Strollerderby : fundraising

How You Can Keep Kids Breathing

JeanneSager — Fri, 29 May 2009 20:01:00 GMT

It's a disease that takes their breath away, but you can give it back.

Kids born with cystic fibrosis fight daily against the excessive mucus production that makes breathing a struggle. Their projected life expectancy is around thirty-seven years old.

But the Breathe 4 Tomorrow Foundation doesn't hit you over the head with their simple video that's starting to generate funds for the small Washington-based non-profit. All they ask for is $1.

In this economy, it's the kind of message that works. Pictures of brave kids undergoing treatments, a (relatively corny, but oh well) song about hope for tomorrow, and a simple request. Give them $1, and they'll help pay for the medicines for kids with cystic fibrosis.

Fundraising videos - especially featuring kids - can be cloying. But this one hit me just right (in the tear ducts). They're not presumptuous - just like the kids aren't presuming they'll live much past high school graduation or college. But you can change that.

Check out the video below. Did it move you? Then donate over at Breathe 4 Tomorrow.

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

School Fundraising: Parents Go Selling

SunnyChanel — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 20:30:00 GMT

When you signed up your kid for school, did you also think you’d also be signing up for an Amway like sales cult? Yeah, I didn’t think so either. Almost all schools have a variety of different fundraising schemes and shenanigans. Our own Jeanne Sager wrote about How to Say No to the Kid Selling You Something, but as equally hard is the question of how to say no to a parent selling you something.

Kids, they’re pretty resilient. They probably won’t remember two or three years from now that you didn’t buy their candy/cookie/craft. But adults, we don’t easily forget being snubbed by our peers.

Recently, my daughter’s preschool had a quilt fundraiser with each family being responsible to sell a certain amount of tickets. Not wanting to push the purchase on my friends, family and acquaintances, I only sold about 3 or 4 tickets to those really close to me, those who basically had to say yes. The rest, I just paid for myself. I didn’t feel compelled to inflict the raffle tickets on everyone I know, which could lead to some awkward yes, no and maybes.

I’ve been on the other end and have ended up with candy, cookies, magazine subscriptions, and cookie dough. Items I didn’t want or need but I didn’t want to be the jerk friend that said ‘no’, especially when the parent is purely just ‘doin’ it for the kids’.

Have you had to sell stuff for your kid’s school? And when fellow parents you to buy something do you ever say no?

Image Source

How to Say No To the Kid Selling You Something

JeanneSager — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 21:06:00 GMT

Let's face it, no matter how bad the economy gets, there's always going to be a kid knocking on your door with something useless to sell.

For Scouts, for church, for school, for the poor starving children in Ethiopia (so they can finally get a break from Mom harping on about cleaning their plates).

And, if you're anything like me, you buy it all. Because you . . . just . . . can't . . . say . . . no. But there's a set of columnists over at Slate who say you can say no to charitable giving without feeling like a total tool (OK, I added that), and they're willing to tell you how.

Written in part by a former staffer at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, who had to say "uh uh" thousands of times over to worthy charities who were lining up for grants, the piece advocates pumping up the asker . . . and then saying no. Basically their suggestions are to validate the person fundraising by telling them how important their work is, and how much you value what they're doing.

OK, that might work for adults, if you can figure out how NOT to sound like a patronizing SOB. But with kids . . . it just ain't gonna work. Why?

For starters, there's that cute factor. As my colleague Brett says, if you want to sell something to him, send a little girl knocking on his door. That's why schools and churches use kids to sell. They KNOW we don't want to disappoint kids.

And that's the second part. Kids don't want to hear that they're doing a great job. They want results. It could be seen as an unfortunate result of our instant gratification society, but a part of me is happy to know kids want to succeed and they are learning to stand up for themselves. The words "you're doing a great job," ring hollow for a child who has been told that they need to sell 10,000 boxes of sugary treats in order to get their school a new set of swings. If you're not buying, they're that much farther from their goal.

And kids like goals. They like the big picture. They're not quite as good at the smaller one, like the size of your paycheck this week or the comparatively huge number on your mortgage bill.

My advice? Honesty. Not brutal honesty, but honesty all the same. Like, "I'm sorry, I just bought from Timmy down the hall." or "I'm sorry, I am full up on wrapping paper this week." Sometimes cutting them off at the pass works, setting a limit like "I'll buy if you have something under $5." If they do, great. If not, well, at least you set a limit that priced you out of that $50 raffle ticket. You were honest.

