Fundraising Ideas for Individuals

[sk!mom]

When I was a kid I would have hoped that if I wanted to do something (something that kept me out of trouble, kept me active, taught me responsibility and about teamwork) and my parents couldn't afford it, I would hope that instead of them saying they couldn't afford it they would say we can't afford it entirely but you can work for it and we'll help you in the process.

I think part of the breakdown in what your asking, for me, is the fact that you say more than once that you cannot afford the activity. Then you ask about fundraising. Your children are too young to work and contribute significantly to something that you cannot afford so I read into it that you must be thinking of fundraising since you also asked if it was tacky.

I think using the word fundraiser is what people are having issues with. I don't think you mean it the way it sounds.

I would second picking up cans. You can make it their job to crush those cans. It wont give you a fortune but it is definitely work they can do at their ages. You could also have them ask neighbors and relatives to save their cans for them. I think people would be happy to help in this way. It would take some commitment for the kids to follow up and pick up what people save for them.

I think can collecting, lemonade stands, and yard sales are more what I would suggest if someone asked me how to insure that a kid has "skin in the game" (something I don't generally subscribe to especially for elementary kids trying out extra curriculars.) None of them are going to take a costly on going expense from out of the budget to affordable.

 

[Southernmiss]

Dh got certified and started referreeing soccer to help pay for our kids soccer fees, travel, tournaments, etc.

We held dd off from starting travel soccer until she was 12. That allowed her brother's activities to begin to fade as they were high school and college age.

It did not hold dd back at all. She as a high school sophomore is being looked at by college coaches-doesnt mean she'll play college-has the grades to go all academically on scholarships, but it will give her options, if the perfect college match up happens.

A sport is a game and a great way for exercise and social interaction, but It's not everything.

And we don't even do school fundraisers. I'll write a check before I'll bug friends and family to support my kid's stuff.

 

[QueenIsabella]

Got it. I guess we all have different views on the term fundraise. I believe your definition of "asking others to pay for my kids' activity" would be along the lines of crowd funding i.e. Gofundme (of which I would NOT do). But again, that's my point of view (and others who have chimed in with their ideas).

When I was a kid I would have hoped that if I wanted to do something (something that kept me out of trouble, kept me active, taught me responsibility and about teamwork) and my parents couldn't afford it, I would hope that instead of them saying they couldn't afford it they would say we can't afford it entirely but you can work for it and we'll help you in the process.

Different parenting styles I guess. And that's ok. It's very easy to say no thanks in terms of fundraising or "paying for other kids' activities". I do it all the time. However, there are some that I do donate to when I have a few spare dollars. Nobody is forcing me one way or the other.

Thank you for chiming in. I appreciate your opinion.

Yeah, I think it's more the term you used--I have no objection, at all, to kids pitching in towards a desired activity.

OT, but a true story: back when we lived in the Northeast, DH did ski patrol at a local mountain every weekend. It was an unpaid position, but he already had his EMT card, and loved to ski. Included in the deal was free season passes, rentals, and lessons for the entire family. By the time we moved, our older DD was a ski instructor (paid), and our older DS was a lift operator (paid). DD#2 was too young for a paid position, but she helped out in concessions and checking tickets, and they'd "pay" her in food. But one thing we emphasized from the beginning was, you kids are getting these perks, so you're expected to pitch in around the mountain. So when the ski patrol needed to practice a lift evacuation (required once a year), guess whose kids were up on the chair lift! All 4 of them were very used to being victims (we prefer to call them "patients").

My point is, there's usually a way to defray costs. sometimes you have to get creative. I do hope you can work this out so your boys can enjoy ice hockey.

 

[tvguy]

I apologize if I missed it in other replies, but isn't the "IN" way these days to make a little extra money to drive for UBER or LYFT?
I can't believe how many cars I see around with the UBER and LYFT stickers in the windows, and I have co-workers who do that on their days off. Apparently UBER even has a program with Nissan to lease a car to drive, with the lease payment being deducted from your earnings.
Of course, you have to be comfortable doing it, and your car has to be new enough to meet their standards.....I think your car can't be older than 10 years old, so I'd have to get a new car if I wanted to do it.

 

[lovewdwfun]

I know there are kids who live by me who collect cans to pay for their activities. The Mom posts on neighborhood Facebook swap pages that she and her kids are raising money for an activity and will pick up cans. I think this is a good idea and not in poor taste.

 

[LovesTimone]

I was a girl scout leader and dance mom ( elementary school), dance mom( middle school), and team mom( color guard high school 4 years) and chaperoned for a lot of different events and helped coordinate lots of other functions for school, church youth group, .... for my DD as she went through school. Most organizations or team sports try to off set the cost with fund raiser's.... Car Washes, bake sales, basket auctions, spaghetti dinners, donut sales before school, ice cream after school, garage sales - this was one of our best fund raiser, we charged 25, dollars per table rental payable when they sign up ( we used the churches table, as well as a parent owned a catering company and donated the rest - then the kids sold drinks, snacks, and sold BBQ plates out of the church kitchen( our men's senior group did all the cooking)... we also had face painting, and one of those bouncy house jumping things ( which was donated so no cost).. 200 table at 25 bucks was 5,000.00 dollars just on the tables, plus all the money from drinks, snacks, and BBQ plates... we made over 10,000 on that Saturday... and we made the kids work, dumping trash, cleaning tables, carrying stuff to cars, set up and clean up...

