An Important Fundraising Safety Message

I think when a person is deeply involved in an activity, he or she runs the risk of becoming a little over-sensitive to people saying dumb stuff about that activity- even if the offender was just kidding.

Case in point- this past week, I was attending a meeting of a group that one of my children is involved with. This group recently completed a major product sale fundraiser that underwrites many of the group’s expenses for the entire year. They put a great deal of emphasis on families meeting or exceeding sales goals.

Well, at this meeting, they were handing out the awards for the top sellers. I was sitting in the audience. The person leading the ceremony was actually an assistant, since the leader was ill and could not attend. I think the assistant was nervous talking in front of the audience, and he made a joke about the kids getting scraped-up knuckles from knocking on hundreds of doors to sell the product. At least, I hope it was a joke. Ha Ha Ha.

What!?! Was he kidding? Unbeknownst to me, were there kids actually knocking on strangers’ doors, selling the items?

Obviously, schools and other non-profit groups must not be sending kids out in such a dangerous way to raise money. Never, ever, let kids approach strangers to sell the products. I don’t care how safe you think your neighborhood is. Don’t do it. The risk is just too great.

My biggest concern is that a person with very little experience and very little knowledge in this field, suddenly finds him- or herself in a position of fundraising leadership. Before you know it, this person is making all kinds of basic mistakes, like letting kids go door-to-door, just like they did in “the old days”.

My guess is that most of the people reading this blog know better than this adult leader I ran into. I’m sure none of you would let your students approach strangers for sales. However, I do want to urge all of you to remind everyone you know involved in fundraising about this safety precaution.

Be very sure to write in your instructions that students are NOT to knock on unknown doors. Some parents, themselves, might not realize this is dangerous either, so do everything you can to banish this practice from our midst.

I know this seems like “Fundraising 101” level stuff. And some people might think I was being hypersensative to the joke made at my son’s meeting.  However, the consequences of being too casual or not careful enough are just too great not to say something.

Photo by: byscooter

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