First meeting of just the new 2007-2008 PTA board, and we did what I thought was impossible..We will NOT be doing the god-awful wrapping paper/ugly vase/$18 per pound chocolate-covered peanut catalog fundraiser!
Can I get a hell yeah!??
😎 😛
Luckily the officer in charge of fundraising is of the same mindset on this, and we had several alternatives to look into and vote on. We ended up instead deciding on selling coupon books for local restaurants. They are similar to the B1G1F coupons in the Entertainment books, but from a different company.
Even if the rest of the year on the board completely sucks, the one change alone will have been worth it!
What’s that Partridge Family song again?
Oh yeah, “I Think I Love You…”
Yay!!!!! You rock.
(Although I’m going to have a pissed off 2nd child who was promised the megaparty this year since his sister got to go in 1st grade.)
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I’m glad your year started off on a good note! : 🙂
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😛 😉 Jeez I hate fundraising. I’m a member of the high school pTA but I never go because ALL they do is fund raise. Blarg!
I also hated the gift wrap. I never wrap anything. We use gift bags. And buy gift cards for boys. No wrapping needed.
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Good for you!
I’m dreading this stuff when Fa hits school!!!
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Thank god!
I was hoping for some cookie dough fundraising. But anything is better than that sorry ass catalog!
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I beg of you. Move to my town and join the PTO. Please.
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Well Jodi, there will still be a mega-party-ish type thing. We are working on coming up with an incentive for the kids, and we are still working out the details on that. The catalog company is the one that hosted that previously, and we were charged a considerable amount of money to do it. We are determined to come up with something that will not be so expensive, but the kids will enjoy.
Heather, we thought about cookie dough, but we had to take into account how many other local schools were doing that, and there are quite a few.
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I’m so glad my mother was never into PTA stuff… I don’t think I will be either. even if just to avoid the fundraising.
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Congrats! I always hate when people come to me to want me to buy something out of one of those dumb catalogs! Now coupon books, candles, or cookie dough, I can handle… Stupid stuff that nobody really wants – forget it.
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Our school did something similar. Instead of a book, there was a plastic card (like a credit card) that had all of the places that you could receive a discount printed on the back. It worked out great because you could just stick it in your wallet rather than having to carry a book around or try to remember to get the coupon out before leaving the house.
So glad I am done with the PTA thing!
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I’m just joining the ranks of the “involved” mommies and I too hate when I feel like all the PTA ever does is reach into my wallet and snatch a $20 every other week. It’s just like having a teenager.
What about this idea for a fund raiser? For $20 per hour someone will watch your kid so you can, well, not. Pay a high-schooler $10/hour and the school still make nice dough.
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You can get a Hell Yeah! from me; I blogged about this very same thing several years ago when my kids were still in elementary school. I hate fundraisers for school in general, though. I feel that by rewarding the top sellers with prizes, which my sons’ school was doing, they were teaching the kids the wrong way to go about it….a lot of kids only wanted to sell in order to get the cool ‘prizes’ and recognition, and the ones who didn’t get anything always felt let down.
Still, the coupon books are a MUCH better idea than that overpriced crap!
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Thank goodness someone has some good sense! Send some of those anti-catalog vibes my way!
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Awesome! The school I work for just asks for a flat donation at the beginning of the year, like $400/kid. But with that comes a promise for no fundraisers.
I use to think it was harsh, kinda still do, but I love the idea of not having to promote ANY fundraisers! Congratulations on the change. 🙂
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I’ll give that a Hell Yeah! At my kids’ school, each grade has its own fundraiser (2nd grade Pumpkin Sale in October, etc.), PLUS this monster fundraiser auction in December. We’re the po’ folk at the swanky private school, so we tend to stay away from plopping down $40k for a kindergarten-made quilt right before the holidays. 😯
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Dominos hate us because we use the B1G1F coupons all the time that we bought from our friend’s kids for their fund raising – makes me laugh every time 🙂
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Woo-hoo! Way to go, Sara…change is GOOD! 😆
Those stinky catalogs with gift wrap & overpriced candy have been around forever, haven’t they! It’s about time someone gave them the boot!
Similar to “Home Interiors” jar candle fundraiser, if you ever want to do one with Southern Living at HOME, I could help set one up selling our many different magazine subscriptions…and they are a good deal if I do say so, plus no deliveries! Simple!
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I was in charge of fundraising at my child’s elementary school, and I HATED that crap. I’m so glad to be moving on to Middle School, where I will promptly IGNORE all attempts at extortion.
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Coupon books are great fundraisers. It’s nice because you don’t really have to “sell” them, people want them cause they can save them money. Even if just the parents and grandparents buy one you can usually do pretty good.
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This is a great idea! I hate those stupid catalog fundraisers! I would rather just give the money (straightforward) to the school than buy things I don’t need and have the school only receive a small portion of the proceeds.
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Oh man I am so jealous! We’ve got the wrapping paper and the chocolate and the pizza to sell. Uh, wanna buy any? 😉
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A very late HELL YEAH! from an irritated dad in PRince William County, Virginia.
I am so friggin’ tired of those catalog fundraisers. I asked how much money the school would get if we sold $100 worth of that crap. The vice principal said that the school would get $25.00…. so I wrote a check for $25 dollars.
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Ok so I would have to say that I would agree with everyone until….Growkids Fundraising was established. Growkids is a eco-concious fundraising organization that allows children and parents to sell high design useful products(made in the usa/fair trade). Growkids gives back 50% of the sales proceeds to the PTA/PTO and plants a tree for each sales participant! If you really are fed up with traditional fundraising check out http://www.growkids.org and spread the word.
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