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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To feel a uneasy about a private day nursery 'fundraising'

23 replies

cakeywakey · 14/10/2009 21:47

AIBU to think that a privately run nursery shouldn't have any need to fundraise?

My 2 year old DD goes to a local day nursery for the few days a week that I work.

Today, I've been given a sample of a really sweet Christmas card featuring her artwork - all of the kids did Christmas paintings which have been turned into personalised cards - and an order form if I want to get any. They're really sweet and I love the idea. But ...

The cheapest package is £12 for ten (rather small) cards - which I think is a bit steep anyway - with 20% going to the nursery. They want to spend any money they make on new garden toys. But shouldn't the profits from fees cover this?

I have a nagging feeling that I'm just being a mean old bag, should order the cards because they're cute, then get over myself.

OP posts:

Lifeinagoldfishbowl · 14/10/2009 21:54

Your fees cover staffing, food and toys etc.

These cards are issued throughout a variety of schools, nurseries and settings like photographers etc, and they offer commission on the cards at least you know you will have new garden they could have used the money on a booze up

ruddynorah · 14/10/2009 21:56

they all do it. private secondary schools do it. it's not a bad thing imo. dd's nursery is raising funds for outdoor equipment. your choice whether you take part.

busybutterfly · 14/10/2009 21:57

Order the cards because they're cute, then get over yourself

PeachesMcLean · 14/10/2009 21:58

I think it's odd. I wouldn't feel obliged to buy the cards. It is essentially fundraising for a private business.

Lindax · 14/10/2009 21:58

YANBU. They should be sold at cost or money goes to a charity. We had a bigger issue at ds's private nursery where one of the kids was disabled and they did fundraisers when the lift broke down to get it repaired so he had access to upper floors of nursery.

I just couldn't understand why they were fundraising to pay for maintenance on a privately owned building!

Had a couple of YABU looks off parents, but if the nurserys heating system had broke we wouldn't fundraise to fix that would we?

RubysReturn · 14/10/2009 21:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

FABIsInTraining · 14/10/2009 22:01

When my DD was at a nursery I was a bit surprised they wanted to do fund raising things tbh. Yet, somehow, I don't have the same feelings about school fundraising.

RubysReturn · 14/10/2009 22:02

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Pyrocanthus · 14/10/2009 22:04

Hmm. I'm afraid I was too tight to buy these from DDs' primary school last year because they cost so much - 2 packs of different artwork each x 2 children, similar price to the one you've quoted. Kept the samples as souvenirs, and bought cards from Oxfam as usual.

I definitely wouldn't have felt obliged to buy them from a private nursery therefore, but I guess it depends how much you'd like to have them. I do think it's a bit steep to ask you to stump up yet more money, but they may have thought it was something parents would like, with the added benefit of being a fundraiser.

I used to raise an eyebrow when volunteers were sought for trips at DDs' nursery - if I'd had the time to go on the trip, I'd have saved myself the childcare money and taken them out myself.

Grumble, rant, moan. Need an early night.

zipzap · 14/10/2009 22:13

Much cheaper to either get your dd to do a drawing and scan it in to print on cards yourself (or get them printed online, can get packs of 10 much cheaper I'm sure). or get her do do an orignial on each card - if you can both bear it!!! will nursery give you the original drawing if you ask them for it?

I know lots of places do these to raise money but it would be interesting to know how much the company makes from each pack of cards if the nursery is getting £2.40 - bet it has to be at least as much.

and no, don't order the cards just because they are cute - that is what they are counting on! it's emotional blackmail, pure and simple.

Pyrocanthus · 14/10/2009 22:24

We did speculate last year that the profit margin must be quite something, as they don't have to pay for the artwork!

Original poster

cakeywakey · 14/10/2009 22:31

Thank you for all your replies - you're quite right that I don't have to order any. They're not holding a gun to my head or anything

I know where you're coming from ZipZap, I've just been on Vistaprint which often does good deals and I think I'd rather go down the DIY route.

Now I just have to hope that when I post whatever we end up, they get to people before Christmas.

