I get the notion of sharing the expense over a greater than just the parents frees the parents of burdening all of the cost.

But, do kids get anything out of it anymore? I just got a text for a fundraiser. No overpriced popcorn. Just donate on a page.

Old man rant. Back in my day, we went door to door or to friends and family and solicited a donation. Sold a raffle ticket or some coupon book or overpriced food item.

We worked carwashes, held fairs and cake walks. We worked and earned the money to some extent. We learned to approach and pitch.

Fundraisers are still rampant here with how you described with overpriced items. I get hit a ton at work and have over the years. Most recent was some terrible chocolate for $3 per bar. My oldest is only in grade 1 so I anticipate I'll be fully immersed in this for years to come.

When I was in middle and elementary I remember them sending us home with catalogs to try and earn prizes based on how much loot you got for their masters. Is that what you mean by kids "get" something?

We live by a couple schools and not once have been approached about fundraising. We used to do jump rope, sleep-a-thons, run laps, etc to fundraise for good causes as a student. I'm not sure if they aren't doing these things anymore or I'm just not being approached. To me it sounds smart to go door to door in the area surrounding the school for donations, but going door to door is maybe not as safe as it once was. Plus a lot of people don't carry cash anymore so most are done online now I would wager. 

Most fundraisers I take part in are for my friends' kids dance classes, hockey or football, etc. A couple have served us well though. Just before winter we get our ice melt from a fundraiser and also we get our meat from a fundraiser twice a year stacking up on chicken breasts, ground beef and steaks. Other ones I tend to support are 50/50's and liquor baskets. I've donated and bought from a few online auctions and taken part in pub or comedy nights. mom and I will also work casino nights, etc for various causes we support.

Haven't had kids knock on the door in a decade. Probably longer. Twice at work a coworker was selling chocolate bars for their kids' fundraiser. I also get fundraising letters in the mail from my relatives sometimes. Maybe that's how it's done nowadays?

The door to door thing isn't encouraged any more. When the kids on our street were at primary school they'd knock on our door... But not random doors.

Our girls school does the Cadbury chocolate sale every year.
They also do the "colour run" for fund raising.

Mostly they raise funds through activities like twilight sports where they get parents to cook sausages and sell them with drinks etc. They do the same won election days where the school is a voting place.
There's also gold coin donation for free dress days.
They also sell tickets to the school production.


Fun fact, I when my youngest daughter was in her first year they ran a seminar for parents on the "Resilience Project", not that many parents attended, I was so moved by the principals passion that I sent him an email offering to sponsor the project. He rang me nearly in tears...
I really liked him, but idiot parents and governments burnt him out during COVID and he left teaching...

I’ve said the same about patreons and things of that nature, I’ll buy overpriced merch or chocolate for fundraising but pulling a Virgil ain’t it.

How do we feel about girl scout cookies and their carny way of having as booth at the entrance/exit of stores to guilt trip people? I felt bad this year no selling someone who called out. Checked my wallet and was gonna go back in and grab a box, but the exit doors don't open from the outside so I just went to the car. Somehow work always had a random catalog in the break room. I think that's probably the best way to do it. No guilt tripping people going case to case, but leave it out and if people itching they'll scratch.

Apr 7, 2024 1:05:15 GMT @ness said:

How do we feel about girl scout cookies and their carny way of having as booth at the entrance/exit of stores to guilt trip people? I felt bad this year no selling someone who called out. Checked my wallet and was gonna go back in and grab a box, but the exit doors don't open from the outside so I just went to the car. Somehow work always had a random catalog in the break room. I think that's probably the best way to do it. No guilt tripping people going case to case, but leave it out and if people itching they'll scratch.

Part of the reasons it's dying is because nobody walks around with cash anymore.
Our major hardware stores here (Bunnings) have this thing on a weekend where they have a bbq out the front and different groups can nominate a spot and sell sausages in bread for revenue raising.
It was always cash only and I would factor buying two sausages into my Saturday morning Bunnings routine with loose change on hand... But post COVID you can pay with credit card now, so I just tap my phone and get my sausage and onion in bread.
Before you judge, the Bunnings sausage in bread goes far harder than it has any right to. My fellow Australians will back me up here.

Apr 7, 2024 2:01:00 GMT iNCY said:

Apr 7, 2024 1:05:15 GMT @ness said:

How do we feel about girl scout cookies and their carny way of having as booth at the entrance/exit of stores to guilt trip people? I felt bad this year no selling someone who called out. Checked my wallet and was gonna go back in and grab a box, but the exit doors don't open from the outside so I just went to the car. Somehow work always had a random catalog in the break room. I think that's probably the best way to do it. No guilt tripping people going case to case, but leave it out and if people itching they'll scratch.

Part of the reasons it's dying is because nobody walks around with cash anymore.
Our major hardware stores here (Bunnings) have this thing on a weekend where they have a bbq out the front and different groups can nominate a spot and sell sausages in bread for revenue raising.
It was always cash only and I would factor buying two sausages into my Saturday morning Bunnings routine with loose change on hand... But post COVID you can pay with credit card now, so I just tap my phone and get my sausage and onion in bread.
Before you judge, the Bunnings sausage in bread goes far harder than it has any right to. My fellow Australians will back me up here.

Bunnings sausage sangers always hit hard, haven’t had one in awhile. Might have to visit my local Bunnings soon for a weekend visit