Call me old fashioned, but when I buy something, I’d prefer that my purchase benefits the retailer, service-provider, or other seller. When I give something, as in a charitable donation, I’d prefer that it all goes to the charity. I occasionally make exceptions for charity auctions (once a year or less I attend one of these functions), in which if I win something, the money goes to charity, but the advertising benefit goes to the firm donating the product or service.
So, when I read this New York Times article, I can understand the frustration:
Increasingly, nonprofit experts are beginning to question one of the fastest-growing sectors of giving, the practice of building a donation into the purchase of items as varied as fine jewelry and Always feminine products.
They point out that such giving is unregulated and, in most cases, unaccountable — and no one knows who, if anyone, is claiming a tax deduction for it.
“It’s virtuousness as a marketing gimmick run amok,” said Lucy Bernholz, founder and president of Blueprint Research and Design, a consulting firm for nonprofit organizations, who has coined the term “embedded giving” to describe the phenomenon. “The potential for it to be a scam is huge.”
There are lots of worthwhile charities out there, some listed on our blog. If you are buying a BMW, I’d negotiate aggressively on the price or lease. That will provide you with a lot more money to give to charity than the $25 BMW is going to give to donate itself.
Aneil
Filed under: Rants and Raves, Trustworthy Charities
