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Middle School’s Fundraiser Says Parents Can Pay And Get Out Of Bake Sales And Other Activities
School fundraisers can be quite a dreaded affair for parents. After all, they give up weekends to bake cupcakes, spend hours reaching out to distant relatives just to sell products, or get forced to staff events they don’t even want to. If there’s an easy way out, they will obviously take it.
The Saline Middle School in Michigan thought along the same lines and wrote a hilariously direct fundraiser letter. Its honesty amused parents and offered an easy alternative to the hassle they deal with. Scroll down to read all about this viral letter that parents absolutely loved.
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Saline Middle School came up with a hilariously direct fundraising strategy
A Michigan dad, Dan Reese, recently tweeted a photo of a fundraising letter from the Saline Middle School his daughter attends. It bluntly asked parents to pay up instead of going through the whole hassle. Not just the parents, but the internet also had a ball reading how hilariously direct the school was.
“My daughter’s middle school has the most direct fundraising strategy, and I’m here for it. We can skip the whole charade,” Dan wrote along with the photo that he posted. The fundraiser form explained in detail what parents could do instead of baking cupcakes or selling products.
It asked parents to pay up instead of participating in bake sales and other activities
Right at the top, it stated, “This fundraiser is in lieu of sending students home with the task of selling door-to-door, collecting money, and delivering goods. Please help us avoid that by supporting the Saline Middle School PTO with your donation, and helping us achieve our goals to support our students and faculty.”
It also included multiple funny options for parents to choose from. Basically, it listed activities that turn into nightmares for parents while juggling work and kids. Each option listed an amount. Parents could pick the one they wanted to avoid and directly pay cash instead.
They were asked to donate $10 to get out of baking cupcakes. $25 to avoid selling wrapping paper by pestering relatives, friends, and colleagues. $50 to skip any activity that had a “ton” in it. $75 to avoid buying new clothes for balls and galas. And finally, the most hilarious one was for $100 that stated, “I really wouldn’t have helped anyway, so here is $100 to forget my name.”
Dan’s post soon went viral and has garnered more than a whopping 3 million views. As people responded to this hilarious strategy, he posted again, “If everyone viewing this post sent the Saline Middle School PTO $1, I’d be the best fundraiser of all time.”
Some netizens couldn’t believe it was real, while a few criticized it
Saline Middle School also posted details about the fundraiser on Facebook
Saline Middle School also posted about the “Fall Giving” fundraiser on Facebook. It explained how parents could donate and that “students have a chance to win a cider and donuts party.” This post was very different from their humorous form.
And it came with a caption: “Help us support our amazing teachers! Our Fall Fundraiser is a simple way to provide extra support for our teachers and students throughout the year. If you’re able, please consider making a contribution. Every donation—big or small—is appreciated and helps us show our teachers just how much we value all they do!”
The post also assured parents that participation was easy. However, when it blew up online, people were quite divided. For some, the witty form worked wonders, as random strangers claimed that they also wanted to donate money without being associated with the school.
A few folks were skeptical of the school’s strategy, while others criticized the whole idea of fundraising
It’s not the first time that schools have come up with such funny fundraising ideas
Many parents said it was a brilliant idea and that it would help them. Some also shared stories of how troublesome these fundraisers can be. However, this isn’t the first time a school has pulled something this funny.
Back in 2018, another school from Alabama also came up with this idea of parents paying up instead of participating in multiple activities. Even that hilarious note was a breath of fresh air for many parents. But it also faced some criticism, as this one did.
Some netizens said it helps students develop life skills by selling things door-to-door. According to the International Journal of Scientific Research and Technology, “Education in life skills also promotes emotional and physical well-being. It supports kids’ development of positive connections, self-awareness, and emotional fortitude. Additionally, it fosters social, psychological, and physical development as well as general well-being.”
Dan Reese agreed that fundraisers help kids develop these skills, but he pointed out a problem that comes with them. When all students are from the same neighborhood, there are only so many houses to sell wrapping paper to. And in reality, nobody even needs that much of it.
Well, there’s definitely some truth to that. Don’t you agree? What are your thoughts about it? Let us know in the comments!
Most netizens loved the school’s strategy and praised it
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lenka 3 hours ago
My kids scouting club wanted parents to walk door to door collecting donations. They rang us up to to tell us which neighbourhood we had been allocated to. We simply did not have the time. Two kids with all thier activities, two parents who need extra care and we are sandwhiched in the middle with our own work and financial responsibilities. My husband is no nonsense. He told them we did not have capacity to participate this year. They tried to pressure him. He asked how much money the club expected to raise from his three hours of door knocking. They said $80-$100. We have thier bank account details already to pay the monthly contributions so while she was telling him how important the money was to the club, he transferred $100 to the club account and then sent her a screenshot saying he had discharged his obligation. lol
Lynne Walker 1 hour ago
One school around here sells giftcards. As a "donor" your only cost is the tax you may have to pay on the cards. The school receives a percentage of the value of the cards. And you have really great choices for which cards you can buy.
MonsterMum 2 hours ago
I used to bake cakes every years for my children's school fayres. We'd then go to the fayre, I'd give the kids money and they would usually buy back the cakes I'd made (because they liked them best)!
lenka 3 hours ago
My kids scouting club wanted parents to walk door to door collecting donations. They rang us up to to tell us which neighbourhood we had been allocated to. We simply did not have the time. Two kids with all thier activities, two parents who need extra care and we are sandwhiched in the middle with our own work and financial responsibilities. My husband is no nonsense. He told them we did not have capacity to participate this year. They tried to pressure him. He asked how much money the club expected to raise from his three hours of door knocking. They said $80-$100. We have thier bank account details already to pay the monthly contributions so while she was telling him how important the money was to the club, he transferred $100 to the club account and then sent her a screenshot saying he had discharged his obligation. lol
Lynne Walker 1 hour ago
One school around here sells giftcards. As a "donor" your only cost is the tax you may have to pay on the cards. The school receives a percentage of the value of the cards. And you have really great choices for which cards you can buy.
MonsterMum 2 hours ago
I used to bake cakes every years for my children's school fayres. We'd then go to the fayre, I'd give the kids money and they would usually buy back the cakes I'd made (because they liked them best)!
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