School Fundraising Is Already Driving Me Crazy

on November 2, 2011 at 1:19 PM

I'm kind of a newbie at being a school mom, being as how my oldest just started kindergarten this year. We've had a lot to get used to in the last couple months—new morning routines, lunches, pickups and dropoffs, new friends, homework ... and happily, everything is going great. I love my kid's teacher, I love how excited my kid is to learn. So far, I'm really happy with his school.

Well, except for one little thing: the fundraising. My god, the ENDLESS, WALLET-SUCKING, VALUE-DESTROYING fundraising.

The first thing that came home was a donation request for the PTA, and I gladly wrote out a check. I also attended a meeting, and filled out at least four different forms volunteering for various things. I even volunteered to be room parent for my kid's class, which sounded about as appealing to me as eating a tub of paste.

No one ever took me up on my volunteering offers (which ... really? I volunteered to read! I volunteered to chaperone! I checked the box that indicated I was willing to collate school materials in the evening, for crying out loud!), but soon enough my son came home with another request for money—this time, it was for Entertainment books he was supposed to sell.

A few days later, his backpack contained a catalogue and order form for even more things he was supposed to fob off on our friends and relatives: wrapping paper (at $10 a roll, might I add), candle holders, cookie dough, magazines, boxed chocolates, and weirdly, a Paula Deen "Best Dishes" 16-month wall calendar.

Last week, it was the Schoolastic Book Fair announcement that included a flyer on which he'd been asked to circle the things he most wanted to purchase. Surprise! It turns out my 6-year-old is far more interested in the hardcover LEGO Star Wars Character Encyclopedia than any of the classic children's literature options.

I realize I don't have to fundraise. Our school doesn't provide an official way to opt out, but I can send in a donation instead, which I've already done—I'm happy to donate directly to the school, after all, and my husband's work even matches our donations. I also pay tuition at our school, because in my area, full-time kindergarten is not free.

The thing that pisses me off, though, is how the school directly involves the kids. They get prizes for fundraising, with bigger and better prizes handed out for better sales. In class, in front of everyone. I mean, sales incentives ... for kindergartners? What are they, pint-sized Glengarry Glen Ross hucksters? Third prize is you're fired, kid! Chocolate milk's for closers!

I am all for helping public schools get the resources they need, but it seems like it's time to revamp the current methods for soliciting funds. Who can afford the overpriced, unnecessary crap they're offering, and who wants to be part of a system that rewards kids for guilting people into buying it? How is it fair to ask a little kid to make a "wish list" for books most of us would rather get from the library, if at all? Why is it acceptable to turn our children into door-to-door salespeople in order to send the majority of their solicited dollars to the fundraising company rather than the school?

Not everyone can donate, and for some families, fundraising may be the only way to raise cash for their school. Still, isn't there a better way to do this? A way that doesn't involve $10 wrapping paper?

What are your feelings on school fundraising?

Image via Flickr/goodncrazy

About the author Linda Sharps

lives in the Seattle area with her family, where she works from home while wrangling two small children. She always has a caffeinated beverage in hand and a LEGO embedded in her foot.

Filed Under: kindergarten, elementary school

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Comments (83)

Nonmember comment from kayme

on Nov 2, 2011 at 1:53 PM

My husband and I made it clear that we as a family do not sell things. So those catalogs and order forms go straight in the trash. My daughter was disappointed at first, especially after the hard sell the teacher gave about winning prizes, but we explained to her that she will continue to get toys on her birthday and xmas and occasionally throughout the year as usual. Nothing loss. She's over it and we skip those fundraising times happily. We do however support other school functions such as the fairs, dances, etc so we are always willing to donate through things such as that.

