How do you feel about…

[Spiky Bugger]

…children’s fundraising?

ICYMI, I hate USING kids to solicit funds for stuff that (I feel) we, as a country of allegedly civilized people should be DELIGHTED to pay taxes to pay for. Like medical services for kids with cancer.

And, as a former (it was VERY short-lived tenure) Sales Director for a Girl Scout venue, back when the cookies sold for $2.00/box and the cute little sales girls‘ troops got only 25¢ a box, and the office staff was wined and dined by the competing bakeries and staff helped themselves to CASES of cookies to take home…back then…my dislike turned to detesting the whole mess.

THAT SAID…how do you feel about receiving something like this, with the name of a kid you know/are related to, but sent by a professional firm?



The first email? The second? The third? (It‘s the company doing this, not the kids.)

I’m so old, a fundraising goal of $500 means to me you DO something, wash cars, mow lawns, take out the widowed lady’s trash cans…to EARN it your own damned self. A goal of begging for $500 is not impressive to me.

Am I the only one?

 

[southernlady]

No, you aren’t the only one.

 

[Spiky Bugger]

Good.

I thought I was ONLY annoyed because the kid’s grandma…my cousin, my age… has SEVERAL million dollars and could just write a check. I sat next to her as she wrote a check for a new Lexus, so $500 shouldn’t be a problem.


Senile Flashback Time:

When MiniSue’s impossible German teacher wanted them all to sell $X worth of candy for the German Club, we had a bit of a conversation:
Me: What is your goal for this fundraiser? In dollars?
Frau: [She told me, but I don’t remember. Let’s make up a number.] $500.
Me: And how many members are there in the German Club?
Frau: [Let’s make up another number.]. There are 52 students in the club.
Me: So, $500 divided by 52 is a bit less than $10 per student. Here is a check for $15. Trust me…we’ll both benefit from this approach.

She hated me almost as much as she hated my kid*. But she wasn’t stupid. She took the check.



*She hated MiniSue because she did not apply herself, at all, still got Bs on tests, won prizes for both original poetry and in the short story competition in a county-wide German Field Day Competition and Frau’s favorite kiss-ass student didn't even make it to the final round.

MY final straw was when Frau saw MiniSue, after school, hanging around to audition for a part in the upcoming musical, Frau kind of yelled out, in front of all the other students, that MiniSue had no business trying to participate in a play when she COULD be getting As in German if she merely applied herself.

We had a bit of a meeting over that, too…a meeting that her union rep thought maybe he ought to attend as well. A meeting where I randomly threw in a word or two with German roots, making Frau crazier than usual. When I used the word “angst,” Frau audibly gasped…lol

 

[k9ophile]

THAT SAID…how do you feel about receiving something like this, with the name of a kid you know/are related to, but sent by a professional firm?

I haven't received too many solicitations of any kind. When I do, it depends on the relationship I have with the kid and the reason for funding. At least In theory. Many, many years ago, in my elementary school, the fifth graders sold flower and vegetable seeds. The money raised was use to pay for a field trip to the Toledo Zoo when we were in sixth grade. Many, many years ago, it was the rare person in our neighborhood that didn't have a garden. If your kid wasn't selling seeds, you bought them from a neighbor. The annual school social was more difficult as every grade sold tickets. I remember that all the parents participated with the moms making food to sell and the dads doing whatever manly tasks were needed to be done. At least that was truly a community effort.

My dad hated this onus put on the kids. I don't think it was because he wanted higher taxes. He just didn't like kids selling stuff and "bothering" other people.
Remembering how I felt being the lowest seller in my class, I tend to buy things from kids today. I hate it, but the pressure put on kids irritates me. For the sake of my bad memories of being a poor producing child, I might make a minimum purchase if it's something I know I won't use*. However, I do remember one time when a work colleague's kid was selling stuff I could use. I bought quite a bit. I got a cute little hand written note from the kid. His sincerity and honesty me made me laugh. He was truly grateful I bought so much and hoped I would do it again.

* One school engaged a fund raising agency that sold knives. Still shaking my head over that one. Cookie dough or wrapping paper is at least something I would use. Admittedly, it's easier to ignore an email with solicitations than a face-to-face encounter. Even when that face is the kid's parent. I have done straight out donations without buying a product, but only for relatives. Like the time my niece was raising money for her soccer team to go to Europe for soccer tournament. That was, to me, a once in a lifetime opportunity for her to go to Europe. She sent us a souvenir from her trip when she got home. Or I will sponsor a relative with a flat donation for an activity like so much per lap around the school track.

