This possibly reveals me as a terrible person but... Fundraisers


Backroads
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14 hours ago, The Folk Prophet said:

 

Maybe I'm misunderstanding, but I'm not sure how sponsoring a Christmas can be abused like giving money to a beggar that's just going to buy alcohol or something. I mean if you're buying stuff for a family for Christmas, you buy the stuff. So any abusive things you buy, you bought, so.... Or am I misunderstanding? As far as actually knowing whether the family actually "needs" the sponsoring or not...I wouldn't, personally, stress to much about that. Here's how I figure...if they lied that's on them on judgment day. I was still charitable.

I (perhaps erroneously) understood Backroads as talking about a type of Facebook group where “needy” parents are soliciting others to buy gifts for their kids and get really persnickety about what kinds of gifts are or aren’t acceptable (“Oh nooo, darling; the base model AirPods aren’t enough for my little Tommy; he needs the AirPods Pros.”)

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7 minutes ago, Just_A_Guy said:

(“Oh nooo, darling; the base model AirPods aren’t enough for my little Tommy; he needs the AirPods Pros.”)

If anyone here is considering buying Vort a Christmas present, let it be known that base model AirPods are plenty good enough.

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2 hours ago, Just_A_Guy said:

I (perhaps erroneously) understood Backroads as talking about a type of Facebook group where “needy” parents are soliciting others to buy gifts for their kids and get really persnickety about what kinds of gifts are or aren’t acceptable (“Oh nooo, darling; the base model AirPods aren’t enough for my little Tommy; he needs the AirPods Pros.”)

Sure. But my point, I think, remains. Their reaction and attitudes and responses are their own. Ours is to serve, sacrifice, give, and love. If we serve, sacrifice, give, and love and it isn't appreciated, we have still done as commanded. Alternatively, methinks, if we say, "well they don't deserve this because of their attitude", might we be falling into the exact trap warned against by King Benjamin. Are we not all beggars applies to having a bad attitude and not having gratitude and soliciting for what we "really" want. We all do this at some level.

I understand that it says, "succor those that stand in need of succor", the implication being that those who don't really stand in "need", don't...um....need our succor. And I'm not suggesting that we just give to any con man who comes along even though we know they're conning us. That is certainly a judgement call to be made, listening to the Spirit and using our best wisdom. But I do think there is danger in approaching giving with a dominating cynicism.

I pose this question for consideration: Who is better off at judgment day, he who gives freely to the beggar he knows to be running a con, or he who withholds giving because he suspects a con?

Once again, I'm not suggesting we blind ourselves to wisdom and give our money to conmen. But I do think there is value in considering the above question as we ponder on how to give.

As for me (and this is my advice for @Backroads fwiw), I give through the church and only through the church. If I feel I'm not giving enough, I donate more to fast offerings, ward Santa drives, humanitarian aid, etc. Only through church donations. Go buy a bunch of stuff through the vending boxes they put up at Temple Square or some such. There are plenty of ways to give and serve in and through the church.

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16 minutes ago, The Folk Prophet said:

 

 

I pose this question for consideration: Who is better off at judgment day, he who gives freely to the beggar he knows to be running a con, or he who withholds giving because he suspects a con?

Once again, I'm not suggesting we blind ourselves to wisdom and give our money to conmen. But I do think there is value in considering the above question as we ponder on how to give.

 

This is one reason why I trust the church to run welfare for it’s members. You raise great points-but the ward bishop would probably understand who is getting the money and why they need it better than I can. Simply because they should know where the funds are going and why better than I can. 

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4 hours ago, Just_A_Guy said:

I (perhaps erroneously) understood Backroads as talking about a type of Facebook group where “needy” parents are soliciting others to buy gifts for their kids and get really persnickety about what kinds of gifts are or aren’t acceptable (“Oh nooo, darling; the base model AirPods aren’t enough for my little Tommy; he needs the AirPods Pros.”)

