The inevitable packet came home from school with my daughter last week. That same night, the doorbell started ringing signalling the beginning of the school fundraising season.
Whether you have school aged children, or you’ve experienced that knock at the door, you know what I mean. Kids trying to sell you products that you cannot possibly live without at an inflated price all in the name of helping their school.
The motivation given to the students is a ladder of prizes – the more you sell, the better the prize.
Of course every student begins the fundraiser with hopes of earning that Nintendo DS, or the iPad – after all, mom and dad, I only have to sell 200 items to get the prize I want!
Unfortunately, when it’s all said and done, most kids end up with a water bottle or one of the other gems like the lighted mohawk wig or the giggling vibrating pig. They’ll even throw in a package of silly bands for good measure. Super awesome, thanks!
We all know what usually happens, right? The packet specifically discourages door to door sales – at least the packet in our school district does. We start by asking family members, but then quickly realize that there’s no way enough items can be sold with that customer pool to even get the giggling vibrating pig. The door to door sales start. You get “the looks” from the people that answer the door, but you trudge on.
Then, the night before the packet is due, as a parent you pick out some number of meaningless products that you couldn’t give a rip about just to get your kid into a prize bracket high enough to hopefully ease the disappointment of not getting that iPad.
Money wasted.
Believe me, I know. I’ve got a cupboard full of unused salad mixers, plastic pizza cutters, and microwave food covers .
Not this year. This year I’m saying, “NO!” to the cheese bread that tastes more like cardboard than anything that belongs in the appetizer food group. I’m saying “No thank you!” to the $8 bottle of meat seasoning that I can buy at Walmart for 94 cents. I’m even saying “No can do,” to the suggested $40 donation if you choose not to sell product.
I’m not going to spend the time and energy trying to sell products to friends and family that both of us know they don’t want. I’m not going to give myself the stress of trying to get my kids to a prize bracket that may or may not make them happy.
But don’t I think schools are important? Budget cuts are making schools increasingly dependent upon money raised through school fundraisers. What can I do?
The fall fundraiser is just one of the ways that our local PTA raises money for the school. They have other events throughout the school year which need volunteers to help organize and execute. Instead of donating my time to selling products, I’m going to donate my skills and time to these efforts.
They always have a hard time finding people to staff these events. I’m a hard worker, creative, and have great organizational skills. If that doesn’t scream, “PTA volunteer,” I don’t know what does.
The best part is that it will also get me involved in the school. I’ll get to interact with the teachers, the administrative staff, and other parents. I’ll get to look under the hood and get a glimpse of how the schools my kids attend really operate.
If there’s something going on in the school that I don’t like, I’ll then be connected to the right channels to at least raise the concern.
It’s a win/win situation.
The school gets a talented, hardworking, involved parent, and I don’t get a cupboard full of junk and an empty wallet.
Have you ever said, “No,” to something even though it was for a good cause? Have you ever found a way to contribute to something important in a way besides money?
Great post, Travis! The problem increases drastically when there is more than one child: if you start buying all the junk for the first kid, you set precedent and will end up buying junk for YEARS! You make a great suggestion, though, to give your time instead of money (or at least give money to fundraising events rather than items). Your time can be even more valuable to the school and like you said, you get something out of it, too!
http://impulsesave.com
Thanks, ImpulseSave, much appreciated! I’ve got two kids – each one bringing home the EXACT same fundraising packet. The whole system doesn’t handle multiple kids at all. The nice thing for me is, I don’t mind volunteering at all. I love going on field trips with my kids, and helping out with the school activities. Sign me up, I’m in!
Man I have always thought that involving kids in the fundraisers in order to win prizes was a bad idea. I hated it when I was in school and I just think there are better ways to raise money without putting a guilt trip on the people to buy something just because a child is selling it.
As you said there are other methods schools use to raise money and I really like your ideas best about becoming involved and donating your time and skills to something that will probably be a little more productive.
When my oldest daughter was born I was the guy who ALWAYS bought girl scout cookies, or candy bars and even gift wrap that was marked up 500%. $10 to wrap 2 gifts? haha!
Great post man!
Definitely a bad idea…..the kids don’t really get much out of it (as mentioned the prizes are junk unless you sell a HUGE amount of stuff). There are some fundraisers that I will think about donating to. I don’t know much about Girl Scouts, but I know first hand the amount of funds that goes back into Cub Scouts from buying the products (even if inflated). But even there, I can donate my time (and did for 4.5 years) and help out the organization that way too.
