In N.J. Boy's Death, a Grim Warning About Raising Money Door to Door

By Bess Keller

The slaying of an 11-year-old as he went door to door selling wrapping paper and candy near his suburban New Jersey home has sent a cold wave of caution over school and youth-group leaders who rely on such sales to finance everything from band uniforms to trips abroad.

Most school districts and youth organizations say their rules already highlight the dangers of door-to-door selling. Some ban the practice outright; others restrict it for safety reasons.

And even where home solicitation is a fund-raising mainstay, it is waning in popularity. Experts say it is steadily being replaced by...