Once a Month

There is a new and obviously effective way of soliciting charitable donations … and that is for contributors to sign up for continued monthly donations to philanthropic causes. Almost every night I see on television sentimental and mawkish ads asking me to contribute to such causes as Wounded Warriors, the ASPCA, UNICEF, the Shriners Hospital, etc. After mostly syrupy appeals these ads then ask for $18 to $20 commitment per month to help save disabled soldiers, abused puppies, and starving children. In exchange I would receive a small blanket or a picture of a puppy or an African waif.  Now I don’t fault these causes, in fact, I generally agree with them and believe that they deserve the public’s support.

However, I do object to such noble causes stooping to such blatant mushiness in order to get their needed funds. I am certain that this type of appeal must be super effective for the proliferation of such ads seems to be skyrocketing. The monies raised must be phenomenal for these ads are not cheap to produce and run so many times. Therefore I also suspect that much of the money contributed goes not to the causes themselves, but to the solicitation process. And, for the American public not to see that these ads are playing them for suckers is really symptomatic of our penchant for putting our hearts before our heads.

Please dear readers, if you want to contribute to such foundations, send them a nice fat check … but don’t commit to a never-ending draw on your bank accounts or credit cards. The latter shows your blind faith in such causes which, in turn, may not keep true to their purposes over time … particularly once the money starts rolling in so easily. In a way it might become similar to our government’s irksome penchant for wasteful spending … given its continued ability to reach into our pockets without recourse. Easy money can and often does corrupt even the noblest of causes.