by: Tiggy D - 27-10-12 09:46
I used to work for a private day nursery. It was owned by the manager. We used to have to do fund raising activities to buy toys. I used to find it really embarassing. We weren't a charity. We were totally owned by the manager which meant any money or toys we bought with the money were the property of the boss. Shouldn't fees cover everything without having to resort to asking for extra money?
by: Tish501
I am the owner of small private nursery...we fundraise in one summer event...the proceeds from which we take children on a coach trip in August...I pay for the coach ..and the balance is spent on a Christmas Party at a soft play place....I pay for all 70 presents,and the private hire of the indoor play area....I would feel very guilty spending fundraised money on anything but the children directly.
by: Maureen Askew
Parents don't ususally object if they know exactly what the fundraising is for and are able to see the purchased item. We always found it helped to put up a photograph or picture from the catalogue along with the price so parents could see how much needed to be raised, it has the added benefit of letting parents know how much nursery toys/equipment actually costs.
by: katmilo1
I have to say I find this a totally inappropriate way of raising funds within a privately run provision. The parents are already paying their money into a service which I would hope they would fully expect the business to provide the resources and facilities from the revenue achieved. I know many voluntary run groups who are charitable run status, relying on the goodwill of parents, volunteer management committee who are eligible to fund raise and reinvest money made back into the group for the children. Voluntary run settings are continually faced with many challenges with the onerous work load of having to effectively act as employers but give their time for free part of which apart from fundraising requires them to ensure they meet conditions of their registration, meet requirements of the charity commission and undertaken individual tasks and roles as lead officers, adhering to the rules of their governing document, constitution. I wholeheartedly disagree with a private enterprise fundraising for extras. If they cannot afford to offer a service, they really should be reviewing their ability to run and fund a private business.
by: whmon
@Katmilo1,
Lots of private day nurseries keep the actual fees at an affordable level for the average parent by NOT charging for extras. These however, must be funded somehow and fundraising is a good alternate to increasing the fees.
by: Tiggy D
But if you keep it at an affordable level then keep asking the parents to contribute to the nursery, isn't that kind of the same as putting up fees? Or do you only ask the richer parents to contribute?
Private nurseries are owned by people. If their nursery was worth £100,000 and parents raise £1000 for equipment for the nursery, the owner now has £101,000s worth as nursery.
Giving money to a private nursery is the same as giving money to the owner.
by: whmon
@Tiggy,
Sorry but I have to disagree. Fundraising entails parents extra only at their own discretion. For example, we just held a book fair and received 10% commission on books sold, which we could use to buy books for the nursery. I don't feel any 'richer' for it though as the books we bought have only replaced the books that are ripped up in the course of a normal week.
Parents didn't have to buy the books and many didn't.
Remember - giving money to Tesco is the same as giving money to the owner! Sometimes people forget that a private day nursery is a business and if the business has a duty to ensure it can pay its staff and other expenses. It can of course simply increase the fees, but then poorer parents have to give up their jobs as they cannot afford the childcare.
by: Maestro
That's not true if the nursery is buying equipment and resources. They're not assets as such and have little to no resale value and add nothing of financial value if the owner sold up. A payment could be made for contents but just because you buy something with the £1000 doesn't mean that contents sale will go up £1000. If anything you might realise 10% of that figure. It's not as simple as people think. They same when people say well you charge £200 a week and you've got 40 children, you're raking it in!!
When we've had open days we don't specifically fund raise. It's more promotion of the nursery, we certainly don't make any money as we pay staff for their attendance. The money we take is added up, disclosed to parents and we buy something for the nursery for the children to benefit from. We've also done it for charity as well.
Nothing wrong with fundraising in my opinion so long as its transparent. If parents didn't like it then they don't have to give money. Just remember that the fees pay everything seen in nursery and the things you don't see like maintenance, advertising, even down to postage.
by: Maestro
My post was aimed at Tiggys post. I went to make dinner half way through and whmon beat me lol
by: Jam
I must admit that i found it hard to understand why parents agree to fundraising events in our Nursery (which is part of a private school). Having said that i have since learnt that alot of our parents do want to be involved and only a percentage of monies raised goes to the school, while the rest goes to local charities.
wow! Private settings, yes we fundraise! However, unlike volunteer and charity groups, I don't rely on fundraising to pay the wages, as a business, it is my job to find the money to do that. Any fundraising money goes to the staff budget to buy new toys and craft stuff fot eh children.
I have worked for a volunteer group, run by parents (who forgot to pay our tax and NI for 3 years!) and a private company. I know which one gave me job security and a regular wage!
by: kell kell 86
I must say i find it interesting how many people say its bad for a private nursery to fund raise, i how ever have stood at a nursery fund raiser painting faces and selling cakes and cups of coffee or tea to parents as a nursery nurse and even now as a childminder and a parent i still go down to my local private nursery and support them! as a small buisness it is hard to keep equiptment up to date and up to safety standard, i find this difficult my self! when you have a nursery of 15-30 children threw out you cant go charging extortionate prices to pay for equiptment and supplies and they are very expensive then you have food and bills ect to pay for and staff wages plus any insurence and regestration fees theres alot more than meets the eye.