Those of you with kids in public school, especially if they are involved in any activities; have probably run up against this problem.

I hate fund raisers!! The kids bring home these flyers and are supposed to ask family, etc... to buy this overpriced junk. I flat out refuse to allow Jessie to participate in these types of fund raisers, instead, grilling the activity sponser about the use of the money and how much she is expected to "earn"; then writing a check if I feel the cause is ok. I've had sponsers tell Jes that she isn't a team player - after I got done talking to them; they didn't have problem one with her not "participating". ("It's a learning experience" - I prefer my daughter NOT learn to be a con man, thankyouverymuch!)

So anyway, (now that I'm done ranting!) does anyone have any ideas for non-offensive fund raisers? We've had a car wash this summer and we can have a bake sale in the school lobby every Friday am if we want (teachers bought more muffins than the kids!). I suggested a big babysitting party for the day after Thanksgiving, so we may try that. If Sis gets cheerleading again next year, I'm going to plant a big patch of pumpkins and the girls can paint them and sell them at home football games.

Any other ideas?? All ideas gratefully appreciated! Thanks!

-- Polly (tigger@moultrie.com), August 23, 2000

Answers

Polly, this would work for me (like when I used to work in an office and get asked to buy giftwrap and chocolate bars all the time). I would just pay out "protection money"! Like: "How much can I pay you to leave me alone for the rest of the year?!" For those of us who cringe and then go somewhat ballistic every time we get asked this question, it might be effective.

Otherwise, folks could get everyone involved in the political process to support their public schools, get accountability to where it should be, etc., and the schools might support themselves! :) Am I dreaming??? Sorry....couldn't resist this reply! I'll behave! you did say "all ideas"!

-- sheepish (rborgo@gte.net), August 23, 2000.

How about "learn a thons"? Let the kids get sponsors for reading or something of the sort. Sponsors pledging just a penny a page would ad up to a lot and parents wouldn't be "buying junk" instead they would be investing in the childrens education. A plus to this is that parents and kids could talk over the books read for the fundraiser over dinner. I suggested reading as an example, I have seen teachers take this toward science, history, ag , etc.

-- Jay Blair (jayblair678@yahoo.com), August 23, 2000.

Have you thought about a Tupperware fundraiser? We did one & it worked out great because it was stuff people could actually use. I believe you get 45 or 50% of the profit from your sales.

-- Wendy (weiskids@yahoo.com), August 23, 2000.

Cookbooks and candybars .Both are reasonable in price 1 tastes good , the other well who could resist a cookbook.

-- Patty Gamble (fodfarms@slic.com), August 23, 2000.

You might try a yard sale, with the entire community contributing goods. Our church mens' group did this several years ago and it was the biggest success. They went out and picked up all the donations the Friday before, and held it Saturday in the parking lot. The first time you do it, you'll get some great donations. After that, all the good stuff is gone and you're down to everyday stuff. Good luck.

-- Melina Bush (goatgal1@juno.com), August 23, 2000.

One church youth group that I know of sold fund-raiser insurance. You could buy insurance, $150, and would receive a card stating you had purchased the F.R.I. You could then show the card anytime someone asked you to contribute - you were safe for the whole year.

The senior class here in town had a raffle last spring for $100 gift certificate to the local grocery store. (It was actually my idea and even though we homeschool I bought 5 tickets!) They ended up making about $700. They said it was the best fund-raiser they ever had.

-- Vaughn (vdcjm5@juno.com), August 23, 2000.

I agree about being tired of getting asked for handouts for every activity kids want to get involved in. Almost every weekend there are people standing with buckets at intersections, asking for handouts. It seems to me if people (kids) would just go mow a lawn, or babysit, or find a useful chore to do, they could actually earn the money much quicker than begging for it. Plus they would learn that such activities come at a personal price. I've got lessons and activities for my own kids to pay for; why should I help send someone else's kid to cheerleading (basketball, football, debate, band, ?) camp? Guess you found (one of) my pet peeves!!

