Post by wildfloweragain on May 2, 2015 19:36:22 GMT -5
I have a family member who works for a small not for profit place. She has volunteered there for a few years and is now a staff member.
I just received a personal donation plea to help cover her salary, monthly.
Obviously I know I can choose to say no, or not respond, but how common is this? I Google and apparently it is a thing.
I feel put off by this, or maybe put on the spot.
ETA: Maybe I don't have a real question. Have you experienced this? What's your take? If you work for a not for profit, do you write to your friends and family asking for money to pay your salary?
Post by thelongroad on May 2, 2015 19:39:29 GMT -5
No, that would not generally be ok with me.
Is the cause something you believe in/agree with? If so, I may consider donating a little bit every month, but it certainly would not even cover a quarter of her salary.
Use your income to pay her for her volunteer job? I can't imagine being able to survive that awkwardness.
I think it may be her only or her main job there. I could pay any amount I want, suggested $50/75 or 100 monthly. I gave a one time of $25. I don't necessarily support her cause because it is faith-related. What she is doing is great, but I'm not sure how I feel about the whole group. Sent from my SM-G900V using proboards
Post by snipsnsnails on May 2, 2015 19:47:57 GMT -5
Yes, a lot of faith-based non profits operate on this model. Typically, the person raises their salary by finding donors willing to contribute monthly, so they feel they have a bit of stability.
FWIW, the handful of people I know that do this or did this have a rough go and often find themselves in the red.
I think it is pretty common in a lot of Christian based organizations, at least it is for the staff members that worked with the ones involved in college campuses.
My former BFF went on a mission trip overseas (in a super 1st world, popular destination, which I feel is of relevance...) and ended up staying and working for the organization for a few years and has uncomfortably put this out there on FB, newsletters, etc. It's awkward.
H's aunt works for a nonprofit, and she solicits the family for donations all the time. Some of the fundraisers are totally ridiculous, like one where if she raised a certain amount she'd be able to wear jeans on Friday. I was like, sorry, but you're going to have to make do with regular pants.
She should just start selling something from one of the many MLMs out there. She'll still be hitting up friends and family for money, but at least this way, you'll get something in exchange for your money.
She should just start selling something from one of the many MLMs out there. She'll still be hitting up friends and family for money, but at least this way, you'll get something in exchange for your money.
Huh. Just when I thought there couldn't be a legitimate argument for MLMs.
Post by captainobvious on May 3, 2015 0:35:48 GMT -5
I did this when io worked for a non-profit. We got $250/month as a food stipend but any other money was up to us so rent, any other bills were through donations. The donation was sent to the 501c3 in our name so the $ was tax deductible
Honestly, I would be hesitant to donate to a charity that used this model. Granted I would probably not donate to a faith based charity anyway, but it just seems very sketchy. I understand that any donation to a nonprofit is going to be used for any multitude of things, including overhead, marketing and salary, but this specific setup seems unsustainable and would not promote confidence (for me) in the overall work of the organization.
Since you don't believe in the purpose of the group, I wouldn't donate, but I also wouldn't be particularly offended she asked.
We pay monthly salary for two elephant companions (mahoots). We were asked to donate and told it was specifically to fund the positiosn, but these aren't friends, we were asked by their boss not them directly (she's also not a friend, she's someone DH met through an elephant rights group), and it's an organization/cause DH believes in.
TBH, I resent it a little because it is a religious group, though we aren't funding an aspect related to religion, it's not a tax deductible donation, and it is a long term commitment. It has never felt different to me than any other form of fundraising though. I see your point, and might feel the same if the person approached us for her own salary, because that seems self-serving, but I also see how a charity might feel that they can generate more in donations by creating a personal link.
I never feel obligated to donate just because someone asks though. Last month a high school friend emailed me and asked me to fund a movie (a MOVIE!!!) he is producing and acting in (and by producing, I guess I mean asking his friends to fund). I ignored him, he emailed me twice more, each time with increasing urgency, about how he hates to ask but his movie is just so important to so many people. I just didn't respond. I don't feel at all awkward about it because it's not my job to fund his movie, and I absolutely do not think it will add anything of value to society. But, while I do think it was ridiculous, it also doesn't really offend me that he asked.
