tag:theconversation.com,2011:/es/topics/fundraising-4040/articlesFundraising – The Conversation2024-01-29T12:51:00Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2217892024-01-29T12:51:00Z2024-01-29T12:51:00ZOver half of charity campaigns for international causes focus on Africa – here’s why that’s harmful<p>The images used by charities and NGOs can become deeply ingrained in the memories of supporters, donors, development partners and the “beneficiaries” themselves. These stories colour what is generally known about global poverty and the developing world. </p>
<p>One of the most notorious examples was the media and charity coverage of the <a href="http://www.imaging-famine.org/papers/UK_Report_Section_1.pdf">Ethiopian famine</a> in the early 1980s. Powerful and disturbing images brought the reality of the famine into the lives of millions of British people and fast became the currency of the media and NGOs.</p>
<p>But there’s a problem with this. The use of such imagery seems to confirm rather than challenge traditional perceptions that Africa is underdeveloped and not capable of dealing with its own problems.</p>
<p>In 2021, I purchased 17 national newspapers in the UK every weekend over a period of six months. The aim was to explore whether charity adverts have changed in recent years and what kinds of characters are represented in fundraising campaigns. </p>
<p>After analysing a total of 541 fundraising images, one of the <a href="https://charity-advertising.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/charity-representations-of-distant-others-report-2024.pdf">major findings</a> was that Africa continues to be over-represented in charity adverts supporting international causes. Over half of the images (56%) focused on countries in Africa. And almost none of these images contain whole family units – rather they are set in rural areas and feature women and children.</p>
<p>But there is also evidence that charities are actively responding to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/voluntary-sector-network/2018/jan/12/charities-stop-poverty-porn-fundraising-ed-sheeran-comic-relief">previous critiques</a> of using shock tactics, dehumanisation and employing images to evoke emotions.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/571441/original/file-20240125-21-l248se.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A charity advert in a newspaper with a picture of women and children in rural Ethiopia." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/571441/original/file-20240125-21-l248se.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/571441/original/file-20240125-21-l248se.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=391&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571441/original/file-20240125-21-l248se.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=391&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571441/original/file-20240125-21-l248se.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=391&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571441/original/file-20240125-21-l248se.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=492&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571441/original/file-20240125-21-l248se.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=492&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571441/original/file-20240125-21-l248se.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=492&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Example of an advert by EthiopiAid in the Guardian using images of women and children.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">David Girling</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Why does it matter?</h2>
<p>By constantly focusing the spotlight on African countries, charities reinforce historical stereotypes of underdevelopment that equate Africa with poverty. </p>
<p>A <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/67684/public-attitudes-april10.pdf">report</a> from 2010 that was commissioned by the Department for International Development, for instance, found that the UK public view “developing countries” as synonymous with “Africa”. They associate Africa with poverty and misery, reflecting some of the representations used in charitable appeals. </p>
<p>The consistent portrayal of these depictions in various campaigns has promoted the view among the British public that there has been little to no progress in economic and social development across Africa since the 1980s. This has contributed to the belief that Africa is a “<a href="https://academicjournals.org/article/article1379931879_Andrews.pdf">bottomless pit</a>” in terms of charitable efforts and the constant need for foreign aid.</p>
<p>But, in reality, this is not the case. Africa is developing fast. It has the world’s <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/mgi/our-research/reimagining-economic-growth-in-africa-turning-diversity-into-opportunity">youngest and fastest-growing population</a> which, by the middle of this century, is expected to hit 2.5 billion.</p>
<h2>Addressing stereotypes</h2>
<p>Nevertheless, my findings do suggest that the sector is making strides towards decolonising narratives and addressing its use of damaging stereotypes. In 2016, a study found that 34% of all <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/jid.3235">British charity adverts</a> used “pitiful images” that explicitly emphasised human suffering. </p>
<p>However, by 2021, only two out of the 27 charities that placed adverts used pitiful images in their fundraising appeals. This amounted to 11% of all adverts as these charities repeatedly used such imagery over the six month study period, but it still represents a significant decline.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/571442/original/file-20240125-15-h61b6q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A fundraising appeal by Sightsavers depicting an African child suffering from trachoma." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/571442/original/file-20240125-15-h61b6q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/571442/original/file-20240125-15-h61b6q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=462&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571442/original/file-20240125-15-h61b6q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=462&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571442/original/file-20240125-15-h61b6q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=462&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571442/original/file-20240125-15-h61b6q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=580&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571442/original/file-20240125-15-h61b6q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=580&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571442/original/file-20240125-15-h61b6q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=580&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Image from a Sightsavers fundraising leaflet which was used 20 times during the six month period.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">David Girling</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Women and children continued to be the most popular characters in newspaper adverts. But, compared to similar studies from <a href="https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/representations-of-global-poverty-9780857722492/">2013</a> and <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jid.3235">2016</a>, there was a significant reduction in the use of images of children. In 2021, 21% of charitable campaigns featured images of children, down from 42% in 2013.</p>
<p>By 2021, 20% of all the images used in charitable campaigns were also of people characterised as professionals or leaders from developing countries. These people included doctors, nurses and other development workers, offering a more realistic view of people from Africa.</p>
<p>Several factors have prompted charities into reconsidering the potential damage of the representation they use and the stories they tell in recent years. One of the main factors is the need to decolonise narratives by reducing the use of negative stereotypes.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Black-Lives-Matter">Black Lives Matter</a> protests in 2020 were a significant catalyst in charities rapidly adopting or updating their ethical imagery policies. The protests alerted people and organisations to the injustices of colonial histories. </p>
<p>The COVID pandemic was also instrumental in charities being forced to employ local photographers and filmmakers in the countries where they deliver programmes. Travel restrictions that were imposed during the pandemic meant charities were unable to fly in their own staff.</p>
<h2>What next?</h2>
<p>Images have the potential to inflict damage. So communications professionals in the charity sector must strive to diversify the characters they portray.</p>
<p>But the public has a level of responsibility too. We all need to be careful about making assumptions of other countries and cultures when viewing charity images in newspaper adverts. Photographs may not always provide a complete picture.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/221789/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>David Girling does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Charity advertising often reinforces historical stereotypes of underdevelopment that equate Africa with poverty.David Girling, Associate Professor and Director of Research Communication in the School of Global Development, University of East AngliaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2107762023-08-04T12:28:28Z2023-08-04T12:28:28ZTrump’s political action committee wants a $60 million refund on paying his legal fees – 3 key things to know about PACs<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/540535/original/file-20230801-21-mmzd9z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">One of Donald Trump's PACs has nearly dried up its resources by paying his legal fees.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/campaign-buttons-on-top-of-hundred-dollar-bills-royalty-free-image/486249544?phrase=Super+PAC&adppopup=true">iStock/Getty Images Plus </a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>Save America, one of former President Donald Trump’s political organizations, is <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/29/us/trump-pac-legal-fees.html">seeking a US$60 million refund</a> from Make America Great Again, Inc., another Trump political organization that is less strictly regulated by federal rules.</em> </p>
<p><em>Save America has paid Trump’s legal fees connected to multiple investigations into alleged criminal activities and is now down to less than $4 million in its account, The New York Times reported on July 31, 2023. It <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/31/us/politics/trump-pac-filing.html">started 2022 with $105 million</a> in the bank.</em></p>
<p><em>Trump’s use of political action committees, often known as PACs, to pay his <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/07/29/trump-lawyers-pac-deoliveira-loyal/">mounting legal fees</a> has raised questions about these organizations and how they spend money.</em> </p>
<p><em>First, what’s a PAC, anyway?</em></p>
<p><em>We <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/31/us/politics/trump-pac-filing.html">asked Richard Briffault,</a> a scholar of campaign finance law, to explain what is behind PACs and whether using them to pay for personal legal expenses is permitted. Here are three key points to understand:</em></p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/540536/original/file-20230801-17-os5s85.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="People walk through Times Square, in front of a large poster that says 'Super Trump' and shows Trump's face on a Superman body, flying." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/540536/original/file-20230801-17-os5s85.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/540536/original/file-20230801-17-os5s85.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540536/original/file-20230801-17-os5s85.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540536/original/file-20230801-17-os5s85.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540536/original/file-20230801-17-os5s85.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540536/original/file-20230801-17-os5s85.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540536/original/file-20230801-17-os5s85.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">People walk past a Times Square digital billboard created by a pro-Trump super PAC in 2016.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/people-walk-at-the-corner-of-47th-street-and-7th-avenue-as-news-photo/605881900?adppopup=true">Drew Angerer/Getty Images</a></span>
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</figure>
<h2>1. PACs are not all made equal</h2>
<p>PACs are organizations that raise and spend money on federal elections. A PAC may contribute money to a candidate or political party, or spend independently to promote or attack a candidate or party. </p>
<p>Corporations, labor unions and other ideological groups <a href="https://issueone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Leadership-PACs-Inc.pdf">originally set up PACs</a> many decades ago as a way to participate in federal elections. Most PACs today are either connected to a sponsor organization or <a href="https://www.fec.gov/updates/statistical-summary-of-21-month-campaign-activity-of-the-2021-2022-election-cycle/">have a particular issue agenda</a>. These PACs typically donate to or spend money in support of multiple candidates. </p>
<p>Some PACs, however, are directly created by candidates or their supporters.</p>
<p>Trump’s situation involves two particular kinds of PACs: a leadership PAC <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/political-action-committees-pacs/save-america/C00762591/summary/2022">named Save America</a> and a super PAC named <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/political-action-committees-pacs/make-america-great-again-inc/C00825851/summary/2022">Make America Great Again, Inc.</a> </p>
<p>Leadership PACs, which date <a href="https://issueone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Leadership-PACs-Inc.pdf">back to the late 1970s</a>, are created by candidates or officeholders to support other candidates for federal office, but not the <a href="https://www.fec.gov/campaign-finance-data/leadership-pacs-and-sponsors-description/">candidate’s own campaign</a>. They allow candidates to help fellow party members, strengthen their party’s position and boost their own efforts to win leadership positions. </p>
<p>A super PAC, meanwhile, is a PAC that does not contribute to candidates directly at all, but instead spends money independently to <a href="https://www.fec.gov/help-candidates-and-committees/filing-pac-reports/registering-super-pac/">promote or oppose candidates</a>. Like other PACS, a super PAC can pay for advertising, polling, opposition research and get-out-the-vote efforts. But the super PAC cannot coordinate its activities with the candidate it is supporting.</p>
<p>Super PACs emerged in 2010 following a controversial <a href="https://www.fec.gov/legal-resources/court-cases/speechnoworg-v-fec/">court of appeals decision</a>. The ruling found that if a PAC does not directly contribute to or coordinate with a candidate, the ordinary limits on money contributions to PACs do not apply. </p>
<p>Federal law caps individual donations to most PACs, including leadership PACs, <a href="https://www.fec.gov/resources/cms-content/documents/contribution_limits_chart_2023-2024.pdf">at $5,000 per year</a>.</p>
<p>The lack of caps on donations to super PACs is what merits the modifier “super.”</p>
<p>The case that gave rise to super PACs involved an independent organization not connected to any campaign or candidate. But some super PACs, <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-hates-lobbyistsexcept-the-ones-running-his-super-pac">including Trump’s,</a> are also created by people closely associated with a candidate and devote their spending entirely to the support of that candidate. </p>
<p>Because contribution limits do not apply to super PACs, they have become an essential component of <a href="https://www.minnesotalawreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Briffault_MLR.pdf">election campaigns</a> over the last 13 years.</p>
<h2>2. PACs can sometimes pay legal fees</h2>
<p>Campaign money is supposed to be used for campaign purposes and not for what election law refers to as <a href="https://www.fec.gov/help-candidates-and-committees/making-disbursements/personal-use/">“personal use,”</a> such as a political candidate’s home mortgage. </p>
<p>It is illegal to use campaign money to <a href="https://www.fec.gov/help-candidates-and-committees/making-disbursements/personal-use/">pay for personal expenses</a> that would have occurred whether or not the candidate was running for office. </p>
<p>The Federal Election Commission <a href="https://www.fec.gov/help-candidates-and-committees/making-disbursements/personal-use/">has ruled that campaign</a> funds can be used to pay a candidate’s legal fees if an investigation relates directly to the election or the candidate’s time in political office. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/540537/original/file-20230801-19-svyedc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A man looks at a wall covered in photos and text, including one plaque that says 'welcome to the big, beautiful Trump museum.'" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/540537/original/file-20230801-19-svyedc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/540537/original/file-20230801-19-svyedc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540537/original/file-20230801-19-svyedc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540537/original/file-20230801-19-svyedc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540537/original/file-20230801-19-svyedc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540537/original/file-20230801-19-svyedc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540537/original/file-20230801-19-svyedc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A Democratic super PAC, American Bridge, created a Trump museum in Cleveland, showcasing parts of the former president’s life he would rather keep quiet.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/man-visits-exhibits-at-a-so-called-trump-museum-in-news-photo/577714990?adppopup=true">William Edwards/AFP via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>3. Trump’s case enters murky territory</h2>
<p>The Federal Election Commission ruling means that election funding laws could allow Trump to use money from his PAC to pay for legal fees in connection with the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-new-york-hush-money-f8ad2bd8845d1295db439719b4987e54">New York hush money</a> case – which relates to Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign – as well as the federal and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/31/us/trump-georgia-prosecutor-election.html">Georgia investigations</a> of Trump’s role in challenging the results of the 2020 election. </p>
