Between 1997-2006, professional fundraisers raised $583,367 for the Humboldt County Peace Officers Association. But the Association only saw 19.6% — or $114,599 — of the money.
So where did over 80% of the total funds go? It’s just the cost of doing business fundraising.
“On average, commercial fundraisers deliver just 46 cents of each donated dollar to the charity,” according to the LA Times. “Some charities enjoy much better success, but in other cases ineffective fundraisers can take all the money that’s raised.”
The Times has a searchable Charity Fundraising Database. Six charities come up for the term “Humboldt,” and only one of them got anywhere near the average — the Southern Humboldt Little League — but they haven’t raised any money since 1997, according to the database.
Eureka Police and Fire didn’t do much better than Humboldt County. Neither did Arcata.
The small returns aren’t limited to our neck of the woods. Police in general scored low; almost all received less than 30% of funds raised in their name.
UPDATE from the Humboldt Herald math dept:
The for-profit fundraiser that raked in the bucks while raising money for nine local police and fire organizations is Gold Coast Productions. The nine orgs are:
- Humboldt Peace Officers Assc.
- Humboldt County Sheriffs Posse Search And Rescue
- Humboldt County Fire/Arson Task Force
- Humboldt County Deputy Sheriffs Assc.
- Humboldt County Fire Prevention Officers
- Arcata Volunteer Fire Dept.
- Eureka Police Officers Association
- Eureka Fire Fighters’ Association
- Eureka Firefighters Union Local #652
All told, the nine organizations netted $494,048. Gold Coast Productions made $1,996,606.
RSS - Posts
July 6, 2008 at 6:35 pm
It would be nice to have that chart on the fridge just to check the next time you get a solicitation.
July 6, 2008 at 6:56 pm
Good idea. Just click the image and print.
July 6, 2008 at 6:58 pm
I gotta get me into the fundraising bizness.
July 6, 2008 at 8:28 pm
You should mention the name (s) of the smarmy, for-profit spam callers who wrap themselves in charity mantles and rip off the charity and the “mark”. Gold Coast is one, anyway. It’s a swell loophole in the do-not-call list rules. Getting spam calls on an instrument I pay for is like somebody putting up billboards in the house I paid for: it’s an invasion of privacy AND trespassing. All telemarketing is garbage anyway, and the people who perpetrate it should be ashamed.
End of rant.
July 6, 2008 at 8:32 pm
I hate it when a house gets disconnected, but my billboard is still inside.
July 6, 2008 at 8:55 pm
Fundraising Professionals, and their respective entourages have to eat too.
-boy
July 6, 2008 at 9:24 pm
Fundraising is a necessary evil, because people need some impetous to donate to charities or buy products and services but it does amount to a violation of my privacy when a phone sevice that I buy (or am I renting?) allows unsolicited calls of solicitation.
July 6, 2008 at 9:24 pm
Jesus really, truly does love YOU, Heraldo!
Please keep doing this kind of reporting.
July 6, 2008 at 9:25 pm
Kate, the word is “impetus,” peace be upon you.
July 6, 2008 at 9:30 pm
9:25 thanks for caring….
July 6, 2008 at 9:35 pm
Kate: Just make a modest donation to the Anonymous Spell Checkers Benevolent Society, and you might be even.
-boy
July 6, 2008 at 9:40 pm
ya think?
July 6, 2008 at 9:44 pm
……honestly neither of you have anything constructive to say about the subject at hand? Interesting…..
July 6, 2008 at 9:44 pm
Charities do phone banking because it works. Most people don’t donate unless asked to do so. So, next time ask if the phone banking is outsourced and if it is, decline. But I agree, the do-not-call list should be the a truly do-not-call list. period.
July 6, 2008 at 9:50 pm
Gold Coast is the only one that raised money for the nine local police/fire organizations listed in the database.
I updated the post above but it appears the nine orgs netted $494,048 while Gold Coast Productions made $1,996,606.
July 6, 2008 at 9:52 pm
Another exapmle of a situation where a few rotten seeds make the whole crop look bad.
July 6, 2008 at 10:15 pm
Geez Kate, I never have anything constructive to say, I mean, that would entail posting as many comments as you seem to do. Sorry, I have my own blog to waste my time at.
