My first fundraiser was in kindergarten. Our school was selling candy bars, and I don’t remember if I volunteered to take a box or was voluntold. But they were chocolate almond candy bars and I really liked those.
When I got home, that box of candy bars sat on the counter for a month. My mom had no clue why they were there and, in the end, she paid the minimum $20 just to cover it. Obviously, I didn’t win any top-seller prizes, but I did get to enjoy the candy bars.
Over my childhood, I had to sell Girl Scout cookies, pocket calendars, magazine subscriptions, pizza kits, program ads, and sponsored race miles. I went door-to-door by myself at 7 and never again after that. I’ve done phonathons, ran car washes, and organized parents’ weekends for my club teams.
Now with an advertising degree and a work history that includes actual advancement fundraising, I have the mad skillz take my daughters’ money-raising requirements to the next level. However, you still won’t catch me knocking on doors and cold-calling businesses.
For the past three years, I feel like I’ve been running fundraisers all over my social media and have gone to every spirit night event. The girls are doing penny wars, fun runs, and community service donations. (Don’t they know those pennies are endangered?) This year, there’s also a casino night and daddy-daughter dance on the schedule.
That’s a lot of fundraising and for most part, it’s worth it. Kids activities (in school and out) aren’t cheap and money will always be an obstacle. You’re never going to hear an organization say, “Nah, we’re flush” and leave money on the table.
This post was originally meant to be an “Is this normal” discussion. But as I was setting up the girls’ Treats and Keep sites yesterday (which also have chocolate almonds), it’s becoming more like a “This is unavoidable, so here’s your survival guide” type of coffee chat.
Most kids’ organizations are nonprofits.
Ergo, they must have some element of fundraising to make up their budget and qualify for non-profit 501(c)3 status. Certain fundraisers are for equipment or travel expenses, generally for sports or competition teams. Others are forward-facing, meaning you are building their operational budget for the next fiscal year, like Scouts or private school annual fund.
Also, if you’re giving to a nonprofit, chances are those donations are tax-exempt for you. So, your monthly membership fees to a club team are not tax-exempt, but bidding $500 at a fundraising auction is.
Participation!
I have screamed this from the rooftops as a fundraising officer. You don’t have to be a big spender. Giving your kid $10 bucks for a fundraiser instead of $100 is fine. It’s the PARTICIPATION that counts.
Having 100% of a team sell $50 worth of tchotchkes is better than only having one or two kids sell $500 worth of tchotchkes. Yes, being able to bring in a ton of money is great, but having a higher percentage of kids actively participating is better.
In terms of giving to a school, parent, alumni, and faculty participation rates are vital data in terms of applying for federal, state, and foundation grants. So, unless you are planning on being a major donor every year, it’s every little bit helps.
It’s the kids’ job, not yours.
When the girls bridged from Daisy to Brownie scouts, the troop had a big meeting before cookie season. It was their job to lead their cookie sales, not the moms. So, while I am happy to help share links on social media and email family members, they needed to be at cookie booths, talk to customers, knock on doors in the neighborhood (supervised), and handle cash.
This is where you can give age-appropriate autonomy.
When the girls started going door-to-door, I noticed they needed a little bit of help with their pitch, they needed to stop fidgeting when talking to adults directly, and they needed to know proper etiquette when knocking or ringing doorbells. They also needed to not take it personally if one of our neighbors wasn’t interested. This is 100% not something they would intuitively know, so it took them a lap or two get comfortable with the process.
Overall, both of my girls stayed competitive with their sales goals, but it was still time-consuming on my part. As they get older, they can take on more responsibility and work in pairs without direct adult supervision. They can also design their own flyers or dictate an appeal email. If your kid feels comfortable, they can also come up their own video or social media content ideas.
Remember that Thank Yous are also very important for every person they encounter.
It feels good
Lastly, it is a dopamine hit when you make a sale or give to good cause. Many people are happy to give to kids’ organizations if you just ask. Sometimes they don’t even want what you’re selling. They’ll just give you cash as a straight donation. Afterwards, everyone feels good, we’ve all done our part, and the world is a better place for it. Thank you!
Don’t be afraid of the No
This is especially important when you have multiple kids and multiple fundraisers. Don’t worry about overwhelming people with the asks, and don’t assume that people are just going to tell you no. Let them pick and choose what they do and don’t want to contribute to.
Yes, fundraising is going to come with the territory of having active kids. It’s also a learning opportunity to model community, to interact with people outside your circle, and to make giving part of your kid’s life. It could be participating in a bake sale or giving an offering at church. While it’s not the most comfortable or convenient thing in parenting lives, it’s another way we can show that we are part of something bigger than ourselves.
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