Am I being rediculous?

[Cortana]

I have debated doing a fundraiser to get our kids an iPad. We feel it would be the most beneficial for our older son with down syndrome, both academically and developmentally. All 3 of our kids have a disability and it would benefit them a lot to have one, but the expense is WAAAAY out of our reach.

 

I've applied for a couple of grants but it's been a couple months and no word, frankly I don't see it happening. I thought about pursuing getting one through health insurance, but I think that's a dead end.

 

Back to doing a fundraiser. I would do it, but I feel bad about it. It just seems wrong for some reason. I know I'm probably being rediculous about it, but I just feel it's not right to ask family, friends and strangers to help pay for something that isn't necessary, kwim? In the economic times we live it, is it right to ask people to give us several hundred dollars for an electronic device?

 

I don't know. I just feel torn.

[PeterPan]

I think if you are *doing* something in exchange for the money you raise, there's no issue. People do that all the time, having yard sales or taking on small odd jobs to raise money for something. How *essential* the ipad is (and whether people should *donate*) is really just up for grabs. Do you have wifi? Most apps work without wifi, but a lot of the cool things the ipad can do (syncing to the cloud, streaming videos, etc.) are lost to you without wifi. We don't have wifi in our house (and don't plan to), so it's very prominent to me. For us the ipad is loved but just has a lot of accumulated small uses, not anything EARTH-shattering, kwim? So I'd be very specific with yourself about what it can do for your kids in your situation as you assess value. It has had the value we thought, but without wifi it hasn't had MORE value than we thought, kwim?

 

BTW, there are *rumors* on the macrumors site that there may be a 7-8" ipad mini coming out in the fall. It's totally rumors at this stage, but you never know. If that happens, I plan to get my dd one. It would be the perfect size when you want a lower price point, an ereader, something that's big enough not to get lost but small enough to fit in a purse. If your $$ is limited, it might stretch it. And if you decide to spring for a regular ipad, be sure to look at refurbs obviously. Right now the refurb section of the apple store is acting funny and not showing ipads, but normally they have them. You'll save 15% or more that way.

[Plink]

I agree. Be intentional about offering a service or goods for money, rather than simply asking for it. I am willing to spend crazy amounts of money for homemade bread to benefit a cause, but will rarely put cash in a bucket, even for worthy projects.

 

Psychology is weird.

[Cortana]

Thanks for your input. There is an organization that helps with fundraising efforts for kids with special needs specifically to get an iPad and they are doing a phenomenal job but they have the requirement that you have to already have an existing fundraiser in progress (most of the families are using chipin.com or similar fundraiser sites). That's the sticking point for me, I just don't feel it's right. I'm being silly I'm sure, but I'm one of those people that always has the feeling that if I accept help it's taking it away from someone else who deserves it more. Kwim? As for doing something like making stuff and selling it or doing a yard sale or odd jobs, our area is overrun with people doing the same thing. The special needs baseball league the boys are in just did their big fundraiser last month and it bombed, they barely made enough to cover the costs of the event. The area is saturated with this cause and that cause, this fundraiser and that fundraiser.

 

I don't know. I'm probably being silly but still.

 

OhElizabeth ~ The small iPad is a neat idea. Our older son has vision issues and I'm not sure something that small would work for him. We have an older iPod Touch and the couple of apps that dh has put on there for ds has made it clear that smaller doesn't work well for him. His large, pudgy fingers don't help either. ;) We've looked at the refurb models but it's still out of our reach.

[RamonaQ]

Adding in to the brainstorming....

Could you do some sort of "virtual yard sale". I guess that would be eBay. :tongue_smilie: That might reduce the pressure of selling in your area. We have been surprised that things I thought were junk have made money on eBay.

 

Alternatively, could you sell homemade crafts over the Internet?

 

Keep brainstorming. I don't think you should give up hope on this project.

[Slipper]

We raised money for my daughter's IPAD by selling homemade candy at Christmastime. I specifically targeted parents looking to buy teacher's gifts. I bought cute Christmas packaging and made the chex candy recipe (muddy buddies or something?) but we added red/green m&m's and called it Christmas crunch. I also did the rolo candy (the one where you melt it on pretzels and top with a pecan). People are always short on time during December and needing hostess gifts, "extra person who shows up" gifts, teacher/Sunday school class gifts, etc.

 

Unfortunately, December is also OUR busiest time, but it was one of those "suck it up" and "everyone helps" in our household so we could get it.

[Cortana]

RamonaQ ~ great ideas but I'm not crafty enough, lol! As for Ebay, we've looked at that option before but the things we have that we could get rid of there are just too many of the same. Dh has tried selling things on Craigslist and there's no interest.