Now…since I do work for a Non-Profit company, I know all too well that even the greatest of ideas for fundraisers are doomed to net minimal returns. Some of these people who plan events are actually well educated sorts who provide a skill that has become more valuable and the demand has increased as the quest for the Non-Profit dollars gets more competitive. People trained in these skills can now find competitive jobs in the Public Sector just raising money, and getting their generous portion of the pie. Sorry to say it is a skill set that requires more than Granny baking cookies and somebody to take money and make change at a table.
-boy
July 6, 2008 at 10:16 pm
Whenever I get a call from one of these fund-raising pros on behalf of the local fire or police or sheriff depts the first thing I ask is if they are a firefighter or a police officer or a sheriff’s deputy. This puts them on the defensive.
July 6, 2008 at 10:36 pm
This has been ongoing scam in every state for at least twenty-five years. Expose the pigs!
July 6, 2008 at 10:38 pm
We all knew this pre 1990, heraldo. Are you just learning of it? Actually, the figures you cite are an improvement.
Gold Coast (and their like) had an entire bank of phones in the Carson Block, this was all pre Do Not Call.
They justify the costs they have to pay their entertainers, and all of the set up and stuff that goes into it, not unlike the Dixieland Jazz Festival, which has enormous expenses, and Reggae on The River. Compare those numbers and you’ve got a post.
That said, I never say yes to Gold Coast. If you want to support any of those organizations, you should just write them a direct check.
July 6, 2008 at 10:42 pm
That’s amazing since the first year the database analyzes is 1997.
July 6, 2008 at 10:50 pm
I assume Rose is referring to the huge percentage that fundraisers take for their services. That situation certainly predates 1990. It’s old news. Heraldo’s post simple serves as a reminder.
July 6, 2008 at 10:57 pm
It’s currently a top news item on latimes.com.
The database includes state and national organizations. The above post focuses on law enforcement and fire fighter orgs in Humboldt County, Eureka and Arcata because that’s what predominantly came up while searching for local charities.
July 6, 2008 at 11:15 pm
Oooooh, every time I see Gold Coast on the Called ID, I scream and run from the phone! Bastards sucker me every time. I can’t say no… and I can’t truly afford to donate. Sticks me in a pickle. How does one get off their list?
July 6, 2008 at 11:23 pm
Great. News gets rehashed all the time. This particular data set is new, but the notion that money given to phone-based fundraisers is wasted… is a tale as old as time.
July 6, 2008 at 11:23 pm
Oh. Now there’s a DATABASE. Like no one could figure it out before that. Pfft. heraldo. That’s funny. ‘Cause 10:50 is right, it predates 1990. There might even have been a story in the TS about it way back then. Or maybe the Union. People I knew just asked the solicitor, how much goes to the organization? The answers were pretty honest.
July 6, 2008 at 11:24 pm
Oops, my bad. That’s probably not limited to phone fundraising, but all forms of fundraising that doesn’t depend on volunteers.
July 6, 2008 at 11:25 pm
Darn. My post doesn’t get the rose stamp of approval.
July 7, 2008 at 7:08 am
http://www.unitedwayhumboldt.org/docs/annualreport/UWAY2004AnnualReport.pdf
Humboldt County United Way 2004 is the latest I can find. Comments?
have a peaceful day,
Bill
July 7, 2008 at 7:15 am
I bet the scammers focus in on police organizations because some potential donors figure they’d rather be on the list of contributors than the list that slammed the phone down.
Soliciting in the name of the police should be illegal.
July 7, 2008 at 7:16 am
Heraldo,
I agree the amount given to the charities is paltry, but is that net for gold coast or gross? there is a big difference.
July 7, 2008 at 7:21 am
Gold Coast netted nearly $2 Million ($1,996,606) while the charities netted $494,048.
July 7, 2008 at 7:47 am
What was the gross then?
July 7, 2008 at 7:49 am
Perhaps you should get yourself a calculator. $2,490,654.
July 7, 2008 at 7:54 am
OK smartass, do you know what net means? It appears not. You are stating the fundraiser is netting nearly 2 million on 2.49 in sales.
