Is it that time already????
That was my reaction.
It's a shame, really, that anybody would feel that way when asked for a donation to a cause they obviously believe in. But that was my reaction last week when 2 of my favorite charitable organizations contacted me in their "year end" fundraising drives. Probably the first of many solicitations to come this year, a good portion of which are likely to reference the economy in their pleas for more funds.
I had just given to one of the organizations less than 2 months ago, and now they were asking for more. It's a shame that the status quo is what it is. I really don't like being asked to give, and from what I gather, I'm not alone. Besides, giving in response to a request never quite feels as powerful to me as when I just give for the sake of giving. And, as I write this it occurs to me that I feel the same way about gift-giving. Something given "just for the hell of it" feels better and more impactful than the obligatory Christmas or Birthday gift.
Until these organizations are presented with a better way, this pattern of giving and then being asked again is not likely to change. I don't know that any individual organization can tackle this on their own...that would be like an individual friend of yours developing Facebook just so they can stay in touch with their buddies.
However, when the right platform emerges, both consumers and organizations will flock to it, and we'll start to wonder how they ever got by doing it "the old way".
Comments