The important thing is the follow through. Don't say no to one kid then buy from the next one - word always gets around. Don't say, I have only $5 to give and then rack up a $50 tab - they'll know you're a soft touch.

Not that there's anything wrong with being a soft touch. I can't say I've ever passed a kid and said an outright "no." But I have skimped out on my purchases, picking the $7 box of candy and NO MORE before.

As long as it's the kid asking and not their parents, I'll probably say yes. But I don't have to like it. As I told my babysitter's granddaughter, "Don't ask if I WANT to buy some Easter candy for your trip to sleepaway camp. Ask if I WILL buy some Easter candy for your trip."

Image: Childrens Dayton

Community Raises Money for Blind Toddler's Stem Cell Treatment

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 17:55:00 GMT

When Joshua Clark of Wales was six months-old, he was diagnosed with optic nerve hypoplasia, a congenital condition that, in Joshua’s case, had caused total blindness. Doctors said there was no way to treat the condition.

But his parents, Joanna and Anthony, did some research and found out about a cutting-edge treatment for ONH using umbilical cord stem cells, which is currently only performed in China. They contacted people who had had the treatment, as well as doctors who were familiar with it, and ultimately decided it offered some hope of at least partially restoring Joshua's sight.

In response to the Clarks' fundraising campaign, their entire community has pitched in to help pay for the expensive treatment. A little boy even mailed the Clarks two pounds out of his pocket money, along with a photo of him and his sister.

Joshua’s parents are not hoping for a miracle cure. Rather, they believe the treatment will be well worth it if Joshua comes away with the ability to see lights, shapes, and colors.

According to a video (which I can’t post, but you can watch it here), Joshua is an adorable, calm 16-month-old who loves to listen to music. We have our fingers crossed for a successful outcome to the treatment!

Photo: stemcell.taragana.net

Schoolyard Angst Makes It to Book Form

Mike Adamick (Cry It Out!) — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 14:08:00 GMT

While I fully admit I'm biased in writing of this -- one of my stories is published in this anthology -- it still doesn't take away how much I love to hear these cringe-worthy stories of schoolyard social angst.

Can I Sit With YOu? is a treasure trove of web essays detailing "the stormy social seas of the schoolyard" and it's all for a good cause, raising money for a citywide special needs program in Northern California. This has got to be one of the funniest, richest fund-raising ideas I have ever come across.

Check out the new book -- volume two -- and I promise you won't be disappointed.

Here's a sneak.

[Cover art: Diva Lea]

Taking the Midwifery Cause to . . . Postage Stamps

Miriam Axel-Lute — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 23:30:00 GMT

You've likely heard about the whole Stamps.com thing where you can order honest-to-god postage ("metered postage," the USPS hastens to add, not "real stamps." But they'll get your letter where it's going) with your own photos on it. Apparently they get touchy if you try to put anything "randy" or political (at least antiwar) on them though.

Happily for supporters of midwifery, however, the good folks at Stamps.com don't know just how political the choice of a birthing attendant can be, and they've got a lovely set of stamps available in partnership with the American College of Nurse Midwives that either say "Choose a Midwife" or give ACNM's website and have beautiful pictures of a pregnant belly and newborns (or ACNM's logo).

It's looks like ACNM has become a Stamps.com affiliate, which according to the site should be earning them "high commissions," which I'm glad to hear, since the cost for a sheet of their stamps comes out to well over twice the cost of the postage itself, even before shipping. If they sell, it sounds like a decent blend of fundraising and just getting the word out. I can hear the people in the mailroom now: "What was that on that envelope? . . . No, the stamp, not the crayon scribbles and apple juice spill."

More by this author:

Six Steps to a Parent-Friendly Wedding

Parents Send Kids on Fake Fundraising Expeditions

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 20:45:00 GMT

In these financially trying times, you may be wondering how you’re going to keep paying for your kids’ piano lessons and soccer uniforms. But did you ever consider that your kids should be making money for you?

If not, you’re one step behind an Oregon couple who is accused of sending their kids on fake fundraising expeditions. For more than a year, Carly and Laramie Torres allegedly made their kids go door to door, soliciting funds to send the oldest daughter to volleyball camp. They collected about $2,000 in all, none of which was used for camp.

Instead, the dough went to monster truck rallies and weekend movies—documentaries and family-friendly flicks, I’m sure.

Photo: AOL

Morning News: Tina and Sarah and Cindy -- Oh My!

