Saturday, February 13, 2010

Donations and fundraising

A friend of mine is going to do the Avon 2 Day Walk for Breast Cancer this year. A fact that I find very admirable because this is something I can no longer do. A few other friends regularly do the Pan Mass Challenge. I know others who do the Komen 3-Day Walk as well. I volunteer for the American Cancer Society Relay For Life locally and have helped fundraise for other organizations. Also, I donate if asked by friends if I think it is a worthy cause in an amount I can afford.

Some of these events have relatively high minimum required donations and others do not. Why a minimum required donation? Well, let's just say there are fund raising events and some people need to be 'prodded' to make an effort to fund raise. I know of one event where people would sign up and then write a $20 check so they they have donated something.

However some of the minimums seem outrageously high. $4200 minimum for the Pan Mass Challenge, $1800 for the Avon walk and $2300 for the Komen walk. And participants have to supply a credit card to make up the difference between their fund raising efforts and the minimums as well as to pay for a registration fee.

In thinking about it, if you are the organizer of an event where the goal is to raise money, you need to expect a certain amount of return on your efforts. Events that are community events to build awareness, such as a local cancer walk, there may be less emphasis on fundraising.

Participants, who desire to help a worthy cause and are donating their time and efforts in fundraising and getting physically fit, should be appreciated for what they are doing. Donate to the ones you can. Or help them fundraise if you can't donate. Or help organize or volunteer at events.

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