To think this is a bit expensive for a fundraiser?

[Nerdybeethoven]

My children are involved in a local music service. It's absolutely fantastic - they play in bands, sing in choirs, all run by amazing teachers. The people running the service work extremely hard and are lovely people. I know how much they struggle to keep everything afloat, with lots of cuts to their funding etc. They have my admiration and support. HOWEVER, they've just announced details of a garden party they're having in a couple of weeks time. First time they've done it but they're looking for new ways to raise money so that they can keep the cost of various activities (like their summer music tours) down. Garden party will be BBQ, stalls (asking for donations for raffles / prizes etc) and the different kids' groups will perform music. Nice end of term activity and chance for kids and grown-ups to admire and socialise. But it's a fixed ticket price of £10 for adults and £4 for participants (ie the kids that are performing have to pay too). This includes a hot dog and a soft drink but even so ….. For our family that's £28. I want to be supportive but I'm actually quite perturbed. I think it would be fairer if they charged a small entry fee (£2/£3 each) and then charged for the food and refreshments. Maybe they think we're all so middle class we can afford it but, frankly, we're very squeezed. We scrimp and save and go without other luxuries so that we can afford music lessons and instruments (which we budget carefully for) and then find ourselves paying half a week's food budget to hear them play and eat a hot dog. What's more, we'll be forking out another £20-£25 or so at least the previous weekend to see them perform in a more formal concert (I realise that a lot of this ticket entry just covers the costs as it's in a church and they have to pay rental, and for the teachers' time and services). Whilst I know there are a lot of well-off families involved, I'm sure there are many like us, or worse off. Just seems a shame. It's also come at end of term when there are various school trips, school concerts (some free, some paid tickets) etc etc and I'm feeling the pinch.

Yes I think it's expensive OP. A big chunk of money there and an assumption parents can afford it.

It doesn't sound a lot to me if food is being provided but it depends on your area etc.

Unless I'm missing something, this event is fundraising to directly benefit your children, is it not?

Contributing towards this is optional of course but it seems a bit off to expect others to stump up the money and to still benefit from it yourselves.

Yes it benefits my children - in the same way a school summer fayre benefits my children. But the latter doesn't charge a family of 4 a compulsory £28 to get in (even if it does include a hot dog!) which means - generally - every family can contribute according to their means. As I've said at length, I'm not adverse to paying and raising funds but this is more than I had budgeted for outgoing stu is term and we don't have endless spare cash. It's being rather sprung on us: 'we're doing this to raise money / we're expecting you to join in / this is what it costs / fill in the order form and return with cash next week. Oh and bring a bottle for the tombola stall.' We don't live in a wealthy area so I don't suppose I'm the only one that is a bit stretched by this.

Do you pay weekly for these activities?

Our nationally-recognised, city-wide music service is currently under threat due to a play by a church MAT to make their own (what appears to be substandard, from what plans have been given) service which will be compulsory for all the church schools to buy in.

Quite frankly I’d be sucking up £30 and being incredibly thankful that enough people give a shit.

That’s our situation though. And yours is yours.

However you choose to act, I wish you well in retaining the service; music services are invaluable for our young people.

I pay termly for the activities. 2 children. 2 groups each. There's usually a concert every term which costs £20-30 in tickets for DH and me to attend. This is the first time they've done a separate fundraiser like this which is essentially an informal concert with a hot dog and will be the same performances, more or less, that we will have paid to hear the week before at the more formal concert. So they're kind of doubling up. Same target audiences too - it's really only families of the participants who attend - not the general public.

I think YANBU OP
Organisations like this will try different things for fundraising, I think if you do as you say and just send the kids, probably others will do similar, they will re think their fundraising. A smaller entrance fee allows more people to participate and they will spend according to what they feel OK with. £28 is a lot of money when you are on a tight budget

Hang on, so you're already paying for the kids to go to the activity durning term time as well?
£28 plus a couple of bottles, if you can something for a fiver is £38, plus the cost of getting there and back and parking.

That's a lot of money for four hot dogs and four soft drinks. I'm amazed the kids are expected to 'pay to play' at this event. In live music circles (rock, indie, metal etc.) Pay To Play venues are viewed in a very poor light.

I would probably not be going, nor would the kids. Can you do something else that day - take a picnic, visit a free attraction, find a local food festival - so it's not as if you're just not going, but that you have other plans.

I think if I'd known it would be quite so expensive I wouldn't have signed the kids up for it. They asked for participation numbers a while ago (from a musical point of view) without mentioning costs! Then I got the order form today. Tbh I'm not even sure they headlined it as a fundraiser when they first mentioned it (although raising money is always a big factor) - more of a lovely social event. And the kids are always up for a chance to play. I knew money would feature somewhere but didn't expect it to be quite so inflexible. I think they've misjudged it but I don't want to mention it and seem like I'm complaining! As a say they're nice people who do a great job.

I had to take my DD out of gymnastics because they were constantly moving them up into more experienced groups and the groups then had to come up to 5 times a week instead of once!

It was meant to be for fun...not a career! Of course I was then expected to pay more!

Lipstick: sounds familiar from tae kwondo classes! £50 for every grading. Start wanting your kids not to make any progress! We tend to avoid music grade exams as much as possible also for reasons of cost!

And there are stalls and a tombola which you might feel obliged to support. I think it's a silly price. It also makes learning an instrument seem to be an activity for the well off.

Email them and point out you can’t afford it. They may waive payment so your children can participate, or ask for a donation. Or they may be completely inflexible. Either way, it may make them reconsider the ticket price, and not letting people know from the outset.

If you don't want to go say something has come up and you are busy or can just one of you go, I've adult and two DCs £18. I actually don't think it's loads if it includes food and a performance. It was £6 a head to get into the Christmas fayre in PILs village last year (we went with them so it cost £24 for the for of us) and for that you got nothing, not even a Christmas carol, just people trying to sell you outrageously expensive stuff, £60 for a small Christmas cake anyone?

How much do you pay for the termly activities? Is it extremely reasonable?

In the end if you can’t afford it you can’t, so don’t. Send the kids. (Or not) and a small donation (or not).

They have to raise money one way or another: subsidy, grants, fees or fundraising. If this initiative doesn’t suit you either make a donation seperately, offer to do some fundraising like writing some applications to charitable trusts or running your own event, or expect fees to rise.

Since they are doing alll this, why not let them get the benefit of grade exams? Music exams are meaningful and good in a CV.