Madeline Holler — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 13:30:00 GMT

In today's Morning News, we still can't shake our Daily Palin habit. A good thing too, because things got real funny with her/"her" this weekend! However, Cindy McCain wasn't laughing after a Friday appearance on The View. In fact, she's mad and using some pretty gruesome language. This brings us to ridding the world of fat, one back roll at a time. Plus, lead in kids toys, Ike, gas spikes, bank busts ... and more.

First, a little late-night TV first thing in the morning!

The LA Times reports Palin and her people, who watched the Saturday Night Live segment aboard a flight from Nevada to Colorado, were not amused. Really? Palin's hero Hillary laughed at herself on SNL all the time! Palin also took a beating over the weekend as reporters dug deeper into her background. The NY Times reported [here via MSNBC] she hired her high school classmate to run the agriculture department. Qualifications? BFF Franci's love of cows! (Awwww.)

The real Cindy McCain says the women of The View, who interviewed her husband and, later, the couple, on Friday's show, "picked our bones clean." She was venting at a weekend GOP fundraiser in Michigan and you can hear her comments here. Funny, the big bone-picking question was from Barbara Walters: she wanted to know how many houses the couple has. Cindy! You've had time to prepare for that question! American wants to know, too!

By the way, this guy thinks McCain's campaign has stretched the truth a tad too much in their ads, which is pretty rich coming from him.

The other candidate -- remember him? -- raised a record $66 million in August and a half million new donors. Fresh week, fresh money, could fresh ads be far behind?

So those foreclosures you keep seeing on your street? Yeah, well, they're nothing compared to what Lehman Brothers is going through. They couldn't find a buyer either and are now heading toward liquidation and who knows what it all means. Oh, and Merrill Lynch? Soon to be acquired by Bank of America. Would a little regulation in the mortgage markets have been so bad after all?

Hurricane Ike has rendered Galveston uninhabitable and gas prices for the rest of the nation are once again likely to hit a peak.

Rules are tightening on lead content in kids toys. The new lead safety standards take effect in February (AFTER to holidays -- ahem!) but apply to all toys regardless of when they're made. Companies have until after the first of the year to sell off their inventories including to overseas markets. Does that seem like a tighter lead standard to you?

Lets end on a lighter note -- or, if not lighter, firmer and better looking in body-hugging clothing. Plastic surgeons have come up with a new procedure to rid the world of sad, sagging backs. It's the upper-back lift! They even manage to hide the scar along your bra line.

Morning News: Sarah P. Soothes Some, Induces Spit-Takes in Others

Morning News: More Sex, Some Drugs, and Rockin' Oil

Morning News: The Daily Grind of Sex and Politics ... and Lipstick on Pigs

Morning News: Fully Caffeinated With a Hint of Sarah Palin

Photo: Newsday

Mommy Blogger Hurt In Plane Crash Helped by Readers

SunnyChanel — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 01:18:00 GMT

Never question the awesome strength of the blog. Mother of four, Stephanie Nielson of NieNie Dialogues, is one “mommy blogger” who’s readers came out to support in a very significant way, proving the monumential power of the people and the ~~pen~~ keyboard.

On August 16th, Stephanie and her husband were critically injured and severely burned in a small-craft plane accident in Arizona. Currently she is in a medically induced coma and has suffered burns over 83 percent of her body. Her husband was burned over 35 percent of his body and his condition has improved.

““We’ve formed a whole new community, a community of complete strangers who all care about one thing – in this case, one family – who’s in need,” Stephanie’s sister, Courtney Kendrick, told TODAY’s Matt Lauer on Tuesday.”

Stephanie’s blog focuses on the joys of motherhood in an arena usually reserved for the day to day difficulties. “What she represented to a lot of people is the positive impact of motherhood and what motherhood can be for so many people. I think that’s what people responded to.”

After word got out about the accident the visitors to her NieNie Dialogues jumped from 1,000 a day to about 20,000, many wondering how they could help. To assist the family with their ever mounting medical bills, which are already over $2 million (insurance covers the first million), a NieNie regular started a auction which grew to about 350 auctions and have raised about $100,000, a fraction of their bills but a nice chunk none the less.

For more info on Stepahnie, her family and the fundraising efforts, go to the NieNie Recovery site here.

Via Today

Political Nanny: Ron Paul's Still in the Race?

Madeline Holler — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 18:31:00 GMT

Posted by Political Nanny

Shhhh, Political Nanny's going to get fired. She hasn't paid a BIT of attention to Ron Paul -- remember him? -- and it turns out he's still in her charge. Ugh!

The good news is, he still looks pretty good, he's being fed and kept clean, he's trying hard to keep his Congressional seat and it looks like his focused attention there is paying off.