<p>But money raised for a campaign could probably not cover the Department of Justice’s <a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/07/27/1190619704/trump-charged-with-additional-count-in-mar-a-lago-documents-case">Mar-a-Lago documents case</a>, which does not involve either Trump’s campaign or his time in office. </p>
<p>The FEC has, in some cases, <a href="https://www.fec.gov/help-candidates-and-committees/making-disbursements/personal-use/">also determined that a politician</a> may use campaign funds to pay for up to 50% of legal expenses that do not relate directly to allegations arising from campaign or officeholder activity.</p>
<p>This is true if the politician is required to provide substantive responses to the media while a candidate, regarding alleged illegal activity. So, campaign money might be used in the Mar-a-Lago case.</p>
<p>What’s unclear – and possibly unlawful – is whether Trump’s leadership PAC, Save America, can pay for Trump’s legal expenses. </p>
<p>This is because leadership PACs are supposed to spend money on other political candidates, not the candidate who controls the leadership PAC. And in this case, <a href="https://ballotpedia.org/Save_America">Save America is controlled by Trump</a>. </p>
<p>It’s also not clear whether the money transfers from the super PAC Make America Great Again, Inc, to Save America <a href="https://campaignlegal.org/sites/default/files/2022-11/Trump%20Save%20America%20PAC%20Complaint%20%28Final%29.pdf">are consistent with the legal requirement</a> that super PACs operate independently of a candidate’s campaign. </p>
<p>The request for refunds only underscores that concern.</p>
<p>The Federal Election Commission monitors any PAC-related legal issues or violations of election law. But given that the commission is facing <a href="https://shpr.legislature.ca.gov/sites/shpr.legislature.ca.gov/files/Ravel%20-%20FEC%20Dysfunction.pdf">“dysfunction and deadlock,”</a> as a former FEC chair has said, there is unlikely to be clarification or enforcement anytime soon.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/210776/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Richard Briffault does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>There are different kinds of PACs, but it is not clear if Trump’s use of them to pay his large legal fees violates election or campaign finance laws.Richard Briffault, Joseph P. Chamberlain Professor of Legislation, Columbia UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2096682023-08-01T12:25:52Z2023-08-01T12:25:52ZDonors give more when asked to help people get back on their feet instead of meeting immediate needs – new research<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/539065/original/file-20230724-21-visf7w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=421%2C708%2C5966%2C3533&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">As the saying goes, it's better to teach someone to fish than to give them a fish.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/girl-holding-grandfathers-hand-and-going-fishing-on-royalty-free-image/1347216675?adppopup=true">Dimensions/E+ via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>The <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/research-brief-83231">Research Brief</a> is a short take about interesting academic work.</em></p>
<h2>The big idea</h2>
<p>Charities that provide social services such as medical care or after-school programs should consider emphasizing how their efforts can <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/00222437221140028">help their clients become more self-sufficient</a>, my research findings suggest.</p>
<p>With my colleagues <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=zs0rJiYAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">Stacie Waites</a>, <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=NpOhetkAAAAJ&view_op=list_works&sortby=pubdate">Adam Farmer</a> and <a href="https://kelley.iu.edu/faculty-research/faculty-directory/profile.html?id=RWELDEN">Roman Welden</a>, I explored whether people respond differently to fundraising pitches for charities that promise to help people in need become more self-sufficient than those that don’t.</p>
<p>One study involved asking people in one of two ways to donate to the <a href="https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/">Wounded Warrior Project</a>, a charity that helps veterans who have been injured. The participants were told either that their gifts would support veterans’ immediate needs, such as food and housing, or that they would contribute to their eventual self-sufficiency through career counseling and therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder. These messages were developed from <a href="https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/programs">information available on the Wounded Warrior website</a>.</p>
<p>For this study, we recruited workers from <a href="https://www.mturk.com/worker">Amazon Mechanical Turk</a>, a crowdsourced platform for paid tasks. Participants were paid to view one of the two charitable appeals and were given a bonus payment that could be donated partially or in full to the charity. We found that study participants who received the self-sufficiency pitch gave approximately 38% more of their bonus payment to charity.</p>
<p>We also explored which kind of message works best for the Pinnacle Resource Center, a regional charity in East Tennessee that assists homeless people, as part of its holiday fundraising campaign. Potential donors saw one of two messages focused on either meeting clients’ immediate needs or helping them become more self-sufficient. </p>
<p>One was: “Our focus is on providing resources to help individuals become self-sufficient in an effort to eventually provide for themselves.”</p>
<p>The other was: “Our focus is on providing resources to help individuals meet their immediate needs, whatever they may be.”</p>
<p>The people who saw the self-sufficiency message were almost three times as likely to donate and gave approximately 80% more money. The charity raised five times more money from the donors who got the self-sufficiency pitch.</p>
<h2>Why it matters</h2>
<p>Charities often <a href="https://doi.org/10.1086/666470">appeal to current and potential donors</a> based on the food, shelter and services they provide to those in need, using a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2006.01.005">variety of fundraising tactics</a>.</p>
<p>My research highlights a fundraising strategy that these nonprofits can use to their advantage.</p>
<p>A wide array of charities, such as disaster relief groups and after-school programs, could probably raise more money if they were to put greater emphasis in their messaging on how they’re boosting the eventual self-sufficiency of their clients.</p>
<h2>What still isn’t known</h2>
<p>I didn’t look at donations other than money, such as blood or canned food, or the hours volunteers log at the charities they support. So my research didn’t examine how messages related to self-sufficiency may affect those kinds of support.</p>
<p>Might appealing to certain emotions work better than others when they’re paired with self-sufficiency messages?</p>
<p>Given that <a href="https://doi.org/10.2501/S0021849910091592">evoking emotions such as nostalgia</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socec.2017.02.004">guilt can increase charitable giving</a>, I believe that it’s important to discover which emotions are the best to elicit with fundraising pitches aimed at promoting the self-sufficiency of a charity’s clients.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/209668/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Pinnacle Resource Center partnered with Jonathan Hasford's research team to conduct a field experiment described in this article. It did not receive any compensation or financial support during its work with the charity.
Jonathan Hasford did not work for, consult, or receive funding from the Wounded Warrior Project when working on this research.</span></em></p>Emphasizing self-sufficiency in fundraising pitches can increase charitable donations, a marketing scholar has found.Jonathan Hasford, Douglas and Brenda Horne Professor of Business, University of TennesseeLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2018212023-04-04T12:17:39Z2023-04-04T12:17:39Z6 of 8 Ivy Leagues will soon have women as presidents — an expert explains why this matters<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/517460/original/file-20230324-22-yd0cl3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Claudine Gay will become Harvard's second female president and first Black president in July 2023. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/claudine-gay-speaks-to-the-crowd-after-being-named-harvard-news-photo/1245637528">Erin Clark/The Boston Globe via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>For the first time, a majority of Ivy League schools will soon be led by women.</em></p>
<p><em>Starting July 1, 2023, <a href="https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2022/12/harvard-names-claudine-gay-30th-president/">Claudine Gay</a> will assume the role of president at Harvard University, <a href="https://www.columbia.edu/content/minouche-shafik">Nemat “Minouche” Shafik</a> at Columbia University and <a href="https://vermontbiz.com/news/2022/july/21/dartmouth-names-sian-leah-beilock-19th-president">Sian Leah Beilock</a> at Dartmouth College. They will join current female presidents at Brown University, Cornell University and University of Pennsylvania.</em></p>
<p><em><a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=shBbxjMAAAAJ&hl=en">Felecia Commodore</a>, an associate professor of higher education at Old Dominion University, explains what this means for gender equity in the college presidency – and why U.S. colleges and universities still have a long way to go.</em></p>
<h2>Why does this matter?</h2>
<p>While women make up about <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/college-university-fall-higher-education-men-women-enrollment-admissions-back-to-school-11630948233">60% of undergraduate</a> as well as <a href="https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/chb">master’s and doctoral students</a> in the U.S., only about <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2022/01/26/study-women-led-colleges-hire-more-women-and-pay-them-better">32% of presidents</a> of American colleges and universities are women.</p>
<p>However, the Ivy League is not new to selecting female presidents – they have been doing so for a few decades. Judith Rodin was the first, in 1994, when she became president of the University of Pennsylvania. She was followed by <a href="https://vivo.brown.edu/display/rsimmons">Ruth Simmons at Brown University</a> and <a href="https://www.brown.edu/campus-life/events/cracking-the-glass-ceiling/tilghman">Shirley Tilghman at Princeton University</a>, both in 2001. Rodin was succeeded by another woman, <a href="https://www.asc.upenn.edu/people/faculty/amy-gutmann-phd">Amy Guttman</a>, in 2004. </p>
<p>Still, one reason this moment may be one to watch is that Ivy League institutions are often seen as exemplars of elite, complex institutions. So seeing what one could consider a critical mass of female leaders in the Ivy League could signal the benefit of women in leadership to other boards that are hesitant or slow to hire women as presidents.</p>
<h2>How unusual is this across higher ed?</h2>
<p>I think it would be more surprising to see mostly female presidents at the majority of large public research universities, or at a majority of the schools in the <a href="https://www.si.com/college/2022/07/14/power-5-desirability-rankings-sec-big-ten-acc">Power 5 athletic conferences</a>. </p>
<p>Despite what may seem like a boom in women leading institutions, the percentage of women in the presidency at colleges and universities more broadly has plateaued at <a href="https://www.higheredtoday.org/2023/03/06/an-unrecognized-bias-contributing-to-the-gender-gap-in-the-college-presidency/">between 25% and 30%</a> for the past decade. This was after increasing from <a href="https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED446708">9.5% in 1986</a> to <a href="https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED446708">19% in 1998</a>.</p>
<p>A number of factors contribute to this low percentage, including <a href="https://www.aauw.org/resources/research/barrier-bias/">barriers within the college presidential pipeline</a> – such as exclusion from networks that provide mentorship – reward and <a href="https://www.higheredtoday.org/2017/10/23/pipelines-pathways-institutional-leadership-update-status-women-higher-education/">promotion structures</a> that are not equitable across genders, and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2016.02.005">bias against women</a> <a href="https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/bitstream/handle/10919/89210/VoicesWomenHigEduc.pdf?sequence=1">in academic leadership roles</a>.</p>
<p>A recent analysis of <a href="https://www.higheredtoday.org/2023/03/06/an-unrecognized-bias-contributing-to-the-gender-gap-in-the-college-presidency/">data on college presidents</a> explains how this bias against women occurs, specifically when it comes to academic leadership roles. This is important because college presidents typically <a href="https://www.acenet.edu/Research-Insights/Pages/American-College-President-Study.aspx">find their way to the presidency</a> through <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003219897-3/pathways-presidency-hanna-rodriguez-farrar-laura-jack">academic leadership roles</a> such as deans, vice provosts and provosts. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Former Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett and former UPenn President Judith Rodin talk on a stage" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/518500/original/file-20230330-26-bwdl3b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/518500/original/file-20230330-26-bwdl3b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/518500/original/file-20230330-26-bwdl3b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/518500/original/file-20230330-26-bwdl3b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/518500/original/file-20230330-26-bwdl3b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/518500/original/file-20230330-26-bwdl3b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/518500/original/file-20230330-26-bwdl3b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Judith Rodin, right, former president of University of Pennsylvania, and Valerie Jarrett, former senior adviser in the Obama administration, discuss gender parity in the C-suite in 2016.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/senior-advisor-and-assistant-to-the-president-white-house-news-photo/609203494">Riccardo Savi/Getty Images for Concordia Summit</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>What are the biggest challenges that college presidents face?</h2>
<p>The biggest priority or challenge really depends on the individual college or university. However, all institutions must ensure they are financially healthy and identify opportunities to strengthen their financial resources. College presidents have reported that they spend the most time on <a href="https://www.aceacps.org/duties-responsibilities/">budget and financial management</a>, followed by fundraising.</p>
<p>Particularly in the current <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/higher-ed-gamma/tyranny-market">higher education marketplace</a>, where the average cost of college runs <a href="https://educationdata.org/average-cost-of-college">over US$35,000 per year</a>, college leaders must work to keep their institutions fiscally strong and also competitive and affordable. This may involve, for example, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/00221546.2016.11777412">building new infrastructure</a>, creating new programs and cultivating new sources of funding. </p>
<h2>What effect does having a woman in the top seat have?</h2>
<p>For colleges that have only ever had a man in the president’s role, hiring their first woman as president can signal that the institution embraces change and evolution. This can be an especially important message to send to funders, alumni donors, philanthropists, state legislators and corporate partners, who all play a role in ensuring a particular college’s financial vitality.</p>
<p>Female presidents add to the diversity of the college presidency. They <a href="https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1091521">add different perspectives</a> to conversations that shape practices and policies both within their college and across higher education. They might, for example, provide their particular perspective regarding compensation for female faculty members of color, who tend to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/09540253.2011.606208">engage in more unpaid service work</a> on campuses. </p>
<p>Organizational scholars and business leaders affirm that <a href="http://www.doi.org/10.1007/s10551-015-2613-5">diversity strengthens the decisions</a> made by organizations and <a href="https://www.doi.org/10.1002/job.724">contributes to innovative solutions</a>. A more diverse group of decision-makers can generate <a href="https://www.doi.org/10.1002/job.724">more decision alternatives</a> than a homogeneous group that may be susceptible to group think.</p>
<p>And lastly, having women at the helm of academic institutions <a href="http://www.doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2017.2437">shows other women who aspire to become college presidents</a> that it is indeed possible.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/201821/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Felecia Commodore does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Despite what’s happening on the most prestigious campuses, fewer than a third of presidents at American colleges and universities are women.Felecia Commodore, Assistant Professor of Higher Education, Old Dominion UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1949492022-11-28T13:32:59Z2022-11-28T13:32:59ZCelebrities in politics have a leg up, but their advantages can’t top fundraising failures<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/496841/original/file-20221122-12-7b55od.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=159%2C55%2C4462%2C2654&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Mehmet Oz speaks on Nov. 8, 2022, shortly before losing his bid for Pennsylvania senator during the midterm elections. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/1244627627/photo/us-vote-election-pennsylvania-oz.jpg?s=1024x1024&w=gi&k=20&c=lUvOAgR4MaAjyRLRCnPAexyipJWV7qC10aFXa49rJOg=">Ed Jones/AFP via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>TV personality <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/11/09/1131245958/fetterman-dr-oz-pennsylvania-senate-midterm-results">Mehmet Oz lost</a> his bid for Pennsylvania senator during the November midterms. And former NFL football star Herschel Walker appears to be falling further behind his opponent, incumbent Raphael Warnock, as they head to a Dec. 6, 2022, <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/elections/articles/2022-11-22/warnocks-lead-over-walker-widens-in-new-georgia-runoff-poll">runoff election</a> for senator in Georgia. </p>
<p>While celebrity political candidates have advantages, like name recognition and media attention, they <a href="https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781666923162/Celebrities-in-American-Elections-Case-Studies-in-Celebrity-Politics">often lose their bids for public office</a>. </p>
