Charitable Giving

A discussion with a colleague recently, caused me to wonder about how much thought we really give to causes that on the surface appear to be so altruistic and their methods of fund-raising.  

I personally have my favourites as most people do and have gone to the CRA site on occasion to get more information on their fiscal responsibility.  To be more specific, what percentage is being spent on administration (overhead)?

While it's great to have not-for-profits, charities and service clubs available to assist during a natural disaster or fund medical research, finding homes for the homeless, or any other prevalent need; the organization should strive to maintain as low as possible administration costs to ensure maximum return on donor dollars.  

Charities that commonly run lotteries are a prime example of the amount of money that has to go into actually raising money.  If, before $1 goes into a research fund, health fund, homelessness fund, $100,000 must be spent, is the return on your donor dollar well spent? On the surface you would think not, however, the end game is what counts and if the lottery raises $1m, then the $100,000 has been well spent as that represents 10% of the total. On the other hand, if the overall amount raised was only $150,000, then the story changes as 67% of what was raised has gone into raising it.   

Added Service

    

     Recently, I spent some time at a resort, which bills itself as resort and spa.  First impressions are very important and even more so, when you’re shelling out big bucks for what you consider is going to be an exceptional experience.

     I could have overlooked the newspaper and real estate guide dispensers in an entrance that was barely wider than the double doors to enter, however, the snow pusher and the fact that four out of the six posters in the entrance had expired (some quite a few months before) and the dead-fly laden chandelier were not welcoming sights. Then, upon entering, discovered only one luggage trolley for the whole resort, no elevator to the second floor, which was where they had assigned a room for someone who couldn’t walk upstairs (this after not one, but two calls to the resort to ensure a ground floor room).  To be fair, they did upgrade that person with an upgraded room on the main floor.  But, this should not be confused with added service.  That was making it right!