The back to school season often means fundraisers are in full swing, whether they are for schools, clubs, sports teams, or scouts. And while students are encouraged to sell an assortment of products to people they know, a lot of moms and dads inevitably get pulled into the mix, hitting up co-workers and relatives for everything from wrapping paper to popcorn to cookie dough.
If fundraising season is in full swing at your house, here are a few things to keep in mind:
• These days just about every fundraiser for grade school students advises kids not to sell to strangers. That’s sound advice, but if your neighborhood is open to solicitations, you can still accompany your young scout or athlete doing door to door sales–but don’t have the kids solicit alone.
• Contact your local Publix to ask about scheduling a time to do fundraising. Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops can frequently be seen on weekends selling popcorn or Girl Scout cookies (you’ll have to wait until spring for those Thin Mints and Do-Si-Dos).
• While it’s tough to get younger kids to fully understand the purpose of fundraising, get them engaged in the process as much as possible. Have them ask Grandma and Grandpa if they would like to buy something from the latest fundraiser, and thank them for their support.
• If you take your kid’s fundraising forms to work, make sure that you are not violating any office policies. A lot of workplaces frown upon employees using e-mail lists for solicitations, so don’t run afoul of Human Resources.
• If you are permitted to bring fundraisers to work, ask your manager first, and set out any fundraising forms in a common area, like near the office coffee pot. Do not put the fundraising form in a folder with a routing slip and expect your co-workers to fill it out and forward it. The form could end up sitting on the desk of someone who had more important things to do and never make its way around the office. It’s important to make fundraising feel optional, not an obligation.
• Speaking of obligations, it’s best not to push fundraisers for your child in the workplace if you are the boss. Subordinates might feel pressured to buy something (even if they don’t admit it to you) and might mention it to HR if you work in a corporate environment.
• Don’t feel bad if you get turned down by close friends, neighbors or relatives this year. With the current recession, a lot of people are trying to save money any way they can. Besides, if there is one thing that’s certain about student fundraisers, it’s that there is always going to be another one next year.
For more info: Getting back into the back-to-school mode? Read the At-a-glance calendar for first semester and the Checklist for students and parents.