July 7, 2008 at 8:02 am
It’s not disapproval, heraldo, it’s always a good thing for people to know – I’m just saying compare Dixieland and Reggae returns…(both bigger than anything GoldCoast puts on)…and THEN you’ve got something to talk about. Are the homegrown fundraisers any better on their return? Or do expenses eat up the gross?
July 7, 2008 at 8:05 am
I hate to referee this one, but H was using “net” as in a verb, to net.
As in: The Federal Agents netted like 200 zillion pot plants while taking in the Ancient Old Growth Redwoods on a partly cloudy, and smoked filled weekend.
July 7, 2008 at 8:09 am
People, do you not understand Gold Coast Productions has been bringing Humboldt County some of the the finest concerts this side of Branson, Missouri. And long before 1990. I was suckered…er, asked to donated to the various organizations as far back as the early 1980’s, when I saw a wonderful show consisting of an over-the-hill Bobby Vee, an aging Johnny Tillotson and the Original Coasters with no original members.
Since then, I have been offered tickets to many, many has-been, er, classic retro/tribute musical acts such as Legends of Las Vegas, Forever Everly’s and Superstars of Doo-Wop.
I did attend a Gold Coast Productions Ventures concert at Eureka High in the late 1980’s though, that was, indeed, a very fine show. Seriously. If you like that kind of thing.
Is it a scam? No, not really. Are we suckers? Yes. Just say no thank you.
As far as non-profit fundraising goes, how many Wine Cheese and Chocolate Galas can the competing non-profits promote before the public becomes tired, very tired of the same old “friend-raising”. Although, if all goes well, you will get to see yourself on the Eureka Reporter society page.
July 7, 2008 at 8:53 am
What’s with the unbidden hostility toward Heraldo, Rose? Is it because people find his blog useful and yours they don’t?
July 7, 2008 at 9:16 am
What hostility is that, Andrew?
Rose has taken more shit on this site than anyone from sarcasm to outright hatemongering. Yet she still comes back. If she posts with a touch of sarcasm, its due to posts like yours that drip with the aforementioned hostility you ascribe to Rose.
July 7, 2008 at 9:58 am
Gold Coast Productions has been doing legitimate fundraisers for 20+ years in Humboldt County. Local folks work for minimum wage p/t – to essentially read a prepared script and sell tickets to a benefit show. The local groups that benefit receive approx. 20% clear profit off the top without any required work on their part. Monies have gone to help local efforts like Lifeline and SCOP. These benefitting organizations each have the power to end their ass’n – at any time – with GCP, just as we all have the power to say ‘no thanks’ when we are pitched to ‘give’ on the phone.
P.S. — if you research further into some of the professional ‘fundraising’ done here in the U.S., you will discover many benefitting organizations receive far less than 20%.
July 7, 2008 at 10:09 am
I just tell them I have a budget for charitable contributions which is set at the beginning of the month. If they want to be considered they should send me information and if I think they are worthy, I will add them to my list as my budget allows. I don’t do phone contributions no matter how worthy the cause. They rarely if ever send any information.
July 7, 2008 at 10:32 am
Good plan, Jane, and businesses can do that too. Select up to 4 charities you want to support and give them more, rather than being nickel and dimed to death by the thousands of people who walk into your business every year asking for money and donations.
So, Andrew, do you know what percentage the Jazz festival ends up contributing? It has been reported on in the past. And Reggae’s final tally has certainly been in the news the past year… how’s it match up?
July 7, 2008 at 10:50 am
Boy, sorry I stepped on your toes but these little muscle pumping anecdotes to posts and petty spelling issues have an affect on me sometimes….
July 7, 2008 at 11:22 am
As someone who has been involved in fund-raising for many years at all levels from bake sales and car washes to capital campaigns I am bothered a bit by the implication that this form of fund-raising is not above board. Even Gold Coast, which Rose correctly points out, is more like Reggae or the Jazz Festival, is a legitimate fund-raising organization. They do not “net” the money that seems to be their share. This is in effect their gross. From this they have to pay all expenses, which usually involves entertainment. While I personally choose not to support this particular form of fund-raising it is not fair to suggest they are illegitimate. The notion of putting on a large-scale entertainment event and having a portion of the proceeds go to a deserving organization has been around for a long time.