-- glynnis in KY (gabbycab@msn.com), August 24, 2000.

The band here sold brooms for $5. I don't know the source. They also sold barbequed chicken from the parking lot of a friendly furniture store. They always sold out before the demand ended. Another school we attended sent the kids out with trash bags to sell. They were a total sell out also. The real trick, I believe, is to get an item that people can actually use or want, not another set of high priced candy or yet another candle promotion.

-- GReen (ratdogs10@yahoo.com), August 24, 2000.

I HATED those fund raisers, and I refused to let my kids participate in them. However, they did work the parking lots(ours is a tourist town, and tourists could park in the highschool parking lots on the weekend for a modest fee, and the funds would go to the band). I LIKE the rummage sale idea!

-- Leann Banta (thelionandlamb@hotmail.com), August 24, 2000.

I agree with Sheepish! My daughter homeschools /they don't ask for donations! And I'm really tired of someone at my door or worse hitting my hubby up AT WORK/ for donations all the time!!!!! We have had some one with their hand out every week we had a business open to the public!!!! Every organization would come with their hand out to our small business--but shopped at Walmart!!!!! Polly, I totally agree with you---then if you don't want your child to sell the "junk" they usually have to sell--your child is downcast by the sponsors! You can't win! White elephant auctions have worked well for fund raisers when we needed money --all the people involved had a fund raiser supper(like pasta meal) then had white elephant auction & we got it all over with in a short time--with supper & an auction/ & made good money! Have to have somewhere to have the meal--we got donations for the food for the meal--the kids & parents prepared the meal / served it & everone brought a white elephant for the auction after the meal.(got a local auctioneer who had an interest to auction things off) We had some great white elephants--like homebaked goodies/ to antiques/ to you name it. Best wishes--thank you for thinking of someway that we don't have one more precious child at our door asking us to buy something more--how do you say no to the child? Sonda in Ks.

-- Sonda (sgbruce@birch.net), August 24, 2000.

My husband was a band director and every year we ran a fundraiser that the entire town loved. The kids cleaned up the town! They solicited pledges from people ahead of time, so much money per large trash bag. Even only a few pennies added up. Some paid a dollar a bag. Remember, this is multiple pledges per bag!

The students went thru the town in teams with a parent and a pickup truck. The local trash department would place a large dumpster in the school parking lot ahead of time. As the students brought in the trash, other parents would count, credit and tabulate how many bags each student brought in. The students were not allowed to pick up trash that was already in dumpsters or cans. This had to be loose trash blowing about. Also, each team was assigned an area and could not move into another area until my husband was sure the first was clean. Empty lots always had alot of trash. Even the ones that looked clean from the street. The edges of town were prime sites as well, so he carefully spread those areas out. Sometimes a team would come upon a dumping ground, large tires etc, then he estimated bags.

The first time we tried this, the kids and parents complained that we lived in a clean town, and the local waste management only brought the smallest dumpster. We filled that in the first hour! No one was in the office, so the local police contacted them and demanded the largest dumpster. We always got the large size after that.

Even in 'clean' towns, it was surprising how much trash was recovered. Many of his students completely paid for their band trips, including food and spending money, with this one fundraiser.

The community always had a positive response with this one and would bend over backwards to help one of his band kids.

The beauty of this fundraiser is that every area needs to be cleaned every year. I know service groups do clean ups however, they never get it all and there is nothing as effecient as a high school kid getting paid and having a contest. The team with the most bags recieved a pizza party.

The best time of year is the spring and fall.

From having run numerous fundraisers, I really hate them and refuse to support them unless there is a worthy reason or the funraiser contributes something to the community or to the students knowledge or well being. I have worked with too many parasites that earn their living by getting kids to sell candy bars, wrapping paper etc.

