund raisers other than this and a school fall carnival with cake walks and such things. The donation was tax deductible and it saved me a migraine. Since I had twins I donated $50. I thought this saved me a fortune in the long run. The response, they found, was 85% of parents donated at least $25. My parents were so happy to not have to “help” grandchildren with another fundraiser, also sent a donation. They raised nearly $20,000 that went straight to programs for the school. The rest of their middle and high school years they did this and it worked very well. So much better than trying to peddle overpriced wrapping paper and candles!
I’m not surprised. I think all of us would rather pay than have to sell garbage-why haven’t all the schools figured that out?
I agree!!! I have 2 kids in different schools selling different crap at the same time, ugh! We do have the option of just making a donation though. On the other side I am a teacher and the money the PTO raises pays for field trips and all the fun extras that get cut out of the budget.
I’m all for helping the PTO do stuff-I’d just rather donate cash straight to them!
I remember my parents cursing when my sister and I brought wrapping paper/candy/etc fundraisers home. That meant them buying crap they didn;t want with money they didn;t have, and hitting our relatives and close friends up for their cash.
my kids do it now. My teenager’s cheer tema can not function without at least five fundraisers a season.
it blows
I don’t understand why the teams need to raise money. It’s $175 just for them to play-more for football. What are they spending it on? Last year, Taryn’s soccer team sold those sticker discount cards to subway. They have her 10 and said either sell them or buy them for $100, no choice. They didn’t go to tournaments, they didn’t hand out trophies, they didn’t get to keep any part of their uniform. I don’t understand.
I hate fundraising! As a teacher I not only get hit by my family, but by all the students that I teach. My problem is saying no to a child. I have to learn how to do that. I have 3 big containers of cookie dough,wrapping paper, books, and other crap that I already purchased this year and we are only in the first quarter!! (Oh and Krispy Kreme donuts…but…since they come right from the bakery and are glazed…..I never refuse them). Fundraising is out of control. I love the donation idea as well as the fun raising idea that Nicky posted. Something like that I can get into. One thing I am glad is that these kids do not go door to door anymore, but it puts an extra burden on the people in their lives. Donation from now on!!
I don’t even know where the money goes most of the time. Could be someone’s pocket and I wouldn’t be any wiser.
My son’s school doesn’t appear to do any fundraising through this method. They use school fees to cover everything, and then offer a discount on fees if you show up and help out at a working bee or with an event at the school. They have 4-6 working days a year, and each time you show up to one, they knock $100 off your fees.
On the other hand, my son’s dance school had a compulsory fundraiser where each family could “donate” $50, or sell a minimum of 3 boxes of chocolates. I chose the donation option, although I did wonder if they’d ever looked up the word ‘donate’ in a dictionary.
Haha, yes they seem confused about “donate.” I like that volunteer option, $100 is a big savings!
I’m totally with you. I like the donation idea. My kids just came home with a fundraiser last week for their daycare/preschool — THEY’RE 2 AND 4!!! There’s no way I’m sending them out to go door-to-door in the neighborhood (but believe they will be when they’re older, because I’ve bought more shit from neighborhood kids than I care to recall) and my husband and I aren’t peddling that crap either. Schools do need help. But I agree, I’m not making my under 5′s become toddling entrepeneurs.
They absolutely do need help. But it’s the grown ups problem. Let kids be kids.
me too!!! I despise candy pushing for a cause. When we were in Texas, I was apart of the PTA. We got rid of them all together and did a “cashback” envelope which we sent home to the parents instead of selling chocolates. We ended up raising double our goal. We still did the annual Spring festival but the “cashback” envelopes raised much more money. We also coordinated a yardsale which also did better than selling candy.
I love this idea! Maybe I should get involved with the PTA and suggest it!
Is it bad that I think the wrapping paper some kids sell is amazing? Terribly expensive but very fancy.
I remember trying to sell stuff as a kid. I hated every minute. I hated when people said no, it was embarrassing. Plus, the really wealthy kids sold the most because their parents took it to work.
I see some good ideas in this comment thread. I say take your concerns straight to the PTA and see what you can do.
Yes, it is bad. It’s just wrapping paper.
I get that organizations (like the football team, soccer team, etc.) might need to sell stuff. But I’ve already peddled 4 fundraisers on my students (as directed to by the school) and it’s only October. I’m the worst advertiser in the world. I tend to roll my eyes while I’m “selling” it to them.
Actually, worse than student fundraisers are all the grownups who come into work with their damn Scentsy, Thirty-One, Party Lite crap.
You tell a kid no, they accept it. You tell an adult you can’t come to their “party”, they throw you a damn catalog anyway.
And don’t get me started on the Facebook invites to their stupid parties…
Ha! Yeah, it does feel a little bit like I’m getting sold to all the time.
[...] said it best in her post about volunteering and school fundraising. It is degrading and self-defeating – even more so, when I’m helping the candy company [...]
I think you’ve hit a nerve here, school fundraising can get out of control when it’s not done right! School fundraising isn’t going to go away (even the richest schools do it), but it sure would help if schools had a good hard think before they chose their activity, taking into consideration:
A) Goals – don’t raise money unless you’re clear about what it will be spent on.
B) Age appropriateness. Might be okay to ask a 16 year old to be involved in fundraising, but not so good for a 5 year old.
B) Values. If we want our kids to eat healthily, why sell chocolates?
C) Time cost to children and parents. Fundraisers need to respect and value our time.
D) Return-On-Investment. It’s absolutely stupid to run a fundraiser that asks parents to pay for overpriced goods that line corporate pockets more than the schools.
Donations are by far the best % return to school, however even then you still want to know what the money is paying for.
[...] Bridget at Twinisms talks about her 6 year old twins being shown a propaganda sales video at school to get them excited about winning prizes if they sell enough stuff for their school fundraiser. [...]
[...] Bridget at Twinisms talks about her 6 year old twins being shown a propaganda sales video at school to get them excited about winning prizes if they sell enough stuff for their school fundraiser. [...]