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Another school year has started and not only has my daughter returned to school but my son has started Kindy which means double the amount of fundraiser drives. I remember doing these when I was at school many moons ago, however over the last year I have found that they are becoming less popular with the families.
Cadbury Chocolate Fundraiser, Home Bake Drives, Flower Bulb Drives…the list goes on and I can bet that there are many more for different schools.

Now I am becoming one of the mothers that dread taking part in the drives.
Firstly, no one buys the products anymore. Family and friends are becoming ‘healthy’, they do not want to eat bars of chocolate. The same goes for all the cakes, pies and slices that are associated with Home Bake. And unless you know some keen gardeners, the flower drive is pointless!
Secondly, my friends have kids at school which means that they tend receive their own fundraisers, which most of the time are the same as what I am trying sell and at the same time. My family all live at least 2 hours away which means I then need to travel sometime on the weekend to deliver the products.

They also state that the children are not to go and sell the products and that if they do, that an adult is to supervise them. I would not under any circumstances let my daughter go and sell items by herself or with me, in fact I do not like to go up and down my street, knocking on strangers doors asking them to buy things from me.
Lastly the biggest factor I believe in most families is Time! With the daily tasks of work, home, sports, cooking and all that’s in between when do we really have the time to go asking people to buy chocolates, pies, cakes or flowers? I know I don’t and so I end up having to purchase a few items, working off the calories at the gym and finding flower blubs in my cupboards 2 years later and the remainder get taken back to the school, and then you receive the ‘you didn’t try hard’ look.
So this year I have decided that I will return the box of goodies immediately instead of delaying the inevitable.


Posted anonymously, 1st March 2015


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  • We don’t take these – we help in other ways.

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  • I am the fundraising coordinator for my school p and c and I HEAR YOU. This is the exact reason why we are not participating in these sorts of fundraising. Time for others to learn to think outside the box also

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  • I don’t take the product stuff, as all our family love interstate, hubby is retired and most of our friends are school parents. I do however support the casual clothes day, movie and quiz nights and gelato day.

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  • top story to read

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  • I have found this with our school as well. We have only one really big fundraiser and that is on one of the towns big events and even then we find it hard to get the help. I know what you mean but in the long run sometimes we need to suck it up and do it for the kids.

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  • most schools now do a fundraiser such as quiz night, movie night, casual clothes day etc which is more enjoyable than selling chocolates as you mentioned above.

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  • I agree with you . School fundraisers need a different tack! One thing that used to puzzle me was kids used to be awarded prizes for selling the most or raising the most money through sponsorship even with charity events. To me if you are involved selling something for charity there probably should be no prizes or rewards.It is reward enough helping people!

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  • Our school (and most other clubs etc that I know of) have stopped doing these because of all the reasons you listed above. Some new ideas are needed – we hold a disco twice a year as a fundraiser, also things like market nights and mothers day/fathers day stalls are so much better

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  • Our school never does any of these and in some ways it is a but sad. But I am pleased not to have to push chocolates

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  • yeah our school doesn’t do these. they don’t do much fundraising anyway which you know is less effort for you but they don’t do easter parades or christmas things for any grades past prep and year1. i would love to see the kids all making hats and stuff but no one want to participate anymore. i remember as a kid doing these fun activities but the kids miss out these days


    • Oh! no! This is rather sad :( Thankfully; some schools still do Easter Hat Parades and Christmas activities. :)



      • also the whole non-religious side has affected the school kids in being able to celebrate christmas. they will only celebrate it on the last day of school. I am not religious but i don’t see why children can’t still partake in these sorts of things.

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  • I hear you! Adults end up doing all of the selling and eating of the chocolates! Our school changed tact after complaints and organised an enormous family fete and the profits were more substantial than food/flower drives. These drives; in particular do contradict the message we deliver to children about healthy eating.

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  • Perhaps you could talk to committee members and suggest they change tack on fundraising. One big event per year, such as a dinner dance/social night for adults, or a fete for children with a visiting farm, cake stall, balloons, a raffle, a ride or two, may mean a big effort, but is a fun social occasion and means just one big push during the year, freeing up the rest of the time. If no one listens to you, just don’t partake in fundraising efforts with which you don’t agree. Don’t let anyone get to you. It’s your child’s school/preschool, and that is its primary focus, educating children; not judging parents.

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  • Our school rarely does these kinds of drives – thank goodness. I hate them (and raffle tickets!) for the reasons above.

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