Another good funraiser is a sphagetti dinner and auction. The sauce can be donated by a local resturant and local businesses and others donate goods and services for the auction. This is advertisment for them. I always donate a month's free music lessons. It is surprising the skills, talents, services and goods that people will offer. Get creative. People think they have nothing to offer when they may actually be highly skilled and just undervalue their own contribution. This one also brings a community together and allows people to become friends on new levels. Good luck!

-- Cheryl Cox (bramblecottage@hotmail.com), August 24, 2000.

Funny this should come up. I was discussing this very subject the other day with a friend. Yes, the "beggars" really frost my cookies. And it's every weekend, just different groups.Now, don't get me wrong, I support the fundraisers. That is, when they take the initiative to come knocking on my door, with something in exchange for my money. Hoagies are a big seller around here. They find a baker to make the rolls, grocers and chain stores to donate the meat and cheese and the parents and students form an assembly line to make the hoagies. Take orders one weekend, deliver the next. Fundraisers are, unfortunately, a fact of life nowadays. What with all the budget cuts to the schools, it's either fundraisers or no extra-curricuilar(?) activities.

Around here, they have Booster" clubs, parents who's sole purpose is to help raise money and/or awareness and support for their individual sport or activity. These are the people manning the snack bar/concession stand, selling pop in the warm months, and coffee, hot chocolate,pizza and hot dogs in the cooler months.

I was so relieved when my youngest child, Brian, graduated this summer. Between him and his 2 sisters, I've been a "fundraiser" for 25 years!! I can finally relax. No, wait. My grandaughter starts Kindergarten today. Well, at least now I'll be the "easy sale" as opposed the the "seller". LOL

Y'all take care. Back to lurkin' John

-- John D. in Pa. (mrmopar@penn.com), August 24, 2000.

I homeschool so I have a hard time not feeling put out by a government funded school asking me for more money than I spend on my own children. But, around here they have come up with an idea that I think is pretty good because unlike most fundraisers it benefits the person who buys. Someone (?) has gone around to the local merchants and have gotten them to agree to offer certain discounts, free food, etc. to anyone who holds a "smart card".

These smart cards are credit card size plastic cards with the merchants offers listed on them. To get your benefit, you simply show your card when in their establishment. Most require an additional purchase but all stipulations are listed on the card.

The cards are sold for $8-$10. I saw on the paper the student had that the school gets $5 out of the $8 and the classroom teacher got $3 of that. I figure I can get $8 of benefit out of it in a year's time.

Kathy :-)

-- Kathy (DavidWH6@juno.com), August 24, 2000.

Don't y'all pay school taxes? Why are the students supposed to raise money? Let the schools get by on the tax money.

-- Joe Cole (jcole@apha.com), August 24, 2000.

The high school here allows classes to sponsor dances several times a year to raise money (minus a modest fee for the use of the gym). Baked goods seem to go over well at these events. Our town has a fall festival and the junior class is going to have a booth and sell baked goods from a commercial bakery. We are still working out the details on that, but the manager at this bakery says if we put in a request the company may donate their product, otherwise we'll purchase name brand goods at their thrift store. Auctions are big here too and a popular fundraising tool, as are craft fairs, especially around the holidays. Carwashes are always popular during warm weather. We live in a rural, economically depressed area so the commercial, glitzy, overpriced fundraisers just don't work here.

-- Anne Tower (bbill@wtvl.net), August 25, 2000.

With a daughter in honor society and class president and a cheerleader son who needs big bucks to cheer at the Nationals each year, fundraising and booster clubs are a way of life here. Our biggest moneymakers are candy. Now this is door to door sales, but the majority of the sales happen right at school and for us on the school bus, with candy bars selling for 50 cents each, less than can be found in the junk machines. Don't go the chocolate route during the summer heat. Big time sales. You can further your sales by making up your own boxes and buying your candy yourself in bulk instead of going through the promotional/professional sales route. Also does your local Wallmart have matching funds? Ours do in all towns around us, so put on a huge carwash, mandatory that parents also work part of the day for the kids to get credit, and then Wallmart will match your funds dollar for dollar. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), August 25, 2000.

