Another thought on charitable donations

Bullitt · 11-12-2008, 05:30 PM

Piggy-backing off of Lumberjim's thread (didn't want to derail), what is your opinion about giving to an organization in someone else's name as a gift?
I gave to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital last year in my brother's name as a Christmas gift for him. He reacted positively but I'm hesitant about doing it again this year. Don't want to seem like a copout in place of getting him something thoughtful ya know.

/edit: I had never done this before, not sure if I want to do it again hence the poll.

Aliantha · 11-12-2008, 05:32 PM

I think if you want to give someone a gift, you should give the person the gift, not another person. The reciever can then decide if they'd like to donate that gift to someone else.

I don't think it's up to me to decide where someone else should spend their money.

Clodfobble · 11-12-2008, 05:36 PM

To me, giving to a charity in someone else's name really only flies if the recipient himself chose the charity. I would also be inclined to expect that everyone on your gift list got the charity donation, not just one person, otherwise yes I would say it does kind of look like a cop out for that one person.

Bullitt · 11-12-2008, 05:38 PM

So you'd rate this idea alongside Best Buy gift cards lol.

Pico and ME · 11-12-2008, 05:50 PM

I would never do it.

DanaC · 11-12-2008, 06:10 PM

I've said tacky copout, but actually I think Clod nailed it. I have given donations as presents when, for example, a friend has had a birthday party and requested that anyone wishing to give presents make a donation to a particular charity. I did once consider one of those adopt a *insert endangered animal here* type gifts for my niece as she's very into animals and conservation issues...but decided against because frankly, it's a shit present unless she gets to cuddle it :P

HungLikeJesus · 11-12-2008, 06:23 PM

I think it would be OK only for the right combination of person and charity. For example:
Giftee - Very right wing brother-in-law
Charity - Greenpeace; WWF; GLOBE; Pro-choice Action League

Giftee - Left wing peace-nick, atheist
Charity - NRA; Moral Majority; Focus on the Family

And so on.

Cicero · 11-12-2008, 06:27 PM

Oh what?!? You gave to something else for me? oh thnx....

Unless it's requested? Naaah. Nope. I have never even thought of doing that. Which makes sense now, because I couldn't even understand what you were asking at first.

I have decided to give your gift to the less fortunate....lol! Merry Christmas!! Here's a receipt for your charitable donation! Hope you like iiittt!! lol!

That actually makes me laugh. I would do that to someone that I didn't like, or thought was spoiled or selfish. That's a good one. That's a keeper. Heh. Especially if the donation was a lot of cash and they got the receipt. lol!

I could understand if it was their personal pet charity or requested. But out of the blue, just seems mean. My parents should do that to my brothers....they expect too much still during christmas, even though they are grown.

Thanks that's going in the hip-pocket.

Griff · 11-12-2008, 06:39 PM

I've done it but it depends on the person receiving. Heifer International or Homes for Our Troops should cover the spectrum. Lots of people are tired of getting stuff for Christmas.

sweetwater · 11-12-2008, 08:06 PM

I adopted a humpback whale in my grandmother's name - she needed nothing, and she thought the adoption certificate was funny & told everyone about it. But then the organization sent her tons of requests for more money. Late in the year she told me about all the mail she was getting, was so upset she couldn't send more money, etc. I think she was afraid the whale would starve without her $30. I learned. I would ask first now. But for me, I'd like a donation in my name to certain organizations when I'm alive (seems we only do memorial donations for the dead now).

DanaC · 11-12-2008, 08:31 PM

Wow. I hadn't heard about such repercussions before. Soooo glad I didn't get my niece one.

footfootfoot · 11-12-2008, 09:15 PM

I'd never hump a black whale named after my grandmother. That was Squirell Nutkin. I won't pay $30 to see that. That's crazy talk.

monster · 11-12-2008, 09:31 PM

beest adopted me an elephant for our Ivory wedding anniversary. aaaaw. but that was an incredibly well-thought out gift rather than a cop-out. Which is what I generally believe such gifts to be, unless that charity is the pet project of that person and they want for nothing material.

On a related note, i got annoyed at a commercial for speedway gas stations this evening: "Buy everyone on your list a speedway gas card -everyone needs gas, it's the gift everyone will love...." or some such bullshit. Wait, what is the point of this gift thing again? shall we all swap speedway cards? What do we get for the non-drivers? bogroll?(TP) -everyone needs that too.....

lumberjim · 11-12-2008, 09:34 PM

lets all just exchange $20 bills. they're like gift cards you can use at any store.

HungLikeJesus · 11-12-2008, 09:37 PM

That would be just like that scene in Donnie Brasco.

View Poll Results: What do you think of charitable giving in someone else's name as a gift?
Just fine, I do it for a variety of people	6	28.57%
It's fine once in awhile but not consistently	10	47.62%
Done it before but no inclined to do it again	0	0%
Tacky copout	5	23.81%
Voters: 21. You may not vote on this poll

11-12-2008, 05:30 PM	#1
Bullitt This is a fully functional babe lair Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Akron, OH Posts: 2,324	Another thought on charitable donations Piggy-backing off of Lumberjim's thread (didn't want to derail), what is your opinion about giving to an organization in someone else's name as a gift? I gave to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital last year in my brother's name as a Christmas gift for him. He reacted positively but I'm hesitant about doing it again this year. Don't want to seem like a copout in place of getting him something thoughtful ya know. /edit: I had never done this before, not sure if I want to do it again hence the poll. __________________ Kiss my white Irish ass. Last edited by Bullitt; 11-12-2008 at 05:38 PM.

