I've always hated having to do the fund-raisers for my kid's schools. Especially since this year, they got one the second week of school. So, I take the stuff into work and sell a few things... not a big deal. A few days ago, my oldest brings home a note saying I can pick up the stuff today. I go and get it and my kids look at the prizes that oldest has won. They take out the fiber-optic finger lights from the package to play with and two or three of them fall apart in their hands. Little pieces and batteries (like the kind you buy for watches) go flying all over the kitchen floor. So.. me, both kids and my husband in his suit are on our hands and knees looking for the parts and batteries so our dog doesn't find them and eat them. Batteries will kill if ingested. I think we've found everything and I start looking through my youngest's folder and see that his fund-raiser stuff is ready for pick-up too... TODAY and has to be done by 6pm. I look at the clock and it's 5:36pm. I grab my keys and head over to his school to pick up the stuff with a few minutes to spare.

Gripe #1- why must the prizes be complete crap?? I'd rather opt out of not receiving any prizes because they aren't worth anything and usually end up in the trash by the end of the day.

Gripe #2- why did Patuxent Elem not notify parents a few days ago that items needed to be picked up today?? Why did they wait until the day of the pick-up to let parents know?? God help those parents that don't get home from work until after 6pm. I guess they were SOL with getting their stuff.

With 3 kids in school and two of them in the same school, we did away with those things years ago. Too much a pain in the keister!

I always hated the fundraisers and like you said, the prizes were junk. Thank god mine is in highschool now, no more fund raisers.

I am still into the Sally Foster gift wrap. I've always bought from Deino's kid, but not sure if she's too old this year. So PM me when your kid does the gift wrap fundraiser and I will probably buy!

I am still into the Sally Foster gift wrap. I've always bought from Deino's kid, but not sure if she's too old this year. So PM me when your kid does the gift wrap fundraiser and I will probably buy!

Mine was, until it didn't come home from her Dad's house. Deadline over. :ohwell:

We don't do the stupid school fundraisers. We tell the teachers that if they need something, let us know and we'll see about buying it for them. I'd rather spend $20.00 on school supplies for the classroom than $20.00 on some $3.00 piece of crap candle so the school can get $1.99 in kickback from the candle company.

We don't do the stupid school fundraisers. We tell the teachers that if they need something, let us know and we'll see about buying it for them. I'd rather spend $20.00 on school supplies for the classroom than $20.00 on some $3.00 piece of crap candle so the school can get $1.99 in kickback from the candle company.

Agree

I stopped doing them years ago. And I don't even think they get that much of a kick back from the items they sell. I was told, once, but forgot. I know it wasn't 65%.

I always hated the fundraisers and like you said, the prizes were junk. Thank god mine is in highschool now, no more fund raisers.

I have a friend who is in high school...so far this year I have been hit up 3x for various fund raisers....Note: I am not a parent...just a supporter of high school football and other sports....$$$$$$$..

Perhaps we all just donate 10% of our income ( like church) to our local schools and be done with these fund raisers....and when do kids and parents have the time to sell stuff?????

I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one irratated with these things.

I've always hated having to do the fund-raisers for my kid's schools. Especially since this year, they got one the second week of school. So, I take the stuff into work and sell a few things... not a big deal. A few days ago, my oldest brings home a note saying I can pick up the stuff today. I go and get it and my kids look at the prizes that oldest has won. They take out the fiber-optic finger lights from the package to play with and two or three of them fall apart in their hands. Little pieces and batteries (like the kind you buy for watches) go flying all over the kitchen floor. So.. me, both kids and my husband in his suit are on our hands and knees looking for the parts and batteries so our dog doesn't find them and eat them. Batteries will kill if ingested. I think we've found everything and I start looking through my youngest's folder and see that his fund-raiser stuff is ready for pick-up too... TODAY and has to be done by 6pm. I look at the clock and it's 5:36pm. I grab my keys and head over to his school to pick up the stuff with a few minutes to spare.

Gripe #1- why must the prizes be complete crap?? I'd rather opt out of not receiving any prizes because they aren't worth anything and usually end up in the trash by the end of the day.

Gripe #2- why did Patuxent Elem not notify parents a few days ago that items needed to be picked up today?? Why did they wait until the day of the pick-up to let parents know?? God help those parents that don't get home from work until after 6pm. I guess they were SOL with getting their stuff.

Does Patuxent Elem still do the direct donation fundraiser, so you don't have to sell anything and all your money goes to the school? I know I would rather write a check for $25 or whatever I could and know all of it goes to the school than buy a bunch of crap and know that they are only getting about 40% of it.

Does Patuxent Elem still do the direct donation fundraiser, so you don't have to sell anything and all your money goes to the school? I know I would rather write a check for $25 or whatever I could and know all of it goes to the school than buy a bunch of crap and know that they are only getting about 40% of it.

:shrug: I've had a kid in there for the last 4 yrs and I've never heard about it. I really don't mind helping with the fund-raisers. I take the catologs into work and stick them up in my office. If people buy something, great. If not, oh well, not a big deal. I actually collect over $200 this time around.

I am still into the Sally Foster gift wrap. I've always bought from Deino's kid, but not sure if she's too old this year. So PM me when your kid does the gift wrap fundraiser and I will probably buy!

