Growing up in a small town, coin drops were just a part of life. On the rare occasion that we did have traffic–whether it was on the way to the county fair or a 4th of July parade–volunteers from a local fire department stood in the street to stop traffic and ask for donations. When you see traffic cones and uniforms, it’s easy to assume you need to stop for a coin drop. That’s not the case, and you should be cautious about when you hit the brakes. That said, these fundraisers can do a lot of good.

What is a coin drop fundraiser?

Coin drop fundraisers all include people standing on the roadside, or in the middle of the road, flagging down cars and asking for donations. Sometimes the fundraisers hold out a bucket or a fireman’s uniform boot. Other times they’ll set up a container–such as a small pool–by the roadside.

Organizations can raise millions through coin drops. The Michigan Professional Firefighters Association had raised $5 million for muscular dystrophy patients and research in just five years. All through coin drops. liaison Monty Nye said “The Michigan Professional Firefighters is the number one sponsor for the Muscular Dystrophy Association…and this is their number one way of getting funding.”

The website Firehouse.com explained why coin drops are both simple and profitable. “Coin drops are easier than many fundraisers because there are no costs involved. The members don’t need to bake cakes, barbecue meat or rent a hall.”

Roadside fundraisers may have a hidden cost

But coin drops can “cost” the community with traffic slowdowns and even accidents. One September afternoon, the Hamilton New Jersey Township Police Department responded to a rear-ending. it turns out a car had slammed on the brakes to donate to a coin drop under a traffic light–even while the light was green. A driver following close behind plowed into them.

Hamilton Police Chief Stacey Tappeiner suspended approval of the 43 coin drops already scheduled throughout the year to review safety procedures. “It is a safety concern,” he said. “The roads are very busy.”

Pennsylvania’s Motor Vehicle Code reads  “no person shall stand on a roadway for the purpose of soliciting employment, business or contributions from the occupant of any vehicle.” When the Shickshinny Volunteer Fire Department organized a “boot drop” anyway, the state police cited two firefighters for breaking the law.

More recently, The Saratogian newspaper published an op-ed arguing “Time to ban the coin drop.”Critics arguing that because so few drivers carry cash nowadays, these fundraisers are increasingly useless.

Remember the $5 million Michigan firefighters raised for muscular dystrophy? Well Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette argued boot drops violates the existing Vehicle Code. Michigan fire departments have already been banned from continue coin drops or boot drops. Muscular Dystrophy Association liaison Monty Nye said, “That organization alone in the past has raised over $20 thousand out there on the weekend for us…So that’s a lot of kids not being able to go to summer camp, a lot of flu shots, these patients aren’t going to get because of this opinion.”