<p>This question is aimed at those who have helped coordinate fundraisers before.</p>
<p>I want to help the organization that is sponsoring a fundraiser, but don’t necessarily want to support the for-profit company who will keep half of all proceeds that the students raise. If a person is asking me to buy something, can I write out a check to the organization and give it to him or her without having to buy something?</p>
<p>Obviously, I can write the check out. I want to be sure that it won’t be awkward for the student or organization (for example, Lucy, you have this $15 check but don’t have a corresponding entry for what they bought. Did you forget to write it down? Or proud Lucy “I got $15 in donations” and the school saying “but you didn’t sell anything so it doesn’t count”.</p>
<p>Is this something that I can do that won’t create awkwardness? It’s important to help schools and other organizations out, but I just don’t need mountains of overpriced wrapping paper, cookie dough, etc around the house.</p>
<p>“f a person is asking me to buy something, can I write out a check to the organization and give it to him or her without having to buy something?”</p>
<p>Yes. I’ve done this. I hate the overpriced junk that is sold for such fundraisers.</p>
<p>Absolutely. You can just give a donation to the organization. I do that all the time - our hs teams tend to sell these $20 “discount” cards to places I don’t frequent. I just give them a $10 donation instead.</p>
<p>You got it. The wrapping paper, etc. that used to come home, went right back with a donation to the school. The school only gets a cut so my donation is far more than what they would get if I bought the same amount in expensive paper. I don’t have to do the paperwork and neither do they. Win-win.</p>
<p>High schools are becoming very savvy to this and ‘Booster Clubs’ who have been able to get 501(c)(3) status can do very well. Donations made are tax deductible, making it far more appealing for the bigger fish.</p>
<p>Our middle school did away with the gift wrap sale and just asked for donations. It was a huge job for the volunteers to run that sale. I have to admit I liked the gift wrap. But I think I was the only one.</p>
<p>yes, I’ve done the math too. My company matches donations by employees dollar for dollar. I can donate $100 to the school and then they will chip in another $100 for a $200 total. My cost is only around $70 or so because of the tax deduction.</p>
<p>$70 of unnecessary wrapping paper would provide the school with $35, much less than the $200 they would get. In either case, I’m out the same $70. </p>
<p>The downside is that you’re turning down all the kids who stop by and ask you to buy something. You know you are doing the right thing, but you can’t explain that to the 6th grader who was told that the class needs to sell xxx dollars of wrapping paper per student or they won’t go on the weekend camp. :-(</p>
<p>I buy Girl Scout cookies from the first scout who comes to my door. The rest get a check for $5 or $10 written to their troops. I was a scout leader for years, so I tell the girls how many boxes of cookies they would have to sell to make the $5 for the troop and they are thrilled. It’s about 12 boxes.</p>
<p>Definately, write the check! We love the people who do! We even totalled up the donations–every X amount= one item sold toward the recognitions the kids received.<br>
The school had more money, the parents didn’t have a bunch of “stuff” and the kids received the recognitions, win-win all around.</p>
<p>A number of years ago, I took on our PTO with this issue. I flatly refused to buy the OVERPRICED stuff they were selling. BUT I was very willing to write them a check for $25 which is WAY more than they would have netted from any purchase I made. At first they said NO…but I squawked loudly. They now have a spot ON their fundraising letter that allows you to check:</p>
<p>“In lieu of participating in the sales campaign, I would like to send a donation to the PTO in the amount of_____”</p>
<p>I would urge you to have YOUR group do the same.</p>
<p>Yep, and that’s what we do at our elementary-middle school where there is a fundraising “fee” - we sign off to NOT do the fundraisers and just write a check.</p>
<p>The choir lets your kid be excused from fundraisers if you send a check of a certain size. We did that and the first year were kind of embarrassed to see ourselves listed in the program as “platinum sponsors.” LOL, the platinum sponsors were no more than parents who were sick of having their kids sell stuff.</p>
<p>I wish the organizations would explain the benefits of a donation instead of a purchase to their members. One year, my neighbor’s son who was a junior in high school, came to the door with a sales brochure full of the typical wrapping paper, candles, candy, junk for the band fundraiser. I wrote him a check for $20 and explained that I preferred to make a donation instead. He asked me if I minded if he ordered $20 worth of merchandise for himself ! He was disappointed with my response.</p>
<p>I used to be in charge of a booster club at an elementary school that did a huge amount of fundraising. We did an annual direct appeal every year for people who just wanted to write a check. But we also did other stuff because some people like the other stuff – gift wrap, silent auctions, etc. On occasion, people would give a straight donation if they couldn’t attend an event such as a silent auction. We were always very appreciative. Now at the high school level where parents are harder to interact with, we just do an annual appeal with a letter that goes home. We’re 501c so the donation is tax-deductible which makes everything nice for everyone. I can’t imagine a situation where a direct donation would be anything but appreciated.</p>
<p>A direct donation is a WIN WIN. It is far less work to deposit a check into their accounts than to take orders, send them in, get the orders in, sort and distribute the merchandise, and correct the mistakes (when we DID order, our order was NEVER correct the first time). It seems to me they should be delighted NOT to have to do the extra work and just take the cash.</p>
<p>I recognize that some families would prefer to sell the stuff. That’s fine too. BUT there should be both options available…in my opinion.</p>
<p>Selling crap I am not enamoured with.
However, as the past pta chair I have been in charge of fundraisers like live/silent auctions and those I think are welcome as a " community building" event.</p>
<p>We also have some items that people count on every year, a family who has a tree farm and donates their profits- makes wreaths every winter to sell, art classes- make cards/calendars & prints, and the sports teams have car washes.</p>
<p>We can get the items elsewhere, but to a certain extent, I think it is valuable to have the kids involved in the process ( but as they often have fundraisers for other activities- it can get ridiculous fast if you aren’t careful)</p>
<p>I agree it’s valuable to have kids help with fundraisers. I did carwashes, collected aluminum cans, and made stuff as a kid, and am sure ours will do the same. I think it is the start of teaching a good work ethic in kids. The trouble I have with selling stuff is I really don’t want to teach the kids to be traveling salesmen and asking for donations. I’d rather they did an activity or a chore for pay than solicit donations or sell goods.</p>
<p>So my first preference would to be simply refuse to support fundraisers on the principal of the thing. But I know my kid will benefit directly or indirectly from fundraisers, including those that involve selling products. I know that I’ll need to support them because it’s only right and fair. And many of the activities are well worth supporting even if few of us enjoy the actual selling part.</p>
<p>From everything I’ve read here, straight donations will work just fine, and I’ll be a big supporter of the fundraisers by donating directly rather than buying the products. </p>
<p>Having the kids DO something to raise money is fine (car washes, etc). BUT I will not allow my kids to go door to door to sell this junk. In our neighborhood EVERYONE’s kids are selling the same JUNK…who would buy from us when they have their own selling to do? We don’t have relatives nearby and if we did, I wouldn’t allow my kids to sell this overpriced JUNK to them anyway.</p>
<p>My kids held bake sales, washed cars, did service projects, worked at some of the events set up by the grown ups (silent auctions etc…kid sold tickets, helped set up or clean up). </p>
<p>I’m sorry but I don’t believe anyone should be forced to sell…and should be given the option of contributing instead.</p>
<p>Our music parents association does a “No Bake Sale Fundraiser” EVERY year. We send a letter and ask that the parents contribute the amount it would cost them to bake something for a bake sale…it is a HUGE hit. No baking, shopping or the like and 100%of the donation is tax deductible.</p>