Dealing with School Fundraisersby Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger 12 Sep 2008 11:25 AM
We have a policy at home that we don't sell any of the fundraiser items to friends, family or neighbors. We don't think it is a good lesson to teach our children to ask people to buy something every few weeks or to pay for overpriced goods. The problem comes when they hold prize rallies and get the kids all pumped up over winning a single peanut butter cup or a set of erasers for selling products totaling into the hundreds of dollars. Sometimes, kids are left out if they don't sell, such as when the class has a pizza party for anyone who has participated. Here are some tips on how to get through it all without guilt and while still helping the school. Ask if you can make a donation directly to the school instead. You'll spend less money and give the school more profit. Be aware that sending a check may still leave your child out of the "participation" party or prizes. Offer to fundraise with your time. Find out what the fundraised money will be used for and see if there is a way you and or your family can help with the project. If you must buy something, try to make it a practical purchase and help someone else at the same time, such as donating that magazine subscription to the library, a community organization or a shelter. Participate in voluntary projects that don't require product purchases, such as collecting box tops and labels. Look into new opportunities for the school, such as recycling paper (our school gets money for each pound) or aluminum. Sit down with your kids and allocate a budget for fundraising throughout the year. Let them choose what you purchase with that budget. Once the money has been allocated, there are no more purchases. How do you make school fundraisers a bit more frugal? Click here for more articles by Mary Ann Romans. Is It Cost Effective to Bring a School Lunch? Preschoolers and ADHD Research
Just look to the right of this blog and find the subscription center (it looks just like this picture, although you'll have to find the "real" one just above the category listing ). Click on "Subscribe via Email". You'll be instantly subscribed and the email address that you registered at Families.com with will receive an instant notification whenever we post a new Frugal Living Blog! Don't miss a thing - subscribe now! Learn more about Mary Ann Romans  Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat. Relevantfrugal tags User Comments  sunflowersweetie75 (222) 12 Sep 2008 11:41 AMI agree - no kids yet but all the girls in my office are constantly pushing one thing or another - overpriced chocolates, the cookie dough, wrapping paper, or something monogrammed. Great ideas on how to get the kids involved in the fundraising without gouging everyone....I would love to hear how others have conquered the same issue. Samual (11722) 12 Sep 2008 12:36 PMWe don't have anything like that in the UK. Here fundraisers are selling home made cakes during a fete at the school, or having a raffle.  Mary Ann Romans |
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