I never feel obligated to donate just because someone asks though. Last month a high school friend emailed me and asked me to fund a movie (a MOVIE!!!) he is producing and acting in (and by producing, I guess I mean asking his friends to fund). I ignored him, he emailed me twice more, each time with increasing urgency, about how he hates to ask but his movie is just so important to so many people. I just didn't respond. I don't feel at all awkward about it because it's not my job to fund his movie, and I absolutely do not think it will add anything of value to society. But, while I do think it was ridiculous, it also doesn't really offend me that he asked.
I'm dying to know what this movie is about! Is it, like, Kony 2012 or something asinine like hitchhiking to Coachella?
Post by underwaterrhymes on May 3, 2015 6:16:19 GMT -5
I did just think of one my favorite charities (Charity Water). They have private donors who pay for overhead and salary so donors know that 100% of their dollar goes to program costs.
I'm not sure where they find their private donors to support this, but I am fairly certain it doesn't come from staff soliciting their family and friends to pay their salaries.
I did just think of one my favorite charities (Charity Water). They have private donors who pay for overhead and salary so donors know that 100% of their dollar goes to program costs.
I'm not sure where they find their private donors to support this, but I am fairly certain it doesn't come from staff soliciting their family and friends to pay their salaries.
It's very likely that their board members combined contributions cover this amount. I'm pretty sure the Robin Hood Foundation does the same thing. In the case of those organizations it signals a healthy non profit with a strong board that believes in the organization's leadership and the work being done. I wouldn't read the OP's scenario the same way. Sending mailers asking family to cover salaries would make me suspect they were desperate for donations and probably not very well run.
I did just think of one my favorite charities (Charity Water). They have private donors who pay for overhead and salary so donors know that 100% of their dollar goes to program costs.
I'm not sure where they find their private donors to support this, but I am fairly certain it doesn't come from staff soliciting their family and friends to pay their salaries.
It's very likely that their board members combined contributions cover this amount. I'm pretty sure the Robin Hood Foundation does the same thing. In the case of those organizations it signals a healthy non profit with a strong board that believes in the organization's leadership and the work being done. I wouldn't read the OP's scenario the same way. Sending mailers asking family to cover salaries would make me suspect they were desperate for donations and probably not very well run.
To be clear, I agree. (I posted earlier in the thread indicating that this seems to mostly be smaller, evangelical organizations.)
I brought up this particular nonprofit simply because they do have a separate fundraising method for salaries, but although I don't have specifics, I am certain they don't ask staff to send emails like this, otherwise I wouldn't donate to them.
My former BFF went on a mission trip overseas (in a super 1st world, popular destination, which I feel is of relevance...) and ended up staying and working for the organization for a few years and has uncomfortably put this out there on FB, newsletters, etc. It's awkward.
My parents support someone like this. She's in Italy. My mom asked me about supporting her too, but I declined. I am all for giving to good causes and as a Christian I support mission work, but it's hard for me to finance someone else's life in a beautiful country.
My former BFF went on a mission trip overseas (in a super 1st world, popular destination, which I feel is of relevance...) and ended up staying and working for the organization for a few years and has uncomfortably put this out there on FB, newsletters, etc. It's awkward.
My parents support someone like this. She's in Italy. My mom asked me about supporting her too, but I declined. I am all for giving to good causes and as a Christian I support mission work, but it's hard for me to finance someone else's life in a beautiful country.
Yep. I feel this way about a major urban city in Australia too, coincidently the country of her choice had she studied abroad when we were in school or has she done the traveling after college thing.
Which maybe isn't fair, but...she left a great salary and job security here, was debt-free when she left (no student loans, lived at home rent-free while she made that good salary), and we have a mortgage, student debt, wedding debt, daycare costs, and such. I almost want to know if she has tapped into her own savings, etc.
My parents support someone like this. She's in Italy. My mom asked me about supporting her too, but I declined. I am all for giving to good causes and as a Christian I support mission work, but it's hard for me to finance someone else's life in a beautiful country.
Can I ask you a question about this? It's really just curiosity on my part because I run into a lot of people on mission trips in my work.
Italy is is a highly secular country where most of the Christians are non practicing and of a denomination (Catholic) that many evangelizing groups consider non-Christian anyway. So wouldn't it be a better target for a mission trip than a place like Uganda or the Philippines (both of which are at least as beautiful as Italy and also incredibly in your face with their Christianity?).
I am exposed to this a lot so I'll respond. I think it is because those that go to these countries are really only looking for a mission vacation for life. They are not interested in work. They have zero skills and are not trained to evangelize. They just want to live in a cool place, start up a bible study, and tell the local shopkeepers that Jesus loves them. To me, it is basically just financially supporting someone to live abroad and have fun.