I guess my memories of being a poor fund raiser tends to make me a little more sympathetic to the pressure put on the kids. I really hate it when the kids get prizes based on the amount the kid sells.

 

[talitali]

I'm opposed to this type of fundraising. If a kid is part of an organization and needs to raise funds, they should do the work. I DESPISE when parents bring the catalogs and order forms to work on behalf of their kids. I refuse to support them.

That said, I had a co-worker who had a kid and he would bring him to work and walk him around but the kid had to do all the work. He had to introduce himself to everyone, explain why he was there, what he wanted, and how they could help. When the product came in, he had to come back and deliver all the goods. THAT I can get behind.

 

[Spiky Bugger]

THAT SAID…how do you feel about receiving something like this, with the name of a kid you know/are related to, but sent by a professional firm?

I haven't received too many solicitations of any kind. When I do, it depends on the relationship I have with the kid and the reason for funding. At least In theory. Many, many years ago, in my elementary school, the fifth graders sold flower and vegetable seeds. The money raised was use to pay for a field trip to the Toledo Zoo when we were in sixth grade. Many, many years ago, it was the rare person in our neighborhood that didn't have a garden. If your kid wasn't selling seeds, you bought them from a neighbor. The annual school social was more difficult as every grade sold tickets. I remember that all the parents participated with the moms making food to sell and the dads doing whatever manly tasks were needed to be done. At least that was truly a community effort.

My dad hated this onus put on the kids. I don't think it was because he wanted higher taxes. He just didn't like kids selling stuff and "bothering" other people.
Remembering how I felt being the lowest seller in my class, I tend to buy things from kids today. I hate it, but the pressure put on kids irritates me. For the sake of my bad memories of being a poor producing child, I might make a minimum purchase if it's something I know I won't use*. However, I do remember one time when a work colleague's kid was selling stuff I could use. I bought quite a bit. I got a cute little hand written note from the kid. His sincerity and honesty me made me laugh. He was truly grateful I bought so much and hoped I would do it again.

* One school engaged a fund raising agency that sold knives. Still shaking my head over that one. Cookie dough or wrapping paper is at least something I would use. Admittedly, it's easier to ignore an email with solicitations than a face-to-face encounter. Even when that face is the kid's parent. I have done straight out donations without buying a product, but only for relatives. Like the time my niece was raising money for her soccer team to go to Europe for soccer tournament. That was, to me, a once in a lifetime opportunity for her to go to Europe. She sent us a souvenir from her trip when she got home. Or I will sponsor a relative with a flat donation for an activity like so much per lap around the school track.

I guess my memories of being a poor fund raiser tends to make me a little more sympathetic to the pressure put on the kids. I really hate it when the kids get prizes based on the amount the kid sells.

Come to think of it, I may have been an overachiever as a kid.

I sold a bunch of something and got to ride in the convertible with little Angela Cartwright, who played Danny Thomas’ daughter on his show. I was probably ten years old and she was maybe six and she wanted to impress me by reciting her phone number. A few days later, I called the number and her mom…a very British lady…told me Angela wasn’t supposed to share her phone number and I shouldn't call because it would get Angela in trouble. So I never learned how she liked working and how she remembered all her lines.

But seeds, huh? That could have been a big seller during the pandemic.

 

[JackieOnLine]

One school engaged a fund raising agency that sold knives.

holy moly, that seems like a bad idea.

as a junior high band member I had to sell cases of orange and grapefruit 2 years and bags of salted peanuts one year. I really, really hated it.

the whole thing makes me anxious, just like it did in 7th grade. so I'm not comfortable with it now.

 

[hilary1617]

I know many people believe having children sell things to support their activities teaches them both value and how to politely interact. I'm not so sure and definitely not a fan.

Fundraising more often than not involves some distant commercial enterprise profiting off of kids' backs. I'd rather give $20 to the cause than buy $3 worth of stuff for $20 and have $1 go to the cause and $16 go to some commercial venture across state lines. I mind a lot less if it is supporting a local business e.g. 10% of tonight's profits go to the football team.

The only charity purchase I ever really enjoy is Girl Scout cookies, because Thin Mints. I guess with a blast email, at least the donor isn't stuck with wrapping paper, tchotchkes or excess produce that will end up in landfill. I'd never give a penny in response to that kind of blast marketing. That said, I would likely give if a kid wrote me an email personally.

I hated being forced to sell citrus for band. I felt unsafe knocking on strangers doors and essentially disturbing them at home so I could beg. Ugh. That said, it was fun when we had a carwash or held up "Honk your horn if you like corn" signs to draw in a crowd for a fundraiser barbeque...

