Georgia has started public Kindergarten — which we pay for here in Portland. So I’m not feeling too bad about checking out of the fundraising efforts put on by the school, even though I know schools are dreadfully under funded and it’s up to parents to make sure the kids get all the extras that make education worthwhile (art programs, physical education, music). Next year when I’m not struggling to pay the monthly school fee I’ll have some decisions to make: I will surely want to support the school, but the most recent fundraising effort got my Momster hackles all sticky-uppy.

This first fundraise of the school year is a week-long drive during which parents, grandparents, friends and neighbors can order cookie dough, gifts, kitchen gifts, gourmet edible gifts and gift wrap. You know, the kind of gift that says, “I have a kid in school and had to buy something, please accept these acrylic salad tongs as a token of my undying affection.” I don’t need any of the stuff they sell, even if it is “bargain priced” at $20 or under, and I really don’t want any of it coming back to me as a gift.

I know, just as I am a Bad American for not consuming every thing I see flashing before me in ads (the stock market thing is my fault, right?), I now am a Bad Mother for not supporting my kid’s school. But I just can’t buy cheap products, made cheaply, by underpaid, abused workers in less advantaged countries. I’m suspicious that I can’t find the cookie dough ingredient list anywhere online, so there will be no fundraiser cookies ‘round these parts.

It all got me wondering. Are there no green fundraising companies? And of course there are. The drawback is that the profit margin for school is half of the profit for the cheaply made, not fair-trade products. The advantage seems to be that you can sign up for some of them and order through the site all year long, so the decision pressure is off, and you can actually shop for useful, practical items like Dr. Bronner’s soaps and cleaning supplies, gifts, and even cookie dough and gift wrap! I think I’ll start lobbying now for a greener choice next year, so I can help my school and still maintain my earth-friendly lifestyle.

Photo credit: decor8