Charity
Pamie and I started writing online journals about the same time. We both have books in print, although, I’m sure hers has a much catchier title. There’s that. Plus hers is available on Amazon, and I’ve not made it that far.
While I was struggling to make this web page pay for itself, which, I should add, is an ongoing battle, one of the marketing theories I came across suggested that a good charity, some kind of altruistic marketing ploy was a killer way to get more publicity.
(Think: this program was paid for in part by a grant from “some big corporation” – like that’ll ever happen here.)
Since then, I’ve looked at a number of possibilities. I’ve kicked around some ideas. Pamie/Squishy ran/runs a “book donation” deal for the Oakland Public Library.
That was a pretty cool idea. Organic and original, too. Plus, from a strictly marketing point-of-view, it was a huge success. Never mind that the library has also benefited from a number of “new – used” volumes that can be put into circulation. Plus added publicity for a just cause….
This goes back more years than I care to recount, but I’ve seen too many of the altruistic, “let’s help them out” sponsorship package deals work out to be nothing more than straight up advertising.
Now that’s a sticking point for me. Bothers my more refined and delicate sense of right and wrong. Troublesome ethics. It’s that moral compass that I’ve got, and more than one of these “let’s help out a not-for-profit” schemes looks to me to be more like a scam.
My favorite, the words I dearly love to laugh about, “a portion of all proceeds got to (insert charity name here).”
I’ve thought about doing that for years, and I’ve thought about different charities. But with a terribly thin profit margin around here, sometimes bleeding instead of rolling it in, I can’t, with any kind of conscience, do something like that. I can’t promise that a portion of every dollar spent here will go to (insert charity name here).
Some weeks, any income deposited goes to pay for the server, the bandwidth, or lunch. And then there are times when it’s pretty thin. Good thing I’ve still got some Y2K canned goods hidden in the kitchenette.
When I was in London last week, I had a single $100 bill I changed into pounds-sterling. That the funny, English money they use over yonder. At the little cash kiosk, I got 5 Ten-pound notes plus some change. That C-note was all that I had left from a weekend of doing readings. Remember that exchange rate, two American dollars equal one English pound.
Now, let’s look at my list of charities. Who do I tithe to? US Government. State of Texas. Travis County. Works out to about 10%, for state & county sales tax (in Texas, astrology readings are taxable goods). Federal income tax eats up another 10% – or greater, depending on the year’s outlook.
(On my income tax, I should note that I make sure I don’t donate $1 or $3 or whatever to the next Presidential race. As if.)
During the intermission – or interval – during the Monday night Midsummer show, the troop gathered in the theater’s foyer for a little song and dance. They played and sang. Then they passed the bucket for a charity that takes acting classes to under-privileged school kids. That action, here in the States? “They target ‘at risk’ children.”
“So far we’ve raised more than 13,000 pounds for (insert name of charity).”
As I recall, I had a few of those pound coins left over, and I tossed some in the bucket.
Got me to thinking, too, what group would I like to help?
When I reflected back and looked at 100+ pictures I’d taken, I came up with all the pointers indicating that I’d found a charity – more than that – a cause – that I could support.
Yeah, well, there’s always a problem. Corporate sponsorships start in a range that I can’t even begin to think about. I got to looking around at some of the individual plans, too, and the least expensive option, that really meant something to me, started at 200 pounds. Still too rich. Better yet, as the website suggests that there are still a few, limited, 1000 pound options open, Again, way out of my price range. But still a nice idea.
Best thing I can do right now? There’s a link and a button on the biggest traffic spots I’ve got.
Go. Enjoy. Try theater the way it was originally intended.
Tell them bubba sent you.
