Someone else please take contributions and handle nominations.
[ December 03, 2007, 08:51 PM: Message edited by: ketchupqueen ]
Posted by Bokonon (Member # 480) on :
I'll be doing my match again, whatever the charity... The amount determined by any raise/bonus I get from work.
For other people's edification, prior years' charities include Heifer International and First Book.
-Bok
Posted by ElJay (Member # 6358) on :
Wow. Operation Smile looks good to me. . .
Posted by Tatiana (Member # 6776) on :
Count me in for a donation. Operation smile looks good to me too.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Shall I just make this an official thread, and edit the post to set up the process? I guess I'm collecting.
Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
Oh, wow! That's incredible work they do!
Posted by imogen (Member # 5485) on :
I think Operation Smile is a great idea, KQ.
And if you're ok with doing it - then thank you.
I'll be in!
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Okay, a few more non-objections and we'll make it official. Posted by pooka (Member # 5003) on :
I don't object.
Posted by ElJay (Member # 6358) on :
Just FYI, I'll be doing my donation direct to Operation Smile, and will put Hatrack in the "in honor of" section. kq, I'll use your email address for the in honor of notify, so you can add it to the hatrack total.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
That's fine. I have to figure out which of our Paypal accounts is active and clear it out if there's anything in it anyway.
Posted by Papa Janitor (Member # 7795) on :
I'm gonna go ahead and sticky this, but it sure went awfully fast from "Does someone want to organize" to "I'll do it" to "Anyone have suggestions" to "Everyone ok with my suggestion" to "Ok, this is the one we're doing." It's possible that many people haven't had a chance to weigh in as yet. If it's gonna be the official unofficial thread/charity, then anyone who wishes should get a chance to nominate a charity, and perhaps voting could take place after that. I am the Papa, I speak for the lurkers.
Unless.
--PJ
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
I'm happy to change it if anyone objects. It just didn't seem to get any responses other than "okay."
Posted by Valentine014 (Member # 5981) on :
I am researching Operation Smile on a couple of trusted websites and something I found something on Give.org that is a little concerning. It appears they do not meet their high standards:
quote: This charity does not meet one or more of the 20 standards for Charity Accountability.
I am reading more to find out why. All of the other charities I like to donate to do have their seal of approval, so that is why I'm looking a little deeper.
Note: Heifer gets the O.K. from the site, but not First Book.
Posted by Papa Moose (Member # 1992) on :
I'm sorry if I came off snotty -- wasn't my intention. It's just -- it hasn't even been a whole day since this thread was posted, so its not getting negative responses may not mean much. Last year, just as an example, it was four days from when the thread was posted to when a vote tally was taken, and that was with four nominations. Also there's (to me) a very notable difference between "Does anyone have any suggestions?" and "Does anyone have a problem with this?" I can have no problem with one charity and still think another would be a better choice.
I was hoping for First Book again, but since there's a good chance we won't be contributing this year anyway, I wasn't planning on saying anything (it was one of my best laid plans, too). But they were so excited about it last year, and I know there had been talk about setting up a "Virtual Bookdrive" with them, though we probably waited too long this year again. I also recognize that people may well wish to donate to somewhere we haven't donated before; I just don't think having the choice there is a negative thing.
--Pop
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
It's not a whole day yet?
I totally am not good at keeping track of time right now.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
(And also, yeah. No one had started the thread and I kinda wanted to just get something going because the holiday season seems to be going so fast this year.)
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Valentine, I'd love to know why they don't meet the standards.
It's a charity my mom has volunteered with in the past and so have her co-workers, and they have all been very pleased with it.
Posted by Papa Moose (Member # 1992) on :
KQ, perhaps if the topic said something like "2007 Hatrack Charitable Contribution: Accepting Nominations for Charities" people might realize that they could make a suggestion, and with more people helping in the choice there might be more "ownership" of it (to get all managery-sounding).
This isn't to suggest that Operation Smile isn't a good charity. But even with the question mark in the topic, it doesn't (to me) seem very conducive to suggestions. And I hope I'm not coming off sounding as negatively as I could imagine myself sounding if my tone were negative. I'm not trying to be negative.
--Pop
Posted by Papa Moose (Member # 1992) on :
Sorry you feel that way, kq. Obviously I'm stepping on toes where I didn't intend to, so do it however you want.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
No, you know what, I'm just really not up for this.