So I believe this is the third or fourth year they've done this. While I don't doubt the good it has done, there are issues each year. Last year, for example, was very much a lot of base model AirPods-type complaints, and after the fact. (The admin had put parameters on gift requests because, hey, they're relying entirely on volunteers who may or may not be able to afford everything, and families would then complain about not getting more stuff once they were matched with a donor.) My personal favorite was the lady who went straight to the group to complain about not getting new computers for each of her five children. 

Edited by Backroads
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I'm known locally as someone who gives to various charities in the lead-up to Thanksgiving and Christmas, to the point that the workers at some stores that routinely do collections anticipate my arrival. 

One place that does collections is the local multi-screen movie theater, where if what you bring in meets certain criteria you'll get a reward. Right now, for example, if you bring in 4 canned items of 12 ounces or larger it's either a free $10 gift card to the arcade or a free small popcorn. I've gotten enough canned pasta from the store for myself, both parents, and a family friend who will come with us to "Black Panther" is able to bring in a bag of four cans apiece. My parents and I will claim gift cards that we can use when my brother brings his family up for Thanksgiving, as there isn't a lot for them to do up here compared to where they live. 

Is it really charity if I know I'm getting a reward? Hardly, especially since that reward doesn't cost the theater that much (and they likely get a tax break for it anyway). But that's still canned goods for a local food pantry, and given the often low number of individuals who do donate (the collection bin is kept up front next to a display, so you can see when it is or isn't full) this is likely what it takes to get most people to open their wallets anyway. 

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If anyone, LDS or not, is ever, EVER, looking for an excellent place for their charitable donations, they need look no further than Fast Offerings.  

I've been a finance clerk for a long time, and get to witness firsthand, the good it does.  I also get to witness sometimes how the Bishop gets people off church welfare.  

Fast offerings go to folks who need short-term help.  It is based on the principle of service where every recipient, no matter who they are or what their abilities or handicaps may be, can serve others while receiving service.  It is freeloader and scammer resistant.  And the bishop and I are held accountable for what we do.  We get audited every 6 months by very serious stake people who will ding us if we're off by a single penny, or find an instance of money going where it shouldn't.

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Also:

- As close to zero administrative expenses as humanly possible.  No gala fundraisers here.  Zero of the administrators of church welfare receive any compensation at all.
- The thing is run out of church headquarters and not the local wards.  Which means poorer areas have access to the excess funds of the richer areas, without a bunch of government oversight or buraucracy or social engineering.
 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

There can definitely be a large gap between wealth and emergency preparedness. The issue is really that those people have the means to be prepared, but aren't, which makes it somewhat questionable (in my opinion) to ask for help that's strictly monetary. Those sites like gofundme are ripe for fraud and grifting and people definitely take advantage of it. I'm all for helping others out, but those folks you mention might be the ones I lend an open ear or shoulder to, rather than opening the check book. 

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On 11/10/2022 at 4:27 AM, NeuroTypical said:

Fast offerings go to folks who need short-term help.  It is based on the principle of service where every recipient, no matter who they are or what their abilities or handicaps may be, can serve others while receiving service.  It is freeloader and scammer resistant.  And the bishop and I are held accountable for what we do.  We get audited every 6 months by very serious stake people who will ding us if we're off by a single penny, or find an instance of money going where it shouldn't.

This ^^ only covers one side of fast offering. I suspect that large amounts, perhaps even the largest amount, goes to disaster relief or to other non-LDS organisations who are better at disaster relief than we are. As far as I know, all of those funds go out without any strings attached – there is no request or expectation that the recipient of those funds, regardless of their ability, will provide any form of service ever. I think its interesting that the providers of the funds, ie, church members, are expected to provide service when they need such funds, but those who do not contribute to these funds are not expected to give anything when they receive these funds.

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On 10/30/2022 at 12:41 AM, LDSGator said:

Pre covid when we saw Make a Wish kids at Disney both LG and I would be incredibly moved, often to the point of tears. 

