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Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Kid fundraisers and parents role
I saw this on CNN and thought it made a great post !!! Is it right, ethical and/or appropriate for parents to "sell" their child's fundraiser? Should Girl Scout Cookies, cases of citrus, candy & wrapping paper enter the workplace? What's your opinion? How do you feel about fundraising activities?
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4 comments:
We get bombarded with requests. My husband gets approached at work for which I am NOT a big fan. I think it can place one in an awkward situation, especially if it's a supervisor/subordinate role. I get a lot of requests at home from neighborhood kids (and kids that have parents who drive them from neighborhood to neighborhood!!) Our first year was relentless. We've become much more selective in who and which fundraiser we support.
We don't get kids going around door to door here in our neck of the woods, but the kids do bring home their PTA fundraisers and we purchase something, usually from one kids, not all three (they all bring home the same things, I don't need, nor can I afford that much wrapping paper or chocolates or whatever it might be). I ask the grandparents, but that is as far as we go. I won't let them walk door to door and my husband doesn't bring it into work.
Since kids don't go door to door around here, we don't have to worry about who to buy from and whatnot...
Great question Judy ---
I don't like involving kids in the typical types of fundraising (e.g., candy, wrapping paper, etc.). Plus, so much of the stuff they sell is such low-quality that it goes against my simplicity sensibilities!
I do think it is important to teach kids the message that money doesn't magically appear for all activities - and that there is such a thing as organizational money raising. In fact, I think this can inspire creativity and global thinking for kids if done right. Think of the young boy (I think he was from California)that started the fundraiser of basketball to help kids around the world or the young girl who locally (in our areas) collected shoes to send to a country where they didn't have many resources. This kind of fundraising helps kids learn about "thinking outside the box", and how to improve something for others (and not just themselves).
My eldest went to a school and I really liked their policy on fundraising. At the start of the year, each family had an option to pay an annual fee for fundrausing and you wouldn't be asked to participate in the annual fundraising drives OR, if you wanted, you could participate in the fundrasing and not pay the annual flat fee. This way, we could decide what our family wanted to do.
As for the office politics --- one's Employee Handbook or Policy Manual should really outline this so employees don't have to feel compelled to purchase things.
CCM,
I love the idea of allowing each child/family to choose to participate in fundraising by donation, or by activity; I think the idea that we all can contribute toward the whole according to our talents is a great message! I agree that participating in fundraising can be a good learning experience for a child, as well as empowering.
I also think that learning to say and hear, "no thank you" with graciousness is something we all need to learn, and that can start with childhood! No one should feel "compelled" to buy, support, or participate in anything, but I also feel that there should be no harm in asking! I do feel that if it is the child's school, troop, or team that he/she is helping, then then child should be the one asking for the donation, not mom or dad. This was my daughter's first year of having fundraising opportunities for school, and I told her that it was up to her to "pound the pavement", visit dad's office, go online to her aunts/uncles/grandparents, or not...but that her dad & I were not going to do it for her. (She did opt to "pound the pavement", was the top seller in her class, and collected all of the kudos [as well as some silly prizes] none of which were shared with me!)
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