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Are school/team/band/whatever fundraisers shakedowns?

C

CarlSpackler88

The Pumpfaker
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I can't stand them. How do you handle them? I've pretty much ignored them w my kids. I hate when parents bring that shit into work...
 
I have three school age kids involved in various school activities, and am also a Cub Scout Den Leader. I absolutely despise when we have fundraisers. I hate being expected to try to shake down my neighbors, co-workers and family for money and will do everything I can to avoid it. I hate being on both ends of these things.

At my office, there are a number of us who are parents who have an understanding with one another -- I will buy a reasonable amount of crap (candy, popcorn, fruit, wrapping paper, cookies, etc.) from your kid if you will buy a correspondingly reasonable amount of crap from mine. We all hate it, but we understand the situation. It's like a fundraiser support group.

Edited to add: I would much rather just write a check for a tax-deductible donation to the fundraising entity.

Another thing that pisses me off is that the company that helps with the fundraising (popcorn with Cub Scouts for example) makes off with a far too healthy cut of the funds (IMHO).
 
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the best fundraisers that are actually beneficial to the people who 'support' them are the ones like "eat at ____ tonight, x% goes to us!" ...they can be hard to set up, though, and i don't know if they're as profitable as other things.


as much as i hate fundraisers, i do recognize their necessity. there are lots of kids who wouldn't have been able to go on band trips, field trips, etc, if not for fundraisers.
 
lbE08 said:
the best fundraisers that are actually beneficial to the people who 'support' them are the ones like "eat at ____ tonight, x% goes to us!" ...they can be hard to set up, though, and i don't know if they're as profitable as other things.


as much as i hate fundraisers, i do recognize their necessity. there are lots of kids who wouldn't have been able to go on band trips, field trips, etc, if not for fundraisers.
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Our elementary school does those a lot (in addition to normal fundraisers and book fairs). Unfortunately, they're typically at horrible restaurants like CiCi's Pizza or McDonalds and very packed.
 
19deac92 said:
I have three school age kids involved in various school activities, and am also a Cub Scout Den Leader. I absolutely despise when we have fundraisers. I hate being expected to try to shake down my neighbors, co-workers and family for money and will do everything I can to avoid it. I hate being on both ends of these things.

At my office, there are a number of us who are parents who have an understanding with one another -- I will buy a reasonable amount of crap (candy, popcorn, fruit, wrapping paper, cookies, etc.) from your kid if you will buy a correspondingly reasonable amount of crap from mine. We all hate it, but we understand the situation. It's like a fundraiser support group.

Edited to add: I would much rather just write a check for a tax-deductible donation to the fundraising entity.

Another thing that pisses me off is that the company that helps with the fundraising (popcorn with Cub Scouts for example) makes off with a far too healthy cut of the funds (IMHO).
Click to expand...

This is the big problem. They're basically using child labor to make money under the guise of fundraising. I imagine when you break it down to funds earned per hour the number gets very low.
 
I don't mind them if I am overpaying for something that I don't mind buying, knowing that the excess is going to the program. Like a charter school near us sends around kids to sell frozen macadamia nut cookie dough that is really good. I'll pay $7 a tray for that even though it is $3 in the store if the excess is helping the kids. But no way am I shelling out for wrapping paper or that nasty-ass popcorn bin that will sit in the closet for 18 months. Or girl scout cookies. I fucking hate mint. Just ask me for a check and I'll donate right to the school or club. And use the walkway, don't walk over my grass on the way back to the street.
 
2&2 will pay at a 133% rate for a charter school, but won't support a small bump in taxes for his country.
 
PhDeac said:
2&2 will pay at a 133% rate for a charter school, but won't support a small bump in taxes for his country.
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Exactly. The charter school contribution is elective, plus it is significantly more likely that they will do something useful with the money instead of just throwing it into the black hole where my tax dollars go.
 
My daughter's elementary school has a "traditional giving campaign." It cuts through the crap -- just write them a check.

Girl Scout Cookies are the only fundraiser I appreciate. By the way, if you want some Girl Scout cookies and live in Charlotte, send me a PM.
 
My kid's elementary school has a Hoopla in the fall. Each classroom in the school is turned into a game/activity room that charges ticket admission. Individual tickets can be purchased, or an all access bracelet for $12. Teachers run the games. Local businesses make donations (bounce houses set up in the gym, arcade games in another room, prizes for raffles). The PTA bought and raffled off some iPads and made 3x profit. They sell donated food, drinks. There is a single event that night where parents bring their kids to school to play. The school makes all of its $$ then, and kids don't have to sell. It's a great win/win for everyone. Now it's a huge project for the event coordinator.
 
If the child is the salesman, I am happy to buy.If the parent solicits
from co-workers, I usually won't be buying. There is no reason to bring your child's fundraising into the workplace. The best is the direct donation campaign. I enjoy buying GS cookies and Scout popcorn from the neighborhood kids when they come by.
 
I always bought a little even before I had a kid of my own. I think it makes the kid feel productive when they sell something.
 
mmedeac said:
If the child is the salesman, I am happy to buy.If the parent solicits
from co-workers, I usually won't be buying. There is no reason to bring your child's fundraising into the workplace. The best is the direct donation campaign. I enjoy buying GS cookies and Scout popcorn from the neighborhood kids when they come by.
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This. I have no problem with the stuff being sold in my office, as long as the kid is actually there doing it. If an 8 year old comes by my desk and says "Excuse me sir, would you like to buy any popcorn?", I'll most likely buy more popcorn than I could ever eat. If their overweight, space heater having, fish microwaving mother comes by and sticks a clipboard in my face like I'm somehow obligated to buy whatever their kid is selling they'll get a short and barely audible "no thanks" from me. Every time.
 
As much as I hate fundraising as a parent, I alway make my kids shoulder the load (edited to add: even when doing this increases the already high hassle level associated with the mess). When he wanted to try to sell popcorn to my co-workers, I had my seven year old son put on his Cub Scout uniform, come to my office, and personally look each person in the eye and introduce himself, shake their hand, tell them what he was selling and answer their questions, and then accept their response (including learning to accept refusals). The same with his older brother before him.

My kid needs to learn to take responsibility for himself, and, as onewayoranother points out, he will be far more successful that way.
 
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