My child, who has been a bit glum due to the rigors of first grade, came home from school the other day unusually excited. When asked what made her day so special, she told me that the school had an assembly that day. Hoping for some fabulous science wizard-type demonstration, I was deflated to hear her spout off a long list of prizes she could win during an upcoming school fundraiser. Ugh. She then pulled from her backpack catalogs and instructions and order forms, oh my.
This is my second year of dealing with the dreaded school fundraisers at our school and my list of grievances include:
- The assembly time that is used to tempt our children with prizes could be used for learning in their classrooms. (I wasn't given an option for my child to not participate, which is as frustrating.)
- The competition stirred up at school leaves children with expectations that they can realistically win a limo ride or a new video gaming system, setting up their parents (who actually sell the products) to disappoint them in the end.
- The incentive prizes—erasers, plastic rubber ducks— are junk, and much like the McDonald's meal toys, I cringe when they enter my house.
- I don't want the stuff, and I don't want to push it on my friends and family.
I know the schools need additional funds to provide the quality education that we've come to expect, but there must be a way to raise money without irritating parents. I think that if school fundraising was less aggravating, I might participate more, and perhaps donate more. While the fundraising regulars such as candy, fruit, and wrapping paper are still around, there are more options available for organizations that need to raise money, and some are quite a bit more palatable.
Label Hoarding
Many schools encourage families to participate in collection fundraising programs, such as General Mills Box Tops for Education and Campbell's Labels for Education. However, according to a report by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), the actual rewards earned by the school are minimal compared to the cost of the products that families buy.
“To earn a digital camcorder, a school would have to collect 27,850 Campbell's product labels,” the report stated. “At $1.20 per can of soup, families would have to spend $33,420 on products for the school to earn a $300 camcorder." The report also states that 80 percent of the eligible products are of poor nutrition, and thus the program does not encourage healthy eating.
Shop & Earn
Some successful fundraisers are the grocery store club cards. By signing up, parents can spend as usual at their grocery store and still earn money for their child's school. Some participating local stores are Giant Food, Harris Teeter, Safeway and Target.
Grant Writing
Teachers and school administrators already know this: there's grant money available if you have the time and energy to go after it. Writing proposals for educational grants takes research, planning and time. By pooling the talents and power of school parents, the school could win equipment and funds for some fantastic educational programs.
Got Junk?
The company Funding Factory pays cash and rewards for recycled products, such as ink and laser cartridges, cell phones, MP3 players and laptop computers. Recycling Fundraiser offers $25-$300 for digital cameras, MP3 players, cell phones and laptops. Organizations earn money to support their programs and keep recyclable waste out of the landfills.
Clothing collections, such as Friendship Used Clothing Collection, allow organizations to either host a clothing drive for a short-term fundraiser, or place a clothing collection shed on their property for items to be picked up as the shed is filled. The company sorts the clothes and provides the organization with money earned from the collection. These clothes go back into the community where they are needed, and the effort provides an important lesson to students about giving, helping others and being thankful for what they have.
(Fill-in-the-blank)-A-Thons
Some of the best fundraisers are the ones that do not ask you to buy anything. The "thons", such as Read-a-thons, Ride-a-thons, Jump-a-thons and Run-a-thons, ask for monetary donations based on how much the child can read or exercise during a given time period. One particular read-a-thon awarded prizes, such as a grade-level appropriate book to each participant, and "reading dollars" to spend at their upcoming school book fair. That's something I can put my money behind.
Just Ask
Sometimes schools overlook the obvious and get caught up in these complicated fundraising efforts. If schools just asked for help, many parents would provide financial assistance. Some schools have tried to forgo traditional fundraisers that require parents to sell products by trying to get every parent to join their PTO for a nominal membership fee. Often, parents will donate money to help others join that might not have the funds. Asking for donations feels like a much more honest way of earning much-needed money.
As for this year’s fundraiser, I’m taking some advice from friends: I’m trashing the catalogs and sending a check to the PTO. Whew, I feel better.
