Is it just me or... Fundraisers

Is it just me, or is the term "fundraiser" being used much too loosely?


When I hear the word "fundraiser" I think of trying to make money to benefit a group that is focused on helping people in one way or another, like a school or a Girl Scouts troop or a MOPS/ MOMSnext group. When someone asks me to participate in a fundraiser - to buy something, donate something, or use my time to work on the fundraiser - I expect that they are requesting that I give freely of my resources to further a cause of some sort. 


I have participated in many fundraisers as a child - selling Girl Scout cookies, magazine subscriptions, gift wrapping, etc. As an adult I have purchased many things that I was not actually in the market for - such as candy bars, gift wrapping, decorations, magazine subscriptions, discount cards, and event tickets. That doesn't even begin to cover the items I have bid on at benefit auctions. I have dedicated significant amounts of time to work on auctions, photography selling fundraisers, scrapbooking retreat, and an art fair. ALL of it has been for groups that help others. Ok, except for one amazing fundraising to help cover the costs associated with a wonderful woman who was fighting breast cancer.


But is it ok to ask me to donate my precious resources to advance your personal gain? 


Also, is it ok to flood the fundraising "marketplace" with personal fundraisers even though doing so limits participation in fundraisers for groups who rely on fundraising to keep their group or cause going? As the coordinator of an outreach ministry, I have had people/ businesses decline to help our fundraising efforts because they have been tapped out by the many other "causes" in the area. 


I guess I see a difference between Awesome Space Camp raising money to provide for scholarships to their camp vs. me having a "fundraiser" to get the money to send my child to Awesome Space Camp. Though isn't the real difference a matter of who is holding the fundraiser since the proceeds would basically go to the same place? Kind of like it not being proper to have a wedding shower for yourself (and actually, etiquette says not to hold one for your descendent).

I've seen people hold fund raisers to get money for adoption costs. Would you come wash cars or sell candy bars to get money to pay for the costs I incurred as a result of my pregnancy and delivery of Nicholas? 


I am wondering how my friends and community would respond if I wanted to have people participate in a fund raiser to get money so my child could go to a Tae Kwon Do tournament. What if his studio was paying for him to go, but we didn't have the money to make it into a family vacation like we want to. Would that be ok? What about to pay for orthodontics for my daughter? What about for John & I to go on vacation for our wedding anniversary? We don't have the money to pay for any of these things. Would you support a fund raiser for any of these things? Why or why not?