I always think carefully if I can use the phrase, “Standard fundraising prices apply….”
I completely agree Travis! By the time my kids were done with elementary school we were long past over the fund raising efforts. In these parts they were selling Christmas wrapping paper for like $15 for a 3 foot square. You could get a 300 square foot roll at WalMart for $3. The problem too is that during the past few years a lot of families are struggling just to pay their normal bills, and they can’t come up with the cash to pay inflated prices for the fundraiser of the week. Then you have multiple kids from the same school ringing your door bell and you can only buy from so many.
We’re now working in fund raising at the high school level, but that’s problematic as well. Much of the money raised is still coming from the parents of the kids in the school activity, and especially from the volunteers. So if you volunteer, yes you’re helping to raise money, but you’re also paying as well!
This may sound calloused, but I think it’s time for the schools to start seriously rolling back some programs and expenses. They’re way behind the economy in this regard, and they’re putting their communities, and especially the parents, in an increasingly difficult place.
Yeah, Kevin, the gift wrapping prices are among the highest markup!
I don’t agree that schools need to cut back more programs, however…..I’ve seen school having to cut some pretty basic things. Could things be done to run more efficiently? Probably. Do I feel the funding for schools is out of line with what the priority should be? Absolutely. Cutting school funding is like cutting the potential of the future of our country. I’m not saying it should be given a free pass (should always keep an eye out for wasteful spending), but I think school funding is cut too quickly and easily.
Agree to disagree on that one?
I totally know what you’re saying about multiple kids ringing your doorbell…when your neighbor’s kids knock on your door knowing full well your kids are selling the same stuff…well…that’s just ridiculous.
Hi Travis–I don’t know what things are like in the schools in your area, but around these parts they’re still building new schools while they put additions on existing ones. All while enrollment has peaked and the property tax base is declining! Meanwhile the costs being passed directly to the parents are rising. Any money that’s raised through fund raising efforts is quickly used up, and the bar is raised on spending initiatives.
The schools can’t spend more than the community can afford to pay. It’s getting tougher to raise money on any single fund raiser because there are so many of them running at the same time.
That definitely sounds like a different environment than where I live. If the need truly isn’t there, then I agree, adding on and and building new schools is not necessary. They actually are closing schools in my area.
There are so many public schools that operate in the same fashion you describe. there are some GREAT public schools out there but I just feel blessed to be able to opt-out of it because the public school system as a whole is in rapid decline. Look at how Americans stack up to other countries when it comes to education. It’s hard to keep throwing dollars at something that is being mismanaged at its core. fix that and possibly things could change.
Complete agreement Brad! I guess too, that since my kids are in high school, we’re at the point where we’re over the fund raising thing. Believe me, when you’re kids get near the end, you’ll be up to your neck in it too. The amount of money that needs to be raised increases as they move through the system. When they’re in elementary school they’re selling gift wrap and cookies for $15, when they’re in high school they’ll be doing car washes and selling discount coupon packages for $50. It’s endless.
Oh, and people you solicit have far less hesitance about telling you “no” or even slamming the door in your face when you show up asking for $50! Can’t say I blame them.
Yes! My kids have different fathers so at least they each have their own set of grandparents to ask for this kind of stuff. But still. My son didn’t sell anything and my daughter hit up her grandma and sold enough to get the entry level prize, which then my son was upset because he didn’t get anything. UG. I didn’t cave though.
They are having a book fair in the school library at the moment so each kid wants money for books. but no, they have enough books. I hate that they take time away from school activities to sell my kids stuff!!
When I was in school there was no fair, they just sent home a little booklet with books in it. I think when in school they should be primarily focused on teaching and not so much fundraising. I think the fundraisers shouldn’t have anything to do with the kids at least until high school and I’m not sure I even like that idea either.
That’s the problem with fundraisers and having multiple kids, right Ashley? If you don’t keep their sales exactly the same, one of the kids will be upset. Another headache I don’t need.
On the other hand, when I tell my kids (even my 12 year old) that I’m volunteering at their school, they are absolutely thrilled. They like to introduce (or point me out) to their friends, and thus I know who their classmates are.