Sometimes volunteers choose to do fund-raising events themselves, like the Ryan House and Garden Association did recently with the screening of The Valley of the Giants, but then they do all the work and assume all the risk. When you contract with a professional organization they assume most of this. Fund-raising events like the Relay for Life and the Library Gala (to name just two), raise significant sums of money, but depend on an army of volunteers. Fund-raising for charitable or social causes is quite legitimate and contributes mightily to the quality of life we all enjoy.
July 7, 2008 at 11:36 am
Why would I ever give money to an anonymous person who calls me? Oh, you say your name is Lenny and you represent XXX organization? How do I differentiate you from Lenny the scammer who lies through his teeth? Why should I waste my time trying to authenticate you? If you were legit, you wouldn’t be calling me at home. That’s my perspective.
July 7, 2008 at 12:06 pm
I think Gold Coast sells you tickets to an event. That seems a little different than just saying send $30 ot PO Box XYZ.
July 7, 2008 at 12:26 pm
Anon 11:36……Food For People calls people every summer from a list of past supporters and possible future supporters, they are a legit organization and realize that in order to cut the cost of mailings (that aren’t as effective) they make phone calls.
July 7, 2008 at 1:00 pm
Seems to me H. if you have a gripe with anyone, it should be the local organizations that hire Gold Coast to do fundraising. If they’re negotiatiing “bad” deals that take too much money in overhead from their supporters donatons, the proper place to complain and call attention is their boards of directors who make those decisions.
I think the reality of fund raising is more complex than just some overhead ratio. Other commenters here observe that people need prodding to make contributions to particular organizations.
I’ve been solicted on the phone plenty of times by Gold Coast, but never on behalf any “lefty” or “progressive” local organizations like the NEC, EPIC, Democracy Unlimited, Planned Parenthood, Friends of the Library, or Soccer leagues. Wonder why that is??
Why do the paramilitary organizations like police and fire and jock sports seem to need extra prodding by paid canvassers to get contributions? Don’t they have “auxiliary” groups of loyal volunteers, dedicated to their causes?
Anyone know there a number to can call to get off Gold Coast’s list of suckers, oops contributors?
July 7, 2008 at 1:45 pm
Pro telemarketers fund-raising on behalf of a non-profit is nothing new and legal (though I wish more of them were on the do not call list). I just find it distasteful. That’s why I always ask if the person calling who they are. If they are a pro telemarketer, the conversation gets cut short.
I used to get calls from actual police officers, firefighters, and sheriff’s deputies. They were much more effective on me because I figured if they were spending their time off fund-raising for their cause, then it merited my consideration as well.
Hayduke is right, the calls are usually to sell a ticket to something.
July 7, 2008 at 6:27 pm
thank you hayduke for clarifying that. i was asking the questions about gross and net this morning to better understand how much each party was making. thanks heraldo for muddying the waters.
July 8, 2008 at 7:38 am
The problem for me is that Gold Coast will not stop calling even after you ask them, they will just change the name of the “charity” they are collecting for and there seems to be a hundred of them.
And they are not always pleasant when you decline to “donate.”
I have no problem with the real non-profits who depend on volunteers to do their soliciting. I do have a problem with the solicitors Gold Coast hires.
July 8, 2008 at 7:54 am
Why do the organizations like police and fire and jock sports seem to need extra prodding by paid canvassers to get contributions? Don’t they have “auxiliary” groups of loyal volunteers, dedicated to their causes?…but never on behalf any “lefty” or “progressive” local organizations like the NEC, EPIC, Democracy Unlimited…
Uhhh, NAN, maybe because they (the former) have JOBES!
Peace be with you.
July 8, 2008 at 8:01 am
More of the same crap from you Rose. The fact is that in virtually every fund raising I have ever been involved the majority of people I have worked with were working people with some retirees. You know, people who take time from family and recreation to donate it to a cause they really care about, myself included. Your stereotyping of all activists and volunteers as without “jobes” (HAHA) says more about yourself than you realize.
July 8, 2008 at 8:06 am
You know that old saying, “When you want something done ask the busiest person you know?” Its true. Even when rounding up volunteers for PTA fund raisers, its the 2 working parent households that are most willing to help out.