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So timely for me. I was sure now that my youngest was in college, my fundraising days were behind me. But today he called and told me he needed 10 addresses to send letters to asking for donations to his rugby team. Honestly, college kids should be capable of running a decent fundraiser without hitting up relatives. According to my son, it won't be held against him if none of his names contribute, so I will send emails letting his aunts and uncles know that.
My neighbors were always good about supporting my kids when they had to sell coupon books, so I reciprocate. But, $30.00 for about 10 ounces of popcorn for cub scouts? C'mon, give me some value at least. I may be in the minority, but I liked the wrapping paper. It was high quality stuff, and if you picked the right pattern, one roll would wrap a boatload of holiday gifts.
When I had two boys playing HS football, they each had to sell 20 coupon books at $20 each BEFORE tryouts. I wrote out 2 $400 checks, but I wasn't very happy about it.
Repeat after me: "I am tremendously sorry, but because of the terrible state of the economy we are unable to help you at this time."
Unless they are selling Girl Scout cookies. Then it's, "I'll take six boxes of thin mints, please."
GS Cookies are highly overrated. You can find cookies just as good or better for half the price.
As for people that harrass me to buy the crap their kids are selling for school, I simply say "no thanks" and if they keep pushing I say "what part of no didn't you understand?"
I would like to know what is the deal with harassing your friends and coworkers into donating money or buying stuff for your child's school. Frankly I am getting burned out on it.
I have people on FB who I am quite sure make more money than I do bothering me about this... why can't they open their wallets and pay out of their own pockets?
I pay taxes, so I feel I am doing more than my part to help out schools. Why do parents ask me, a childless person, for my support instead of asking each other?
And the most important question: what is the most polite way I can ask people to stop bugging me with this? Right now I just ignore them... just received the 3rd request to order some fricking magazines to help raise funds for an exclusive private school.
Well #1 I feel your pain. I used to feel the same way. This is the first year I have a child in school, and I had no idea that half the kids in school area are at or below the poverty level and the school is broke. So I now find myself brainstorming on ways to make the school money.
If these children are in a wealthy private school I would respond to the parents in 1 of 2 ways. 1 would be "I'm very sorry, but I don't believe in fundraisers. I don't participate because I don't need the over priced items being sold and I don't believe in companies making a buck off the back off innocent children" or you could go really bold and say "No thank you, and by the way, why is your wealthy private school raising funds? Don't they make enough in tuition?"
Prefer a bake sale or a car wash or something like that if they must,
Oh, I hope neither of those come up! My daughter's cheer team did a bake sale this year. Out of 8 girls, 2 moms were "busy", one mom showed up but said that it was "too hot" for her daughter (but not ours? The bake sale was HER idea!) and another showed up but her daughter sat in a chair the whole time whining that she was bored. Meanwhile, my daughter, who has completed many GS Cookie booth sales was upfront and center. In the first shift, all 4 moms assigned showed (one girl missing) - they made $150. The second shift was my daughter and the whiner. This on top of 4 hours of baking.
We came away with $500 total. When the coach kept going on and on about the great "team effort", and decided that instead of her "most spirit award" for ONE girl, she was treating them all to ice cream (from the team fund) for doing such a super job. It really ticked me off - next year, we won't be participating.
Prefer a bake sale or a car wash or something like that if they must,
Oh, I hope neither of those come up! My daughter's cheer team did a bake sale this year. Out of 8 girls, 2 moms were "busy", one mom showed up but said that it was "too hot" for her daughter (but not ours? The bake sale was HER idea!) and another showed up but her daughter sat in a chair the whole time whining that she was bored. Meanwhile, my daughter, who has completed many GS Cookie booth sales was upfront and center. In the first shift, all 4 moms assigned showed (one girl missing) - they made $150. The second shift was my daughter and the whiner. This on top of 4 hours of baking.
We came away with $500 total. When the coach kept going on and on about the great "team effort", and decided that instead of her "most spirit award" for ONE girl, she was treating them all to ice cream (from the team fund) for doing such a super job. It really ticked me off - next year, we won't be participating.
Yeah, my off the top of the head suggestion might not be very practical. I just prefer the product to some of the other "professional fund raising ideas" if you know what I mean. Really, is how I feel about the kids doing ANY fund-raising. I truly wish that our children were not encouraged to do this.
The absolute best fundraiser any of my kids ever had to do was a raffle where the number of tickets was limited, and the prize was cold, hard cash. That wasn't difficult to sell at all, but it required a gambling permit.
Put me in the corner with those not impressed buy GS cookies. I don't like them, and at $3.50 for 15 cookies, I won't buy them in front of the grocery store.
Lately the public schools around me aren't even selling anything. They are holding walk-a-thons. I just commit to a certain amount, and I'm done with it.
I had no idea that so many parents find it annoying too and feel they don't have much of a choice in the matter... maybe I'll lighten up on the bad thoughts and stink eye looks.
Didn't read the whole thread but heres my 2 cents and experience.
When I was little my dad took girl scout cookies and mally's candy to work. He had alot of younger guys in his factory who might not get girl scout cookies other wise. And sometimes they would ask for it, knowing he had two daughters. I remember we used to do magazines too and my mom was a big magazine reader so she ended up filling subscriptions for both me and my sister and we both ended up getting all the weebles (if you sold a magazine you got a weeble which was basically a pom pom thing on a rubberband with eyes). I remember I wont $80 in first grade because I had all the weebles and they drew my name.
However in high school you could pay a fee to get out of selling Mally's Candy and my mom GLADLY paid it. However I do remember slipping my friends a dollar once in a while to buy a candy bar because I really wanted one. 60 bars? No. Just 1.
At the place I worked last year I swear we where having a bake sale every week. And I didn't mind it they where like 50 Cents for a cupcake but most of them where bought. I don't mind buying ONE candy bar or THREE boxes of girl scout cookies but sometimes I feel like it's almost a life savings investment in things like wrapping paper and magazine subscriptions.
And the most important question: what is the most polite way I can ask people to stop bugging me with this? Right now I just ignore them... just received the 3rd request to order some fricking magazines to help raise funds for an exclusive private school.
Quote:
Originally Posted by OngletNYC
Why ask me 3 times?
If I didn't donate the 1st request, and I didn't donate the 2nd request, I feel it is harassment to ask me a 3rd time.
You received three requests because you didn't respond.
Some people can't get the hint and assume you just idn't see the email or message.
If you don't want to participate in fundraisers, just say so.
Tell them you can't afford to buy from everyone's fundraisers so you've decided to only buy from your neice.
Or something.
Just say anything.
Not responding obviously isn't working for you.
As a parent and a coworker, I hated fundraisers from both sides.
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I just prefer the product to some of the other "professional fund raising ideas" if you know what I mean. Really, 
is how I feel about the kids doing ANY fund-raising.
