To not want to sponsor for this cause?

[sallagadoola]

Prepared to get flamed here, as I can’t work out if I’m being a complete cow or totally reasonable!
Also name changed as details could be outing.
So I have a few friends who’s kids go to a local drama school.
It’s a warehouse type setting which is owned by a lady who runs drama/singing/dancing classes.
Maybe not relevant but the classes aren’t particularly cheap as I’ve looked into it for my kids.
The business seems to do very well and puts on yearly shows with a hundred or so kids involved (only know this as I took my kids to watch a show there one year)
Anyway back to the point. They’ve decided that their air con system needs updating and are asking for £15,000 in donations.
They’ve asked all the kids to raise money. Some are doing sponsored silences, sponsored walks, 12 hour singathons etc.
It’s been all over my Instagram asking for donations and I’ve quietly avoided the posts.
However now on a group chat, 2 of them have asked why I’ve not sponsored their kids.
If I’m being honest I don’t think donating money for air conditioning for the benefit of kids attending an hour class a week is very worthy.
My kids attend karate, dancing, badminton classes etc and not a single one of those venues has air conditioning and it doesn’t bother the kids in the slightest.
I feel like the owner of drama business is a CF and should either stick some fans in the drama studio or open a window.
Do I tell my friends the reason why I don’t want to donate, or just plead poverty (half true with reduced hours due to coronavirus)

[dancinfeet]

@WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll I completely agree. There is a difference between fundraising for smaller items and equipment to benefit the members, and quite another fundraising for luxuries. I know a theatre school who fundraised a few thousand for unspecified renovations, they had no heating in any of their studios but opted to have a bar installed, and applied for an alcohol license all with the fundraising money (!) for the 'comfort' of audience members when they did shows a few times a year. Unsurprisingly they went bust by the end of the same year, and restarted up again under a new name in another venue.

[MadameButterface]

wow, the cheek. big nope.