 

[talitali]

The only charity purchase I ever really enjoy is Girl Scout cookies, because Thin Mints.

I make faux girl cookies by adding peppermint extract to dipping chocolate (the kind that easily melts and hardens), and then dipping Ritz crackers in it and covering them. You'd think the yellow cracker would taste wrong but it's amazing. I like them better than Girl Scout cookies. For the chocolate, I really like the Ghiradelli dark chocolate dipping pieces.

 

[hilary1617]

I make faux girl cookies by adding peppermint extract to dipping chocolate (the kind that easily melts and hardens), and then dipping Ritz crackers in it and covering them. You'd think the yellow cracker would taste wrong but it's amazing. I like them better than Girl Scout cookies. For the chocolate, I really like the Ghiradelli dark chocolate dipping pieces.

That sounds delicious and I'm going to have to give it a try! I'm guessing the salt in the cracker enhances the flavor nicely.

 

[DianaCox]

When we moved to NoVA in 1988, my daughter was 5, and very very cute - small for her age and very articulate. The public elementary school had a fundraiser selling wrapping paper around October of first grade, and we lived in a small subdivision of about 35 houses that somehow she was the only resident kid in the elementary school, so she had the turf all to herself.

She WANTED to go sell - I tried to talk her out of it, but she wanted to do it, so even though I was working full time and in my first semester of law school at night, we did the selling one weekend. She came up with her own spiel, which was an explanation of what she was selling and for whom, and then at the end, she said “and how much do you want to buy?” She won the prize for the whole school.

Fortunately, she only did selling a few more times, one of which was selling frozen cheesecakes in high school to raise money for a trip to NYC for the choir. Picking up the cheesecakes at the high school by 7pm was the cutoff for my first date with Charles, meeting him at the Border’s Bookstore just down the street from the high school. So I kinda remember that one.

But it was always her choice to do it, and she liked doing it. I hated it and would never have made her do it if she didn’t want to. My son never wanted to and never did.

One bad thing about remote work from a 55+ community is no access to GS cookies …

 

[JackieOnLine]

She came up with her own spiel, which was an explanation of what she was selling and for whom, and then at the end, she said “and how much do you want to buy?” She won the prize for the whole school.

that's wonderful!

 

[Spiky Bugger]

When we moved to NoVA in 1988, my daughter was 5, and very very cute - small for her age and very articulate. The public elementary school had a fundraiser selling wrapping paper around October of first grade, and we lived in a small subdivision of about 35 houses that somehow she was the only resident kid in the elementary school, so she had the turf all to herself.

She WANTED to go sell - I tried to talk her out of it, but she wanted to do it, so even though I was working full time and in my first semester of law school at night, we did the selling one weekend. She came up with her own spiel, which was an explanation of what she was selling and for whom, and then at the end, she said “and how much do you want to buy?” She won the prize for the whole school.

Fortunately, she only did selling a few more times, one of which was selling frozen cheesecakes in high school to raise money for a trip to NYC for the choir. Picking up the cheesecakes at the high school by 7pm was the cutoff for my first date with Charles, meeting him at the Border’s Bookstore just down the street from the high school. So I kinda remember that one.

But it was always her choice to do it, and she liked doing it. I hated it and would never have made her do it if she didn’t want to. My son never wanted to and never did.

One bad thing about remote work from a 55+ community is no access to GS cookies …

In my experience, it’s the Really Big Deal School Assemblies, showing kids how they can win a bicycle that motivates them at least as much as parents. In Scouts, it’s badges and little stuffed animals and tote bags, etc.

But some parents are nuts. We had TWO troops, at the same time, and ONE set of unhappy parents. They decided to move their very special kid* to another troop and wanted the money her cookie sales had generated.

uhm…no.

*At one sleep-over, at a Girl Scout House, there were people outside, peeking in the windows. Guess who.

 

[MsVee]

As a child I sold items for school fundraisers and for our church. My Father hated the idea and always told me to “ try” to make the sales but not to worry because he would buy the rest. I liked selling for the church because in my neighborhood there was very little competitio.

Our church fundraiser was Katydids candy. One neighbor Mr. Koeppel would buy the entire inventory. He was so impressed that i was voluntarily selling for the church. Mr Koeppel would take 1 can of the candy and give me the rest to keep. I think that’s why I liked the church fundraiser one house, five minutes, and free candy!

I hated selling for the school. I was competing with my siblings and all the other kids in the neighborhood. My Mother and Father would take orders from their coworkers to help with sales. Please bear in mind I am one of seven children so school fundraisers were a headache.