Squid Game meets school fundraising

If you thought the online ‘beauty parade’ of distributing grants to charities based on votes or ‘likes’ was dispiriting and ineffecient, it could be worse.

You could find yourself on a rug in the middle of an ice rink in front of a crowd cheering you on, as you scrabbled head-to-head with others over a pile of dollar bills in front of you, to raise funds.

That was the option for some US school teachers recently as they sought to secure a share of cash donations for their school.

Journalist Annie Todd shared the event this weekend on Twitter.

Here they go! pic.twitter.com/G0MH3Y1VXU

— Annie Todd (@AnnieTodd96) December 12, 2021

This was the first ‘Dash for Cash’ at the stadium, with $5,000 on offer. All in one dollar bills, rather than larger denominations, presumably to prolong the competition.

10 teachers walk across the ice (they aren’t wearing skates) to get to the rug on which the cash had been tipped.

They are consenting adults, and they seemed to enjoy themselves – noises from the crowd suggested they did too. They wore helmets, and they ended up with cash.

If they’d shared it equally they’d have had $500 for their school. So that is roughly what they were scrabbling for.

Almost done! pic.twitter.com/K8Rr83uzui

— Annie Todd (@AnnieTodd96) December 12, 2021

No doubt some fundraisers will argue this is surprisingly similar to many fundraising methods, including grantseeking and corporate fundraising, simply minus the ice and helmets.

It is, true. But isn't this essentially what we're asking nonprofits to do with grant competitions, voting for funding/favorite npos, etc. We're revulsed by this video, and should be, but tbh at least it's honest in forcing embarrassing scrambling for dough.

— T. Clay Buck, CFRE (@tclaybuck) December 13, 2021

Not surprisingly others, including fundraisers, were unimpressed with this public spectacle.

Teachers… grabbing for dollars… for their kids for school supplies… while people cheer…

No. Wrong on so many levels and yet so illustrative of where we are as a society in our ethic of care for one another. https://t.co/ixToOYrUaP

— Paul Richardson, CFRE (he/him) (@P_W_Richardson) December 13, 2021

Actually, I see this as very different. First, public school teachers are providing a government service. That service should be fully funded. Making them get on their knees to scrape dollars into their shirts to pay for supplies is government dereliction of duty. In contrast…

— Jay Frost (@GordonJayFrost) December 13, 2021

What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Is this on your list now for a corporate partnership or in-person event? Or do you think it would only damage your charity’s reputation?

Is someone already at work on a virtual version of this spectacle? Would you be more comfortable with it if the sum available was substantially larger?

from UK Fundraising https://ift.tt/3s4Zp4E