Our school does really well with Tricky Trays. They are also called Chinese Auctions. People, stores, companies donate trays (ours are usually worth $25 each) People come and buy tickets to win certain trays. We raised $3,900 our last time out.

-- Dee (gdgtur@goes.com), August 27, 2000.

We have seen the cheap products that are overpriced and useless. This has given us a bad rap...we use the highest quality of natural body lotion and pure fragrance to market our scented Elder Flower Body Lotion as a fund raiser. The products are wonderful and the majority of our customers are with us for life after trying them. These products have been highly successful as fund raiser...everyone loves them!

-- Mary Landis (renaissa@tampabay.rr.com), April 30, 2001.

I'm with you on these ridiculous fund raisers. We don't particpate in them. Our school sells commercial, unimaginative, overpriced, and even unhealthy items. I like the idea of raising money in a more ethical manner--selling useful and positive items that are fairly priced. It would be nice, too, to bring recycling into the picture instead of selling more new stuff that people don't need.

What about a plant sale at the school (buy them wholesale and resell-- no selling overpriced bulbs which our school does every Spring) or a school rummage sale (sure, it's other people's junk but people love rummage sales!). I also like the idea of a used book sale where people donate books.

-- amy (acook@in4web.com), May 01, 2001.

WOW! I thought I was the only one down on school fund-raisers. The worst part is when the school has some special gimmick for 100% class participation. If everyone in the class dosen't sell something the whole class misses out on the treat.

I like to support our schools extra efforts, but also like to know what they are spending the money on. Last year it was new play ground equipment, OK fine here's my check.

I don't donate over the phone or in the mail either, for the very same reason, don't know where the money goes.

Our school has an annual auction and dinner. Businesses from around town donate items to be auctioned off, and every class makes something also. Last year, my daughters class took an unfinished pine trunk and painted it with the alphabet, bible verse, hand prints and so on. It was real cute, and sold really well.

For other ideas, our 4-H club cleans up after ETI shows. They get paid $150, and there is a show the first Sunday of every month. We also help out with a guy in a neighboring town that has quarterly dog shows. The kids are runners and sell drinks. I don't remember how much they get for that.

Hope these suggestions help.

-- jennifer (schwabauer@aol.com), May 01, 2001.

Well I was thinking about the same thing with my daughter involved in sports and the feilds they play on are in terrible shape and our taxes keep going up and nothing is done so, I was thinking and came up with a good idea to generate $20,000 into the school atletic funds and I am going to do it every year here, it has taken a lot of work and more to be done. I am having a country music festival, small time bands right now, but eventually it will get bigger. I am starting a small business with this idea. I do all the work and you get all the profits. I take a very small portion of it. I live in central Pa, so if you are in PA some where drop me a line... Ken

-- Ken Wolford (kwolford@cub.kcnet.org), July 23, 2001.

Ken, here in Texas the school atheletic fund is football. Even with our booster clubs for the other sports and cheer, if we were to follow the letter of the law, all our fundraising monies would go through the atheltic fund, then back to us "if they deemed it needed". Think they would give us our funds back? Even though our cheerleaders were 11th at Nationals, the only atheletic group at our school that won, regionals, state and then Nationals. We have two All American guys on our squad one who has been All American two years running (my son), think his photo is up on the wall of fame in the gym? Make sure your money is ear marked for something that will help your daughter, and not new uniforms for the guys! Go to the office and get a copy of the schools rules on fund raisers, or your daughter may never reap the benefits of your monies raised. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), July 23, 2001.

I think people should decide what they want their children involved in, and budget for it accordingly, just like anything else. Field trips, though, should be paid for by the school if it is part of the educational experience, period. Check your state constitution, if it says "free public education" somewhere, point it out to your school officials and watch them hem and haw. If yours tries to ask for donations for this type of thing, and you donate, make sure you get a receipt for your taxes.