The surprising news? Well, his supporters are still raising money on his behalf. Even though he's no longer a long-shot candidate -- he's a impossibility. Granted, what was once a cash deluge is now a trickle. In March, he raise $123,523. Remember that one time he raise, like, $7 million overnight?

Question: can the guy in good conscience keep accepting money for his campaign? Maybe. Here's the plan from the LA Times:

Paul's financial report, true to his conservative stance, shows he carries no campaign debt. He still has nearly $5.1 million in the bank from the $34.3 million he raised in the last year. He has frequently rejected a third-party run for the White House and said he intends to use the money in a long-term effort to change the GOP from within.

For a stroll down memory lane (or to remind yourself of the Ron Paul Revolution), a pictorial.

So tell Political Nanny, did you give to the Ron Paul campaign? Do you want your money back?

Photo: LA Times

Madonna's Malawi/UNICEF Fundraiser Gets Criticized

Madeline Holler — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 22:57:00 GMT

Critics say Madonna's recent fundraiser at the U.N. was actually a Gucci store opening attention-getter in disguise and also an indirect promotion of Hollywood's favorite mystic religious center. These same critics think the U.N. should never have allowed the event, which raised more than $3.7 million for relief efforts in Malawi, the country of origin for Madonna's adopted son, and UNICEF.

Yes, but she brought Lourdes. We never see Lourdes! Doesn't that count for something?

From UPI:

The Guardian said Internet bloggers and some mainstream media outlets have blasted the United Nations, claiming the event -- which was presided over by pop star Madonna -- was used to drum up publicity for the Kabbalah Centre and a new Gucci shop in New York.

They say it was inappropriate because half of the funds would go to Raising Malawi, an organization run by the Kabbalah Centre. The rest of the money was donated to UNICEF (weren't they critical of Madonna's adoption, by the way?)

Still, where's the critics' sense of fun? The turnout was all star and loaded with celeb moms and dads. Jezebel's got pics of the best and worst dressed and pics of Gwen Stefani and a very preg. Jennifer Lopez.

Photo: via Jezebel

"Be Prepared" . . . To Sell A TON Of Popcorn

Amy S.F. Lutz — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 20:35:00 GMT

How did I live 37 years on this planet without discovering that popcorn is to Boy Scouts what cookies are to girl scouts? It must be because I don't live within hawking distance of Anthony Aldrich II, who as of last week was gunning for his fifth sales title in six years among Boy Scouts nationwide. In case you're wondering how much popcorn one would have to sell to contend for the title, Anthony had already sold $22,000 with more than a week left in the selling period.

I'm sure Anthony's mom is very proud of him. But I think if he were my son, I just might be wondering, is this why I signed him up for Boy Scouts? So he could peddle more popcorn than Orville Redenbacher?

I hate fundraisers. I understand the need for them, and how they help schools and clubs defray costs which might otherwise burden families unable to afford them, but I wish there was a better way. My husband and I feel uncomfortable asking our friends and neighbors to buy wrapping paper and tubs of cookie dough and pizza kits I've admittedly never sampled but suspect are far inferior to, say, Domino's. Besides, then we would be obliged to pony up when their kids came around selling magazine subscriptions, chocolate samplers, etc., so it just seems easier to swallow the costs ourselves. And my kids are definitely asked to participate in many more fundraisers than I did, back in the day - this year starting as early as the first week of school.

I can't help but think I wouldn't mind fundraisers so much if they were less frequent, but on a larger scale. For example, I rather like charity auctions, where I have the opportunity to bid on interesting items I might actually use. I guess what I'm looking for are great fundraising stories I can use to inspire our PTA, and possibly make me feel less like a sourpuss about the whole endeavor.

California School District Wants Parents to Pay When Kids are Absent

Karen Murphy — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 20:53:00 GMT

Picture this: Your kid is home sick, coughing, whining, making you jump and scurry for every little thing (or is that just my kids?). You can't get any work done, and you can't do anything fun because, well, your kid is sick. And on top of that, you have to PAY for the experience! Yikes. I am sooo glad I don't live in Scotts Valley, California, where the school district is asking parents to pay $36.13 every day their kids are absent from school. So on top of probably already exhorbitant property taxes, you've got to pay again every time your kid is sick? That's a sure ticket for a lot more sick kids draped over their desks in school, infecting other kids who in turn get sick but can't stay home because of the expense, and, oh well, you get the picture.

I guess bake sales for school fundraising are out of fashion?