Fundraisers

Everyone seems to have a fundraiser these days. My sons are in boy scouts so of course we're selling popcorn right now. Want some? I have also recently been sold magazines and cookie dough by my relatives. I know there will be at least one more sell by relatives this year. A few weeks before Christmas, I will be asked to buy (and of course I will) a poinsettia from a lady who works with H. In the Spring, girl scout cookies take over. I'll be selling those too. Everyone has a fundraiser from schools to organizations to sport teams to gyms. A few years ago, the local gymnastics school my girls attended sold candles!!! Who wants to have a fundraiser for a gym that you already pay high membership rates too? I refused to sell that one.

I have to say, some fundraisers are better than others. Our local FFA club will place a flag in your yard 6 times a year on certain holidays as a fundraiser. That's pretty cool. You wake up on the 4th of July and there's a large flag in your yard. In fact, all up and down the street, the yards are displaying flags. That's a good one. Others, not so much. I won't name names, but I'm sure you've had some that were just useless items.

The biggest problem is that everyone is over sold now so it is harder for the kids to sell. The United Way is fund raising right now along with the boy scouts and in a couple of weeks, the girl scouts will sell nuts. That's three major sells at the same time. Add in all the school fundraisers and the organizations and you're talking a lot of money on products worth less than half of their cost. I'm not saying don't buy. I support the causes for many of these fundraisers and am happy to contribute to some kids experiences with some worthwhile organizations.

What about the prizes though? For many of these fundraisers, the kids win cheap plastic junk. They are so excited to sell $500 worth of product so they can win a $2 whistle. Wat's the deal with that? We turn the kids into little "gimme" monsters who cry if you don't buy something because they really want that whistle. I have to say, the prizes my kids are shooting for are better. Our kids actually make 10% of what they sell in gift cards! Now that's a prize I'd sell for. The kids don't have to get excited over a whistle. Instead they get to be greedy over cash! My kids really love selling this stuff and are excited about the money they know they're making, but I have to wonder what lessons we're teaching them.

So, this year, have fun with the fundraisers and buy something from the cute little kids at your door, especially if they're mine!