I have even seen it where schools ask for the parents to donate (or even charge admission) at band/choir concerts. "Excuse me, I HAD to bring my child to this evening's performance because his/her grade depended on it--to me this is merely an extension of the school day, and I believe parents are not usually charged admission to visit the school." Are they going to start charging for "open house" and teacher's conferences (with the parents) next? Good grief. You are right in trying to find out the "true cost" of participation instead of letting them railroad you into throwing money away. You very often not only don't know where the money is going, but can't find out, either.

It is awful to see parents just cave in to the schools on fundraising these days. Half the time, if you saw where the money really went, or the ROI (return on investment) on some of the products the kids are selling (like 50%) for these companies, you'd be plenty mad.

If I wanted my kids to learn to be obnoxious, whiny, and that really important skill "how to alienate every friend you ever had", I'd put them in (your favorite (ha!) annoying network marketing outfit).

Also please note that if your children were doing this as a job they would be paid for it. These companies aren't dumb--they're taking advantage of your children (and you too if you're peddling this junk at work). No workman's comp, no insurance, no nothing. Your child gets injured or killed while doing this, you think these companies are going to come through for you--think again.

I do have a suggestion for non-obnoxious fundraising--car wash by appointment. If the school, or business or church is letting your group use their property (remember there are liability issues here), write down their water meter reading when you begin and when you end, and pay at their rate out of your profits. not only do the kids get an idea of what hard work is, they also get the idea of the true cost of doing business, which is often totally neglected when you're trying to get donations (begging, let's be honest here) for everything.

The appointment part refers to setting this up as a weekly or monthly "thing" at church or at the school, so that people can count on it being there at a certain place and time. Sell tickets with appt times on them so that you don't get overbooked.

So that people don't have to do a lot of driving in and out (my pet peeve with children running all over the place), you might want to do a bucket brigade (have people save buckets that used to contain dishwasher or laundry soap) with a shopping cart/flat cart. 1 bucket soapy water, 2-3 buckets (or more depending on size of vehicle--can charge a bit more for larger vehicles) of clean rinse water.

Another idea would be to learn to make really good bake sale items-- croissants, napoleons, cream puffs with real cream, etc. Or instead of the usual pancake breakfasts, make really good ethnic dishes.

Hope these ideas help.

-- GT (nospam@nospam.com), August 19, 2001.

hey everyone! I am president of my class and i was just looking for an easy fundraiser to do so we can raise money for prom and i got some pretty godo ideas thanks! but I do have an easy idea i want to share with yall! we call it 'duck' its where u get a duck decoy or even a home made sign would work and u place it in someone's yard and they have to pay to get it out! most people will contribute and pay like $5 but you move it no matter what they pay ($5 or a pennny) its a donation thing and its kinda fun to do!!!!! ( i mean if the people are gonna be that upset a/b it being in there yard they could always remove it themselves! but most will pay a little bit!!well if u have any ideas that might help me then email me!! Nicky!

-- Nicky Treadway (jbuam@hotmail.com), August 27, 2001.

Check out Chinaberry.com for a great book fundraising idea. They have been in business for a long time by mail order.

-- Anne (HealthyTouch101@wildmail.com), August 27, 2001.

Some of our easiest and best fundraisers that PROMOTED FAMILY TIME were the occasional pizza and bingo nights. Pizza's delivered with a bulk discount from pizza hut or somesuch. Pieces of pizza and can of soda sold for $1 each. Bingo cards were donated for the night by a local church. Bingo cards were bought for a $1 a card which you could use all night (if you chose to).

This was easy because partents didn't have to cook ( and neither did we since we had it brought in). We only ordered enough pizza to stay a little ahead (e.g. they kept delivering when needed)--that way we didn't over spend or end up with lots of leftovers.

You could also have a bake sale in the back because sweets would be wanted afterwards.

-- Ann Markson (tngreenacres@hotmail.com), August 27, 2001.