<p>They lose for the same reasons other candidates lose. If they represent the minority party in a one-party-dominated district or state, they lose. If they take unpopular policy positions, they lose. If they are never considered to be serious candidates, they lose.</p>
<p>I am a <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=4cPgCI4AAAAJ&hl=en">political science scholar</a> who specializes in American politics. In my recently published book, “<a href="https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781666923155/Celebrities-in-American-Elections-Case-Studies-in-Celebrity-Politics">Celebrities in American Elections</a>,” I show that celebrity candidates who win the fundraising battle tend to win their elections – and those who fall behind in fundraising tend to lose. </p>
<h2>Political fundraising matters</h2>
<p>Both <a href="https://www.wesa.fm/politics-government/2022-10-25/in-countrys-most-expensive-senate-race-fetterman-buoyed-by-local-national-support">Oz</a> and <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2022-10-05/donations-jump-for-georgia-gops-kemp-warnock-stays-strong">Walker</a> lost the fundraising battle against their opponents, Democratic politicians John Fetterman and Raphael Warnock, in the November 2022 midterms. </p>
<p>Not including substantial spending by outside political and advocacy groups, <a href="https://www.fec.gov/">Federal Election Commission</a> data shows that Fetterman raised US$17 million more than Oz and Warnock raised $86 million more than Walker. </p>
<p>The ability to raise money is an indicator of a candidate’s <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s11109-012-9193-1">strength</a>. It also allows candidates to hire professional staff and pay for advertising to persuade voters.</p>
<p>Candidates, celebrity or not, who raise more money tend to win. </p>
<p>There are many examples that show the specific connection between celebrity candidates raising money during campaigns and getting elected.</p>
<p>Hollywood stars Ronald Reagan, Clint Eastwood and Arnold Schwarzenegger all spent more money than their opponents and got elected. Singer Sonny Bono, meanwhile, spent more than his rival in the mayoral and House races and won in the 1980s and ‘90s. When Bono <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1992/05/31/us/the-1992-campaign-senate-race-sonny-bono-s-political-curse-fame-without-respect.html">spent less</a> than his opponent on his Senate seat bid in 1992, he lost the race.</p>
<p>Other examples show the link between celebrity candidates’ failure to top their opponents in fundraising and their eventual loss.</p>
<p>Hollywood performers Shirley Temple, Gary Coleman, Roseanne Barr, Cynthia Nixon, Kanye West and Caitlyn Jenner all raised less than their opponents and lost their elections. </p>
<p>Self-financed candidates who rely predominantly on their own wealth, like Dr. Oz, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-11-19/it-was-a-brutal-election-year-for-self-funding-candidates?leadSource=uverify%20wall">tend to lose</a>. Because self-financed candidates tend to be political outsiders, they are less likely to be supported by the political insiders who are major donors. <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11109-012-9193-1">The donor class tends to support stronger, more experienced candidates</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/496847/original/file-20221122-25-ghvfns.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A white woman with a black shirt holds up a white rose, standing at a lectern on a dark night" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/496847/original/file-20221122-25-ghvfns.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/496847/original/file-20221122-25-ghvfns.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=372&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496847/original/file-20221122-25-ghvfns.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=372&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496847/original/file-20221122-25-ghvfns.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=372&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496847/original/file-20221122-25-ghvfns.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=467&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496847/original/file-20221122-25-ghvfns.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=467&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496847/original/file-20221122-25-ghvfns.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=467&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Actress Cynthia Nixon, who ran for governor in New York, conceded to Andrew Cuomo at a Brooklyn restaurant in September 2018.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/1032968238/photo/cynthia-nixon-holds-primary-night-watch-party-in-brooklyn-with-other-progressive-democrats-on.jpg?s=1024x1024&w=gi&k=20&c=LqPHhIuo4RDU_NytFbpYYueDpkICnui__pY5MtGDhi0=">Spencer Platt/Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Other rules to the game</h2>
<p>There are other trends at play during an election. Some of them include whether a candidate is an incumbent and has name recognition and what their party affiliation is. And while celebrity candidates certainly have many advantages, they are not as popular as <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Star-Power-American-Democracy-in-the-Age-of-the-Celebrity-Candidate/Wright/p/book/9781138603950">some observers would suspect</a>.</p>
<p>Pennsylvania and Georgia have been key swing states in recent election cycles, with both the presidency and control of the Senate linked to their voters’ choices.</p>
<p>Political science consistently shows that it is <a href="https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/congressional-elections/book258015">easier to flip an open seat than it is to defeat an incumbent</a>. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2020/10/05/pat-toomey-senate-retirement-426429">Republican Sen. Pat Toomey</a> announced in October 2020 that he would not run again for election in Pennsylvania. That opened the door for Democrats to flip the seat. </p>
<p>Fetterman, a statewide elected official with a <a href="https://www.penncapital-star.com/campaigns-elections/in-pgh-john-fetterman-rallies-the-base-in-u-s-senate-races-closing-hours/">strong base of support</a>, name recognition and a fundraising advantage, secured this open seat on Nov. 8. Democrats were worried about losing the race after Fetterman’s <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/10/25/fetterman-struggles-during-tv-debate-with-oz-00063467">poor debate performance</a>, but he nevertheless prevailed. </p>
<p>While Oz had name recognition thanks to his television show, he was successfully defined as a <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-carpetbagger-label-that-fetterman-stuck-on-oz-may-have-been-key-in-defeating-him-194388">carpetbagger</a> in the state and could not match his opponent’s spending. </p>
<p>In Georgia, incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock, a Democrat, has a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/11/13/georgia-senate-runoff-warnock-walker/">base of support</a>, name recognition and a fundraising advantage. Walker has the name recognition, but he faced questions about his <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/20/us/politics/herschel-walker-mental-illness.html">mental fitness</a> and seemed <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/04/politics/herschel-walker-georgia-senate-republican-gamble">inept</a> on the campaign trail. Although the race is undecided, Walker’s inexperience showed and he has been outspent by Warnock thus far. </p>
<p>For Walker to win the runoff, a few things would need to happen. </p>
<p>Walker would need to gain the votes of the Libertarian candidate, Chase Oliver, who thus far <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/georgia-senate-runoff-walker-warnock-libertarian-1234628538/">hasn’t endorsed either Walker or Warnock</a>. Turnout in the runoff election is also critical. <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/3746400-huge-age-gap-shows-up-in-aarp-poll-of-warnock-walker-runoff/">Polls indicate</a> that Walker leads among voters 50 and older. Older voters tend to vote at higher rates <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9781315663746/voting-young-people-martin-wattenberg">than younger voters</a>, which means Walker has the lead with higher-propensity voters. On the other hand, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/11/10/1135810302/turnout-among-young-voters-was-the-second-highest-for-a-midterm-in-past-30-years">younger voters seem more energized than in the recent past</a>. Warnock, who has experience with runoff elections, would need to keep young people energized for a few more weeks in order to win. </p>
<p>Finally, in most states, candidates, celebrity or not, can win with a plurality of voters. Indeed, many celebrities who won elected office did so with less than 50% of the vote. </p>
<p>Wrestler Jesse Ventura won with 37% of the vote when he was elected <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1998_Minnesota_gubernatorial_election">governor of Minnesota in 1998</a>. Arnold Schwarzenegger became the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnold_Schwarzenegger#Governor_of_California">governor of California in 2003</a> with 49% of the vote. Comedian Al Franken got less than 42% of the vote when he was elected Minnesota <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_United_States_Senate_election_in_Minnesota">senator in 2008</a>. And Donald Trump <a href="https://theintercept.com/2016/11/28/donald-trump-first-sore-loser-elected-president-united-states/">got 46%</a> of the popular vote when he won the presidency in 2016. </p>
<p>The United States’ <a href="https://electionbuddy.com/features/voting-systems/plurality-voting/">plurality rule</a>, which allows a candidate who receives the most number of votes to win, and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Electoral_College">Electoral College systems</a> have allowed celebrities to win elections even when they have less than a majority. This does not suggest overwhelming popularity; rather, their victories are made possible by specific election rules. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/496842/original/file-20221122-24-7k8rr1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A middle aged white man with dark hair wears a tuxedo and stands in front of a white backdrop with the letters GQ on it" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/496842/original/file-20221122-24-7k8rr1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/496842/original/file-20221122-24-7k8rr1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496842/original/file-20221122-24-7k8rr1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496842/original/file-20221122-24-7k8rr1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496842/original/file-20221122-24-7k8rr1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496842/original/file-20221122-24-7k8rr1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496842/original/file-20221122-24-7k8rr1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Arnold Schwarzenegger is an example of a celebrity who succeeded in politics and won office in California in 2003.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/872185396/photo/germany-entertainment-gq-men-of-the-year.jpg?s=1024x1024&w=gi&k=20&c=Frf43xqOUTbbs0tQRmJOlB3090U5jlBP7rusXfoN6_w=">John MacDougall/AFP via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Future celebrity candidates</h2>
<p>Oz and Walker won’t be the last celebrities to seek public office. Celebrities have the talent and fame to make them viable political candidates. They are at ease in front of cameras and audiences and they are skilled at creating a personal brand that resonates with the public.</p>
<p>They also benefit from copious media coverage. The free media attention gives them an advantage that noncelebrity candidates do not have. </p>
<p>But it’s likely that celebrities who had political experience before running for office would perform better than celebrities who are political neophytes. </p>
<p>Schwarzenegger and Franken offer an example of how it can benefit celebrity candidates to be involved in politics before seeking office. Schwarzenegger, for example, first campaigned for <a href="https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-oct-22-me-prop4922-story.html">Proposition 49</a>, a law that created after-school educational enrichment programs, before officially diving into politics. </p>
<p>Franken founded the political action committee <a href="https://www.midwestvaluespac.org/">Midwest Values</a> and called upon his celebrity friends to donate so he could fund Democratic candidates who would later serve as his political allies. This allowed Schwarzenegger and Franken to learn valuable political skills before running for office. Even Trump was an active <a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2019/03/05/2020-presidential-dems-trump-money-1202938">political donor</a> and <a href="https://time.com/5166393/donald-trump-endorses-mitt-romney-twitter/">celebrity endorser</a> before declaring his bid for the presidency. </p>
<p>Oz’s loss and <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/meetthepressblog/warnock-holds-narrow-lead-walker-runoff-aarp-poll-finds-rcna58341">Walker’s current deficit</a> demonstrate that even celebrities must pay their political dues before seeking office.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/194949/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Richard T. Longoria does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Celebrity politicians have instant name recognition. But unless they trump competitors in fundraising, and hit other check boxes, they aren’t any more likely to win than traditional politicians.Richard T. Longoria, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1926822022-10-26T20:49:47Z2022-10-26T20:49:47ZState courts are fielding sky-high numbers of lawsuits ahead of the midterms – including challenges to voting restrictions and to how elections are run<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/491929/original/file-20221026-2505-bj0s47.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A voting dropbox is pictured ahead of the midterm elections in Mesa, Ariz., in October 2022.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://media.gettyimages.com/photos/dropbox-is-pictured-ahead-of-the-midterm-elections-at-the-city-hall-picture-id1244226776?s=612x612">Olivier Touron/AFP via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The run-up to Election Day is often a contentious time. </p>
<p>In recent years, it has also become a litigious time – parties increasingly turn to courts to resolve disputes about the rules for voting. </p>
<p>This year, our research shows a significant uptick of those lawsuits occurring in the state court system and challenging every step of the election process — from whether <a href="https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-government/michigan-supreme-court-upholds-disqualification-gop-candidates">candidates</a> or <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/09/08/michigan-supreme-court-abortion/">ballot initiatives</a> qualify to appear on the ballot, to what <a href="https://pbswisconsin.org/news-item/voting-groups-file-lawsuits-over-wisconsins-absentee-ballot-witness-address-policy/">address information</a> must be completed in order to accept mailed ballots. It also extends to specific procedures for <a href="https://www.wpr.org/ruling-halting-ballot-spoiling-across-wisconsin-has-been-put-hold">county clerks</a> or <a href="https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/elections/2022/10/12/republican-lawsuit-election-challengers/69547687007/">poll watchers</a> as voting occurs.</p>
<p>This surge in state litigation yields a mixed picture. <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=kR-BgLIAAAAJ&hl=en">As scholars</a> of state courts and constitutions, <a href="https://secure.law.wisc.edu/profiles/adam.sopko@wisc.edu">we have</a> <a href="https://statedemocracy.law.wisc.edu">studied</a> the crucial role of state courts in safeguarding elections and democracy. </p>
<p>State courts have made important rulings – for example, <a href="https://juddocumentservice.mt.gov/getDocByCTrackId?DocId=404051">protecting voting</a> and <a href="https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=3494281422341862323&hl=en&as_sdt=6&as_vis=1&oi=scholarr">rejecting extreme partisan gerrymandering</a> – rooted in state constitutions’ distinctive democracy provisions. </p>
<p>But the current volume of state election litigation also has the potential to derail the safeguards that state courts can provide. When every aspect of an election becomes a lawsuit, negative effects may follow – including destabilizing elections, overwhelming already strained courts and imposing significant costs on states.</p>
<h2>The numbers</h2>
<p>In 2020, election litigation reached <a href="https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/elj.2021.0050?utm_source=Adestra&utm_medium=email&utm_term=&utm_content=Click+here&utm_campaign=ELJ+PR+February+18%2C+2022">a new record high</a>, with hundreds of lawsuits filed around the presidential election. </p>
<p>But experts like law professor Rick Hasen observed that it was too soon to know if the 2020 spike in lawsuits was <a href="https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/elj.2021.0050?utm_source=Adestra&utm_medium=email&utm_term=&utm_content=Click+here&utm_campaign=ELJ+PR+February+18%2C+2022">a trend or an aberration</a>. One <a href="https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/elj.2021.0050?utm_source=Adestra&utm_medium=email&utm_term=&utm_content=Click+here&utm_campaign=ELJ+PR+February+18%2C+2022">potential explanation</a> was that the pandemic and former President Donald Trump’s polarizing candidacy fueled the 2020 spike and that lawsuits would decrease in future years.</p>
<p>Two years later, a different picture is emerging. </p>
<p>The total volume of preelection litigation has dropped somewhat – a smaller drop than one might expect in a nonpandemic, nonpresidential election. Litigation in federal court has dropped precipitously, falling to less than half of its 2020 presence, our research shows. </p>
<p>But in state courts, rather than decreasing, preelection lawsuits have increased. Some of the rise is due to expected conflict surrounding the post-2020 redistricting process. Of greatest interest, we see a continuation or increase in conflict over “<a href="https://scholarship.law.upenn.edu/penn_law_review/vol156/iss2/2/">electoral mechanics</a>” – lawsuits challenging the who, what, where and how of voting, even when there is no novel virus throwing an unforeseen wrench in those mechanics. </p>
<p>We emphasize that these numbers are provisional as of mid-October, and they are only estimates – and likely undercounts. State courts are notoriously difficult to research; there is no central clearinghouse of state lawsuits or decisions. Our tallies are based on searches in the legal database LexisNexis. Our full methodology and tallies are <a href="https://statedemocracy.law.wisc.edu/research/2022/election-litigation-research-data-october-2022/">posted on our website</a>.</p>
