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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think this fundraising idea is batshit?

66 replies

PlasticTatNemesis · 01/07/2023 09:41

The school my child goes to has a fabulous summer fair, and much respect to the PTA who organise it each year. In the run up to it we get asked to donate a bottle for mufti one week, chocolate for mufti another, soft toy for mufti another (the mental load associated with this could be a whole other thread...)

This year there is a new request: money in an envelope for mufti, minimum 50p. The envelopes will then be used for a stall where you pay 50p to buy an envelope, not knowing what is inside, with the idea you might win more than 50p.

Another mum on the (notorious) WhatsApp group tried to clarify this as they didn't understand how this worked as a school fundraiser, as if you all put 50p into the envelopes and the summer fair charges 50p for each, the school makes 50p for each 50p donated. If you put £50 into your envelope, the school makes 50p for the £50 donated, so essentially £49.50 of your money is a donation to another parent instead of the school. It has been clarified that this is indeed how it works, but the hope is the person who won more would spend their winnings on other summer fair stalls.

AIBU in thinking this is batshit? Some parents who had initially thought the money in envelopes were for donations to the school rather than a crazy stall where you are guaranteed to get at least as much money as you paid back are somewhat cross as they would not have donated money to such a ridiculous scheme.

(for the avoidance of doubt, there are no empty envelopes as apparently else this would fall foul of gambling rules, so it is literally a stall to get the same amount of hard cash or more for the money you pay. My mind is boggling.)

OP posts:
SparklyLeprechaun · 01/07/2023 09:46

Yep, bonkers. Who on earth is going to put £50 in an envelope knowing it's purely for another person to win, with the school benefitting 0?

PurpleChrayne · 01/07/2023 09:48

What does "for mufti" mean?

Wicksytricksy · 01/07/2023 09:49

If I had £50 to give the school, I would just give the school £50.

What a bizarre idea.

CorvusPurpureus · 01/07/2023 09:50

PlasticTatNemesis · 01/07/2023 09:41

The school my child goes to has a fabulous summer fair, and much respect to the PTA who organise it each year. In the run up to it we get asked to donate a bottle for mufti one week, chocolate for mufti another, soft toy for mufti another (the mental load associated with this could be a whole other thread...)

This year there is a new request: money in an envelope for mufti, minimum 50p. The envelopes will then be used for a stall where you pay 50p to buy an envelope, not knowing what is inside, with the idea you might win more than 50p.

Another mum on the (notorious) WhatsApp group tried to clarify this as they didn't understand how this worked as a school fundraiser, as if you all put 50p into the envelopes and the summer fair charges 50p for each, the school makes 50p for each 50p donated. If you put £50 into your envelope, the school makes 50p for the £50 donated, so essentially £49.50 of your money is a donation to another parent instead of the school. It has been clarified that this is indeed how it works, but the hope is the person who won more would spend their winnings on other summer fair stalls.

AIBU in thinking this is batshit? Some parents who had initially thought the money in envelopes were for donations to the school rather than a crazy stall where you are guaranteed to get at least as much money as you paid back are somewhat cross as they would not have donated money to such a ridiculous scheme.

(for the avoidance of doubt, there are no empty envelopes as apparently else this would fall foul of gambling rules, so it is literally a stall to get the same amount of hard cash or more for the money you pay. My mind is boggling.)

The only way the school would potentially make more money than by just keeping the envelopes, would be if they charged £1 for each envelope (assuming hardly anyone is actually going to put >50p in, once they realise such generosity wouldn't actually directly benefit the school).

It could work better if you bought vouchers/tokens to put in the envelopes which were then only valid to spend at the other stalls? Still an almighty confusing faff.

I used to work at a school where you could buy an envelope containing a 'mystery voucher' donated by a local business. Most would be small, jokey things like 'free bag of chips' or '10% off having your nails done' but a couple were well worth having (a minibreak holiday or seriously posh dinner). That was well supported?

RhiWrites · 01/07/2023 09:50

It would only work if you have to bid on the envelopes, paying potentially more than 50p in the hope of a payout. Even then though it’s a really daft idea for a summer fair.

Original poster
PlasticTatNemesis · 01/07/2023 09:51

mufti day= non-school uniform day, so children can wear otther clothes to school

OP posts:
Createausername1970 · 01/07/2023 09:52

It seems to be a lot of effort for not much financial benefit. Yes, bat shit.

CindersAgain · 01/07/2023 09:52

PurpleChrayne · 01/07/2023 09:48

What does "for mufti" mean?

For wearing own clothes.

DataNotLore · 01/07/2023 09:52

Do they not have a maths teacher on staff?

Conkersinautumn · 01/07/2023 09:52

Gambling is hardly a great look for a school fundraiser. Very 80s of them

CindersAgain · 01/07/2023 09:53

I think it nearly works, they’ve just fucked the last half of the logic.

It’s a great improvement on the cake making model where the effort and money from the cake making person is disproportionate to the money raised.

