Not all benefits are created equal
Friday, March 19th, 2010Here’s another reason why caring for the poor requires more than good intentions:
Less than 5 percent of the ticket revenue from a Carnegie Hall concert Sunday night touted as a Haiti fund-raising event will actually go to earthquake relief, reports The New York Times.
A long-scheduled performance by the pianist Lang Lang and the Schleswig-Holstein Festival Orchestra was turned into a Haiti benefit at Mr. Lang’s request. A sell-out would bring in $190,000, but the costs of marketing, hall rental, and other overhead would leave less than $8,000 for Haiti relief, according to an accounting by CAMI Music, Mr. Lang’s management agency.
In all fairness, The Times article says that sponsors will subsidize the bottom line and the benefactor (UNICEF) is happy for the PR. But I wonder how many people who bought a ticket know or approve of the outcome of the event?
To avoid disappointment when supporting charitable work, it’s wise to:
a) Do some research. Do the people involved have experience in doing this kind of benefit?
b) Read the fine print. Know where your money is going to and how much of it gets there. Overhead & costs are to be expected, but be sure that they are reasonable and there is a projected goal or amount that goes to the charity itself.
b) Adjust expectations.
If your church or worship team would like to hold a benefit concert with low overhead and most of the proceeds going to the poorest of the poor in Jesus’ name, please contact me.
