Schools raising money for charity

[GooseyLoosey]

So far this week I have been asked for food for the Harvest festival, a "small monetary amount" for the class to buy a gift for an unspecified purpose (but reading between the lines, for a child in Africa), to bake cakes for the class to raise money for another charity and then to contribute to a PTA activity.

I will do all of these things but am feeling slightly put out. I agree that my children should be aware of those less fortunate than themselves and the need for charity but am not entirely comfortable with the school's role in this. I prefer to choose my own worthy causes and my children learn little by simply passing on my money.

I think I may be being too uptight and just generally miserly, but would you find this acceptable or just a bit too much?

It's fine and needn't cost you more than £2-£3. You don't have to do the cakes (not everyone does every single time), or you can pick up a pack of cheap ones for 50p from Asda etc. Food for harvest - depending on whether they're asking for perishables or not a tin of something for 50p-70p, or a bunch of carrots for 30p. Unspecified gift - £1 taped to some card in an envelope will be fine - in a class of say 25 that still £25! Same for the PTA.

They'll be doing more than passing on money - they'll be learning about the cause too (eg in assembly or in class).

It's a good, whole-community activity for the school, and not all children come from homes which do give to charity.

If it gets too expensive (subtle or not so subtle requests for specified sums of money), or too intrusive (asking for complicated contributions or elaborately themed dress up days) then yes I think it would be reasonable to ask them to wind their neck in a bit. But the basic principle is fine.

I know I am being a bit of a scrooge, I really do. They are learning about the cause and that is a good thing, but not sure what , they learn from me passing on money and cakes.

I really don't begrudge the giving, it just seems that there is one request on top of the other and it feels a bit overwhelming this week.

Yes - if they're seeking contributions too damned often, that's another good reason to ask them to wind their necks in a bit. But perhaps after this little rush of events together, it'll calm down for a nice long time!

That's the thing, I just feel that 4 times in 1 week is too much. Your child can't be the only one who goes in with nothing so you are compelled to contribute. I think it may be the element of compulsion that bothers me too.

I'm not remotely scroogey (plenty of other faults!) but I still wouldn't like four demands in a week - its not just the money, its remembering it all/making cakes etc. and its a lot in one go.

At our school, there have been times when its all come at once - and that was mostly just down to our lovely, wonderful KS1 leader not having thought through the timings. She's more organized now, and we've asked via the PTA for events to be spaced out a bit more, and explained we've sometimes felt a bit overwhelmed - not just as parents, but as PTA members supporting events/making tea etc if its more than one per week.

I would let it go this time, but if its an ongoing pattern I would probably say something - in the least critical, most supportive way possible!

Not sure I would ever actually dare to complain about charitable fund raising out loud - how bad would that make me look?

I shall probably have to content myself with anonymous mutterings.

Oh no, I wouldn't complain about charitable fundraising either - but I would and did complain about the management of said fundraising. Then again, I was in a position to - on good terms with the organizer of the events, and her go-between with the PTA! I simply put forward the fact that many parents were feeling a bit overwhelmed with the intensity of events at times - and could we please have them a bit more spaced out? It took her a few weeks to take it on board, but she did, to her credit

In your case though, I would wait - it might have been a one-off flurry!