That’ll come in handy when they start dating (decades from now). Instill a good sense of fear now. 🙂
Haha! As a dad with girls I can completely relate to this statement! 😀
I could not stop laughing at this post! I can SO relate and have struggled with my own desire to win my child the coveted prizes while not really having the extra funds to support the effort. I made my very first PTA appearance the other evening and agree, there is a true need for support there as well! Thanks for making me feel a little less guilty about not wanting to pony up those funds this season~!
I’ve found it amazing at just how much the PTA in our area wants to and could do if only they had the people power. I’m glad I could brighten your day a little, Scoblentz, and remove some of your guilt – because that is how I roll.
I like the fact that you’re being real here and offering a solution! there’s really no question that schools today need both money and people’s time. I’m hesitant to say, but I’m sure a lot of parents these days don’t want to give either. If there was some way to ensure that a parent choose either a monetary donations or volunteering, that would be amazing.
It’s important to realize that identifying a problem is not good enough, BelieveJay. We also have to come up with a solution. The schools (at least in my district) need some help, and just saying I’m not going to participate because it’s not worth my time and money isn’t good enough. As a parent and a citizen I owe it to my kids and the school to find some way to be involved and contribute.
I’m not sure we can or should enforce mandatory donation/volunteering though…at that point the money would become equal to a tax increase, and it really wouldn’t be volunteering anymore. 🙂
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
I flat out refuse to participate in school fundraisers. I don’t mind donating money to the school, but I don’t want some useless, overpriced item that I’ll never use. I can get wrapping paper at the dollar store, thanks. And I don’t want to harass my friends/family/coworkers, who I know can’t afford that junk either.
I wish the school would just let every kid bring a dollar on Fridays for the privilege of wearing a hat or something. If half the kids at my son’s school participated, that would be $1400 a month. Much less hassle than selling stuff.
I agree, Andrea – I wouldn’t mind donating money if I had extra laying around. Right now for me, the best option to give back and be involved is by donating time and skills.
I like your idea of bringing a dollar for wearing a hat…very ingenious!
In general, I have a “just say NO” policy when it comes to people asking for money. I’m tired of people asking for my money. After all, it’s something I never ask of them, and never will.
And, since the government justifies 75% of my property tax bill in the name of schools, that’s way more than my fair share for a guy who has no children in the government school system, and never will.
Hi Clair, thanks so much for your comment – I certainly can understand not wanting other people for money. It’s one thing to ask the parents to donate to the school….but having the parents go ask someone ELSE for money for the schools…that’s quite an interesting way to look at it!
I hate having to say “no” to my son when it comes to stuff like this (he is quite the little entrepreneur and loves this stuff) but when it comes to fundraisers for school, sports etc. I always do. As you mention the stuff they sell is junk and the prizes they win are junk.
I volunteer at his school as much as possible and one of the huge moneymakers for the school are box tops for education. I help extensively with this project and do a large part of the organizing, collecting, etc. This is something every family can participate in just by cutting little squares off of cereal boxes, cake mixes, and tons of other commonly used household projects. The kids love it because we provide them with colorful sheets to collect their box-tops each month and if they collect 25 we give them one of those rubber bracelets they love. It’s a win for everyone; the school, the parents, and the kids!
It’s definitely hard to say “no” to our kids (as you know) – it’s funny how resilient kids are, though. One minute they’re devastated they don’t get to go for that “big” prize, the next, they don’t care anymore.
What a great project to be involved with, Suzanne! I admire you for being so involved with your son’s school. My daughter’s school is having a contest of sorts with box tops this year. Each 4th grade class keeps track of the amount of box tops they collect, and at the end of the year, the class with the most gets a pizza party. So I’m clipping those box tops too!
You hit the nail on the head Travis. It’s ridiculous how much the markup is on these fundraisers. I may indulge and buy some candy or some cookie dough, but the other things, I’ll be able to find it for a lot cheaper elsewhere. I’d much rather be a volunteer for an event, just like you said.
Hi Briana! The people that try to organize such events LOVE it when you just walk up to them and say “Hey, you need someone to help out with ?” I think a lot of times they’re so exhausted from having to do so much because so few people volunteer that they can’t believe what they just heard. 🙂
Holy crap…I am cracking myself up here! My son just started Kindergarten this year, and this is my first experience as a parent whose child came home with fundraising materials, with that excited, “Mommy! I could win a limo ride! And my class could win a pizza party if we sell the most stuff!” Imagine my guilt as I realized close to fundraising wrap-up that I didn’t do my part to help him sell stuff. So I kid you not, JUST TODAY I went through and ordered $70 worth of candy and candles, just so I didn’t disappoint my son!!
