Annoyed with children fund raising (legal, high school, kid, family)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
The popcorn that the Boy Scouts sell is the most ridiculously priced of all. There are two cute kids in the neighborhood I'll always buy from if they stop by, but I won't buy from strangers at the mall.
That brings up another issue. The prices charged for the stuff is outrageous, for what you get. I stopped entirely after buying what looked like a nice sized scented candle for 12 bucks. Overpriced, but it was for a good cause. There was no size listed anywhere. When I got it, the woman apologized.. a lot... it was votive candle. You can get them for 50 cents.
Apparently there was a LOT of complaining and they switched companies...but still I was out, and Im betting so were a lot of people.
Yeah, at least with most of them you know what the deal is. You know how many cookies are in a box of Samoas, you know how many feet are in a roll of wrapping paper...Some other things can be harder, but you should have an idea what a quart of popcorn is. I'd be frosted paying $12 for a votive candle myself.
We never get door-to-door people here. My Mother reports parents at her job bringing in the order forms and they are all left out on a table in the break room for people to buy stuff.
The only fundraising I ever see are teams or organizations with a folding table or just standing in a mob near the supermarket exits asking for money. Begging.
I'm not sure why I should care if some team I don't know anything about and will never watch play has new hats or not. I know that sounds curmudgeonly, but it seems so odd to beg for money for stuff that is discretionary and should be covered by the school or organization they're involved with.... or their parents.
I tend to think that the people who will benefit from the money should DO something to earn it. Car washes, bake sales, talent night, exhibition game.
I think fundraising is good practice for kids in overcoming their nervousness, making a case for why their cause is a good one, and working toward a goal. I would not have kids fundraise door-to-door to strangers, but as someone who participates in an annual fundraiser for an organization about which I care deeply, I think it's a good idea to work every possible angle with people the kids know. Those who enthusiastically fundraise, bring more money for the organization than those who just write a check.
The popcorn that the Boy Scouts sell is the most ridiculously priced of all. There are two cute kids in the neighborhood I'll always buy from if they stop by, but I won't buy from strangers at the mall.
This is our first year in the cub scouts and the popcorn IS expensive. But 75% actually goes to the cub scouts. That's the best margin I've seen for a fundraiser.
I've only read the first couple of pages of responses, but I feel like I'm in the minority in that I don't mind it.
Mind you, we often just get Girl Scouts or Boy Scouts door knocking. We always try to purchase something.
What DOES annoy me though, is there is an intersection on a busy road just beyond the city limits (unincorporated county so it is permitted) that always seems to have at least half a dozen children standing in the center island, collecting donations or trying to sell something for their school or sports team. Sometimes I can't even spot where the parents are.
Some of the kids even run across the road when traffic isn't even at a stop. I just feel that it is SO unsafe for them to be standing in the middle of a busy road- it is only a matter of time before a child gets hit by a car. I wish the county would disallow it.
I would FAR prefer these children to be coming door to door chaperoned than trying to sell to cars stopped at a traffic light.
I agree. I actually wish no adults would do that either. Including the firefighters and their Fill the Boot drive.
Mattie -- I agree with you wholeheartedly! When my children were younger, they were required to participate in fundraising. Because I was working with a chronic health condition, I was exhausted at the end of a day's work and didn't have the time/energy to walk them around to call on neighbors, I just wrote a check, which was always on top of the required fees. I would much rather write the check directly to the organization and bypass the middleman.
Now, in these days of the internet, I am seeing more and more "Go Fund Me" type pages soliciting funds for friends/acquaintances who usually do have an urgent and legitimate need. This method, too, needs to be carefully considered -- again, a direct check without giving a portion to the middleman will get the $$ where it needs to go.
I can't stand the GoFundMe type ones. The kids don't even have anything to do with it.
Funny how people don't come to your door to offer to give YOU money or come by to offer to help around the house- they knock on your door when they want to stick their hand in your back pocket.
The incident I originally mentioned was they were just fundraising- not selling anything. I was polite and gave them a couple bucks which was all I had on me and they seemed disappointed that I did not give more but after the parent's instruction thanked me. I realize parents and grandparents think their child is special etc. and have a hard time believing that everyone else in the world doesn't think the same. It takes a village is non-sense unless of course we are talking about folks that have run into some bad circumstances in life then yes, happy to help. Not stay at home mom's in well to do neighborhoods.
Maybe I am a grump and I do hate constantly being "sold" something or not being able to walk into the grocery store or pull up to an intersection without someone asking for a donation. So yes, when I'm in my own home I want to answer the door to someone that just wanted to say hi, offered cookies, invited me to an event or wants to know if I've seen their lost dog....hell anything other than knocking on my door because they simply want to stick their hand in my back pocket.
Last edited by oneslip; 10-23-2017 at 06:40 PM..
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
