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macca
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Posted: Oct 15th, 2006 01:02 am |
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| I think you can get around the whole selling stuff dilemma by just making a donation to PTA/PTSA. And I think they try to reward the child at the corresponding level.... 100% profit for PTA/PTSA, no hassle for the parents, kid feels good -- AND it's tax deductible!! ♥♥♥
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Cracker Jax
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Posted: Oct 15th, 2006 01:02 am |
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melinnc wrote: Cracker Jax wrote: I can't think of anything that makes a child feel more excluded than missing a school mega party and KNOWING that they are missing it because their parents didn't want to sell wrapping paper. Just breaks my heart.
My husband and I decided not to allow our daughters to participate in this particular fundraising event due to a variety of factors. A main one being the fact that some kids who don't sell as many as others might feel badly about themselves, as they don't get rewarded with the party, Hummer limo ride, etc. Our girls understood our decision, as they know we've certainly sold our share of magazine subscriptions, gift wrap, etc., over the course of the 12 years we have had children in public school.
melinnc, I did NOT mean to sound like I was passing judgement on your decision not to sell. 
I think a middle or high schooler is definitely old enough to understand the reasons for these types of decisions. I guess I was thinking more along the lines of a much younger child.
Sorry!
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Cracker Jax
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Posted: Oct 15th, 2006 01:05 am |
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macca wrote: I think you can get around the whole selling stuff dilemma by just making a donation to PTA/PTSA. And I think they try to reward the child at the corresponding level.... 100% profit for PTA/PTSA, no hassle for the parents, kid feels good -- AND it's tax deductible!! ♥♥♥
Yep ... I think the donation our school suggested (in order to gain admittance to the mega party) was $75.00. That's a lot of Texa$ for little ol' me!!!
I'd rather sell wrapping paper.
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macca
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Posted: Oct 15th, 2006 01:14 am |
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| $75.00!!! Wow! You could throw a pretty good party yourself and invite a few close friends..... But then, it IS going for a good cause! ♥♥♥
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A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. Herm Albright
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Cracker Jax
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Posted: Oct 15th, 2006 01:27 am |
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You are absolutely correct macca. It is a good cause.
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Steve Adkins
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Posted: Oct 15th, 2006 09:50 pm |
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| Didn't you guys like my idea?
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macca
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Posted: Oct 15th, 2006 10:02 pm |
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| ACtually, Steve..... That sounds like a lot of work... And you have to have freezer space.... and what if folks don't pick up their stuff?? How much profit did you make? How many people were involved? What percentage of families participated? Were these prepackaged meals?
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A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. Herm Albright
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Steve Adkins
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Posted: Oct 15th, 2006 10:35 pm |
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Good Questions Macca, thanks for asking
Profit - it was many years ago, can't remember percentage, but it was significant, ie 10%. We made enough in two years to completely replace all books in the library, they weren't cheap.
Freezer - not needed. The truck delivered the stuff at 6pm, all pickups were done by 8:00 pm.....whoosh.
Prepackaged - yes, frozen, all guaranteed, and I don't remember a bad thing in the bunch.
Percentage of Participants - cannot answer, but I remember there being many regulars.
Getting stuck for payment - Yes, it can happen, but didn't much. The quality was good, these were parents, grandparents of students, they were committed.
How many people? - like everything, there is a core group who makes it happen. It takes a chairperson, a treasurer, an ass't treasurer (to keep their eye on the treasurer), all to fuss with getting orders in & submitted.
Market days does a great job of documenting the orders & saving alot of paperwork, ie Steve Adkins has 12 items total $129.45 type thing.
On pickup night, you need a small army for 2 hours to help unload the truck, organize the tables, arrange the frozen goods, then as the supplies start dwindling, to consolidate the tables, & start cleaning up. Was a good bonding time for the husbands. We'd all usually go out and get coffee afterward. Also got to know our teacher reps very well, great people.
