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March 08, 2006

Fundraising

What is up with all this fundraising at schools? The girls daycare is church-based so they have two fundraisers a year. One is for wrapping paper, candles, and misc stuff. The other is cookie dough at $12 a pop. I understand since they are non-profit they want to make more money to help the day care. Now that Oldest is in kindergarten based out of the same church, we have had more fundraisers for them. The latest one is for books. And not very interesting ones. This leads me to the following issues with fundraisers:

1. Sell something that people want. Overpriced wrapping paper, cookie dough, and books just don't cut it. Now don't think that I am just complaining. I have given suggestions to the girl's daycare, but they never take me up on my ideas, like this or this. I am sure there are more out there with stuff people would use everyday. I even offered to help out. (I am still figuring out the landscape of the school, so I may have some future influence on this.)

2. You can only hit your family, friends and co-workers so many times. I don't even take the "almost exactly the SAME" flyers with "almost exactly the same" stuff to work anymore. No one wants it and I don't like to keep asking.

3. How much does the school really get? Especially if the kids get prizes for selling a certain amount. Someone has to pay for that!

4. It's not really a good idea to go door to door anymore. So you have to depend family, friends and co-workers. What if that realm is limited? What if you know they are strapped for cash and can't really afford it? And this all links back to number 1. Sell something people want or will use and they will be willing to spend money.

5. Because of number 4 the kids are not really raising the money. The parents are. Bah!!!

My solution? Sell good stuff or offer a fundraiser opt-out plan. If you donate a certain amout of money to the school, you don't have to fundraise.

My questions? What if you don't participate in fundraisers or your fundraising is limited? Do other parents or school faculty look down on you? Do they shake their heads and "tsk tsk"?

Posted by on March 8, 2006 06:16 PM |

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Comments

I'm with you. A flat donation opt-out is a good idea, especially for parents who are burned out.

Another great thing (which Hubby's school has done) is a fundraiser night at a local restaurant. The restaurant donates some proportion of their profits to the school, in return, school folks converge there on one night (usually a low-traffic night like Tuesday). Can be worth a good chunk of change, and it's very little work, beyond handing out flyers to friends and family. Many chains have programs to do this, and many mom-and-pops will do it for the tax break.

Posted by: caltechgirl | March 8, 2006 07:54 PM

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I agree with you, especially the part about selling what people want and the burn out.

Posted by: PrimoDonna | March 8, 2006 08:02 PM

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Never liked them growing up, still don't like them. I give a flat amount if I give at all. Of course the exception being girl scout cookies. But you can find all sorts of stuff to 'sell' like Tupperware, tools and more if you just ASK! Most of these companies will be glad to help out and give a big chunk of change to the people doing the charity work. Though I like the night out best so far. Will have to remember that as my kids get older.

Posted by: vw bug | March 9, 2006 11:16 AM