When planning a fund raiser of this size, it takes a lot of planning, and asking for help... and you have to get creative and think outside the box...

You more than likely are not the only parent feeling the pinch with the cost of activities, talk to the other parents, coaches and see what can be done to soften the cost of participation. ?

Find a business to sponsor the team. Take the kids with you when scouting out business have them be involved in the plan and asking for support, have a plan on what you are needing and going to ask for... uniforms, equipment, sell advertisement at the games. Go in person, family owned and operated business are a good source, when asking a large company for a donating you will have to do some research. Most have some type of budget for community involvement...

Hope this helps..

 

[NinaBella]

As many of you know, youth sports are a big investment! My kids currently play baseball, basketball and inline hockey - sometimes all at the same time. More recently (and ultimately my youngest son's goal) they've begun a Learn to Play ice hockey program, complimentary courtesy of the Anaheim Ducks.

Well, they love it. They excel at it. And again, for my younger son it is his dream to play in college so although it may not be likely, I will support his dreams. However, ice hockey is INCREDIBLY expensive. For them to play a 5 month season it will cost nearly $2,000 (for both) once uniforms and additional equipment is purchased (that ice needs and inline doesn't use).

We've already discussed with them that this is a commitment and is costly so they must be dedicated. (They're 7 and 9 and understand completely) For Easter we've asked grandparents for practical gifts (new gloves, helmet, skates etc. - we're fine with used equipment as well). Their birthdays are well after the season begins (several months later) so can't ask for equipment until then.

We, as parents, would never want to deprive our kids of their passions but goodness, it is not cheap! I'm already thinking that the first place these funds will come from is our vacation funds. We'll have to stretch our trips out further. However, does anyone have ideas of fundraisers they can do to raise money for themselves? Is that in poor taste? I don't feel comfortable starting a Gofundme or similar but was wondering if anyone has done a different type of fundraising for their children? I wouldn't expect $2,000 in fundraising every 6 months but perhaps something to help with costs. Or do I just need to pick up a second job?

We pay more than that for one child to be in competitive cheerleading. My two older boys (now adults) played Ice Hockey. What I suggest is to ask your club if they have a booster club that does fundraising. We are fortunate that ours has many fundraising opportunities; however, it takes a lot of time and commitment from my husband. His work schedule is more flexible than mine, so with my current job, I can not work as many events. He works nearly every event from serving Beer, Pizza, Pretzels at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Stadium, to working concessions at the Amalie Arena (where the Tampa Bay Lightning play, plus concerts and other events), to flipping burgers at concerts at the MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, and working concessions at the University of South Florida Sundome. Some parents work as an employee of these venues (bartending mostly) versus the volunteering like DH does. The difference is as a volunteer, the venue pays the cheer gym who credits DD cheer account. As a regular employee you are subject to taxes, ect. and we do not want to be thrown into another tax bracket from these events. A couple moms I know have taken up driving for Uber during the 3 hour practices to supplement their income.

Also, you left out a critical part of the Ice Hockey parents budget: Camps and Clinics! When my boys were young and playing hockey I would see the camps and clinics information at our rink and some of the camps/clinics were three hours away Mon-Fri. I was like "who takes off work for these camps and clinics to take their kids?" We have no family living nearby so no help. Well, WE are those parents who will take a week off work to take our kid to a camp/clinic in another state for competitive cheer. I can only imagine that my boys would have progressed faster and farther if I had done the camps/clinics. In the cheer world, many cheerleaders take several "private lessons" a week which adds to the cost.

I completely understand how expensive ALL children's sports have become. I have co-workers whose kids do not play sports and they are like, he's 7, maybe by age 9 we will try him in baseball. They do not understand that by age 9, the kids are deciding to drop a sport because they are not progressing. My current 16 year old played soccer, baseball, football, etc. from age 3 and dropped soccer first, then later dropped baseball. At the age he when all his friends were moving from flag football to tackle football he didn't want to play tackle, so he played a few more years of flag and then stopped because there were very few flag football players after age 10. By that time, if you had not switched to tackle, you were pretty much done.

 

[NinaBella]

Oh and speaking from experience (friends who have kids in hockey), hockey tournaments will be your vacations. You won't be able to go anywhere else, both from a financial standpoint and the team won't allow it.

In cheerleading, many parents affectionately call travel competitions "cheer-cations"! LOL.

 

[SharonZ]

I wouldn't have any issue with the kids contributing toward their sporting expenses (birthday money, etc.). But, it would only be if I could totally afford to pay for the fees myself and not be dependent on others contributions. I think it gets to the point where you need to have a discussion about finances and what your can afford, not just what the kids want. If you had the ability to pick up a 2nd job, I think that would be your best "fundraiser."

 

[lizzyb]

Sorry, I vote "poor taste". Asking that birthday/Christmas presents be practical is good (though I never got more than some chocolate for Easter - lucky kids), but asking others to fund your children is, in my opinion, tacky.

I agree. I have 2 kids in hockey, one is travel and if I couldn't afford to pay for it they wouldn't be playing. I am all for them helping with the costs if need be.