How do you feel about the children's fundraisers your school seems to lasso you into?

Question

also how about those whack prizes you have to sell so many items to earn when in essence it's cheaper to go to the store and buy?

Colleen, by lasso...I also mean how they urge the kids to urge mom to get involved so that can earn that mega prize by selling mega items...to me it is no better than when commercials target kids for that gotta have it cause all the other kids will too, toy or item.

Answer 1

I'm a teacher, and I can't believe how much money parents keeping giving the school for various fundraisers this year. I feel guilty every time I have to send something home requesting money. It's always something! As for the approach they take, it really is just a way to get the kids excited about being involved. I know it can be done without all the hoopla though- my students raised money for UNICEF simply because they wanted to help other children. There was no contest to see who could raise the most money. We raised it TOGETHER. If you're really passionate about the whole thing, you could join the school's PTO committee and come up with a different approach to fund raising next year. :)

Answer 2

Yes I get cross about fundraisers.We have some where if you earn the most amount for your school then you get a special prize.For me its not about being community minded anymore.Fundraising has gone over the top at the school.As I dont have to pay school fees apart from a gap then feel duty bound to support the school plus I cant volunteer at the school any more for personal reasons,Fund raisers are not what they used to be with encouraging kids with special incentive prizes.What has happened to teaching to fundraise because you are a member of the community and its a good thing to do.The reward should be knowing that you are helping in a valuable way.

Answer 3

I hate it. I would rather just donate money to my daughters school than have to remember the package, return it on the due date, pick up the stuff, and go hand it out to any buyers. Not to mention the fact that my parents have 9 (almost 10) grand kids and can't support them all. ALSO.. I think the prizes are crap. These kids work their butts off and for what? A prize you can get a dozen of at the dollar store? That is nuts. Plus one year my daughter sold some wrapping paper before Christmas. It was supposed to be at the school before Thanksgiving to be handed out. I had a friend who's hubby is in the military and she found wrapping paper to match their bed spread at home. So she ordered it and was going to send his packages wrapped in it to Afghanistan as a reminder. It did not show up until the week before Christmas. Much too late to send then. I just think these poor kids work their butts off and get nothing out of it. Just my opinion though.

Answer 4

We do hockey, swimming, school, daycare, and baseball fundraisers. Coming up is soccer and gymnastics.

Good news is that everyone who buys from you will eventually come back to you with a fundraiser too :P

It gets worse the older they get. Some sports allow you to opt out by paying an extra $50-100. But it does teach the kids how to "sell" [ok I'm being optimistic here - its more like begging door to door].

My daughter worked her butt off to sell $150 for a run a thon at school to win this flamingo puppet. I saw it at the dollar store last week for $2.

Its pretty bad, but try to buy from other people so they will buy from you :)

Answer 5

Its unfair to turn the kids into mini sales people. The schools generally get only 40% off all the money collected, and you're right, its cheaper to go buy the prizes. Plus, they don't take into account how badly they will make the kids feel whose parents can barely afford food, let alone 20 rolls of wrapping paper.

Answer 6

I know what u mean ever since my daughter went to kindergarten she has all these things going on at her school but u have to put up lots of money to enjoy,i have not seen 1 free thing yet...She had a fundraiser also one of the things said sell 50-100 items u get a glow in the dark ball "c'mon???

Answer 7

I think it's stupid what they do, I have 2 kids in school, when it was just my oldest it was 1 fundraiser not even 2 weeks after school started, now they have that fundraiser plus the candy fundraiser than the coupon fundraiser,and on top of that theres the school pizza night that they have that if you go to a certain pizza place on thursdays the pizza place will donate a certain amount to the school so i have 2 kids coming home on wednesdays with stickers on there shirts as a reminder telling me we have to go so the school can get money, and than the school painted my daughter class room last year and re dune the floors and sent a note home saying we had to buy tennis balls to put on the legs of her chair so the floor wouldn't get messed what is our tax money going for. well thanks for letting me vent about that............lena

Answer 8

Going to the store and buying an item wont help the school though and thats the point of fundraisers.

Answer 9

I would much rather donate money to the school than sell that stuff. It's really expensive and embarassing when you deliver it and it is hardly anything. I am a teacher and I ate it when we have to raise money for things. The prizes are usually things that should be thrown away but my daughter won't throw anything away.

Answer 10

I am disgusted by the stuff that our schools 'make' us do! I have opted out of most of them. Our taxes ought to be sufficient.

However, after several years I went into homeschooling my 2 middle schoolers and have been very happy with the fundraisers that we have done!!!! Things like "You wash and vacuum the car and I will give you $7.50"

Please encourage your other like-minded parents to refuse to participate and it may make a difference in 5 years!