Ah Yes, the limo ride – I’ve been there Serena! That was actually the breaking point for me a few years ago. I busted my butt to get my son enough sales to get that ride. The night before I too had to order a bunch of items to get to that magical number. When the limo ride happened, it wasn’t nearly what they promised. My son was let down, and I was left with a bunch of junk.
Wow, Travis, sounds like your son actually GOT the limo ride if he sold enough stuff. My son’s school enters your name into a DRAWING TO WIN a limo ride! WTH!! lol
Yeah, he did…which was probably why it wasn’t what they promised. They had SO many kids that “won” the limo ride that they had to make multiple trips, thus each student got a “shortened” version of what was advertised.
Haha, forgot to add, too bad I didn’t see your post prior to pressing “order complete”! LOL. But at least you’ve given me permission to say NO next time, as well is for my other 2 sons that will soon follow in the school systems, or for any other unwelcomed fundraising. I will volunteer my time, not my hard-earned cash!
I think you’ve just given yourself permission to say NO, Serena – way to go!
My daughter just entered school and I’ve been hit with the fundraiser packet. Instead of buying useless things I was thinking of using the catalog for some of my Christmas shopping. What do you think about that Travis?
That’s a great question, Nicky! I say you should do whatever makes sense for you and your family. If there are things offered through the fundraiser that you can use as gifts, and you’re willing to pay the inflated prices to help out the school to get them……AND it’s in your budget……..then I say more power to ya’.
This entire month the break room at work has been full of order forms for school fundraisers. So far, I’ve just passed them by. I just can’t spend $20 on a cheesecake, or $15 on cookie dough.
Girl Scout Cookie season is another thing entirely though. I’m not sure if its the cookies themselves, or the trip down memory lane to when I was selling them myself that spurs me to buy them every single year. All I do know is that my annual box of Samoas paired with a cup of coffee makes me think all is right with the world.
Sass, I’m actually surprised that the normal boy scout fundraiser forms haven’t been floating around my workplace as well…they certainly have in the passed. I certainly agree with the yummy goodness of the Samoas…..however for my waistline and my budget I’m going to do my best to resist (ok, maybe just one box?).
Dude I used to love it when the scouts were selling cookies. I don’t buy much anymore but it’s surely not because I don’t want to. Haha! With those cookies it’s so easy to destroy an entire box! 😀
I hear you, Brad….one minute I’m opening a new box, the next thing I know I’m wondering where they all went….but ooooh so good!
The rule I have in my home is that my child sells her own stuff, I do not hawk it at work or calls the family and friends. She has to make contact it if she wants to sell it.
When kids come to my door, I only buy from the neighbors AND I only buy one fundraiser per kid. So if little Johnny is selling fundraisers for 3 different sports or clubs, he gets my money ONCE and most of the time the parent is with him so I make sure the parent knows, this is it. As much as I like you as neighbors, do not come begging again. Many times I just say “No” as I don’t need this crap, & it’s 90% cheaper at Wally Mart and the dollar stores.
Sounds like you’ve found a good balance between supporting fundraising, and not emptying your wallet for junk you don’t want or need, Malbecmom. If you can hold yourself to the boundaries you set for yourself, more power to you!
Travis, my parents took your tack, and I came out just fine!! I think I did get a crappy water bottle once, because Mom bought something as a gift for someone (hmmm, did she dislike the recipient?!). I remember that my class once won that class pizza party (where I got to participate) even though I personally raised $0!
Just found your blog posts, and am reading them all over the blogosphere. Thanks!
Hi Kim! It’s great to hear that it’s possible to NOT participate in school fundraisers and turn out OK! 🙂 Hope you enjoy blog hopping checking out my work!
I sold 12 tickets for 7$ each. Yes they said its a 1 day pick up. but circumstances like being sick is something you can not control. I wasn’t able to go and pick up the products. And the school just plainly said they donated everything that have not been picked up. So, I ended up losing 84dollars because of course I needed to give back the money of my buyers. Good thing I changed my mind of selling all the tickets then I should have lost more money. I wish they should have plan B in cases like this.
Hmmm, seems like the school would have least held onto the stuff for awhile for you. Were you sick for an extended period of time? Was there any attempt to communicate with the school as to what was going on?