She's in middle school now & they don't do the Sally Foster :frown: But thanks for your support :howdy:

My gripe with this years fundraiser: My daughter was ill & out of school the day they were due to be turned in. She turned it in the following day. She was supposed to get prizes. When I called & asked why she didn't get anything I was told because she turned it in the day after it was due. I explained that she was ill & she even turned in a doctors note. I was told, I'm sorry but it was late so she would not get anything......If she comes home with another one it's going straight into the trash :mad:

Normally they give you the pick-up date when they send out the stuff. :shrug:

Normally they give you the pick-up date when they send out the stuff. :shrug:

I've never seen that. They have the Due Date on the envelope but I've never seen a Pick-up Date. Normally, the school will send out a note the week they are due to be picked up with a date and time frame.

Regardless, I'm done with them and the rest will go into the trash unless I am asked at work to let them know when the next one is so they can order something. My oldest did end up getting a AM/FM radio with headphones this time so he was happy about that but it's pretty cheaply made so I'm sure it will be garbage by the end of the week-end.

I never participate in those over-priced needless item fundraisers. Honestly, what they are really "saying" is "here, take this home to mom and dad so they can peddle this useless junk." If I wanted to be a salesman I would have gone into the profession. I'd much rather donate money to some important item the school needs.

I never participate in those over-priced needless item fundraisers. Honestly, what they are really "saying" is "here, take this home to mom and dad so they can peddle this useless junk." If I wanted to be a salesman I would have gone into the profession. I'd much rather donate money to some important item the school needs.
Just so long as you keep peddling the :popcorn:.

I bet organizations would make a lot more money if they stopped selling over priced junk and just asked for money. :shrug: This includes schools, Girl/Boy Scouts, sports teams, etc.

I have three kids that brought me home fundraisers at the same time. I pretty much laughed at the thought of buying anything. Yes, they are FUNDRAISERS, but the things they sell are overpriced pieces of crap. I showed my oldest each item and we went over the price. I tried to get her to understand that no one would pay that price in the store.

Just so long as you keep peddling the :popcorn:.

yea, yea, I make an exception here. At least you can eat that!

I look beyond the fundraiser and more to what the fundraiser is in support of and then donate directly to that fund.

I look beyond the fundraiser and more to what the fundraiser is in support of and then donate directly to that fund.

That's a good idea!

That's a good idea!
That approach is beneficial to both parties. 100% of my donation is considered a charitable donation for tax purposes and the school gets to use 100% of my donation for the thing that are trying to raise money to cover.

I am with you all with the fundraiser issue. I hate doing them myself!
There has got to be a better way to raise money without coming out directly asking for money! I would like to see a family event as a fundraiser ,something like family movie night outside or something in that nature! Something that the whole family can partake in. Not everyone partake in those stupid fundraisers and the schools are lucky they make $5 a person selling that crap! I guess the schools has done these certain fundraiser for so long that they are scared to try something new.

Oldest brought home another one! Atleast they are selling something people want.. FOOD! I thought about just trashing it but it does benefit the school so I took it into work today. I will just throw the junk prizes away.

Oldest brought home another one! Atleast they are selling something people want.. FOOD! I thought about just trashing it but it does benefit the school so I took it into work today. I will just throw the junk prizes away.

Not all fundraising efforts are bad. I know plenty of people that get excited when a certain pizza/dessert brochure comes home, and their prices are a great value. The school/group gets a really great profit (usually $1,000's of dollars). I hate the junk prizes too and would like to see a raffle for something nice.

When you limit yourself to school events, you're limiting your income too. With outside sales, you can at least take it to people outside of the school to participate and raise more money for the school or organization.

It's a necessary evil until our government can get their act together and quit spending our money on unnecessary studies/cell phones/causes that benefit no one/bailouts/etc. The biggest investment the greatest potential of return we have is our children.

Does Patuxent Elem still do the direct donation fundraiser, so you don't have to sell anything and all your money goes to the school? I know I would rather write a check for $25 or whatever I could and know all of it goes to the school than buy a bunch of crap and know that they are only getting about 40% of it.

Yes Patuxent Elementary did that this year. Well atleast the PTA did.

She's in middle school now & they don't do the Sally Foster :frown: But thanks for your support :howdy:

My gripe with this years fundraiser: My daughter was ill & out of school the day they were due to be turned in. She turned it in the following day. She was supposed to get prizes. When I called & asked why she didn't get anything I was told because she turned it in the day after it was due. I explained that she was ill & she even turned in a doctors note. I was told, I'm sorry but it was late so she would not get anything......If she comes home with another one it's going straight into the trash :mad:

They went ahead and took her order even though it was after the deadline though, didn't they? Sorry she didn't get her prizes!

:roflmao: I emailed Appeal today letting them know that the school was not listed amongst the participants in the fund-raiser and therefore on-line orders could not be made. The "organization" was a mandatory field on the check-out screen. The school wrote me back and said "How do we get our name on the list?" I'm thinking, "Ummm.. how the heck should I know? I'm just letting you know that it's not on there."

My daughter had a fundraiser at the beginning of October I believe but we didnt order anything. Nothing was more tha $15 I think. I like the Pizza one that one of the schools does, those pizzas are good. I know we are going to have a Yankee Candle fundraiser in the Spring.