I spend most days in bed half the day and I just have no energy, and I looked at my calendar and all the stuff we have going on with Christmas...
If someone else will please take over the donations I'll make our customary contribution.
Posted by Tatiana (Member # 6776) on :
Is Dr. Rabbit not able to do it this year?
Posted by Bokonon (Member # 480) on :
I'll take it over, if no one else will. Our three nominees so far:
Operation Smile Heifer International First Book
I'll check back Wednesday, and whichever choice has the most votes, will be the charity this year. I will be doing a match of the first $X, but I don't know what that will be yet.
We had a darn good year last year, but I think we can do better this year. Once a charity is chosen, if people could make donations "on behalf of" Hatrack River Forums, and forward me the confirmation email (with any personal info removed, but with the amount given/pledged) and I will update the charity amount.
All donations will need to be made through January 1st, 2008.
-Bok
Posted by cmc (Member # 9549) on :
Will someone who's good with the search-fu throw up some non-sketchy links that give reliable information on the three nominees, please?
Posted by ElJay (Member # 6358) on :
Bok, if you take over you should start a new thread, so you can change the title as necessary. Posted by Valentine014 (Member # 5981) on :
CMC: The link I provided above and the link I will again provide for you here links you to the official Better Business Bureau reports on charities. To make it even easier, I will even link to the three charities Bok has listed:
To clarify further, the BBB has given their seal of approval to Heifer only out of these three. I urge everyone to glance at these links and decide for yourself if they are worthy of our donation.
Hope that helps!
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Okay, personally, I prefer to do a charity we haven't done already.
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
If you want suggestions for new charities, take a peak at Charitywatch.org for some ideas.
Classic favorites. I usually collect for UNICEF every year at Halloween when I go out at all. It's a good organization, noted for the amount of the contribution that actually goes to aid, and not to advertising or administration. Second Harvest gets high marks in that regard as well.
Happily, I might even be in a position to contribute this year, but other than those suggestions, I'll just go along with whatever Bok chooses.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
I would be in favor of Second Harvest if we don't do OS.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
(And after reading the BBB objections, they won't stand in the way of my continued giving to OS, either.)
Posted by Bokonon (Member # 480) on :
I'm creating a new thread so that I can mess with the title, if that's okay with you, kq.
I will add Lyrhawn's nominations to the list to vote on.
-Bok
Posted by pooka (Member # 5003) on :
Not having paid staff on the board is pretty standard in non-profit. It's puzzling, but that's how it's done. I don't understand how, in that respect, the abuses that occassionally pop up happen.
In terms of "not what we've done before", what have we done, historically?
Posted by Valentine014 (Member # 5981) on :
Cool! It must work because people are voting. This is my first Survey Monkey survey. When should we close voting?
Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :
Pooka, we've done First Book multiple times (two, three maybe more) and Heifer Project once. I'd vote First Book all the way, this is an author's website.
Posted by cmc (Member # 9549) on :
Bokonon mentioned he'd go through Wednesday with the voting. It looks like he's still waiting for an 'okay' from ketchupqueen to start a new thread (giving him the rights to change the title).
edit: Thank You, Valentine014, for the links to the Better Business Bureau.
Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :
Val, I think it's backwards of what you put, I think we did First book in 06, Heifer in 05, and First Book in 04 (I don't knwo before that). But that's going on memory and you may have searched.
Posted by Bokonon (Member # 480) on :
breyer has it right, I'm pretty sure.
-Bok
Posted by Valentine014 (Member # 5981) on :
It won't let me edit without deleting the responses.
Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :
Ok, that's fine, just as long as it's right in this thread so people don't think their minds are going.
Posted by Tatiana (Member # 6776) on :
I voted for firstbook because it's all about getting kids addicted to reading. Where is the next generation of hatcrackheads coming from if we can't be their pushers up front?
Posted by Valentine014 (Member # 5981) on :
So, who's in charge of all of this? I think the title needs to be changed to reflect the survey or a new thread needs to be made so a decision can be made.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
I am assuming a new thread will be made when Bok decides what to do. He volunteered to take over collection.
Posted by Bokonon (Member # 480) on :
![[Smile]](smile.gif)