I don’t quite understand the reasoning for most school fundraisers.  It seems there should be two reasons for holding a fundraiser for a group or organization.  One being the creation of a team building experience, and the other being the obvious: to raise funds.

So, if the previous statement seemed obvious, why then is it that most fund raising events, especially school fund raisers accomplish neither?

Fundraiser Quota & Parent Info

Last week received a dreaded packet from the school my girls attend, alerting me to the fact that we’d be responsible for selling $15 cookie dough.  You parents know what I’m talking about.  Do you know anyone who bursts with joy at the site of this.  I’ve uploaded an image of the flyer to the right which can be enlarged by clicking on it.  They came home pumped with propaganda and visions of being rewarded by wonderful gadgets and toys rivaling those which require thousands of tickets at any Chuck E. Cheese.

The Problems:

1. My 5yr old pre-k daughter came home telling me she was supposed to go door todoor andsell cookie dough. – No Way! Not safe or polite.  Everyone in our neighborhood has kids or knows kids in that school & can only buy from so many of them.  Duh!  And, I’m not sending them door to door in a strange neighborhood.
   

   Fundraiser prize sheet

2. We have to sell the stuff, then, deliver it all later? – Why not ship the stuff to the customers?  Your sales force is serving on a volunteer basis.  Why not cut them a break on tracking down all the people they hounded for money and are now busy avoiding them.  That’s what UPS and Fed Ex are for.
3. How much money does the PTO or organization actually make off of this anyway? – Couldn’t we go to the local supermarket and buy some $3 cookie dough to sell for $6 and accomplish two goals.  Giving better value to the customer as well as making a higher percentage of the sale back to the organization.
4. More and More from the parents – After asking the parents to sell all this crap, we’re also asked if we’ll donate pizza and soft drinks for class parties afterward.  Who ended up buying the freaking cookie dough anyway?  Parents.  Why the heck do I want to celebrate the fact that I was conned into buying nutritionally void junk food at a rate of 400% the market value?
5. Why a party anyway? – This makes the kid who doesn’t sell their quota (yes they’re given a quota) feel horrible.  If their class doesn’t get a party, they feel as if it’s their fault.  If they do “earn” a party, the kid feels like he or she is mooching on someone else’s  accomplishment.
6. More prizes.  The flyer says that students selling 10 items are entered into drawings for more super prize giveaways – OK so you poor kids with parents who didn’t buy $130 of cookie dough don’t get a chance to win but rich billy does.  ?  Think about it.  The parents are who ends up buying most of it.
7. Back to the quota.  The flyer states that students selling 3 items or more get invited to the magic show coming to the school.  “Don’t miss out!” it says. – Are you freaking kidding me!!  Once again, the kids in the section 8 housing in the school district get the shaft.  My kids get out of class to enjoy Marvin the Magnificent while the kids in families where the parents were unable to buy $39 PER KID in cookie dough are forced to allow their kid to make the “walk of shame” to study hall and be made to feel lesser to their peers.  Wow.  We wonder how kids get the attitudes of alienating people of lesser financial standing.  I know crap like this can’t help.  Wake up people.  Think about how this stuff effects everyone.  Not just your household.

The Solutions:

1. Think it through.  Think about the goals of the fundraiser and who it effects and how.
2. Try a team building exercise.  Car washes and marathons seem corny on the outside, however, they can be arranged so that nobody is left out.  The event itself is the reward and all the team or students participate in completing the goal.  Not to mention nearly all of the money raised goes toward the goal.
3. What about just asking for a one-time gift?  Once again, I’m not sure what percentage of a sale goes toward the fund raising goals in most fund raising sales campaigns.  But, I bet, that I’d be happier about being asked to donate $25 per kid I have in school rather than asked to sell $39 of crap per kid.  Not to mention, the entire $25 would go toward the goal and probably be more in the end.  So, every family can’t donate $25 per kid.  They’re probably the same ones that can’t buy $39 of junk per kid.
4. Mention filling the gap.  When sending the fund raising letter to families asking for cash donations, mention that some families may not be able to give, so if you’d like to “sponsor” another student, you can for $25 above your $25 per student.  I know I’d happily cover mine and at least 2 or 3 more.
5. Be sure to show purpose.  They flyer set home did mention the reason for the fundraiser. (technology for our classrooms)  However, it was mentioned only briefly and with no detail as to what technology it was.  Don’t assume others get the vision and are as passionate about it as you are.  Share it and make them feel it.
6. Utilize your group’s contacts.  Heck, I run an internet business & may be able to donate a portion of what’s needed.  If not, I may have a contact that would.  Many parents will pitch in if they were kept in the loop.  Just because I’m not on the PTO doesn’t mean I don’t care about what happens in my kid’s school.  By the way, I’d also be willing to join & pitch in with the PTO if it seemed like something other than a group who’s always asking me to sell crap.
7. Tell me your reason for choosing this fundraiser, not just why you’re raising funds.  I know if I got a letter that offered a chance to pay $25 per kid and not have to guilt my parents into buying stuff they don’t want or need at astronomical prices.  I’d send my money in yesterday!

I know this post will probably get me slammed with emails about how I don’t know what I’m talking about.  How I’m just rude.  Or, how under informed I am.  That’s just the point.  If you’re asking me to sell crap for you.  It’s your job to inform me.

I do want to point out that it’s not just this fund raising campaign that I have a problem with.  This just happens to be the example in hand at the time.  99% of the ones sent home with my kids are on the same premise.

I’m sure the parents and faculty involved and charged with these have only the best intentions and are only doing their best to help.  I don’t want this to be seen as hate mail to the school PTO but merely as a chance to awaken them to the perception of a parent on the outside looking in.

One more thing.  I’ll be contacting the PTO of my neighborhood school so that I may offer my services and get involved.  Please do the same.