Secondly, I gave to provide dinners to homeless shelter and during a TV interview, a family stated that they weren’t homeless anymore, but they really enjoyed the meals so they came back to see all their friends…great, I’m glad I could help. I didn’t give the next year to that shelter! Another news story showed a recipient of a utility payment program. It was January, colder than cold, I was in my house wearing a sweatshirt and thick socks while my thermostat was set at 72 degrees, watching my extra money go to a man whose was shirtless, in shorts and his thermostat was set at 82 talking about how cold it was outside and how he needed my help.

My third pet peeve is as a volunteer for a non-profit: I work hard to raise money for your organization, don’t give me meals, prizes, etc. to thank me, I’m a volunteer! I equate all the thank you gifts into how many fewer donors would I have needed to solicit. I appreciate the thought, but I don’t give my time to supply dinner or gift certificates to a room full of people who are supposed to be working for free, including me!

Lastly, food pantries ask for items that I know people don’t know how to use, or are too difficult. Ask anyone under the age of 50 how to soak beans or cook rice that isn’t the minute variet. Before you provide food, housing, medical equipment, whatever, to people make sure they are trained. Remember the old adage, feed a man a fish and he eats for a day, teach him to fish and he eats for a lifetime. Make cooking classes, budgeting classes, home maintenance classes, parenting classes, health management, etc. a part of your program so I am giving to help people learn to take care of themselves.

Thanks!

Valerie: I agree! Lack of integrity doesn’t seem like an effective fundraising tactic!

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