Do you deserve a donation?
I was searching the internet in hopes of finding a solution to a problem. I came across a lengthy article that explained how to resolve the issue, and at the top and bottom of approximately a dozen pages was this:
My initial instincts were: who deserves a donation? And does this guy? The more I thought, the more I was convinced that I was correct. This person does NOT deserve any donation whatsoever. His article wasn’t helpful. Personally, I believe it is unprofessional to ask for donations to a website, period. Only websites that solicit for charities should receive donations.
I spend much time building this website, and I’m certainly not complaining about how much time it takes. If I didn’t want to write them, believe me, I wouldn’t write them. I do it to share my experiences and thoughts. Have you ever noticed that the content here and 99.9999% of other blogs is FREE? Wow. I did.
In further investigation of the above website I found another lengthy article. As expected, on the top and bottom of every page was the following:
This approach rarely works. Avoid such on your personal website. A better option would be Google Adsense or affiliate programs. This is an organization where donations would be appropriate:
Kiva puts together a long list of entrepreneurs in developing countries. A specific group needs only a couple of hundred dollars to get started in their new business. You can donate as little as $25 and you actually have a shot at getting it back. Once you get your money back, just turn around and give it to another profile on Kiva. This is a better way to donate to entrepreneurs like yourself. This is a win-win situation for self, family, and community, not some kid in his basement trying to offset his World of Warcraft subscription. It promotes working harder and smarter, where the money you donate will go much further than a cup of coffee. I recommend Kiva.org.
Photo via Wonderlane
One Response to “Do you deserve a donation?”
2-17-2010
Ian – love the post! Too funny. I’m curious on how you feel about the guilt jars that a lot of fast food restaurants have by the cash register. You know, the ones that say, “Tips are accepted.” Or even worse sometimes have cheesy phrases. I saw one at Ben & Jerry’s that said, “Cow Tipping is Acceptable” and had a cow by their guilt jar. No way I’m tipping someone for scooping me three scoops of ice cream.
The reason I bring this up is because those “Donate” buttons on people’s pages do the same thing. They make me feel guilty for not ‘donating’ (tipping). Not a good way to to business in my opinion.
I also suggest Kiva.org. Probably the best $25 bucks I spent went to fund a small business in Haiti.
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