Class fund non-participants: where do you think the party food comes from??

[Anonymous]

I am a room parent and we ask for each family to contribute a certain amount at the start of the year. This covers teacher holiday and end of year gifts, costumes for the school play and all crafts/food for parties. Pizza alone runs roughly $135 per party. We have about 55% participation yet 100% of the kids get crafts, fed at the party, and costumes for the play. We sign the teacher gifts from the class. It's January and we are out of money once I set aside for end of year gifts ($25/teacher). That means no more parties for the rest of the year. Do I email the class asking again for those who haven't donated to step up? For those of you who don't contribute, how do you feel about your child taking part in the parties, etc when you've not helped? And for those in a financial hardship, I get it.. but I'd venture in our school that is not the primary driver.

[Anonymous]

I'm a room parent also and I email a few times. Everyone usually contributes except for the odd person who doesn't really do email because of language barrier etc. You absolutely need to ask more than once, and maybe do a hard copy flier also.

[Anonymous]

Our expenses are a lot lower. We don't do pizza parties to start with.

I don't think anyone would mind having less parties.

[Anonymous]

Send out another email and do less parties.

At our school, parents usually sign-up to bring stuff for each party on a per-party basis.

[Anonymous]

So you spend significantly more on pizza at multiple parties than you do for the teacher gift? That just seems wrong. Maybe stop serving pizza at parties and just give a treat instead. Maybe parents don't like the idea of paying for pizza multiple times a year.

[Anonymous]

Do.
Fewer.
Parties.

And keep it simple. You don't need 35 kinds of treats and 8 activities for each party. Simplify.

Also, for an upcoming party, do a SignUpGenius for *specific items.* People would rather contribute a specific item than "send us money for parties and stuff."

[Anonymous]

Why do they need pizza?

Shouldn't you be planning within the money you have?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Send out another email and do less parties.

At our school, parents usually sign-up to bring stuff for each party on a per-party basis.

+1 Same and there is always a ton of food. Maybe you are just using a fundraising strategy that doesn't move the parents at your school.

[Anonymous]

Yeah, if people aren’t contributing for parties it’s because they don’t prioritize them. Just because you want them doesn’t mean everyone else has to subsidize your desires.

[Anonymous]

My guess is that the people who opt out are sending you a message that a) they don't have the money or b) would prefer not to have parties, and consider it the responsibility of people who decide to have the parties.

[Anonymous]

Thank you so much for including my daughter in the class parties, she loves them. Her dad is suffering from debilitating depression and isn’t working now. Every 2 weeks we end up using all of our bank overdraft just to get through.

I hope you wouldn’t be able to tell how bad we are struggling just by looking at us or being aquantices with us but we are.

Again, thank you for your generosity, hopefully I’ll be able to pay it forward one day

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a room parent and we ask for each family to contribute a certain amount at the start of the year. This covers teacher holiday and end of year gifts, costumes for the school play and all crafts/food for parties. Pizza alone runs roughly $135 per party. We have about 55% participation yet 100% of the kids get crafts, fed at the party, and costumes for the play. We sign the teacher gifts from the class. It's January and we are out of money once I set aside for end of year gifts ($25/teacher). That means no more parties for the rest of the year. Do I email the class asking again for those who haven't donated to step up? For those of you who don't contribute, how do you feel about your child taking part in the parties, etc when you've not helped? And for those in a financial hardship, I get it.. but I'd venture in our school that is not the primary driver.

No, you don't get it may be a financial hard ship. I don't get how you are spending what you spend. I am a room parent and we get many 10-20% donations of stuff and that is it. Pizza for 25 kids is not $135. No, you send out two emails and if you get no response you find a way to make the money you get work. Many of us do it on a lot less. If you are out of money, you mismanaged the money. You should not be constantly asking for money. We never ask for teacher gifts. Parents can give what they want. We do a sign up genius asking for the basics.

You need 5 double cut pizzas - this is not supposed to be a full meal. You need a costco cake or cupcakes. Then some fruit and veggies depending on what is on sale. And, water bottles and/or juice boxes. Done. That should be under $100. Plates and decor from dollar tree. Decor pick so as a room parent you can use it year to year. Pizza Hut is having a sale for $5 medium pizzas and bread sticks. Get 4-5 pizzas double cut, 2 things of bread sticks (cut each breadstick in half).

$50 or under pizza.
$20 Costco cake
$10-15 for some grapes and carrots (or strawberries or what ever is on sale)
Plates and silverware and a few streamers and balloons - $10-15 at dollar tree
Then crafts - if no one steps up, get cheap things.


I plan to cover the entire party so anything we get is a bonus. I never ask for money as people are generally more generous with giving things. Some years we have 1-2-3 parents who are a huge help and one will do pizza, one will do desert and a few others do the random stuff so all I need are decorations, crafts and games (never had anyone donate those)

Parents do own presents for holidays, teacher appreciation, etc.

You are asking too much and misusing the money so people are not going to give you more.

[Anonymous]

Pizza, costumes and fancy crafts sounds like a lot for school parties.

Not to be a scrooge, but kids (and their parents) just want time to goof off and eat some cupcakes and maybe color something to send home.

[Anonymous]

The experienced room parents send one last email, after all the ones asking for money, saying:

"THIS PARTY WILL NOT HAPPEN UNLESS THERE ARE ENOUGH FUNDS TO FEED EVERYONE AND HAVE A FEW ACTIVITIES."

Or words to that effect.

In my 13 years of school parties, not one has ever been cancelled after such an email

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why do they need pizza?

Shouldn't you be planning within the money you have?

I find it cheaper to do pizza and a few other things then tons of random snacks. Kids will almost always eat the pizza (in less a food allergy). I do it as a way to cut down my costs.