<h2>State courts and their role in democracy</h2>
<p>Rising interest in state courts does have potential upsides. State courts serve as a crucial line of defense for free and fair elections. </p>
<p>As one of us <a href="https://www.lawfareblog.com/state-constitutions-defense-against-election-subversion">has</a> <a href="https://scholarship.law.columbia.edu/faculty_scholarship/2654/">explained</a> <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4177005&dgcid=ejournal_htmlemail_state:local:government:ejournal_abstractlink">elsewhere</a> in work with legal scholar Jessica Bulman-Pozen, all 50 state constitutions include explicit pro-democracy provisions – a “democracy principle,” as a shorthand – including many clauses with no express federal counterpart. </p>
<p>Those resources make state courts more promising venues for protecting democracy than the U.S. Supreme Court has been of late. The court’s recent decisions have <a href="https://campaignlegal.org/update/why-current-us-supreme-court-threat-our-democracy">limited the avenues for protecting democracy</a>, including by <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/18pdf/18-422_9ol1.pdf">refusing to</a> hear partisan gerrymandering claims and by <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/20pdf/19-1257_g204.pdf">limiting the</a> <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/12pdf/12-96_6k47.pdf">reach of</a> the <a href="https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/voting-rights-act">Voting Rights Act</a>, which prohibits racial discrimination in voting. </p>
<p>In contrast, recent state court decisions across the country have applied the democracy principle. </p>
<p>For example, state courts have <a href="https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=17309211817932434697&q=vote+by+mail+pandemic&hl=en&as_sdt=4,197&as_ylo=2021">upheld laws permitting</a> <a href="https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=3496246329150154088&q=vote+by+mail+pandemic&hl=en&as_sdt=4,230&as_ylo=2021">voting by mail</a>, <a href="https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=17487636129887256282&q=naacp+v.+moore&hl=en&as_sdt=4,218&as_ylo=2022">imposed new remedies against extreme partisan gerrymandering</a> and preserved the people’s ability to <a href="https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=2437336176978545119&hl=en&as_sdt=6&as_vis=1&oi=scholarr">amend their state constitution</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/491094/original/file-20221021-26-eludgy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Two young people look toward a piece of paper, standing on what appears to be a college campus with open space and red brick buildings." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/491094/original/file-20221021-26-eludgy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/491094/original/file-20221021-26-eludgy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/491094/original/file-20221021-26-eludgy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/491094/original/file-20221021-26-eludgy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/491094/original/file-20221021-26-eludgy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/491094/original/file-20221021-26-eludgy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/491094/original/file-20221021-26-eludgy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A University of Pennsylvania student helps register another to vote during a voter drive on campus on Aug. 31, 2022.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://media.gettyimages.com/photos/coby-rich-a-junior-at-the-university-of-pennsylvania-helps-chelsea-picture-id1242958937?s=612x612">Michelle Gustafson for The Washington Post via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>A closer look at this year’s cases – so far</h2>
<p>Yet these significant pro-democracy decisions are only part of the bigger litigation picture, the most salient feature of which is its sheer volume. </p>
<p>The largest number of lawsuits involve whether a candidate can properly appear on the ballot. Such “ballot access” lawsuits are long-standing and typically involve candidates sparring over whether they or an opponent have satisfied requirements for petition signatures, residency or other paperwork requirements. </p>
<p>The next-largest categories, and we think the most concerning, encompass election administration and absentee voting – often challenging mechanical, even picayune matters. </p>
<p>In Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, for example, multiple suits contest whether mailed ballots can be counted if they omit part of the voter’s <a href="https://pbswisconsin.org/news-item/voting-groups-file-lawsuits-over-wisconsins-absentee-ballot-witness-address-policy/">address</a> or <a href="https://www.inquirer.com/politics/election/pennsylvania-supreme-court-undated-mail-ballots-20221021.html">the date</a>, as well as the permissibility of “ballot curing” – allowing clerks to contact voters to correct technical errors on their mailed ballot. </p>
<p>In Arizona, the Republican National Committee and state affiliate have filed <a href="https://www.azmirror.com/2022/10/05/the-rnc-is-suing-maricopa-county-for-not-hiring-enough-republican-election-workers/">two lawsuits</a> against Maricopa County – and its Republican leadership – arguing that the county has failed to explain why it did not hire an equal number of Democratic and Republican election workers. </p>
<p>In Michigan, <a href="https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/elections/2022/10/12/republican-lawsuit-election-challengers/69547687007/">two cases</a> filed by Republicans challenge rules governing poll watchers, including their ability to use cellphones. In Ohio, a <a href="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2022/10/18/election-denying-secretary-of-state-candidate-asks-state-supreme-court-to-allow-election-observers/">secretary of state candidate</a> argues election observers should be given access to the software and source code for voting machines.</p>
<p>Finally, another major slice of cases involves ballot initiatives, a means of direct lawmaking by voters. Some of these, like a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/09/08/michigan-supreme-court-abortion/">prominent unsuccessful challenge</a> to the formatting of Michigan’s abortion initiative, attempt to keep a measure off the ballot. Others <a href="https://law.justia.com/cases/arizona/supreme-court/2022/cv-22-0204-ap-el.html">debate burdens</a> on the ballot initiative process. </p>
<p>Sharp partisan divides partly drive the rise in litigation and yield some rough patterns. As legal scholar <a href="https://ir.lawnet.fordham.edu/flr/vol90/iss2/7/">Derek Muller has noted</a>, the overall rise in election litigation “is emphatically bipartisan.” Both parties have been active in redistricting and ballot access cases. </p>
<p>But when it comes to the administration of elections, the parties have tended to press different claims. Democrats and their allies have tended to challenge <a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/voting-laws-roundup-october-2022">new voting restrictions</a>. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/17/us/politics/midterm-elections-challenges.html">A network of litigants on the right</a> has focused more on whether certain votes can be counted. Steve Bannon has <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/17/us/politics/midterm-elections-challenges.html">vowed to</a> “adjudicate every battle” in an effort to “take over the election apparatus.” </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/491096/original/file-20221021-15-i9xj83.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Large silver boxes are stacked on a table in a room, with two people overlooking them in the background." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/491096/original/file-20221021-15-i9xj83.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/491096/original/file-20221021-15-i9xj83.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=376&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/491096/original/file-20221021-15-i9xj83.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=376&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/491096/original/file-20221021-15-i9xj83.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=376&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/491096/original/file-20221021-15-i9xj83.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=472&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/491096/original/file-20221021-15-i9xj83.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=472&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/491096/original/file-20221021-15-i9xj83.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=472&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Election workers in Clark County, Nev., examine mail ballot drop boxes on Oct. 20, 2022.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://media.gettyimages.com/photos/clark-county-election-department-workers-examine-mail-ballot-drop-picture-id1435143224?s=612x612">Ethan Miller/Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Pitfalls of so many lawsuits</h2>
<p>This hyperlitigation has downsides. </p>
<p>First, an election litigation deluge may undermine voter confidence in the electoral system. Litigation over every detail of the election process <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/17/us/politics/midterm-elections-challenges.html">lays the groundwork for false narratives</a> or subsequent challenges to the validity of an election. </p>
<p>And while courts that serve as a backstop on key elections questions may enhance voters’ trust in elections, some scholars fear that a barrage of lawsuits alleging impropriety in elections <a href="https://doi.org/10.1089/elj.2021.0050">may undermine that trust</a>. Moreover, by inserting courts into election administration, hyperlitigation can dovetail with efforts to sow <a href="https://www.gpb.org/news/2022/02/17/state-judges-across-the-us-face-growing-gop-pushback-against-rulings-in-election">doubt in the courts’ legitimacy</a>.</p>
<p>These challenges to the logistical aspects of elections align with a <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/06/01/gop-contest-elections-tapes-00035758">broader strategy</a> to subvert the electoral system by overwhelming it – including through “<a href="https://harvardlawreview.org/2022/04/identifying-and-minimizing-the-risk-of-election-subversion-and-stolen-elections-in-the-contemporary-united-states/">sham audits</a>,” <a href="https://campaignlegal.org/update/frivolous-mass-challenges-voter-eligibility-damaging-democracy">mass challenges</a> to voter eligibility and <a href="https://www.naco.org/articles/misinformation-frivolous-record-requests-bog-down-election-offices">frivolous</a> <a href="https://whyy.org/articles/2022-elections-how-pa-is-preparing/">election-related</a> <a href="https://www.palmbeachpost.com/restricted/?return=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.palmbeachpost.com%2Fstory%2Fnews%2Fpolitics%2Felections%2F2022%2F10%2F14%2Fflorida-elections-offices-receive-identical-records-demands%2F8236424001%2F">open records requests</a>.</p>
<p>The chaos may be the point.</p>
<p>The flood of election litigation also results in hefty financial costs to state governments. Pennsylvania spent <a href="https://whyy.org/articles/2022-elections-how-pa-is-preparing/">over US$3.3 million</a> in 2020, a presidential election year, litigating election-related cases. It expects to spend at least as much or more this year.</p>
<p>Similarly, Montana’s secretary of state has spent more than 10 times its budget on <a href="https://dailymontanan.com/2022/09/22/secretary-of-states-office-spends-more-than-1-3-million-on-election-law-litigation/">election litigation</a> in 2022.</p>
<p>Finally, hyperlitigation burdens the state court system, which hears over 90% of all cases filed each year and is already straining from <a href="https://www.courtstatistics.org/__data/assets/pdf_file/0022/61519/2020_4Q_pandemic.pdf">pandemic-induced backlogs</a>. Fulton County, Georgia, for example, has accumulated approximately <a href="https://www.mdjonline.com/neighbor_newspapers/fulton-county-to-reopen-courts-to-address-200-000-case-backlog/article_0fcf7894-d9cf-11eb-a810-e7dd2e549922.html">200,000 cases</a> during the pandemic, and states including <a href="https://abc11.com/mick-mccarthey-susan-goetcheus-paul-newby-court-cases-nc/10514686/">North Carolina</a>, <a href="https://www.bloomberglaw.com/document/XB26H2AO000000?jcsearch=hdf45mjfmi#jcite">Pennsylvania</a> and <a href="https://www.wisn.com/article/milwaukee-county-could-begin-holding-night-court-to-ease-backlog/39096530">Wisconsin</a> are also navigating substantial backlogs. High volumes of election litigation impede courts already overstretched in performing their critical public functions. </p>
<p>Although scholars <a href="https://ir.lawnet.fordham.edu/flr/vol90/iss2/7/">have proposed</a> ways to reduce election litigation, the trend is likely to persist, at least in the short term. State courts do have <a href="https://scholarship.law.columbia.edu/faculty_scholarship/2654/">a necessary role</a> to play in safeguarding democracy. But at current levels, election litigation presents serious problems as well as solutions.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/192682/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Most of the election-related lawsuits now before state courts focus on fine details of election procedures. This can be a costly, time-consuming process for state courts.Miriam Seifter, Associate Professor of Law, Co-Director of the State Democracy Research Initiative, University of Wisconsin-MadisonAdam Sopko, Staff Attorney with the State Democracy Research Initiative at the University of Wisconsin Law School, University of Wisconsin-MadisonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1855592022-06-27T12:29:27Z2022-06-27T12:29:27ZFive ways you can get involved in fighting for women’s reproductive rights<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/470609/original/file-20220623-51718-p3n7uq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Participants on a Women's March rally in front of San Francisco's City Hall in 2019.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/january-19-2019-san-francisco-ca-1398376445">Sundry Photography | Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Since 2021, hard-won <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-the-supreme-courts-ruling-on-abortion-means-for-womens-health-and-well-being-4-essential-reads-185543">women’s reproductive rights</a> and bodily autonomy have been rolled back in the US in an alarming fashion. With <a href="https://theconversation.com/state-courts-from-oregon-to-georgia-will-now-decide-who-if-anyone-can-get-an-abortion-under-50-different-state-constitutions-184298">state bans</a> on abortion past as little as six weeks – as <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/09/01/1033171800/texas-abortion-ban-supreme-court-?t=1655983956723">was passed in Texas</a> on September 1, 2021 – and now the Supreme Court’s <a href="https://theconversation.com/us-supreme-court-overturns-roe-v-wade-but-for-abortion-opponents-this-is-just-the-beginning-185768">overturning of the 1973 Roe v Wade</a> ruling, it is easy to imagine that we have slipped and fallen into a Handmaid’s Tale-style dystopia. </p>
<p>As such misogynist ideology becomes entrenched, it is natural to feel hopeless. A recent surge in activist TikToks suggests, however, a way forward. People have been pairing a sample from the song Paris by US electro duo The Chainsmokers with the hashtag <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@kris10isblue/video/7096542106386386222">#ifwegodownthenwegodowntogether</a>, messages of solidarity and crucial information. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14742837.2018.1555457">My research shows</a> that people often think that activism requires a certain type of direct action. But such narrow definitions of activism prevent people from taking part. They also typically harm those who face the biggest structural disadvantages and related barriers to getting involved in direct action. </p>
<p>Instead, remembering that doing something is always better than doing nothing – and widening our definition of what activism can be – is helpful. Here is a non-exhaustive list of ideas of how we can support our sisters across the pond and further the global fight for women’s reproductive rights.</p>
<h2>Raise awareness</h2>
<p>Research shows that the more people are informed about an issue, the more it is possible to <a href="https://journals.lwbooks.co.uk/newformations/vol-2015-issue-87/abstract-8670/">shift dominant perspectives</a>. The idea is to destigmatise talking about abortion, so that it becomes normalised as an issue relating to women’s health and reproductive rights. This reduces the stigma around abortion and keeps the issue in the public sphere, demonstrating how “the personal is political”. </p>
<p>Social media has <a href="https://www.mic.com/articles/80229/23-inspiring-feminist-digital-campaigns-that-changed-the-world">repeatedly</a> been shown to be a good way of sharing information, whether that is via memes that distil key philosophical arguments for abortion into bite-size graphics and words or through linking to news articles, petitions, feminist charities and campaigns. </p>
<p>Having conversations with friends and family can be just as instrumental. Raising awareness and destigmatising abortion enables us to better fight for women’s reproductive rights so that they are not hidden out of sight and easier to attack. </p>
<h2>Join a local pro-choice group or set up your own</h2>
<p>I was part of a pro-choice group in Nottingham, UK, which counters anti-abortion activism outside of hospitals and clinics. We positioned our bodies to block out the anti-abortion messages and provided a friendly face and chaperone for any woman seeking an abortion. We also provided leaflets, directing women to neutral pregnancy and abortion advice services such as the <a href="https://www.bpas.org/">British Pregnancy Advisory Service</a>. </p>
<p>Social media can be a good place to look for such local groups but if you don’t find one, team up with some friends and start it yourself. That’s how the Nottingham group began ten years ago and it is still going strong with nearly 1,000 local members. <a href="https://rosauk.org/voices-from-the-frontline/grassroots-campaigning/">Grassroots campaigning</a> – from social housing activist group <a href="https://focuse15.org/">Focus E15 Mothers</a> to the <a href="https://www.hackneycitizen.co.uk/2020/07/02/new-era-redevelopment-moves-ahead-with-residents-pleased-and-happy/">New Era Tenants Association</a>, which fought to keep tenants’ homes – has <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt183pdzs">a direct impact</a> on individuals and can mobilise the wider public, having a <a href="https://commonslibrary.org/grassroots-led-campaigns-report/">significant impact</a> on society and politics. </p>
<h2>Lobby your MP and respond to government consultations</h2>