11-12-2008, 05:32 PM	#2
Aliantha trying hard to be a better person Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 16,493	I think if you want to give someone a gift, you should give the person the gift, not another person. The reciever can then decide if they'd like to donate that gift to someone else. I don't think it's up to me to decide where someone else should spend their money. __________________ Kind words are the music of the world. F. W. Faber

11-12-2008, 05:36 PM	#3
Clodfobble UNDER CONDITIONAL MITIGATION Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 20,012	To me, giving to a charity in someone else's name really only flies if the recipient himself chose the charity. I would also be inclined to expect that everyone on your gift list got the charity donation, not just one person, otherwise yes I would say it does kind of look like a cop out for that one person. __________________ My book My other book My spirit animal

11-12-2008, 05:38 PM	#4
Bullitt This is a fully functional babe lair Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Akron, OH Posts: 2,324	So you'd rate this idea alongside Best Buy gift cards lol. __________________ Kiss my white Irish ass.

11-12-2008, 05:50 PM	#5
Pico and ME Are you knock-kneed? Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Middle Hoosierland Posts: 3,549	I would never do it.

11-12-2008, 06:10 PM	#6
DanaC We have to go back, Kate! Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Yorkshire Posts: 25,964	I've said tacky copout, but actually I think Clod nailed it. I have given donations as presents when, for example, a friend has had a birthday party and requested that anyone wishing to give presents make a donation to a particular charity. I did once consider one of those adopt a insert endangered animal here type gifts for my niece as she's very into animals and conservation issues...but decided against because frankly, it's a shit present unless she gets to cuddle it :P

11-12-2008, 06:23 PM	#7
HungLikeJesus Only looks like a disaster tourist Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: above 7,000 feet Posts: 7,208	I think it would be OK only for the right combination of person and charity. For example: Giftee - Very right wing brother-in-law Charity - Greenpeace; WWF; GLOBE; Pro-choice Action League Giftee - Left wing peace-nick, atheist Charity - NRA; Moral Majority; Focus on the Family And so on. __________________ Keep Your Bodies Off My Lawn SteveDallas's Random Thread Picker.

11-12-2008, 06:27 PM	#8
Cicero Looking forward to open mic night. Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: New Mexico Posts: 5,148	Oh what?!? You gave to something else for me? oh thnx.... Unless it's requested? Naaah. Nope. I have never even thought of doing that. Which makes sense now, because I couldn't even understand what you were asking at first. I have decided to give your gift to the less fortunate....lol! Merry Christmas!! Here's a receipt for your charitable donation! Hope you like iiittt!! lol! That actually makes me laugh. I would do that to someone that I didn't like, or thought was spoiled or selfish. That's a good one. That's a keeper. Heh. Especially if the donation was a lot of cash and they got the receipt. lol! I could understand if it was their personal pet charity or requested. But out of the blue, just seems mean. My parents should do that to my brothers....they expect too much still during christmas, even though they are grown. Thanks that's going in the hip-pocket. __________________ Show me a sane man, and I will cure him for you.- Carl Jung

11-12-2008, 06:39 PM	#9
Griff still says videotape Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 26,813	I've done it but it depends on the person receiving. Heifer International or Homes for Our Troops should cover the spectrum. Lots of people are tired of getting stuff for Christmas. __________________ If you would only recognize that life is hard, things would be so much easier for you. - Louis D. Brandeis

11-12-2008, 08:06 PM	#10
sweetwater lives inside a Mobius strip Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 1,120	I adopted a humpback whale in my grandmother's name - she needed nothing, and she thought the adoption certificate was funny & told everyone about it. But then the organization sent her tons of requests for more money. Late in the year she told me about all the mail she was getting, was so upset she couldn't send more money, etc. I think she was afraid the whale would starve without her $30. I learned. I would ask first now. But for me, I'd like a donation in my name to certain organizations when I'm alive (seems we only do memorial donations for the dead now). __________________ I knew I shoulda taken that left turn at Albuquerque! - Bugs Bunny

11-12-2008, 08:31 PM	#11
DanaC We have to go back, Kate! Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Yorkshire Posts: 25,964	Wow. I hadn't heard about such repercussions before. Soooo glad I didn't get my niece one.

11-12-2008, 09:15 PM	#12
footfootfoot To shreds, you say? Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: in the house and on the street-how many, many feet we meet! Posts: 18,449	I'd never hump a black whale named after my grandmother. That was Squirell Nutkin. I won't pay $30 to see that. That's crazy talk. __________________ The internet is a hateful stew of vomit you can never take completely seriously. - Her Fobs

11-12-2008, 09:31 PM	#13
monster I hear them call the tide Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Perpetual Chaos Posts: 30,852	beest adopted me an elephant for our Ivory wedding anniversary. aaaaw. but that was an incredibly well-thought out gift rather than a cop-out. Which is what I generally believe such gifts to be, unless that charity is the pet project of that person and they want for nothing material. On a related note, i got annoyed at a commercial for speedway gas stations this evening: "Buy everyone on your list a speedway gas card -everyone needs gas, it's the gift everyone will love...." or some such bullshit. Wait, what is the point of this gift thing again? shall we all swap speedway cards? What do we get for the non-drivers? bogroll?(TP) -everyone needs that too..... __________________ The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity Amelia Earhart

11-12-2008, 09:34 PM	#14
lumberjim I can hear my ears Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 25,571	lets all just exchange $20 bills. they're like gift cards you can use at any store. __________________ This body holding me reminds me of my own mortality Embrace this moment, remember We are eternal, all this pain is an illusion ~MJKeenan

11-12-2008, 09:37 PM	#15
HungLikeJesus Only looks like a disaster tourist Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: above 7,000 feet Posts: 7,208	That would be just like that scene in Donnie Brasco. __________________ Keep Your Bodies Off My Lawn SteveDallas's Random Thread Picker.

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