Commentary By Julie Ferraro | FāVS News
Sitting in a crowded banquet hall, listening to the near-deafening din of conversation, a sense of dread wafted over me as half-eaten plates were being removed from tables, destined for the dumpster.
The occasion reminded me of a similar experience 30 years ago, during a reunion at a large midwestern Catholic university. Dressed in black slacks, white shirt and sturdy shoes that night, I meandered between the chairs to serve carefully plated entrees prepared by a bona fide chef in a tall toque, later clearing the tables. Meat, vegetables left untouched in so many cases, I ached for those who live without knowing where they’ll find their next meal.
As the classy-clad crowd migrated to their next rendezvous after dessert and a long-winded testimonial, I swore to never participate in another such debacle that seems to defy the most basic tenets of Catholic social justice.
Still, I see mailers, flyers, social media posts and even billboards for similar philanthropic banquets every month of the year.
When it comes to nonprofit and faith-based organizations — including Catholic charitable endeavors, schools from elementary to college level, and even religious communities — holding an “annual fundraiser” is almost standard practice.
These events usually involve a dinner, a silent or live auction, or combination of both, and bestowing awards on some special donor or group who has supported the cause.
While these gatherings amass a grand sum to allow the organization to continue operations for the coming year, the expense of such festivities is enormous in itself.
The cost of renting the space at a local hotel, conference center or other site, includes the price of each meal — some of which qualify as gourmet fare, but actually taste awful — wages for the wait staff, bartenders and set-up crew, table linens, promotional materials like customized glasses or ornaments, printed programmes and so forth. When a dance is included on the schedule, the fee for the band or disc jockey adds more red to the ledger.
When annual fundraiser traditions fall short
The adage “You need to spend money to make money” just doesn’t hold water here.
If people were truly charitable, truly willing to give of their surplus to help those with less, there would be no need for annual fundraisers, or tax deduction incentives, for that matter. Those who give with the attitude “What’s in it for me?” have forgotten the gospel advice to give freely without asking for anything in return, as when Jesus told his disciples how, if someone took a cloak, then the tunic should be offered, as well.
Those who have received much should give much is another way Jesus tried to teach his disciples the meaning of charity.
It’s all just material goods, anyway, without any eternal purpose.
Charity shouldn’t require incentives like raffle drawings for prizes such as houses, cash, cars or travel packages. While television, radio and internet advertising to publicize these events is usually less expensive than what for-profit businesses pay, those expenses still diminish funding for programs that directly serve those with the greatest needs.
The COVID-19 fundraising lesson
To those organizations that have made fundraising dinners a multi-year or multi-decade tradition, the team that pulls all the details together should review just how much was contributed during the two years of the COVID pandemic, when restrictions prevented such assemblies. In quite a number of cases with which I’m familiar, more money was raised during the forced pandemic isolation than if the formal fundraiser had been held.
That could be, of course, because the donors had nowhere else to spend their money, with restaurants, theaters, country clubs and fitness facilities shut down. Or, it could be that people realized the great need when faced with daily news reports of sickness and death.
Such an analysis of shifting trends should convince nonprofits to suspend their efforts, alleviating a lot of stress for those who, over the better part of 52 weeks, are charged with creating order from chaos. That energy can be steered into providing the organization’s chosen service.
Catholics profess they trust God will provide not only for the lilies of the field, but for all creation and creatures, including humanity. When the funds are available to finance an annual fundraiser, let them be used instead to help others. Some “major” donors may fall by the wayside without the incentives, but others, with hearts filled by the honest example of faith, will make up the difference — though perhaps via smaller yet plentiful contributions.
