We had a similar situation. I own my own business, and I am the PTO President. I knew this fundraiser would be wonderful for our school, but I would have received a commission. I pulled in someone who does the same thing I do, she spoke with the PTO and signed them. I did not receive a commission, she did, and I did not vote.
By the way we made lots of money. If she truly wants what is best for the school, she will back off and let someone else handle it.
We have a lot of people on our PTO who sell products. Including myself. Instead of going with just one person's product as a fundraiser we are doing a fall bazzar/family fun night. Anyone who sells products can rent a table for $25.00 which goes to the PTO. You must also donate one of the products from your company costing $25.00 or more (can not be a gift certificate). We limit to one company ex: you can have a person who sells candle through Partylite and a person who sells candles through Home Interiors but, we don't allow two people from Partylite. It is based on first come first serve and is open to community. We have a mutal person who isn't selling a product to collect money. You can not have two people share a table ex: One person sells Partylite and another who sells Pampered Chef at the same table. Each person must pay for a table. We then have coffee cans set up next to all of the donated products. You can buy tickets to win the product for a $1.00 a chance. We do a drawing at the end of the night (you need not be present to win) We set this up in our gym or cafeteria. The profit made from the sales the rep of each company gets to keep. We then have the grade level teachers make up a game for each grade level. Ex: First grade is our pumpkin penny toss. We caved 5 pumkins out and put them at different heights the kids the toss the pennies into the pumpkin. We award them prizes for games. Then we have hayrides etc. It is a nice night out for the parents.
She is mad at me for suggesting she step down. She does have a new job, but she still says "the PTO will do this" and then she doesn't do it and since everyone knows me, I get called to see it through as she and I are the only 2 elected officals. She didn't even make it to the last meeting and I am stuck attending all the meetings she is supposed to as Presdient. As for H&G Party, contact Dominica Kirkham at 862-0106 but I believe we handled the prizes for this fundraiser so that may turn you off.
The irony of commitment is that it’s deeply liberating-in work, in play, in love. The act frees you from the tyranny of your internal critic, from the fear that likes to dress itself up and parade around as rational hesitation. To commit is to remove your head as the barrier to your life. --Anne Morris
It sounds like she has a conflict of interest and maybe she should step down. She has to realize that you need the profit, not just the name behind it. Logic would say that you go with what works and has the better profit level.
Have you asked her why she hasn't been able to volunteer as much as she said she would? Maybe her work schedule got more hectic.
By the way, there are Home and Garden people in Topeka? Would you still have a contact person? email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
We raised almost $8,000 with Home Interior but when we did Home and Garden Party last year we only raised about $1800. I get the feeling many more people are familiar with Home Interior and that's what we wanted to do this year but she wants us to do whatever she is selling, which I've never heard of and no one else I've talked to has heard of, but if it doesn't do any better than H&G Party then even if we get all profits, it wouldn't be any better. In the end, what she said was, I sell these candles and I will not let us participate in any other candle sale becuase I won't sell anything other than my product. At this point I suggested that if her interests were purely self serving then she consider stepping down from her position. I should also add that this woman has not dona anything she said she would but keeps volunteering the rest of us to do it. I'm already this frustrated and it's only October what am I gonna be like in May?
The irony of commitment is that it’s deeply liberating-in work, in play, in love. The act frees you from the tyranny of your internal critic, from the fear that likes to dress itself up and parade around as rational hesitation. To commit is to remove your head as the barrier to your life. --Anne Morris
Don't let her get away with it. Candles are the hardest fundraiser for us. They always come with the catalog fundraiser we do and we never sell any because we have several parents and staff who do Home Interiors (myself included) and you can get them much cheaper through them. Could you have misread her? Maybe that was her intention, to get you guys a better deal.
BTW- GO QUINCY LOL
[ 10-12-2004, 02:55 PM: Message edited by: Lisa Stovall ]
