School Fundraisers again
Gleek and Link brought home fund raising packets today. This is the second time this year that they’ve come home with glowing faces and plans for the marvelous prizes they will win. It has been left to me to explain that there is no way we can sell 10 coupon books at $20 each or 75 items from a catalog. In theory I could help them go door to door to all of our neighbors trying, but the expenditure of time is much too high. Besides I have a moral objection to pushing family and friends to buy things that they don’t need.
I know that these fundraisers work. They help the PTA raise a lot of money which is then put into programs at our school. I like the PTA. I like the programs the PTA provides. But these fundraisers are only successful because they use children as emotional levers on the pocket books of their parents. The fundraising companies do not care about the tears and headaches of the children and the parents. The fundraising companies do not care about the PTA or the school or the school programs. The fundraising companies are there to make a profit. They are quick to point out that half of the money goes straight to the school. I would point out that half of the money that people spend in an effort to help the school goes somewhere else. I do not want to give any money to these companies who prey upon my children and make them cry. It makes me angry that the PTA, which is supposed to be all about providing good experiences for children, raises money by emotionally manipulating them; showing them shiny prizes that they will never achieve. The PTA is making money off of setting children up to fail.
It all makes me mad enough that I called the school to register a complaint. I even left my name and number in case they care to call me back and discuss it. I may even make a cash donation straight to the PTA with a letter containing some of the points in this post so that I make really clear that I support PTA, but not fundraising companies.