The positive part was it was a consistent & predictable cash flow. Kept the kids out of it. Thanksgiving & Christmas MD ran specials, and we made a bundle. Everyone needs food.
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dmauser
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Posted: Oct 16th, 2006 12:06 am |
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I think your idea has merit, but trust me someone will not come get the stuff and then you will have to find a freezer, make calls, distribute etc. How do I know this? Because we have had to do that with cookie dough(frozen), wrapping paper etc. Getting fathers involved... please, of please tell me how!? I am all ears.. truly I want to know.
At the middle school, it is getting harder and harder to get volunteers, many moms have gone back to work when their kids get this age.. fathers are almost non existance unless it is sports. Magazines get us 40%profit-Wrapping paper gets 50% plus all the gifts/parties etc.
Kernodle is doing a donation only fundraiser-- if it works, I will be taking notes! General Greene does a walk-a thon, with coporate sponsors to pay for t-shirts; both great ideas.
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Steve Adkins
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Posted: Oct 16th, 2006 12:17 am |
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What works for one may not necessarily work for another.
I only brought it up because we had such success with it. And it was at the elementary school level, not the middle school level.
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Kris McNeill
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Posted: Oct 17th, 2006 08:49 pm |
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Don't get me wrong with what I'm about to say as I have been on PTA/PTSA Boards at elementary, middle and high schools over the past 15 years and I know that the funds are desparately needed but......
Why are PTAs so involved in raising funds when there is nothing in the mission or purpose statements of the national PTA to support fundraising activities?
from http://www.pta.org:
The Mission of the Parent Teacher Association
- To support and speak on behalf of children and youth in the schools, in the community, and before governmental bodies and other organizations that make decisions affecting children;
- To assist parents in developing the skills they need to raise and protect their children;
- To encourage parent and public involvement in the public schools of this nation.
The Purposes of the Parent Teacher Association
- To promote the welfare of the children and youth in home, school, community, and place of worship.
- To raise the standards of home life.
- To secure adequate laws for the care and protection of children and youth.
- To bring into closer relation the home and the school, that parents and teachers may cooperate intelligently in the education of children and youth.
- To develop between educators and the general public such united efforts as will secure for all children and youth the highest advantages in physical, mental, social, and spiritual education.
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Steve Adkins
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Posted: Oct 18th, 2006 02:51 am |
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Good Comments Kris
It seems the PTA's focus over time has evolved from those items you mention above, to filling in the financial hole created by poorly managed budgets. Notice I did not say strapped budgets. When school repairs go from $1.7M to $7M, that isn't strapped, that's poor management.
And as the school board removes funding in Titan Trucks, the PTA's are trying to fill back in with wheelbarrows. Sad.
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DToney
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Posted: Oct 18th, 2006 09:51 am |
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WOW SMS! well said! I cannot imagine how an independent business could run the way our schools are being run... 
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Kris McNeill
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Posted: Oct 18th, 2006 11:46 am |
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Steve Adkins wrote: And as the school board removes funding in Titan Trucks, the PTA's are trying to fill back in with wheelbarrows. Sad.
Thanks Steve. This is exactly why I brought this issue up. Sometimes I think we may be hurting ourselves more by picking up the slack of the school system.
What if PTAs stopped trying to raise funds? Would it force the school system to fund the needs and programs PTAs have been covering? And what if PTAs were to put more time and energy into lobbying the school board (#1 on the PTA mission statement)? Could they affect change in how the school board manages and distributes funds?
I am wondering what happens at schools without strong PTAs as we have here in the northwest area. Do they go without or does the school system just funnel more money their way?
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mstone
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Posted: Oct 18th, 2006 04:23 pm |
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| Wow, what an excellent point. It's easy to play fast and loose with the finances when there's more than one revenue stream to fish from. What if the school board only have the tax based funds to work with. Wouldn't they would have to become better financial stewards? Although they claim to be on top of this type of issue, the reality is that they are spending good money on bad programs and ideas.
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