In 1990, the National Marketing Service, a professional fund-raising company, coaxed $1 million out of Californians who wanted to help out the Children’s Wish Fund. Those kind-hearted people were really helping out the National Marketing Service. The company kept 93% of the money!
However, the kids did do fairly well by the standards of professional fund-raising. The Children’s Wish Fund got 7% of the money raised by the National Marketing Service. That’s ten times better than the cancer victims who were the bait for the Walker Cancer Research Institute of Aberdeen, Maryland. In a three-year period, the “research institute” raised more than $9 million and contributed $67,822 – 0.7% – to cancer research. The rest of the money – $9,236,946 – disappeared into the pockets of fund-raisers.
Under the law, professional fund raisers can pull in huge amounts of money for charity and turn little, even nothing over to charity. Furthermore, too few donors check to see what happens to their donations. They assume charity does good. In 1990, the operators of nearly one hundred professional fund-raising campaigns in California forwarded less than 10% of their take to charity. Charities can even wind up owing money to their fund-raisers! Nine charities got nothing, and one – California Abortion Rights Action League North – wound up owing Gordon & Schwenkmer, Inc., $163,542 – even though the fund-raisers actually pulled in $334,280 in contributions. Only one-third of all the money raised for charity by professional fund-raisers in California goes to charity.
Scrap the big impersonal and coercive charities run by layer upon layer of well-paid professionals! Bring back the person-to-person charity. Begin with the people closest to us: our children and parents, or neighbours and co-workers, and the people we do business with. It’s even better to give to panhandlers then to give to professional charity. Real Charity – What to do:
First, help yourself. Solve your own problems. Then, after you’re squared away, help someone you know: your family, friends, fellow workers. Most of all, help those who have helped you. Give yourself, not just your money. Your time and sacrifice make the best gifts. Be effective, help people face to face. Build up a goodwill bank. Try to keep yourself in a position not to require charity, but if you help others when they’re in need, you can draw on that good will when you need it. Give because you want to give, not because you feel guilty or threatened. Real charity is volunteer. Remember, you’re in control – not the beggar on the street, not the telethon host hugging a helpless child. Practice restraint. In your enthusiasm to do πορνο good, you might cause harm. The object of charity is not to make you feel good, but to do good for someone else. Don’t give money to people who want to help others but can’t manage their own money. Never buy a ticket to a charity banquet. These gaudy affairs do more good for the publicity-hungry philanthropists than for the truly hungry. Save money for a rainy day – not just to survive your own hard times but to help others survive theirs. Beware of giving gifts that become a part of someone’s budget and need to be renewed endlessly. Thank others when they help you. You have no obligation to help others. That’s one of the beauties of true charity. Take precautions. Get insurance. Work to avoid being a burden yourself.