A Middle School’s Hilariously Honest Fundraiser Lets Parents Pay To Be Left Alone
Growing up, school fundraisers were the norm for my family. All of us were too lazy and uninspired to walk door-to-door and ask people to buy stuff out of pity, so what did my family do? Well, my mom just cut a check on the last possible day for whatever I couldn’t guilt my aunts and uncles into buying. Then we’d have a pantry full of popcorn to get us through senior year. Yay.
Now, as an adult, I’m the one being hit up for stuff like this, and it’s costing me a fortune. (Sorry, nieces and nephews.)
One school has it figured out.
Twitter user Dan Reese shared a tweet about his daughter’s middle school fundraiser, which lets parents skip the whole process and just donate. The form even gives them a few hilariously honest reasons to choose from. I would’ve appreciated this growing up. My mom probably would’ve appreciated having her pantry back.
A Dad Shared The School’s Refreshingly Direct Approach To Asking For Money
The Form Has A Donation Option For Whatever You Don’t Want To Do
For $10, you can skip baking cupcakes. For $25, you can avoid asking friends, family, and coworkers to buy wrapping paper. The $50 option is for anyone who would rather not participate in an activity ending in “thon.”
By the time you reach $100, the form stops being polite about it: “I really wouldn’t have helped anyway, so here is $100 to forget my name.”
I appreciate a form that lets me select my actual level of enthusiasm.
People Were Ready To Donate, Even Without A Kid At The School
One person asked whether the fundraiser was real because they wanted to give the school money. Reese said his daughter had brought the form home that day.
That’s a pretty good sales pitch when people outside the school are volunteering to pay for something they already don’t have to do.
Reese Was Just Happy To Skip The Wrapping Paper And Fun Run Shirt
Someone suggested taking the process online and getting rid of the paper form, too. Reese was willing to call this progress as it stood.
Fair enough. You can fill out a piece of paper sitting down. A fun run has a much more demanding second half.
The Replies Also Got Into Why Traditional Fundraisers Can Be Such A Hassle
One commenter made the case that selling door-to-door helps kids develop skills. Reese agreed in theory, but pointed out the problem with a neighborhood full of children attending the same school.
At some point, everyone is selling wrapping paper to everyone else, and nobody needs that much wrapping paper.
Other parents shared their own experiences. One said their child’s high school asks for a flat contribution for a sport, letting parents enjoy the season without the extra assignments. Another described a donation website that asked for additional money to cover fees.
After Sharing The Form, Reese Had One More Fundraising Idea
Reese followed up by suggesting that everyone viewing the post send the school’s PTO a dollar.
He started out celebrating having less fundraising to do and ended up making another pitch. At least this one doesn’t involve delivering frozen cookie dough.