<p>Anyone can sign <a href="https://bpas-campaigns.org/campaigns/roe-v-wade/#take-action-now">parliamentary petitions</a> or write to their local MP to ask that they support women’s reproductive rights (<a href="https://members.parliament.uk/FindYourMP">find your MP here</a>). There is an all-party parliamentary group on sexual and reproductive health in the UK, comprising MPs and peers who raise awareness in parliament of these issues: you can <a href="https://www.fsrh.org/policy-and-media/all-party-parliamentary-group-on-sexual-and-reproductive-health/">sign up for news and events here</a>. If you’re unsure of how to formulate such a letter, charities often provide <a href="https://abortionrights.org.uk/model-letter-on-defending-and-advancing-the-law-to-mp-who-defended-the-time-limit/">template letters</a> for <a href="https://england.shelter.org.uk/support_us/campaigns/writing_to_your_mp">contacting MPs</a>. </p>
<p>You can also sign up to mailing lists of feminist charities and organisations, such as <a href="https://www.filia.org.uk/about-filia">Filia</a>, to be notified of any relevant government consultations. Research shows that citizen involvement in the <a href="https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/145393/3/Role_Parliamentary_Petitions_Systems_CLB_COMBINED_VERSION_FINAL.pdf">parliamentary process</a> can <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13572334.2012.706057?casa_token=HRd2UXAGziYAAAAA%3AA0Xrl5bElnQuIzI6SFrsKEdMP-Fmbu-rX_w6Tze2ZZ5CAuE-kHpLPZ8rOO73OHsDQzSsd5O3dbj0">affect policy</a>. </p>
<p>During lockdown, a temporary measure was put in place by the UK government, allowing the provision of at-home medical abortion pills. Feminist campaigning saw this crucial service extended: on March 30 2022, the <a href="https://news.sky.com/story/mps-vote-to-continue-at-home-abortion-care-introduced-in-lockdown-12578383">UK parliament voted</a> in favour of amending the Health and Care bill, making telemedicine for early medical abortions permanent in England and Wales. </p>
<h2>Provide financial support</h2>
<p>Grassroots organisations and campaigns often depend entirely on volunteers and private donations for their existence. Fundraising enables campaigns such as <a href="https://abortionrights.org.uk/">Abortion Rights</a>, the UK’s only national grassroots pro-choice campaign, to organise protests, maintain pressure on the government to support women’s reproductive rights. </p>
<p>Abortion funds provide practical financial support to help women access abortion. You can donate to the <a href="https://donate.abortionfunds.org/give/323375/#!/donation/checkout">National Network of Abortion Funds</a> to support those in the US and to <a href="https://abortion.eu/#support">Abortion Without Borders</a> to support women in Europe.</p>
<h2>Take it to the streets</h2>
<p>Protest marches have long been a way of expressing dissent – on everything from <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-first-earth-day-was-a-shot-heard-around-the-world-136210">pollution</a> and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0962629893900105">political oppression</a> to <a href="https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/en/publications/reporting-dissent-in-wartime-british-press-the-antiwar-movement-and-the-2003-iraq-war(b8aa145a-e8ae-443d-9d38-a282060ab64c)/export.html">war</a> and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/07/03/us/george-floyd-protests-crowd-size.html">racism</a>. They have also consistently been a means of showing solidarity for women, from the <a href="https://theconversation.com/friday-essay-sex-power-and-anger-a-history-of-feminist-protests-in-australia-157402">suffragist marches</a> of the early 20th century to the 2017 <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-the-womens-march-on-washington-can-learn-from-black-lives-matter-71849">Women’s March on Washington</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A crowd with colourful banners fill a wide route." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/470606/original/file-20220623-55883-rkjh6f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/470606/original/file-20220623-55883-rkjh6f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=429&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/470606/original/file-20220623-55883-rkjh6f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=429&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/470606/original/file-20220623-55883-rkjh6f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=429&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/470606/original/file-20220623-55883-rkjh6f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=539&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/470606/original/file-20220623-55883-rkjh6f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=539&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/470606/original/file-20220623-55883-rkjh6f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=539&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The Women’s March on Washington, January 2017.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/washington-dc-usa-jan-21-2017-1271994529">Johnny Silvercloud | Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Four years prior to Roe v Wade, in 1969, radical feminist group Redstockings held what they called an <a href="https://www.thoughtco.com/abortion-speak-out-3528238">“abortion speakout”</a> in New York City, which saw women come forward to talk about their experiences of illegal abortion. These speakout events spread across the US in response to government hearings where most of the politicians speaking about abortion – at the time – <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/23/opinion/sunday/abortion-speakout-anniversary.html">were</a> male. American political scientist Erica Chenoweth <a href="https://www.ericachenoweth.com/research/civil-resistance-what-everyone-needs-to-know">highlights</a> how fruitful this kind of non-violent civil resistance can be. </p>
<p>It is vital to continue to speak out and show solidarity to our sisters in the US. We must also continue to fight to <a href="https://www.bustle.com/life/what-is-the-uk-anti-protest-bill-how-will-it-work">protect our right to protest</a> and to prevent the encroachment of similarly regressive laws in the UK.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/185559/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Emma Craddock received funding from e Economic and Social Research Council for her PhD research. </span></em></p>From protest marches and fundraising to parliamentary petitions and talking with friends, there are many ways to make your voice heard.Emma Craddock, Senior Lecturer in Health Research, Birmingham City UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1833322022-05-26T12:26:18Z2022-05-26T12:26:18Z3 in 4 fundraisers have experienced sexual harassment on the job – often because of inappropriate behavior from donors<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/464864/original/file-20220523-21-a5le5b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=50%2C100%2C6659%2C4154&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Sexual harassment is a common workplace hazard for nonprofit fundraisers.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/close-up-of-ethnic-woman-show-palm-demonstrate-royalty-free-image/1335240373">fizkes/iStock/Getty Images Plus</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>While the <a href="https://metoomvmt.org/get-to-know-us/tarana-burke-founder/">#MeToo movement</a> that raised public awareness of <a href="https://www.rainn.org/articles/sexual-harassment">sexual harassment</a> is making fewer headlines <a href="https://money.yahoo.com/metoo-timeline-show-far-ve-165500251.html">than it did in 2017 and 2018</a>, this problem hasn’t gone away. It’s still an especially big problem for nonprofit fundraisers, the professionals responsible for developing relationships with charitable donors.</p>
<p>We are <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=agJ28y8AAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">nonprofit scholars</a> who have been <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=jH20G1EAAAAJ">researching sexual harassment</a> in fundraising for several years. We’ve found that about <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4109436">76% of fundraisers</a> report experiencing some form of work-based sexual harassment in their careers. That’s partly because fundraisers interact with large numbers of donors, board members and volunteers.</p>
<p>It’s the fundraiser’s job to keep these stakeholders happy so that they donate their money and time, which makes it hard for fundraisers to push back when their harassers behave in inappropriate ways. </p>
<p><iframe id="yYVNv" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/yYVNv/6/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<h2>A persistent problem</h2>
<p>In addition to studying the extent of sexual harassment over the course of fundraisers’ careers, we asked about more recent experiences. We found that <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4109436">42% of fundraisers</a> said they had experienced behaviors defined as sexually harassing in the two years before the summer of 2020. This rate, which includes harassment by colleagues, donors and others not employed by the fundraisers’ organizations, is high by any standard.</p>
<p>For example, the rate of <a href="https://www.mspb.gov/studies/newsletters/Issues_of_Merit_Spring_2018_1518061.pdf">sexual harassment in the federal workplace</a> was at 14% over the two years before the summer of 2016.</p>
<p>Our findings come from a series of 75 interviews with fundraisers and a survey of 1,782 members of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. In the survey, we looked at the source of sexual harassment. <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4109436">We found that</a> in the two years before the summer of 2020, 18% of fundraisers had been sexually harassed by co-workers, 10% had been harassed by donors or someone outside the organization, and an additional 14% had been harassed by both. </p>
<p>Almost <a href="https://datausa.io/profile/soc/fundraisers">79,000 people work in fundraising</a> in the U.S., most of whom are <a href="https://www.cfre.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/2020-CFRE-International-Annual-Report.pdf">white women</a>. These professionals raise money for nonprofit organizations like hospitals, universities, food banks and environmental groups. </p>
<p>“A lot of the men in these situations are just powerful,” explained “Matilda,” which is not her real name because we are protecting the privacy of the people we interviewed.</p>
<p>They are “men who get what they want, you know, and a lot of times that means being able to take advantage of a young woman, or any woman, and getting away with it,” continued Matilda, a fundraiser who said she had been harassed by a donor. “All of the situations I’ve told you about was men [that] haven’t experienced any consequences. And so they continue to do it.”</p>
<h2>Some fundraisers face more risk than others</h2>
<p><a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4109436">We found</a> that lesbian, gay and bisexual fundraisers were more likely to be sexually harassed than their straight counterparts.</p>
<p>The worst form of sexual harassment is <a href="https://www.womenshealth.gov/relationships-and-safety/other-types/sexual-coercion">sexual coercion</a>, which includes pressure for sexual favors or dates, stalking or even rape.</p>
<p><a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4091619">Our survey results show</a> that fundraisers who identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual, as people of color, or as both people of color and LGB, are more likely to experience sexual coercion than their straight white peers.</p>
<p>Sexual harassment of fundraisers of color can also constitute harassment on the basis of race. “Angela,” who identifies as African American and female, told us in an interview that she heard comments from donors like “I’ve never had a Black woman.”</p>
<h2>‘Whatever it takes’</h2>
<p>Fundraisers’ performance is generally assessed in terms of the amount of money they bring in. Fundraisers also feel pressure to generate a lot of donations because that funding can determine whether layoffs are necessary and how many clients an organization can serve.</p>
<p>To understand how this can create pressure to put up with sexual harassment, imagine a fundraiser who works for a small health clinic. A potential donor shows interest in giving a large sum of money. However, he keeps asking the fundraiser to meet him for drinks in the late evening, kissing them on each cheek as a greeting and eventually propositioning them in an inappropriate, sexual text message.</p>
<p>Does the fundraiser endure this behavior to secure a donation that could keep the organization fully staffed and serving uninsured patients? <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/jopart/muab005">The fundraisers we interviewed</a> all had their own responses to this question. </p>
<p>Many, including “Victoria,” shrugged their shoulders and said they do “whatever it takes to get the job done.”</p>
<p>Some confront their harasser, but more use avoidance by making excuses for why they can’t meet in person. We also heard from fundraisers who told us they quit their job after being sexually harassed at work. Some of those left the profession for good.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/464883/original/file-20220523-25530-wt2qtn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A female office worker carries the contents of her desk in a cardboard box after leaving her office." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/464883/original/file-20220523-25530-wt2qtn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/464883/original/file-20220523-25530-wt2qtn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464883/original/file-20220523-25530-wt2qtn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464883/original/file-20220523-25530-wt2qtn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464883/original/file-20220523-25530-wt2qtn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464883/original/file-20220523-25530-wt2qtn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464883/original/file-20220523-25530-wt2qtn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Some fundraisers who get sexually harassed at work quit their jobs.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/desperate-businesswoman-on-line-worried-after-royalty-free-image/1381349577">Jackyenjoyphotography/Moment via Getty Images</a></span>
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</figure>
<h2>Sexual exploitation</h2>
<p>We also found that <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4109436">23% of fundraisers</a> have experienced not just harassment but <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/jopart/muab005">sexual exploitation</a> at some point in their career. </p>
<p>One common example of the sexual exploitation that fundraisers experience occurs when supervisors in their own organization pressure them to dress more attractively or otherwise put themselves at greater risk of sexual harassment to get more donations. “Ruth” told us about how one of her bosses had invited her to the boss’s home to prepare for a gala.</p>
<p>The boss had her try on dresses that were “very fitted and very tight” and that she didn’t feel comfortable in. The boss insisted on lavish makeup and high heels. </p>
<p>“Carrie” told us she was encouraged to meet with a donor braless because he was going to “love it.”</p>
<p>Ruth, Carrie and the other fundraisers we interviewed said they felt demeaned and humiliated by these interactions.</p>
<h2>Fighting the fight</h2>
<p>Only <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4109436">15% of fundraisers</a> experiencing harassment by a colleague and 27% experiencing sexual harassment by a donor or another external stakeholder chose to report these instances, we found.</p>
<p>Reporting of sexual harassment is generally low in all workplaces, and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.87.2.230">research points</a> to reasons the reluctance is justified. People who report sexual harassment often <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0891243219842147">suffer negative consequences</a>. When an incident goes unreported, though, it’s hard to do anything about it.</p>
<p>“Lucille” said she endured sexual harassment from a supervisor for six years before she reported it. The organization retaliated against her, rather than her boss, by demoting her. While she considered quitting, she continued to “fight the fight” because she wanted to protect others.</p>
<p>Having <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177%2F08997640211008979">studied</a> and <a href="https://nvsquarterly.org/2021/10/05/starting-a-dialogue-about-sexual-harassment-in-and-around-nonprofits/">shared</a> many ways that nonprofit leaders can prevent sexual harassment, we believe that it shouldn’t just be up to fundraisers to resolve this problem. </p>
<p>During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, <a href="https://www.philanthropy.com/article/street-canvassers-switch-to-telemarketing-and-donor-stewardship-during-pandemic/">much nonprofit fundraising occurred remotely</a>, reducing opportunities for sexual harassment. As more office work and fundraising events occur in person, fundraisers inevitably face higher risks again. </p>
<p>Nonprofits can reduce the prevalence of sexual harassment by following the best practices we included in a <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4109436">toolkit informed by our research</a> that is publicly available online.</p>
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<p>Some of the best practices we recommend include writing an anti-harassment policy that includes donors and others outside the organization who may engage in this behavior. In addition to policies, nonprofits need to train their staff, volunteers and donors, and top leaders need to reinforce the information shared at those trainings.</p>
<p>Above all, fundraisers need to hear from supervisors that no donation is more important than their dignity and safety.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/183332/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Erynn Beaton conducted much of this research in partnership with Association of Fundraising Professionals. No money was exchanged.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Megan LePere-Schloop conducted much of this research in partnership with the Association of Fundraising Professionals. No money was exchanged.</span></em></p>After studying this #MeToo problem for years, two researchers have drafted a toolkit to help nonprofits address it.Erynn Beaton, Assistant Professor of Nonprofit Studies, The Ohio State UniversityMegan LePere-Schloop, Assistant Professor of Public and Nonprofit Management, The Ohio State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1827542022-05-13T02:51:25Z2022-05-13T02:51:25ZWe all lose when charities compete with each other. They should join forces<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/462934/original/file-20220513-12-s96mpo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C154%2C788%2C393&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>You want to help Ukrainians in need. Should you donate to UNICEF, UNHCR, Red Cross, World Vision, Caritas, Save the Children or some other charitable organisation? </p>
