Another $20 school fundraiser lands in your inbox, and at first, it does not seem like a major expense. Then you remember the fun run, teacher wish list, sports donation, book fair, and classroom collection that already appeared this semester. For many families, the problem is not one $20 request but how quickly repeated requests add up. A 2026 NerdWallet survey found that 51% of parents with children in K-12 or college feel overwhelmed by financial requests from their children’s schools. That raises an uncomfortable question: How many times should parents really be expected to say yes?
