Reply to Anyone maxed out on all the over the top auction items?

Forum Index » Private & Independent Schools

Reply to "Anyone maxed out on all the over the top auction items?"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]We pay/have paid full freight for 4 kids and give generous donations both to the annual fund and the designated financial aid fund.  The auction makes me cringe.  It's not sour grapes, but the live auction seems to me an ostentatious display of wealth that undermines the school's fundamental values.  [b]If you want to support financial aid, you can write a check specifically for that purpose.  [/b]If you want to have fun and meet other parents, volunteer, go to a game or school play, or host a potluck.  And, for the record, all of our kids have or will play varsity sports, and, no, they don't need that fancy athletic center.            [/quote]

Thank you ... this is exactly how I feel and behave. [/quote]

You won't get nearly the amount of money this way.  That is why these auctions exist.  People are much happier to part with their money if they are getting something in return along with their tax deduction.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with that either.

The fundamental values argument is a load.[/quote]

I agree.  I don't see any harm in a school setting up a gala event to celebrate giving.  I even can see lots of benefits to such a gala event.  For example: (1) the fancy atmosphere encourages more people to come to the event, (2) the event celebrates those who give, which encourages more giving, and (3) the other elements of the event all encourage more giving.  What's the problem with any of this?

Here's a real-world example: I attended DC's tiny preschool auction a couple years ago.  I'd already made my modest cash donation for the year and did not intend on bidding on anything at all.  But once I'd had a couple wines, and the festivities were in full swing, I found myself bidding on several items.  In the end, I spent far more than I'd planned, and I felt good about it because the money went to a good cause.  So what's the harm in that?  (Note that this was far from a fancy gala -- most parents wore jeans, and most of the auction items were things like a movie-night package with two tickets, popcorn, and a babysitter for $50 -- but the point still stands.)

It seems like a lot of the complaints here are really just driven by jealousy of people who have more than you (and certainly more than me!).  [/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics