Let’s be honest: writing a check is easier.

You’re staring at another fundraiser packet — cookie dough, wrapping paper, coupon books nobody wants. Your kid’s looking at you with hopeful eyes, and you’re doing the math. The tournament fee is $350. You could just pay it and skip the awkward sales pitches.

But easy isn’t always better.

Why Earning Matters

Look, I get it. If you can spare your child the uncomfortable asks and rejected sales pitches, why wouldn't you? You're already juggling carpools, practices, forgotten water bottles, and everything else that comes with raising active kids.

But when you always write the check, here’s what your kid learns:

Money just… appears.

Not that it’s earned. Not that it takes creativity or persistence. Just that Mom or Dad covers it.

Meanwhile, the kid whose family can’t write the check? They’re learning something entirely different: how to work for it.

What Fundraising Actually Teaches

When kids participate in fundraising, they pick up lessons that go way beyond the field or court:

The value of a dollar.

Covering their own costs shows them what $350 actually means in effort. Spoiler: it's more work than they thought.

Confidence and communication.

Asking for support requires confidence, clarity, and resilience. These are life and career skills wrapped in a middle school basketball uniform.

Problem solving and persistence.

Not everyone says yes on the first ask. Not every approach works. Kids learn to adjust their pitch, try again, and find creative solutions. You know, like adults have to do literally every day.

Pride in achievement.

There's a difference between showing up to a competition your parents paid for and showing up to one you earned your way into. Your kid feels it, even if they can't articulate it yet.

The Problem: Traditional Fundraising Is Brutal

Here's where most parents check out — literally — because yes, traditional fundraising comes with:

• Overpriced products no one wants
• 30–40% margins
• Endless order forms, spreadsheets, and deliveries
• A garage full of unsold junk

So you're stuck: write the check and skip the life lesson, or commit to a part-time job you didn't apply for and definitely aren't getting paid for.

No wonder you'd rather just pay.

What If Fundraising Didn’t Suck?

What if your kid could actually fundraise without you wanting to move to a different ZIP code? What if it took five minutes to set up, sold something people genuinely felt good about buying, and didn't turn you into an amateur accountant?

That's not a rhetorical question anymore.

Some teams have figured this out. They've ditched the cookie dough catalog entirely and started selling something donors actually want: to feel good about their contribution.

Here's how it works:

Someone gives $20. One tree gets planted in an area that needs reforestation. Your team keeps $14. No order forms. No delivery dates. No boxes of wrapping paper in your garage.

Setup takes minutes. Share the link via text, social media, or in person. Track everything in the app. Money comes in. Trees get planted.

Here's why this works:

People already feel good supporting your kid (that's why they say yes to fundraisers in the first place). But when that same $20 also does something meaningful for their country? When they're helping your daughter get to nationals and contributing to reforestation efforts in the United States?

Now they feel great about it.

That's the difference between "sure, I'll help out" and "absolutely, here's my card."

Your kid gets the confidence boost of selling something that matters. Donors get to feel genuinely good about where their money went. And you get to skip the logistical nightmare.

The Real Win

Your kid still earns it. They still make the asks and do the work. But now, they're proud of what they're selling — and you’re not buried in logistics.

They learn the value of effort. You model what support really looks like. And together, you make something meaningful happen.

Because your kid doesn’t need you to save them from effort… they need you to make effort possible.

Give them a way to earn their spot.

See how Jamboree makes fundraising simple, impactful, and actually worth doing.

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