<p>There are so many charities, and charitable causes, to choose from. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-responsibly-donate-to-ukrainian-causes-178391">How to responsibly donate to Ukrainian causes</a>
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<p>Australia, for example, has more than 57,500 registered charities (for a population of 25 million). The UK (population 67 million) has more <a href="https://www.civilsociety.co.uk/voices/there-are-more-than-twice-as-many-charities-in-the-uk-as-you-ve-been-told.html">more than 200,000</a>. The US (population 350 million) has close to <a href="https://nccs.urban.org/publication/nonprofit-sector-brief-2019#finances">1.5 million</a>.</p>
<p>They’re vying against direct competitors as well as every other charity and cause. Suicide prevention is up against wilderness conservation. Cancer research against climate change activism. Refugee aid against the arts.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/celebrity-charities-just-compete-with-all-other-charities-so-why-start-one-70711">Celebrity charities just compete with all other charities – so why start one?</a>
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<p>Not all actively fundraise – in Australia only <a href="https://fia.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/FIA-Infographic.pdf">about 40% do</a> – but that still leaves thousands competing for your money. </p>
<p>And that competition is hurting them.</p>
<h2>The downsides of competition</h2>
<p>Research by University of Washington economist Bijetri Bose suggests greater competition among non-profits marginally increases aggregate donations but <a href="https://econ.washington.edu/sites/econ/files/old-site-uploads/2014/11/Bose_jmpaper.pdf">reduces average donations</a> per organisation. Fundraising costs also escalate with greater competition.</p>
<p>There are concerns aggressive marketing, from phone calls to junk mail to “edgy” advertising, is turning people off donating to any charity. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/charities-are-contributing-to-growing-mistrust-of-mental-health-text-support-heres-why-179056">Charities are contributing to growing mistrust of mental-health text support — here's why</a>
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<p>A classic example is the UK <a href="https://pancreaticcanceraction.org/">Pancreatic Cancer Action’s</a> “I wish I had” campaign. It compared the 3% survival rate for pancreatic cancer to 97% for testicular cancer and 85% for breast cancer. The campaign attracted attention, but not <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/voluntary-sector-network/2014/feb/12/pancreatic-cancer-action-controversial-advert">in the way</a> the organisation hoped.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="The UK Pancreatic Cancer Action's 'I wish I had breast cancer' campaign proved controversial." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/462373/original/file-20220511-24-gk9ng9.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/462373/original/file-20220511-24-gk9ng9.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=360&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/462373/original/file-20220511-24-gk9ng9.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=360&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/462373/original/file-20220511-24-gk9ng9.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=360&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/462373/original/file-20220511-24-gk9ng9.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=453&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/462373/original/file-20220511-24-gk9ng9.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=453&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/462373/original/file-20220511-24-gk9ng9.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=453&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The UK Pancreatic Cancer Action’s ‘I wish I had breast cancer’ campaign proved controversial.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">UK Pancreatic Cancer Action</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Though there’s no hard data proving competition is contributing to donor fatigue, there is strong anecdotal evidence. </p>
<p>The UK’s Fundraising Regulator has been cracking down on aggressive fundraising since a 2015 case in which a 92-year-old woman committed suicide after receiving <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-40490936">466 mailings from 99 charities</a> in a year. Last month it updated its service to stop direct marketing communications from charities, allowing people to block <a href="https://www.fundraisingregulator.org.uk/more-from-us/news/fundraising-regulator-strengthens-fundraising-preference-service-following">ten charities at a time</a>.</p>
<p>In the US, the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy has found that even though total donations have been increasing, the share of Americans donating has declined – from two-thirds in 2000 <a href="https://philanthropy.iupui.edu/news-events/news-item/latest-data-shows-new-low-in-share-of-americans-who-donated-to-charity.html?id=363">to half in 2018</a>. </p>
<p>The report doesn’t speculate on the causes, but given the well-established phenomenon of choice overload, it’s reasonable to assume too much competition plays a part.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/does-choice-overload-you-it-depends-on-your-personality-take-the-test-122196">Does choice overload you? It depends on your personality – take the test</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
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<h2>Unfair competition</h2>
<p>As well as the issues already mentioned, competition generally disadvantages smaller charities.</p>
<p>This was highlighted in <a href="https://www.civilsociety.co.uk/news/charities-competitive-behaviours-in-contracting-negatively-impacting-beneficiaries.html">a 2020 report</a> by Britain’s National Council for Voluntary Organisations, warning of competitive behaviour’s “negative impact on the sector, people and places”. </p>
<p>The report’s focus was mostly on competition in bidding for government service contract. but its conclusions also apply to competition for public donations </p>
<p>The “uncool” causes also lose out. This is well-known in conservation fundraising, where large and cute animals outdo <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/are-ugly-animals-lost-cause-180963807/">ugly ones</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="WWF advertisement featuring dolpphins." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/462699/original/file-20220512-23-exx33b.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/462699/original/file-20220512-23-exx33b.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=300&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/462699/original/file-20220512-23-exx33b.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=300&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/462699/original/file-20220512-23-exx33b.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=300&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/462699/original/file-20220512-23-exx33b.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=377&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/462699/original/file-20220512-23-exx33b.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=377&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/462699/original/file-20220512-23-exx33b.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=377&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Most people would rather save dolphins than blobfish.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">WWF</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>It also occurs <a href="http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/77283/">with diseases</a>. The breast cancer lobby in Australia, for example, has been likened to a “<a href="https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/health-and-wellness/pink-steamrolls-all-on-path-to-cancer-kudos-20110108-19j9n.html">pink steamroller</a>”, diverting funding and public awareness away from other forms of cancer. </p>
<p>Celebrity power has contributed to this. Breast cancer survivor <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/oct/26/olivia-newton-john-i-dont-wish-cancer-on-anyone-else-but-for-me-it-has-been-a-gift">Olivia Newton-John</a>, for example, has been a passionate fundraiser for research, establishing the <a href="https://www.onjcancercentre.org/">Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness & Research Centre</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Olivia Newton-John addresses the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre Research Conference in Melbourne in September 2019." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/462687/original/file-20220512-5542-pm0lu1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/462687/original/file-20220512-5542-pm0lu1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=429&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/462687/original/file-20220512-5542-pm0lu1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=429&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/462687/original/file-20220512-5542-pm0lu1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=429&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/462687/original/file-20220512-5542-pm0lu1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=539&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/462687/original/file-20220512-5542-pm0lu1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=539&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/462687/original/file-20220512-5542-pm0lu1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=539&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Olivia Newton-John addresses the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre Research Conference in Melbourne in September 2019.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">David Crosling/AAP</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>So too has champion cricketer Glenn McGrath, who established the <a href="https://www.mcgrathfoundation.com.au/">McGrath Foundation</a> after his wife Jane died of breast cancer. The foundation has a high-profile association with Cricket Australia, which hosts the annual <a href="https://www.pinktest.com.au/">Sydney Pink Test</a> to raise money for breast cancer services.</p>
<h2>Is more co-operation possible?</h2>
<p>Could charities compete less and co-operate more? </p>
<p>Co-operative marketing structures are common in sectors such as agriculture. They are also used in retailing, where small independent stores, travel agents and newsagencies have pooled their marketing resources to compete with large corporate rivals.</p>
<p>Applying this approach would mean, for example, that cancer charities – breast, bowel, leukaemia, lung, myeloma, ovarian, pancreatic and prostate – would fund campaigns coordinated by an umbrella organisation. Proceeds could then be split more equitably, based on expert input about research and support needs. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-market-is-not-our-master-only-state-led-business-cooperation-will-drive-real-economic-recovery-141532">The market is not our master — only state-led business cooperation will drive real economic recovery</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The benefits of greater co-operation have been <a href="https://www.charityconnect.co.uk/post/5-ways-charities-can-benefit-from-collaboration/145">talked about for years</a> with no much progress made. </p>
<p>But there’s nothing like an idea whose time has come, and with every passing year the case for charitable co-operation grows.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/182754/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Competition is hurting charities and the causes for which they raise funds. There must be a better way.David Waller, Associate Professor, University of Technology SydneyPhillip Morgan, Associate lecturer, University of NewcastleLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1659462021-08-25T12:26:17Z2021-08-25T12:26:17ZWhat’s a major donor? A fundraising expert explains<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/417287/original/file-20210821-27-1r1rlnm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C3000%2C1742&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Craigslist founder Craig Newmark donates millions of dollars to journalism schools as well as other causes.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/founder-of-craigslist-and-craigconnects-craig-newmark-news-photo/514824568">Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://www.donorsearch.net/major-donor-fundraising-strategies/#1">Major donors</a> are the people who give the most money to a specific nonprofit. The amount they must donate to attain that status varies, depending on the nonprofit’s budget.</p>
<p>If you gave US$500 to your neighborhood food pantry, you would probably become one of its major donors. With a large university, hospital or any other nonprofit with a multimillion-dollar budget, however, it may take an annual gift of $100,000 to land in its <a href="https://www.redcross.org/donations/ways-to-donate/donation-and-engage.html">top tier of supporters</a>.</p>
<p>The largest category of giving posted on a nonprofit’s website is a good way to see what it considers a major gift. These levels often have splendidly pompous names. The <a href="https://www.seattleopera.org/donate/benefits/">Seattle Opera</a> designates donors with “Visionary Circle” status for giving $1 million, for example. The <a href="https://www.pittsburghopera.org/support/give-now/galaxy-society/">Pittsburgh Opera</a> considers donors giving $3,500 or more to be members of its “Galaxy Society.”</p>
<p>Billionaires and others who give away millions of dollars at a time can be called philanthropic “<a href="https://www.bnymellonwealth.com/articles/strategy/the-significance-of-megadonors.jsp">megadonors</a>,” a term also common for <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/12-megadonors-accounted-75-political-giving-past-decade/story?id=77189636">political funders</a> with deep pockets.</p>
<h2>Why major donors matter</h2>
<p>In addition to amassing many <a href="https://www.growthforce.com/blog/why-your-nonprofit-needs-a-sustainer-program">donors who give on a monthly</a> or <a href="https://smartannualgiving.com/annual-giving-101/">annual basis</a>, fundraisers consider <a href="https://fundraisingip.com/major-fundraising-campaigns-guide/">major gifts a huge priority for campaigns centered around a big project</a>, such as the acquisition of a new building. These campaigns rely on substantial gifts from the very rich people who fundraisers and bankers call <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/terms/u/ultra-high-net-worth-individuals-uhnwi.asp">ultra-high-net-worth individuals</a>.</p>
<p>In the past, fundraisers would anticipate seeing 80% of campaign gifts coming from 20% of all donors. What they used to call the <a href="https://imarketsmart.com/the-80-20-rule-is-dead/">80-20 rule of thumb</a> has changed, however, in tandem with <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2020/01/09/trends-in-income-and-wealth-inequality/">growing economic inequality</a>. Today, nonprofits raise closer to <a href="https://www.librarystrategiesconsulting.org/2017/04/the-law-of-8020-and-capital-campaigns/">90% or more of their funds from roughly 10% of their donors</a>.</p>
<p>[<em>Over 110,000 readers rely on The Conversation’s newsletter to understand the world.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters/the-daily-3?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=100Ksignup">Sign up today</a>.]</p>
<p>Researchers have found that other people may <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9779.2006.00250.x">follow the lead of a major donor</a>. That is, when a major donor makes a huge donation to a fundraising campaign, smaller donors become more likely to support it, too. And they tend to make larger donations than they otherwise would have.</p>
<h2>Concentrated influence</h2>
<p>Large <a href="https://nonprofitquarterly.org/where-have-all-the-donors-gone-the-continued-decline-of-the-small-donor-and-the-growth-of-megadonors/">donations from the richest Americans</a> are <a href="https://releases.jhu.edu/2018/11/18/michael-bloomberg-makes-largest-ever-contribution-to-any-education-institution-in-the-united-states/">growing in size</a>, and their proportion of total giving is rising as well.</p>
<p>The 0.1% of U.S. households with income exceeding $2 million annually <a href="https://www.irs.gov/statistics/soi-tax-stats-individual-income-tax-returns-publication-1304-complete-report">donate approximately 30%</a> of all the money given to nonprofits each year. This trend is bound to continue because <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/chasewithorn/2021/04/30/american-billionaires-have-gotten-12-trillion-richer-during-the-pandemic/?sh=1180646ef557">billionaires are becoming even wealthier</a>. </p>
<p><em>Read other short, accessible explanations of newsworthy subjects written by academics in their areas of expertise for The Conversation U.S. <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/significant-terms-105996">here</a>.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/165946/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Renee Irvin does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>How much money it takes to attain this status varies according to the size of the nonprofit getting the gift.Renee Irvin, Associate Professor of Nonprofit Management, University of OregonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1644862021-07-15T19:27:54Z2021-07-15T19:27:54ZThe ‘martyrdom effect’: why your pain boosts a charity’s gain<p>This weekend, participants in the <a href="https://www.kokodachallenge.com/events/gold-coast">Kokoda Challenge</a> will complete a gruelling 96-kilometre overnight trek to raise money for youth programs.</p>
<p>And every year, thousands of Australians undertake <a href="https://city2surf.com.au/">long-distance runs</a> or <a href="https://brissietothebay.com.au/">challenging bike rides</a>, go a <a href="https://www.dryjuly.com/">month without booze</a>, <a href="https://worldsgreatestshave.com/take-part">shave their heads</a>, <a href="https://www.ceosleepout.org.au/">sleep outdoors</a> or <a href="https://au.movember.com/get-involved/moustaches">grow an unflattering moustache</a> – all in the name of charity.</p>
<p>Why are people willing to go to such extremes of pain, effort and embarrassment to raise money for a charity? Wouldn’t it be easier simply to donate, and ask their friends to do likewise?</p>
<p>Humans are <a href="https://www.simplypsychology.org/operant-conditioning.html">primarily driven</a> to seek positive and pleasurable experiences, and to <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2F0003-066X.52.12.1280">avoid negative ones</a> such as pain and effort. But <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/bdm.767">research shows</a> that the prospect of enduring pain and suffering for a charity can raise up to three times as much money.</p>
<p>How many times have you been approached in the street by a charity worker seeking donations for a worthy cause? If you decide you want to donate, the process is almost effortless: just <a href="https://www.donationpointtap.com/">tap ‘n’ go</a>. But there are many different worthy causes vying for donations.</p>
