Asking for money is always hard to do, whether you're out on the street looking for change for a phone call or sitting in an office looking to find funds for a worthwhile cause. It seems to me people are or have been always skeptical about why they should give someone money… possible thoughts that go into their head could "what's in it for me?", "are they going to use the money to buy drugs, alcohol, etc.?) While I'm not saying that opening up your wallet anytime someone asks for money should be an automatic reactionary act – there are other ways to help the person if you take the time to talk to them – there needs to be some understanding as to what this person is or will be going through and why they need the money their asking you for. You're probably thinking, "hmmm… why's Vince so serious all of a sudden?"… well, the fact is, helping to find money (i.e. fundraising) to support a cause is frustrating to say the least.
*This bear was at a animal conservation park I visited a couple of weeks ago. The bear was rescued from a circus or performance act where they were abusing the bear to do tricks for visitors. Although free from that environment, when we came to see the enclosure, it went back to it's old habit of doing tricks for visitors… sometimes I feel like a part of fundraising is like this bear – we have to jump through hoops or sit up and smile just to get scraps from the rich… instead of funding a cause, these donors are more interested in what you're able to do for them to make them happy*
One the most annoying things I've come across in my work with the Burmese newspaper is that people, especially those who have the money and can help, want to get things for free. It seems like the richer you are, the more you are a scrooge. People think that information is free or that it should be a given right to have access to it. Helping out this newspaper has shed some light on how difficult it is to ask for money when you ask someone to pay for information they've been getting for free. In the newspaper situation, the money we need isn't so we can line our pockets and drive fancy cars, but it's to pay the journalists and reporters who are inside Burma for their first-hand information, especially when their lives to get it out. None of which is free, especially when you think of how oppressive the country is, where people are struggling to buy rice… yes, that's right, rice… to feed themselves and their families. Meanwhile, the military generals who illegally rule the country are living large, and even reportedly spent about $50 million dollars to buy diamonds and other gifts for one their daughter's wedding.
I don't want to sound negative, but it really can't be helped, when you think of all these organizations trying to make a little bit of difference in people's lives, and who can't seem to find the help/support they need. Someone asked me once if it was ok to take donations from an oil company. My ethical heart tells me "no". But if an employee of an oil company personally wants to donate a portion of his salary to a good cause, my heart says "yes". People generally are interested in supporting a good cause, no matter their employment background, as long as they know about the issue. While funding/donations coming from governments or private corporations always have some sort of hidden agenda, most private/individual donations have less hidden agenda's and more passion for the work. The only problem for some people is that private donations do not usually come in large amounts, but with a little more effort, these "donors" are much more reliable and easier to work with.