It’s no secret that I have a strong dislike for fundraisers. I really do. Yet, like a committed parent volunteer, I roll up my sleeves every year to help our schools gather the necessary funds for technology, field trips, and library resources. I find myself hawking overpriced candles, pies, and wrapping paper to my cash-strapped neighbors. I pester my family to buy cookies, nuts, and popcorn during the Boy Scouts’ fundraising events. While I might not approach it with enthusiasm or genuine happiness, I persevere for the greater good and contribute to our schools’ financial needs. And when a chipper mom suggests I “only” need to sell 46 tins of stale chocolate pretzels to fund my kid’s camping trip, I definitely roll my eyes.
Although I resent the necessity of begging for money to help our school meet financial goals, I understand that fundraisers serve an important purpose in many districts. They help children whose families struggle to cover expenses for field trips and other educational activities. Additionally, fundraisers enable schools to provide supplementary media, technology, and playground equipment that exceed what a district’s budget can accommodate. They can also ease the financial burden of costly sports gear and league fees, ensuring that kids can participate in organized sports.
However, my frustration with fundraising isn’t rooted in its necessity. It stems from parents who feel compelled to fundraise for extravagant expenses in affluent districts. These are the districts where high taxes and median incomes allow schools to provide competitive salaries for teachers, maintain safe and well-kept facilities, and ensure adequate staffing for students. Some districts even send fourth-graders on field trips in luxury coach buses and reward volunteers with lavish gifts just for attending class parties.
And don’t get me started on the increasingly extravagant nature of the fundraisers themselves. Celebrity meet-and-greets. Upscale silent auctions. Mattress sales. Yes, mattress sales. It’s hard to fathom that many people can afford to splurge on high-end mattresses just to fund a few additional smartboards for their school. Asking families who are already struggling to sell mattresses to help cover school costs is, frankly, tone-deaf.
During my years on the elementary school board and as PTA president, I often faced challenges in a district filled with affluent parents. I frequently encountered proposals for parties and field trips that were met with frustration from families simply trying to make ends meet. I witnessed wealthier parents seemingly oblivious to the fact that not every family can easily write a check for unnecessary school activities, insisting on expensive gifts for teachers instead.
When I received a tearful call from a parent apologizing for not being able to contribute $20 for an extravagant class party, it hit me hard: fundraising and PTA spending had officially jumped the shark. Parents in wealthier districts need to closely examine how their fundraising dollars are allocated. You might be surprised to learn just how much that bounce house shaped like Hogwarts really costs. If you just rolled your eyes, it’s a clear sign that your privilege is showing.
If your PTA is laying out an actual red carpet for a school dance with a DJ costing thousands of dollars, I urge you to reconsider your priorities—because there are undoubtedly children missing out, through no fault of their own. Sure, a luxury coach can make a field trip more thrilling for kids, but such excesses create barriers for families who depend on fundraising to help their children participate. Most fundraising companies only return about 10% of the proceeds to the child selling (if that).
If a child is expected to sell candles at $30 each for a field trip costing $50–75, they would need to sell 16 to 25 candles just to join the trip. No parent should have to endure the hassle and humiliation of selling dozens of candles because affluent parents can’t step back and reconsider lavish events and pricey field trips. Every child deserves the chance to partake in school activities, and no parent should feel embarrassed for not being able to afford steep costs or lacking enough family members to support their fundraising efforts.
Fundraising has spiraled out of control. While most parents have the best intentions when planning school events, it seems we’ve lost sight of the bigger picture. Kids don’t need luxury buses for field trips to the zoo when a regular school bus would allow every child to attend without the financial strain. Although I recognize that competition for fundraising dollars is intense among sports teams, schools, and scouting groups, we can all agree that mattress sales should be left to the professionals.
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In summary, fundraising, while essential, has become overly extravagant, often leaving struggling families behind. It’s crucial for parents in affluent districts to reassess their priorities and consider more inclusive and practical approaches to school fundraising.