OP posts:

mamhaf · 14/10/2009 22:34

And when your dc are older, look out for the scam where your child wins a literature competition and is going to have their poem
printed in a book.

Lo and behold you can then buy the book for a small fortune.

Ewe · 14/10/2009 22:36

I think YAB a bit U. I don't think many nurseries are goldmines, especially at the moment, I know my nursery for one are struggling. Apparently the money they get from the government for the free sessions is often not reflective of the actual cost - can't remember where I read this though!

YANBU however to not buy the cards, but it would be all the money going to card business that bothered me not the bit of it that was going to the nursery my child attends and will therefore benefit her iyswim.

mummywoowoo · 14/10/2009 22:37

Understand why you feela bit wierd... after all who is profiting? Its probably a mixture of owners and the kids benefitting... No easy answers with these things I think...

BratleyEatsBrainsForBreakfast · 14/10/2009 22:47

DS's nursery gets plenty of money out of us but then, they have very very good quality toys, a gorgeous garden and DS is almost happier at nursery than at home! Therefore, I don't mind the odd 'fundraiser' every now and then as they use the money to buy toys specific to childrens interests.
There's a group of boys in DS's room (him included) who are cars crazy, the nursery have just bought the roary racing car track for them from the money raised at the summer fete, which we only spent £10 at!

Depends how often they're fundraising I suppose, if it was ever month I'd be a bit miffed.

Rebeccaj · 15/10/2009 09:40

I don't think nursuries are particularly profitable enterprises; people seem aghast at paying decent prices for childcare. Our old private nursery cost about £50-60/day depending on age; even at that, I worked it out once as being barely profitable, after you pay staff (even at minimum wage), running costs etc. If the funds were going to be spent on benefiting my child, then I don't mind - ours had a summer fair to raise funds to redecorate outside, and now has a wonderful shop mural and new toys as a result.

BobbingForPeachys · 15/10/2009 09:45

My sisters Nursery (manager not owner) fundraises.

The profits pay for toys etc but there are always extraas that are even niccer to have- and profits are not endless after all, there will always be mroe that you'd like to offer than the nursery can afford.

Our school get cards from Cauliflower cards for £6.50 for 12, maybe suggest them next yuear? far more reasonable and I can vouch for the quality

dotty2 · 15/10/2009 09:50

I think on balance it's OK for a private nursery to fundraise for something specific but I have felt similarly uneasy myself about nursery fetes, etc. However, the dds nursery usually do x% of the profits to a children's charity, y% to them, which seems fair enough.

Our customised Christmas cards from dd1s new school are £5.50 for the first 12, £4 for each pack thereafter, which does kind of suggest you are being ripped off somewhere down the line...

jelliebelly · 15/10/2009 09:57

The private nursery that we use often do fundraising for charities (even the proceeds from their Christmas fayre etc go to charity) but we've never been asked to contribute to anything for the nursery to use itself. The whole point of private nurseries is that fees are set at a level that allows the owners to provide all facilities/care/staff that are needed plus make a reasonable profit for themselves - they are a business after all.

CaptainNancy · 15/10/2009 10:06

DD's nursery only ever did fundraising for charities, never for the nursery to profit. They had a complete new garden 18 months ago, and it was paid for from the fees we pay, though they saved a long time to do it.

As a business something like that is an investment- excellent facilities attract more clients, meaning more profit.

Stigaloid · 15/10/2009 10:20

Depends on how much you pay. If you pay only around minimum wage for your childcarer's then you should help with the fundraising. Most fees, even ones considered quite high, are actually very low when you consider all the running costs involved with a nursery. nappies, electricity, equipment, food etc as well as wages. Any extra income goes back into making the nursery better. Yes it may be a bit steep, but it is for a cause you support otherwise your daughter wouldn't be there, no?

islandofsodor · 15/10/2009 10:24

YANBU.

I work for a privately run children's activity and when we fundraise it is either to provide somethng like a scholarship or goes towards a charity set up by our parent company which runs free workshops for disadvantaged children.

My dc's private school does fundraise but they are an educational charoty and the school is not privately owned but run by a board of governors.

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