Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Fundraising Ethics

As we all know, most children's activities these days need to do some fundraising to make ends meet. I understand that and to a degree I accept it. Personally I prefer fundraisers that actually sell things as opposed to raffles or things such as 50/50 draws or bingos or lotteries. If I want to support you I will make a donation (and really that is what I see myself doing when I buy tickets on the things).

OF course to make these things happen the families need to help out. I get that I really do. BUt when an organization sends out tickets to sell with a letter saying "You must sell this many tickets or be billed for the difference" then they have crossed the line. Saying "in order to make enough money we need everyone to sell..." is fine. But mandating that people will sell a certain number of tickets is not ethical.

True they offered a way out -- "those who do not wish to sell tickets may make a donation of..." (note that a mandated donation is not a donation, it is a fee) but still this seems a gross misuse of parental support.

ANd more to the point, shouldn't you set your fees so that they cover the base costs of the program and then use fundraising for extras and/or scholarships to support those who find the costs onerous? I would gladly pay an extra $20 up front than be bullied into either 1) making a "donation" or 2) forcing a ticket sales pitch upon friends and acquaintances.

4 comments:

  1. This used to bother my parents very much when my brothers and I were in elementary school. They were distressed that school had turned their children into door-to-door salespeople, peddling wrapping paper and whateverelse.

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  2. I'm in total agreement here Gord.

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  3. Blackmail, plain and simple...

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  4. Some stiffs don't got no suttle--tee. Gotta try a gentler approach, before you send in the muscle, I always sez.

    --Tony Bassoprofundo

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