 

Slipper ~ I have several friends that have done that and again this area gets overloaded with those kinds of items for sale (you would be surprised the number of craft/bazaar sales in this area throughout the year) and ended up bringing home boxes of stuff. I have a friend who does some really gorgeous gourmet Christmas candies and she can never make a profit, she stopped trying and just gives it as gifts to friends and family (she loves to bake).

 

I'm not saying that I wouldn't try something if I could, I just know to be realistic and it's not realistic to spend money to buy supplies for crafts and food items that won't sell and be out that money and then be even further away from the goal. Plus I have to come up with the money to buy supplies in the first place.

 

We'll figure something out I'm sure. We'll probably just end up setting a little something away every month if we can. It's so tempting to get the chipin.com thing set up and sign up with this organization but I just can't stop feeling like it's wrong somehow.

[chiguirre]

You could keep an eye out for a used one since early adopters are going to want to upgrade soon. You can also keep an eye out for specials. I got my Kindle Fire for $140. It doesn't have as many apps as an ipad, but it does have some and the price was right. I don't use it for school with Geezle. Most of what he needs to work on can be done with paper and pencil. GW uses an ipad at school, but it's an extra, not the meat and potatoes of his education. I'd also completely skip either an ipad or fire if you don't have wifi, it won't be worthwhile if you can't use it fully at home.

 

Maybe you could save up for a refurbished ipad as a family Christmas present?

[Cortana]

chiguirre ~ We've been watching for used ones on Craigslist and at the pawn shops and oh my goodness the prices people want!!! It's rediculous. Even for the 1st gen ones people think they should get what they paid for them or close to it.

 

It's no biggie, we'll get around to getting one when we can.

 

Oh, and we do have wifi. :)

[Dobela]

I don't know all the requirements or limitations, but several restaurants in our area allow people to wait tables for tips as fundraisers. I have friends do them for adoptions, church activities, and such. You are not any money and any tip money you receive is for you.

[suzziesnowflake]

I have a friend who made large cookies and asked to place them at the check out at a local gas station and resturant to raise money to help to send her kid to Disney Band camp. Things were really tough for both her and her dh so they couldn't even come up with the minimum amount needed for her very talented son to go. Determined she asked these two places that were around the cornner from her to put them out (we live in a seasonal reasort area). She never labeled the purpose. Well, she couldn't keep them on the shelf! She ended up earning the money and today it has turned into a small seasonal buisness for her! She supplies most of the gas stations and stores along the lake with these cookies! They are just basic cookies (chocolate chip, sugar, peanut butter, ect). Her next step is to open a small seasonal coffee house now that her youngest graduated! Just a thought!

[Heathermomster]

I just purchased a 16Gb IPAD with WIFI for DH yesterday, and paid $399 plus tax at Walmart of all places. Given the price of the IPAD and their ease with being broken, I wouldn't purchase one specifically for school use, but that is me. I agree that you should save for one or perhaps put one on layaway, if places like Walmart still do that.

 

OhE, as usual, nailed the IPAD's usefulness very well.

Edited July 15, 2012 by Heathermomster

[Cortana]

Thanks everyone. If we ever get an iPad it would be used for more than just school stuff, it would also be used for therapy and such (all 3 kids have been using the iPad at their speech therapists office) plus a lot of other things.

 

I appreciate all the ideas. I guess I wasn't very clear and that is my fault. I really wasn't looking for ideas and I do appreciate the time everyone took to give them. Regardless of the way it's done, I still just feel guilty/wrong/etc. doing ANY kind of fundraiser at all for something that is rather frivolous in a lot of ways. Yes it would be a valuable tool but it's not like we have to have one or anything. If this was about raising money for one of the kids to have surgery or something, then I wouldn't hesitate. It's more about the nature of what the money would be used for, even though it would be for educational/theraputic uses and not just an expensive toy, but still just the same.

 

Thanks again. :)

[Walking-Iris]

I understand. I've thought about having an ongoing bake sale to raise funds for our kid's school---aka homeschooling! ;)

 

I buy enough cookie dough, magazine subscriptions, and wrapping paper during the year. My dh is a sub teacher and he feels obligated to "help" his students out. I've wondered if asking someone to buy a baked good or something to help us with our "school" would be weird. It feels different, but it is sort of "unfair" in a strange way. Especially when I get our property tax bill and I see how much is going to a local school that will not allow homeschoolers to do anything there! I guess my point is, I shell out quite a bit of money each year to help other people's kids.

Edited July 16, 2012 by Walking-Iris