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LoriAnn87

on Nov 2, 2011 at 1:55 PM

My son is in preschool and he does the fundraising too. I don't mine doing it but when they have them back to that's really gets to me because you need to space them out epscially if people just bought from the first one.

momtolittleg

As a teacher, I can see where you're coming from. I'm tired of keeping track of it all! But our school's fundraisers (selling the wrapping paper crap, selling coupons books, the Book Fair- we have 2 per year!- our spring carnival, along with other donation-type fundraisers (diabetes, autism, etc)) have allowed us to put LCD projectors in every classroom, purchase a few ipads, a few SMARTboards, shade structures for our playground... all stuff that SHOULD be paid for by the school system, but isn't. I hate how they try to get the kids all pumped up, but it kind of works. I always tell parents not to feel obligated to participate and simply send the stuff back if you don't want to. But it DOES go to a good cause, and at my school the staff gets to choose what a lot of the money goes to, so you it is stuff we can really use in the classroom. There OUGHT to be a better way, but I'm not sure what it is.

tinypossum

on Nov 2, 2011 at 2:01 PM

I'm with you! My oldest started K this year and I find another fundraising scheme in his backpack DAILY. I'm all for helping out and I buy what I can, but some of this stuff is ridiculous. They sent home some thing where I could buy a coffee cup with what was probably one of the ugliest pictures he's ever drawn. Last week, it was Christmas wreaths and the bookfair and a something else. I also signed up to volunteer for half a dozen things and haven't heard a word (and I work full-time, so it's not easy to do extra stuff). I think the PTO is fairly cliquish.

I will buy what I can and ask the grandparents to chip in, but I refuse to harrass my co-workers or neighbors with all this stuff.

Facebook comment from Kristin Brooks- Cristoforo

on Nov 2, 2011 at 2:12 PM

I can't stand it either. I have three kids in elementary school and it is CONSTANT. I would rather write a check for $100.00 for the whole school year for all three kids (not each) and send it in rather then worry about all those pizza kits, entertainment books, cookies, etc.....what a PITA!!!! lol

Facebook comment from Crystal Rider

My oldest is in preschool. They have had a book fair, a spring carnival where I had to donate food items and volunteered to help the class. A holoween party where I had to purchase small holloween items like fake spider rings ect... That stuff adds up. Now today she brought home the scholastic papers for another book fair. And a paper for the christmas canned food drive.

Its a tough ecomony for us all and I have 3 lil ones to christmas shop for. I cannot afford all this stuff.

Facebook comment from Liz Muia Frost

on Nov 2, 2011 at 2:17 PM

Oh yeah. The weekly Scholastic flyer. Tons of PTSA fundraisers. And then the teacher emails parents about stuff the class needs on about a weekly basis. It sucks. Funding keeps getting cut and programs are lost. The library is entirely funded by donations. Parent volunteers come to class to help teach art. Did you see Gregoire's budget cut alternatives list? It's atrocious. And we're lucky enough to be in a rather affluent school district. I can't imagine what it's like in poorer districts. :-/

Facebook comment from Nikki Hunter

on Nov 2, 2011 at 2:18 PM

This method has been used for at least the last 20 years. I remember doing these fundraisers when I was a kid and I'm dreading when/if my son starts kindergarten and having to do them again. (though they do make good Christmas gifts.

Facebook comment from Kathryn Griffin Knight

on Nov 2, 2011 at 2:20 PM

I wouldn't mind so much if #1 I got a report from teh school telling me what they are raising funds for and #2 how much they are paying the "fundraising companies' for their products/services. I think most parents would rather donate an extra $50/year rather than sell a bunch of useless crap.

Facebook comment from Maria Guerrero

on Nov 2, 2011 at 2:21 PM

I understand the fundraising nightmare..helping your school raise funds is important however it's the frivolous spending that is sometimes seen throughout the schools that makes me cringe and how PTA's funds are sometimes used for "non-educational" needs but if you say something, you feel helpless because it's your child's school. I completely agree with the volunteering issue, it's a shame when you offer to volunteer and when they get around to getting back at you, they expect you to help where they want you not for what you "volunteered" for...another issue for example is our city's budget crunching methods of putting together a volunteer program to replace the city's crossing guard program..can you imagine leaving our children in the hands of a parent volunteer (let's open our pocket books and quit our jobs too?? when is enough, enough?