Question: Free gifts from fundraisers

Is is appropriate to have the fundraising chair receiving so many fundraiser items for free? Scholastic Book Fairs do offer a thank you gift for individuals who attend a book fair workshop.

Asked by Anonymous

Answers:

Advice from PTO Today

Craig writes:
I think it's OK for the person who attends a workshop to receive a small gift and keep it for herself. If you think there's a problem developing, you might talk to your fundraising chair about the appearance that she's benefiting too much personally. Ask her to share the gifts with others or to turn them down. By the way, if she's really getting that many free gifts, at a certain point she may need to declare them on her income tax.

Community Advice

CMay2CK writes:
Personally, I feel if it is happening often enough to bring up questions, then it is probably too much. Why not suggest she donate them to your staff appreciation pool (if you have one). That is what all of our samples go towards.

Community Advice

firstnoel writes:
Thanks, that sounds like an excellent idea. I had received samples to hand out to parents, but they were shoved in a corner and forgotten. So now we are saving for teacher appreciation week.

Community Advice

MrsF212 writes:
As the fundraising chair at our school - I take ANY and ALL "gifts" and at our end of year event, put it all in a basket and we raffle it off. I feel it's the property of the PTA / PTO, not my property.