GrannyAchingsShepherdsHut · 01/07/2023 09:54

If they raffled them that would make sense, but a 'every one's a winner' approach makes no sense at all.

But raffle rules are quite stringent if selling tickets in advance - which they'd have to to sell enough I'd think - so yes, definitely better off keeping the envelopes!

Lovingitallnow · 01/07/2023 09:54

it's a great idea if you have someone with brains running it.
the ticket sales should double or triple the envelope value. It's like a raffle.

Createausername1970 · 01/07/2023 09:55

Conkersinautumn · 01/07/2023 09:52

Gambling is hardly a great look for a school fundraiser. Very 80s of them

But very lucrative. I helped on the Christmas chocolate tombola a few times. Total madness for 30 minutes. All chocolate gone and £100s profit!

DataNotLore · 01/07/2023 09:55

Tombola is popular for a reason

JudgeRudy · 01/07/2023 09:57

PlasticTatNemesis · 01/07/2023 09:41

The school my child goes to has a fabulous summer fair, and much respect to the PTA who organise it each year. In the run up to it we get asked to donate a bottle for mufti one week, chocolate for mufti another, soft toy for mufti another (the mental load associated with this could be a whole other thread...)

This year there is a new request: money in an envelope for mufti, minimum 50p. The envelopes will then be used for a stall where you pay 50p to buy an envelope, not knowing what is inside, with the idea you might win more than 50p.

Another mum on the (notorious) WhatsApp group tried to clarify this as they didn't understand how this worked as a school fundraiser, as if you all put 50p into the envelopes and the summer fair charges 50p for each, the school makes 50p for each 50p donated. If you put £50 into your envelope, the school makes 50p for the £50 donated, so essentially £49.50 of your money is a donation to another parent instead of the school. It has been clarified that this is indeed how it works, but the hope is the person who won more would spend their winnings on other summer fair stalls.

AIBU in thinking this is batshit? Some parents who had initially thought the money in envelopes were for donations to the school rather than a crazy stall where you are guaranteed to get at least as much money as you paid back are somewhat cross as they would not have donated money to such a ridiculous scheme.

(for the avoidance of doubt, there are no empty envelopes as apparently else this would fall foul of gambling rules, so it is literally a stall to get the same amount of hard cash or more for the money you pay. My mind is boggling.)

You're all donating 50p. Instead of spending the money on say ingredients for cakes, or some other goods, the school is selling the envelope direct at cost. Parents have not lost out but its not a good use of school funds. The maximum the school can make is 50p per envelope. To do this, someone has to literally collect and secure all the envelopes. On the day the envelopes then need to go into some sort of tombola/hat for the draw and someone has to manage that. It's quite labour intensive compared to just asking for 50p (which could be done by bacs or as an entrance fee to summer fair). Yes, someone MIGHT get a nice surprise but unlikely.
BTW, what happens if someone says I'll buy all 400 envelopes?

FoFanta · 01/07/2023 09:57

Our previous school had loads of PTA activities with a Halloween disco, Christ as Fair Summer Fair, endless donations of a quid here and there and gifts for raffles and desperate messages looking for volunteers. Our current school we get asked for a one off cash donation, once a year. It is so much easier. In terms of time and effort.

JudgeRudy · 01/07/2023 10:01

Lovingitallnow · 01/07/2023 09:54

it's a great idea if you have someone with brains running it.
the ticket sales should double or triple the envelope value. It's like a raffle.

How would they? Let's say there are 500 donated envelopes, and 400 contain 50p but 100 contain a fiver. Sell them all and you make 500 x 50p = £250, sell none and you make 200+500=700! Be much better to ask for donations of minimum of 50p....and just keep it

Winterday1991 · 01/07/2023 10:05

Surely as a punter you would just buy as many envelopes as possible as it's a guaranteed win.

Lovingitallnow · 01/07/2023 10:06

@JudgeRudy in order for the sales to double or triple the donated prizes you don't sell them for 50p. You work it out based on the donations you get. That's where the person with brains comes in.

MarmiteRoll · 01/07/2023 10:09

I've seen this done but not in the way the OP describes, that way makes no sense. I've seen it as donate a silver coin, they go in envelopes on the "money tree" and you pay 50p. You might get an envelope with 10p, 20p, 50p or £1 in. Maybe there's one top prize envelope. Some of the envelopes will have a chocolate coin in. So you have a chance to win more than you play, but you're not guaranteed to make your 50p back.

Blondey2023 · 01/07/2023 10:09

Where on earth did mufti appear from?! We just call it non school uniform day in the south. Is it an expression from another country?

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 01/07/2023 10:09

Sounds like a fairly rubbish version of "Deal or No Deal".

So every envelope contains no less than 50p, and costs 50p. So the buyers can not loose. Do someone may as well buy them all at once, and potentially win more than 50p in an envelope.

Blondey2023 · 01/07/2023 10:10

CaptainMyCaptain · 01/07/2023 09:55

Ah ok thanks for this! Should have rtft