<p>By the end of 2021, Australia will have <a href="https://www.acnc.gov.au/for-public/understanding-charities/are-there-too-many-charities-australia">around 65,000 registered charities</a>. The figure is growing at 4% each year — much faster than the overall population, which means the competition will only get fiercer.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/411129/original/file-20210713-21-4eca6f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/411129/original/file-20210713-21-4eca6f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/411129/original/file-20210713-21-4eca6f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=357&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/411129/original/file-20210713-21-4eca6f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=357&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/411129/original/file-20210713-21-4eca6f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=357&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/411129/original/file-20210713-21-4eca6f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=448&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/411129/original/file-20210713-21-4eca6f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=448&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/411129/original/file-20210713-21-4eca6f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=448&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Registered charities, Australia: 2013-2022.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>How can charities make themselves stand out from the crowd and ensure your donation goes to them, rather than someone else equally deserving?</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/celebrity-charities-just-compete-with-all-other-charities-so-why-start-one-70711">Celebrity charities just compete with all other charities – so why start one?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>No pain, no gain</h2>
<p>Home shopping networks routinely promote “revolutionary” exercise equipment that promises to <a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Flextone-Abs-Stimulator-Muscle-Toner/dp/B079Y3L143/ref=asc_df_B079Y3L143">flatten your stomach</a> or <a href="https://www.globalshop.com.au/products/legxercise-pro">improve your circulation</a> with ease. </p>
<p>But research shows we’re <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1207/s15405710pc0404_2?needAccess=true">highly sceptical</a> of these claims. We know there’s no real gain without pain, and we’re inclined to disbelieve anyone who tells us the opposite. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Kokoda Challenge participants" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/411128/original/file-20210713-21-ezukuq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=148%2C0%2C919%2C297&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/411128/original/file-20210713-21-ezukuq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=168&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/411128/original/file-20210713-21-ezukuq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=168&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/411128/original/file-20210713-21-ezukuq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=168&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/411128/original/file-20210713-21-ezukuq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=211&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/411128/original/file-20210713-21-ezukuq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=211&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/411128/original/file-20210713-21-ezukuq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=211&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The Kokoda Challenge: achieving meaningful goals takes real suffering and sacrifice.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>People also believe this to be true of <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2019-60501-001">education</a>, <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0894845318815610">career advancement</a>, <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01575/full">sporting performance</a> and even <a href="https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/JFMM-01-2018-0005/full/pdf?casa_token=Kh9G9JXPRfAAAAAA:56MjF31D6sHDPEpafMmN_ZXakjt4l1sswtjBVzrgbqCJ01qaKgZMaoM1mvFPpxwm_K-emFQqCCNA7YhExIawmD1FZOoYSUk0xCFLVg8FXIFd5x1z754">shopping</a>.</p>
<p>And when it comes to charity, this explains why we feel we need to do more than just donate $20 to make a significant and positive change to a worthy cause.</p>
<p>This is the suggested logic behind the “<a href="https://www.inc.com/peter-economy/3-ways-you-can-apply-martyrdom-effect-to-powerfully-improve-your-exercise-results.html">martyrdom effect</a>”: the idea that the mere prospect of being in pain can promote charitable giving. </p>
<p>This effect was demonstrated in a series of five experiments by Christopher Olivola at the University of Warwick and Eldar Shafir at Princeton University.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/873ZKrxB444?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">The Martyrdom Effect | Christopher Olivola | TEDxCMU.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In the first experiment, respondents were asked how much they would pay to take part in one of two hypothetical charity events: a picnic fundraiser, or a five-mile run. Participants who chose the charity run intended to donate US$23.87 — almost twice as much as those who chose the picnic, who were willing to stump up US$13.88.</p>
<p>In a second experiment, the researchers replaced the hypothetical events with real money and real pain. Each participant was given $5 to divide between themselves and a donation to a public pool. But some participants were told their public donation would be doubled if they chose to place their hands in very cold water for one minute. </p>
<p>Participants who opted to endure the pain were willing to donate nearly 25% more of their $5 than those who chose to avoid the discomfort.</p>
<h2>More miles, more money?</h2>
<p>If a friend is running a marathon, we might typically sponsor them a dollar a mile. So do longer feats of endurance earn more money? Well, yes, but it’s not quite as straightforward as that.</p>
<p>In their third experiment, the researchers investigated this idea by asking participants to choose a distance between 1 and 20 miles, and asking how much they would pay to participate in a charity run of that length. </p>
<p>Strangely, there was no significant correlation between distance and the amount donated. But participants did rate longer runs as involving more pain and effort. And <em>this</em> was the crucial factor that determined the size of their donations. </p>
<p>Put simply, you have to run far enough to genuinely suffer before it starts being worth more money.</p>
<h2>The meaningfulness of martyrdom</h2>
<p>As noted above, people consider “meaningful” goals (a better physique, career progression, higher education) more worthy of pursuit and reward than easier (and presumably less meaningful) goals. </p>
<p>In the next experiment, which was similar to experiment 1, British participants were asked how much they would be willing to pay to take part in a charity fundraiser that was either gruelling (a five-mile run) or enjoyable (a picnic). What’s more, they also reported how meaningful the experience of participating and the act of giving would be to them. </p>
<p>Participants considered the charity run significantly more meaningful, and offered to donate almost three times more than picnic participants: £17.95 versus £5.74.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/take-heart-charity-stunts-can-make-ceos-better-people-98171">Take heart, charity stunts can make CEOs better people</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>The cause makes a difference</h2>
<p>Not all charities raise funds for human suffering, disease or natural disasters. Many support art galleries, childrens’ sporting equipment or parks.</p>
<p>In a final experiment, participants were presented with two new causes (helping starving children versus funding a public park) and two ways to support (fasting versus hosting a picnic). Here are the results.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/411131/original/file-20210713-23-j3wabu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/411131/original/file-20210713-23-j3wabu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/411131/original/file-20210713-23-j3wabu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=389&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/411131/original/file-20210713-23-j3wabu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=389&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/411131/original/file-20210713-23-j3wabu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=389&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/411131/original/file-20210713-23-j3wabu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=488&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/411131/original/file-20210713-23-j3wabu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=488&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/411131/original/file-20210713-23-j3wabu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=488&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Nature of the cause.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Olivola & Shafir, 2013</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>When the cause involved human enjoyment (a new park), participants were more likely to choose the “easy” option (the picnic) and to donate more to that than to a fast in support of the new park. In contrast, if the cause aims to alleviate human suffering (by feeding starving children), participants were more inclined to donate money to the “hard” option (fasting) than to a charity picnic.</p>
<p>This underscores the importance of a good “fit” between the event and the cause — something corporate advertisers <a href="https://doi.org/10.1108/JBIM-09-2014-0187">already understand</a>. It shows why cigarette companies, for example, were always an uncomfortable fit for sponsoring sporting events.</p>
<p>So for charities whose values align with gruelling fundraising challenges, it looks like those aching feet, alcohol-free months and bad moustaches are here to stay. More pain really does mean more gain.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/164486/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Why does raising money for charity have to involve the pain of running a marathon, or the indignity of growing unflattering facial hair? Because research shows people will give more money if you suffer.Gary Mortimer, Professor of Marketing and Consumer Behaviour, Queensland University of TechnologyLouise Grimmer, Senior Lecturer in Marketing, University of TasmaniaMartin Grimmer, Professor of Marketing, University of TasmaniaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1505302020-12-16T19:04:06Z2020-12-16T19:04:06ZThe dos and don'ts of donating — how to give wisely this Christmas<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/375018/original/file-20201215-18-cfi6ma.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">shutterstock</span> </figcaption></figure><p>Christmas is nearly here, and as we enjoy buying presents for family and friends, it’s also a time when <a href="https://mccrindle.com.au/insights/blog/donating-to-charity-replacing-traditional-gift-giving-this-christmas/">many of us</a> think about donating to charity.</p>
<p>As last summer’s bushfires <a href="https://probonoaustralia.com.au/news/2020/01/some-thoughts-on-the-bushfire-crisis-charity-and-giving/">showed</a>, the devastation caused by natural disasters can lead to an outpouring of generosity. </p>
<p>This Christmas is also different because of the very challenging year we’ve experienced. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/feeling-pressured-to-buy-christmas-presents-read-this-and-think-twice-before-buying-candles-150174">Feeling pressured to buy Christmas presents? Read this (and think twice before buying candles)</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Although Australia has escaped the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has still <a href="https://www.foodbank.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/FB-HR20.pdf?state=nsw-act">hit our communities hard</a>. Charities have been <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/may/24/really-struggling-covid-19-puts-australian-charities-at-risk-just-when-they-are-needed-most">under increased pressure</a>, while at the same time, donations have dropped off and fundraising events have had to be cancelled. </p>
<p>So if you have the means to do it, this Christmas there’s even more reason to donate. Here are some tips to make sure you’re donating your precious funds wisely. </p>
<h2>First, do some research</h2>
<p>Making a donation will often reflect the causes we care about and where we think there’s a need. We will often be guided by our emotions and give on the spur of the moment, and there’s nothing wrong with that.</p>
<p>But it’s also worthwhile doing some research before you provide your credit card details. Even if you’re only giving a small amount, a few minutes of research can help inform your decision and provide you with more confidence about your choice.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Woman places money into a Salvation Army Christmas appeal bucket." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/375020/original/file-20201215-13-18lv02j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/375020/original/file-20201215-13-18lv02j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/375020/original/file-20201215-13-18lv02j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/375020/original/file-20201215-13-18lv02j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/375020/original/file-20201215-13-18lv02j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/375020/original/file-20201215-13-18lv02j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/375020/original/file-20201215-13-18lv02j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Christmas is the most popular time for Australians to give to charity.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Rogelio V Solis/AP/AAP</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission is our national charities regulator. It has a <a href="https://www.acnc.gov.au/charity">free public register</a> where you can search for a charity and access all sorts of information about its activities, governance and finances. Before donating to a charity, it’s worth looking them up to check they are registered.</p>
<p>Many charities have websites and they have a wide range of information about their activities and how your donation will be used. It’s a good idea to have a read through their information before you donate. But be aware, if it’s a very small charity, it may not have a fancy website — so this does not necessarily mean it doesn’t do good work.</p>
<p>Doing some research is also important to make sure you are donating to the people you think you are. Scammers <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-07/australia-fires-sees-spike-in-fraudster-behaviour/11923174">can pose</a> as genuine charities to try and steal your money. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s Scamwatch has <a href="https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/types-of-scams/fake-charities">information</a> about what to look out for. This includes a lack of proper identification for those collecting in person. </p>
<h2>Next, read the fine print</h2>
<p>When making a donation, make sure to read the terms and conditions.</p>
<p>For example, if receiving a tax deduction is important, make sure the organisation you’re donating to is a so-called “<a href="https://www.ato.gov.au/individuals/income-and-deductions/deductions-you-can-claim/other-deductions/gifts-and-donations/">deductible gift recipient</a>”. This should be clear on the donation page, but it’s also something you can check yourself using the federal government’s <a href="https://abr.business.gov.au/Tools/DgrListing">ABN Lookup</a> tool.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/beware-of-bushfire-scams-how-fraudsters-take-advantage-of-those-in-need-129549">Beware of bushfire scams: how fraudsters take advantage of those in need</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>A donation made directly to a charity may be used for a specific appeal, but it may also be for the charity’s broader activities. So, bear that in mind.</p>
<p>In recent years we’ve seen the rise of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/aug/24/grand-my-cat-gap-year-rise-of-i-want-crowdfunding">third party platforms</a> that aim to make donating easier. It’s important to understand how they work.</p>
<p>If donating through a Facebook fundraiser, like Celeste Barber’s <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-20/celeste-barber-fundraiser-money-tied-up-legal-complications/11979108">bushfire appeal</a>, your donation is subject to <a href="https://www.paypal.com/au/webapps/mpp/givingfund/policies/donor-terms-of-service">various terms</a>. For example, you’re not actually donating to the charity nominated in the fundraiser, but the “PayPal Giving Fund Australia”. This is a public foundation that acts like a holding account before the donation is passed on. Importantly, it retains full legal control over the donation once you’ve made it. </p>
<p>If you’re donating through a platform such as GoFundMe, you may not be donating to a charity at all, but an individual or a group without charity status. They may still do excellent work and be able to respond rapidly to areas of need in a community, but there are fewer protections around how your funds are used.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/celeste-barbers-story-shows-us-the-power-of-celebrity-fundraising-and-the-importance-of-reading-the-fine-print-139379">Celeste Barber's story shows us the power of celebrity fundraising ... and the importance of reading the fine print</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>If you’re setting up a fundraiser yourself, make sure you are fully across the terms of the fundraiser. This will help avoid the same sort of <a href="https://theconversation.com/celeste-barbers-story-shows-us-the-power-of-celebrity-fundraising-and-the-importance-of-reading-the-fine-print-139379">confusion</a> that we saw with Barber’s bushfire appeal, and how the funds she raised could be used. </p>
<h2>Remember, running a charity is complex</h2>
<p>Although it’s understandable donors often want all their money to go straight to the “frontline” as soon as possible, running a charity is complex.</p>
