Tag Contributions

Giving Thursday?

Michael Leave a comment

It’s been a week around here.  Quite a week.  Quite a month.  We made it through Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, and Giving Tuesday.  And let’s not forget the days leading to and away from these occasions.  What do they have in common?  Giving with a side of Guilt.  We can all admit it.  If it wasn’t for the days between Thanksgiving and Christmas, a lot of us would never get the chance to declare “Charitable Contributions” on next year’s tax return.

Around here one of the local television stations has been for years a major sponsor for an annual Thanksgiving food drive. For weeks they would broadcast PSAs encouraging donations to the local food bank to build the coffers as strong as possible for a special Thanksgiving distribution.  They even convinced a local bank to match cash donations physically made at the bank.  The day before Thanksgiving they announced the total amount raised.  An impressive amount but the amount isn’t important.  What is important is that even then, after all the food was packed, the turkeys were ready, and the meals were being prepared, people wanted to know if they could still donate to the food bank.

It was on Thanksgiving morning that the news programs all led off with interviews of volunteers at missions, shelters, kitchens, or what you will call them who open their doors to feed the poor and homeless.  While the organizers told of the number of men, women, and families who would stop in both to serve and be served, the cameras panned the pans of turkey, stuffing, vegetables, soup, and pies.  And on each TV station the intrepid reporter would ask if they had enough volunteers for that day if someone wanted to stop by to help.

The evening newscast on Giving Tuesday made certain that viewers realized that even though it was late in the day there was still time to hit the Internet to find a worthwhile charitable organization to accept donations.  They also had stories on the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Campaign, the local clothing drives, and the donations car dealers would make to various associations if one test drove or bought a vehicle.

All of these had some sort of sense of urgency to them.  It was as though those who were responsible for these various drives knew that if the public didn’t get around to giving now it could be another year before people gave of their spare change or their spare time.

It might be that this is the time when wallets are opened more regularly but most people recognize that there are hungry people in May just as there are in December.  That a dollar donated to the free energy fund in spring still heats the water as it does in winter.  That a light jacket in April is just as appreciated as a warm scarf in January.

The needy have no season.  Unfortunate circumstances can befall any one any day.  If you didn’t get the chance to donate to your food bank, coat drive, or other charity this week, there will always be time.  It might have a catchy ring to it but Giving has no special day.  If you missed last Tuesday there are 364 other days to pick from.  And we believe that most do.

Now that’s what we think. Really. How ‘bout you.

 

Catching Flies and Filling Coffers

Michael Leave a comment

You’ve certainly seen them on TV, also.  Dogs hobbling along on 3 legs.  Babies in intensive care cribs breathing through holes in their throats.  Starving children sitting on hard packed dirt with flies on their faces.  Homeless Americans lining up around the block for a cup of broth and half of a sandwich.  All the poor and sick – and exploited – who need your help just getting through another day.

We applaud the people who can work with the unfortunates.  We applaud the people who give to help the unfortunates.  But for the people who prepare those ads, announcements, PSAs, whatever you want to call them, we have no applause.  For those people we have a little advice – you catch more flies with honey.

Year after year of the same pictures and the same pleas make us think why bother, we’ll just get more of the same.  We also think there’s a little hypocrisy in some of those ads.  When the animal rights groups are next preparing their condemnation of movie studios looking for a big payday on the backs of exploited animals, maybe they should look to their own ad agencies.

We feel sorry for all those who need our help but we have only so many contribution dollars.  Like those things that we buy, we want to see value for the money we donate.  Showing us a child tied to a wheelchair because of a congenital muscle wasting disease is a great way to get our initial sympathy.  It goes well with the brooding music and the desolate voiceover, “Send us your money because Johnny needs a miracle.”  But showing us that child a couple years later walking with the help of crutches or even on his own is a better way of saying “Look at what your money has done.  Together we made a miracle. Let’s make some more!”

We haven’t done any research on this but we have to think that there are others who would be more easily swayed to give to heal children and make happy animals.  Not everybody is a sucker for a sad song.  At least, usually not more than once.

So, any of you out there who might be in a position of authority with one of these hospitals or with a charitable or humane organization, remember this when you are putting together next year’s giving campaigns.  You catch more dollars with joy than you do with gloom.

Now, that’s what we think.  Really.  How ‘bout you?