For decades, the Girl Scouts of America has used its annual cookie sale to teach girls about setting goals, planning schedules, making decisions, handling money, serving customers and meeting deadlines. They learn to follow projects through from start to finish. These life skills are the foundation on which a person can build a successful career or profitable business. Fund raising also helps to level the socioeconomic playing field. Each student in a drama class, regardless of his or his parents' financial means, can go to a play at the Alley Theater if the students raise the money to buy all the tickets.
Society needs more team-building activities that chip away at class barriers.
But for fund-raising projects to be most effective, adults must help children to organize beneficial projects. In the adult world, that means peers sell to peers. But young people will be relying on the kindness of their relatives, friends, neighbors and parents' co-workers. So, help the children keep that customer base in mind when they are selecting products to sell. Rather than pushing candy bars, suggest that they try smoked briskets or spicy tamales.