Maybe the office fundraiser needs a better strategy instead of trying to stop an employee from handing out treats. 

A free candy bowl should be harmless. The owner of the candy bowl is an employee who posted in the Reddit AITA subreddit under the username GrotiusandPufendorf. He explains that he keeps candy stocked for everyone to help themselves, spending about $40 every two or three months on treats. He is happy to do this and doesn’t expect anything in return. People occasionally contribute a few dollars or bring more candy, but there is no price list or expectation attached. The bowl has become a small part of the office’s workday, bringing a nice gesture meant to make people a little happier at work.

The conflict began when the office committee started selling snacks from a shelf in the lobby. They use the profit to pay for happy hours, holiday decorations, and occasional office lunches. That system exists separately from the candy bowl. The candy bowl had been available for years before the committee was formed. 

Anyway, the members of the committee dared to ask the employee to charge for his snacks and even accused him of not being a team player, as he was cutting into the committee’s snack sales. The employee naturally refused to charge for his candy. Coworkers remain free to support the fundraiser if they want lunch and social events, but they are also free to take a piece of candy that a colleague purchased to share. The fundraiser can’t depend on controlling or eliminating every other free alternative. They have to find another way of raising money.