 

 

On 11/9/2022 at 12:57 AM, Just_A_Guy said:

I (perhaps erroneously) understood Backroads as talking about a type of Facebook group where “needy” parents are soliciting others to buy gifts for their kids and get really persnickety about what kinds of gifts are or aren’t acceptable (“Oh nooo, darling; the base model AirPods aren’t enough for my little Tommy; he needs the AirPods Pros.”)

When Disney does a Make a Wish event with a kid does Disney give them the base model Disney experience or the pro Disney experience?

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On 10/29/2022 at 11:51 PM, Backroads said:

You know, GoFundMe and other such giving sites.

But I'm not annoyed all the time. I get it. Bad stuff happens, people don't always have the funds, it's good of us to be charitable and help those in need.

To get to the point, I've seen, as a random citizen of the community, various tragedies. And inevitably funds are raised for the grieving or otherwise suffering loved ones. And what gets me is how many of these people seem to be very wealthy.

So I am left wondering, can they really not afford this disaster? No emergency savings? In the worst case scenario, no life insurance policy? 

Again, I get it. Emergencies can be expensive. Wealth can be tied up. Costs are going up for everyone. Funerals are pricey. A sudden loss of income causes issues.

It could be that donating money is just what we do. Like bringing over casseroles. 

But it still makes me wonder how many of us are prepared for emergencies and I can't help but be amazed when people who seem quite wealthy aren't prepared.

Reveals? Or confirms? ;) 

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On 11/25/2022 at 6:15 PM, askandanswer said:

This ^^ only covers one side of fast offering. I suspect that large amounts, perhaps even the largest amount, goes to disaster relief or to other non-LDS organisations who are better at disaster relief than we are. As far as I know, all of those funds go out without any strings attached – there is no request or expectation that the recipient of those funds, regardless of their ability, will provide any form of service ever. I think its interesting that the providers of the funds, ie, church members, are expected to provide service when they need such funds, but those who do not contribute to these funds are not expected to give anything when they receive these funds.

You're combining two different things. Disaster relief comes from the donations made to the humanitarian aid fund.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Yes, I usually avoid using GoFundMe unless I personally know about the situation. especially if someone is performing the action on behalf of another. When I contributed to someone's medical bills on a GoFundMe page set up by a friend for someone else, I later learned that their insurance had already paid for everything. As a result, they paid for the funerals entirely with donations. Even though it was for a good cause, it made me aware of the fact that occasionally people put up situations like this in an effort to assist others without fully understanding if they are required to do so.

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On 10/29/2022 at 8:21 AM, Backroads said:

You know, GoFundMe and other such giving sites.

But I'm not annoyed all the time. I get it. Bad stuff happens, people don't always have the funds, it's good of us to be charitable and help those in need.

To get to the point, I've seen, as a random citizen of the community, various tragedies. And inevitably funds are raised for the grieving or otherwise suffering loved ones. And what gets me is how many of these people seem to be very wealthy.

So I am left wondering, can they really not afford this disaster? No emergency savings? In the worst case scenario, no life insurance policy? 

Again, I get it. Emergencies can be expensive. Wealth can be tied up. Costs are going up for everyone. Funerals are pricey. A sudden loss of income causes issues.

It could be that donating money is just what we do. Like bringing over casseroles. 

But it still makes me wonder how many of us are prepared for emergencies and I can't help but be amazed when people who seem quite wealthy aren't prepared.

I have my eye on a pair of $800 cycling shoes.  Of course, I cannot justify it - even though I could easily spend it on myself.  I have a hard enough time spending anything on myself.  

I have thought about an experiment of making a cardboard sign and going down to a nearby freeway exit and entrance. I would take my expensive bicycle (that my wife purchased) and wear my cycling outfit (also purchased by my wife). The sign would say, "Old guy wants $800 cycling shoes - Please Help!"  

Being curious – would anyone on this forum contribute to such a panhandler near them?

 

The Traveler

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