School comes with 'un-fundraiser' for parents who are swamped — and moms say it's life-changing

A school’s creative "Un-Fundraiser" shared by one mother is gaining attention online for letting parents support school programs without having to bake, sell, or volunteer for another event. The idea offers direct donation options instead of the usual fundraisers, and moms are calling it one of the most relieving things a school has ever done. The letter was posted by a mom on Reddit,  where it received 26,000 upvotes and hundreds of comments from parents who said they would gladly take part if their schools tried the same thing. The mom told Newsweek on October 5, "When I read it, I did a double take because I was like there’s no way the paper says this."

The letter, sent home by the Parent-Teacher Organization, began, "This is a voluntary fundraiser. You may choose to participate in lieu of, or in addition to any of the fundraisers we will be doing through the school year." Below that opening line, the school listed several options, each one written with a kind of dry honesty that made parents laugh out loud. Parents could check "$15.00 if I would rather not bake anything or shop for cupcakes this year, thanks." Those who didn’t want to sell catalog items could put a tick mark on "$50.00 I do not wish to peddle products to my family and friends from catalogs, magazines or brochures, I do not need to buy candles or wrapping paper this year, thanks."

For anyone ready to skip the fun runs or other school events, there was "$75.00 I do not wish to run, walk, ride a bike, or do any of the 'fun' things like these. Please accept this donation in lieu of snacks." And for parents who simply wanted to donate and be left in peace, the form ended with "$____ I am making this donation to express my appreciation for NOT having to clip, buy, sell or peddle anything this school year, except filling out this form." The mom said, "I thought other people would find it interesting, especially those who dislike fundraising, which is most of us."

For the mom, the letter was a refreshing break from the endless bake sales that often land on busy weeks."It’s taken a weight off my shoulders, having multiple kids in different schools," she said. "I’m thrilled I don’t need to cook for 2 bake sales now." The PTO explained that all donations would still go toward student programs, classroom materials, and school activities, just without the burden of organizing large events or asking parents to donate their time.

While baking and volunteering can be meaningful, they often add pressure for parents who already balance work, family, and home responsibilities. A 2020 analysis shared by ABC Australia highlighted a rising issue called "fundraising fatigue" among school communities, with Tim Spencer, president of the Federation of Parents' & Citizens' Associations NSW, saying that "volunteers are getting harder to attract and retain, especially as life gets more complex" and that many parents say they "just can’t add one more thing" to their load. The mom hopes this won’t be a one-time initiative. "I would continue to donate like this every year they do this kind of fundraiser," she said.

That’s why so many people in the Reddit thread called the idea "brilliant" and said it felt like a form of freedom. u/BurnerBackTurner said, "That’s tight. I remember my Dad wouldn’t let us sell sh** from school fundraisers, which always made me feel left out." u/CECINS wrote, "I would fill this out so fast." u/Advanced-Humor9786 added, "This is great! I'm glad schools are finally getting the message."

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