<p>Charities need to employ skilled staff, rent offices, and do due diligence on how they distribute their funds.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Comedian Celeste Barber at a bushfire relief concert." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/375023/original/file-20201215-24-15oyctm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/375023/original/file-20201215-24-15oyctm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/375023/original/file-20201215-24-15oyctm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/375023/original/file-20201215-24-15oyctm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/375023/original/file-20201215-24-15oyctm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/375023/original/file-20201215-24-15oyctm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/375023/original/file-20201215-24-15oyctm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Comedian Celeste Barber’s Facebook effort raised $51 million for bushfire victims, but there was confusion about how it had to be spent.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Joel Carrett/AAP</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>So don’t begrudge charities that spend some of their donated funds on <a href="https://www.acnc.gov.au/for-public/understanding-charities/charities-and-administration-costs">administration and overhead costs</a> - in fact, be happy they do. <a href="https://pj.news.chass.ncsu.edu/2018/10/22/the-overhead-ratio-is-not-a-measure-of-efficiency/">Research</a> has shown the level of overhead costs is a very poor indicator of a charity’s effectiveness. Lower overheads can actually be associated with lower impact. </p>
<p>It’s also important to recognise charities are subject to extensive oversight and scrutiny, and will generally do their best to meet the needs of those they serve and the expectations of their donors.</p>
<p>A <a href="https://www.acnc.gov.au/media/news/landmark-regulator-reviews-find-bushfire-charities-managed-funds-responsibly-despite">recent review</a> by the charities regulator found three high profile charities — the Red Cross, NSW Rural Fire Service and WIRES — were “credible and professional in managing donations” following last summer’s bushfires. </p>
<p>As the review also pointed out, responding to a disaster requires a phased response. When using funds, charities must balance immediate needs with those further down the path of recovery. </p>
<h2>But donate with confidence</h2>
<p>After reading this, you may think donating to charity is complicated. Rest assured, it isn’t!</p>
<p>Doing some simple research and being aware of some pitfalls isn’t hard, and it can help you give more comfortably. If you have the capacity to give, then it’s a great way to make a difference, because every dollar counts. </p>
<p>And if you have the ability to make a regular monthly donation, think about doing that as well. Charities rely on a steady income stream to really have an impact, so a regular donation is a really effective way to contribute to a cause that’s important to you.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/150530/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Krystian Seibert also works as a policy adviser to Philanthropy Australia, the peak body for the philanthropic sector.</span></em></p>Christmas is the most popular time for Australians to give to charity. But it’s important to do some research first.Krystian Seibert, Industry Fellow, Centre for Social Impact, Swinburne University of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1457882020-10-07T12:27:12Z2020-10-07T12:27:12ZFrom recording videos in a closet to Zoom meditating, 2020’s political campaigns adjust to the pandemic<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/361105/original/file-20201001-14-d6l5ia.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=66%2C14%2C4767%2C3205&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Eugene DePasquale, left, Democratic candidate in Pennsylvania's 10th Congressional District, in Harrisburg, Penn., Sept. 19, shows that even the traditional handshake with voters has changed in pandemic-era campaigns.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/eugene-depasquale-left-democratic-candidate-in-news-photo/1228603276?adppopup=true">om Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>President Donald Trump may have eschewed masks and distancing in this pandemic year of campaigning, resulting in both his diagnosis of COVID-19 and the spread of the disease in the White House.</p>
<p>But others have figured out how to campaign with reduced risk. This cycle, there’s plenty of expertise, technology and ingenuity to go around.</p>
<p>I study campaign politics, and the book I’m co-authoring for Routledge – “Inside the Caucus Bubble” – includes a close look at campaign practices from the recent presidential nomination contest.</p>
<p>This is 2020, not 1828, when candidates had <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-birth-of-modern-politics-9780199754243?cc=us&lang=en&">few paths to the voter beyond in-person contact and little support beyond</a> what the party organization offered.</p>
<p>The cast of characters in U.S. electoral politics extends well beyond voters and campaigns and includes vendors, consultants, data brokers, analytics professionals, media consultants and creative teams who all play a part in carrying out a campaign.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/361116/original/file-20201001-20-qy55rt.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Screenshot of marketing for PhoneBurner, whose tagline is 'Political Dialing Made Easy.'" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/361116/original/file-20201001-20-qy55rt.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/361116/original/file-20201001-20-qy55rt.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=444&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361116/original/file-20201001-20-qy55rt.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=444&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361116/original/file-20201001-20-qy55rt.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=444&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361116/original/file-20201001-20-qy55rt.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=558&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361116/original/file-20201001-20-qy55rt.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=558&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361116/original/file-20201001-20-qy55rt.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=558&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Marketing for PhoneBurner, whose tagline is ‘Political Dialing Made Easy.’</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://get.phoneburner.com/political_outreach/?utm_campaign=capterra_pc&utm_source=capterra">PhoneBurner</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>I’ve looked at the way campaigns engage voters and motivate volunteers and at vendors who offer a range of products and services, from digital fundraisers who run tests on email subject lines to old-school print shops, still producing yard signs. </p>
<p>Candidates, campaigns and the vendors they work with, I found, have been able to adjust and innovate in the COVID-19 era. </p>
<p>On the heels of active 2018 midterm contests and the recent Democratic presidential nomination race, the 2020 general election campaigns are generally well positioned to compete in this challenging new environment. For some, the spate of late spring and early summer primaries offered a trial run in campaigning during a pandemic.</p>
<h2>Diffusing power</h2>
<p>An infrastructure for remote organizing was already in place before the pandemic, facilitating communication among staff, volunteers and voters without any in-person contact.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/2018/08/22/140643/us-election-campaign-technology-from-2008-to-2018-and-beyond/">Virtual phone banks</a> had been around for a few cycles, freeing campaigns from relying on a field office or a donated space like a law firm conference room, where volunteers would assemble to make calls. <a href="https://swingleft.org/p/phone-bank">Instead, volunteers</a> – with apps on their mobile phones connecting them to lists, scripts and the ability to enter data – <a href="https://www.cagop.org/s/2020-primary-phone-bank">can make calls</a> wherever they are.</p>
<p>By 2018, campaigns began to rely on new platforms for texting to engage volunteers and voters. Known as <a href="https://www.npr.org/2018/11/22/669591667/from-get-out-to-vote-to-text-out-to-vote-the-rise-of-peer-to-peer-texting">peer-to-peer texting</a>, these programs make campaign communications look a lot more like what voters receive from their friends on a daily basis, increasing the likelihood that they will read, respond and engage with the campaign.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.wired.com/story/relational-organizing-apps-2020-campaign/">Texting is a mainstay of “relational organizing,”</a> which puts the tools of organizing directly in the hands of field staff and volunteers. This ostensibly diffuses power within a campaign organization and untethers workers and volunteers from the physical connection to, and the control of, the campaign structure. </p>
<p>The 2020 Sanders and Buttigieg campaigns played up these qualities, with Buttigieg going further, introducing <a href="https://mashable.com/article/pete-buttigieg-social-media-design-toolkit/">a design toolkit that allowed supporters to customize</a> their own digital and traditional campaign products such as T-shirts and yard signs.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/361099/original/file-20201001-14-1ybsn6n.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A screenshot from the Pete Buttigieg campaign's design toolkit" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/361099/original/file-20201001-14-1ybsn6n.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/361099/original/file-20201001-14-1ybsn6n.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=506&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361099/original/file-20201001-14-1ybsn6n.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=506&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361099/original/file-20201001-14-1ybsn6n.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=506&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361099/original/file-20201001-14-1ybsn6n.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=636&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361099/original/file-20201001-14-1ybsn6n.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=636&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361099/original/file-20201001-14-1ybsn6n.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=636&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Screenshot from the Pete Buttigieg design toolkit that allowed supporters to customize their own digital and campaign products such as T-shirts and yard signs.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://pete.hyperakt.com/logos">Hyperakt</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Separating out the meaningful impact of tools like these from the hype associated with something new is always hard. At a minimum, the same technologies that campaigns have been using to spread tasks across an organization mesh well with a world in which face-to-face is less of an option.</p>
<p>The same is true of an event platform, <a href="https://www.mobilize.us/">Mobilize</a>, that helps progressives manage events and recruit volunteers. This spring, Mobilize shifted abruptly from its prepandemic focus on in-person events to an all-virtual event world. Since then, Mobilize has added a new feature, delivering an automated request to a volunteer to host her own virtual event.</p>
<p>Putting tools directly in volunteer hands has the potential to bring <a href="https://www.campaignsandelections.com/campaign-insider/democratic-organizing-platform-adds-automation-while-empowering-volunteers">unexpected voices into the campaign</a>. The Mobilize platform lists an early October <a href="https://www.mobilize.us/mobilize/event/323449/">“Meditation for Joe and Kamala”</a> Zoom-based event, hosted in Los Angeles, making this pitch to activists: “Meditate together for Joe and Kamala. All are welcome, no experience required:)”</p>
<h2>Making videos in a closet</h2>
<p>Much campaign work can be done from home. The jury-rigged home office of Michigan congressional candidate Hillary Scholten features an overturned <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/political-candidates-run-for-office-while-running-home-schools-11600434000">laundry basket propped on her dryer</a>. The candidate finds this standing-desk setup, with campaign placards as backdrop, good for making calls to donors – and pairing socks at the same time.</p>
<p>For tasks that can’t be accomplished remotely, the obvious fix starts with pandemic safety measures. The in-person voter registration work of <a href="https://www.mifamiliavota.org/">Mi Familia Vota</a> came to a halt when the pandemic hit. Now, the Latino vote-focused organization sends out volunteers, after a temperature check, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/15/us/politics/nevada-2020-biden-trump.html">equipped with bleach wipes, gloves and dozens of pens</a>.</p>
<p>In midsummer, <a href="https://www.campaignsandelections.com/">Campaigns and Elections Magazine</a>, a leading trade publication for political campaign professionals, offered its first “at home” version of its campaign technology conference. </p>
<p>Vendors and consultants at the conference described an ever-changing 2020 political environment, heavily influenced by the status of the virus outbreak. Their work, they said, is subject to parameters set by lockdown terms and state regulations – sometimes in flux – about ballot access and early voting. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/361111/original/file-20201001-24-167qg3j.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Download page for the Trump app." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/361111/original/file-20201001-24-167qg3j.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/361111/original/file-20201001-24-167qg3j.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=482&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361111/original/file-20201001-24-167qg3j.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=482&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361111/original/file-20201001-24-167qg3j.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=482&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361111/original/file-20201001-24-167qg3j.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=606&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361111/original/file-20201001-24-167qg3j.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=606&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361111/original/file-20201001-24-167qg3j.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=606&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Digital apps, like this one for the Trump campaign, are an essential part of running a campaign.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ucampaignapp.americafirst&hl=en_US">Google.com</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>At that time, even elements of the digital landscape presumably immune to the pandemic were a moving target. <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2020/06/16/facebook-turn-off-political-ads-voting-info-center/">Facebook had just announced an “opt out” feature</a> to turn off political ads. More recently, Facebook announced that it would <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/03/facebook-bans-political-ads-election-day-408255">ban political ads for the week preceding Nov. 3</a>, joining other prominent social media platforms – <a href="https://www.wsj.com/graphics/how-google-facebook-and-twitter-patrol-political-ads/">Twitter and Google</a> – which have otherwise regulated political advertising. </p>
<p>The combined moves of these three giants undoubtedly affect how campaigns are run, though other social media paths to voters remain open.</p>
<p>Those who tuned in for the conference heard about innovations that were responsive to the current situation. <a href="https://www.sbdigital.com/">Chris Bachman of SBDigital</a>, a digital media agency, told about a client locked down in her home who needed to produce campaign videos. She recorded voice-overs in her closet, clothes absorbing sound to produce better audio on her iPhone.</p>
<p>Not all campaign innovations work well in the pandemic era. Digital consultant Cheryl Hori had orchestrated a creative use for Waze, the navigation software, in a prepandemic setting. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.pacificcampaignhouse.com/team/cheryl-hori/">Hori, founder of Pacific Campaign House</a>, placed Election Day targeted ads on Waze that popped up when a car came to a stop; they made the pitch to vote, then directed the driver to the nearest polling place. The ads wouldn’t be too useful in 2020, with fewer people voting in person and more by mail.</p>
<h2>Meet voters where they are</h2>
<p>Campaign insiders say the pandemic makes candidates’ authenticity that much more important. <a href="https://dobigthings.today/team-members/ryanne-brown/">Ryanne Brown, an advertising executive with digital firm Do Big Things</a>, put it this way: “People’s BS meters are on high alert.” The pandemic reinforces the adage that campaigns should “meet voters where they are.” </p>
<p>That may be a literal statement this year. A lot of those voters are at home; many are using internet-supported platforms that allow advertising.</p>
<p>For the political media professionals who navigate this world of what’s called “over the top” advertising, a pandemic is <a href="https://www.rbr.com/political-ad-spend-across-ctv-ott-surges/">the perfect opportunity</a>. Campaigns have less competition for advertising space (think canceled Summer Olympics and locked-down travel destinations), and viewers have more time to watch streamed content.</p>
<p>Certainly not all campaigns are positioned to – or want to – take advantage of the high-tech tools and resources of the industry. An Iowa legislative candidate’s Zoom mojito fundraiser involved low-tech aspects as well: a doorstop delivery of a small mint plant – no contact – with a home printer-produced label, “Vote Sarah Smith for HD76.”</p>
<p>Generally speaking, despite extraordinary circumstances and developments, the conduct of this campaign should look familiar to the 21st-century observer – just with some adjustments.</p>
<p>[<em>Get our most insightful politics and election stories.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters/politics-weekly-74/?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=politics-most">Sign up for The Conversation’s Politics Weekly</a>.]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/145788/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Barbara A. Trish does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>How do you run a political campaign in a pandemic? From data brokers to advertising firms to voter registration volunteers, the players in campaigns are making adjustments, large and mostly small.Barbara A. Trish, Professor of Political Science, Grinnell CollegeLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1387552020-09-21T12:15:12Z2020-09-21T12:15:12ZWhy you’re getting so many political text messages right now<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/358862/original/file-20200918-24-kmzfj8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C4167%2C4167&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">You just got another – yes, another – political text message.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/illustration/hand-holding-smartphone-with-alert-message-royalty-free-illustration/1255978050">goodvector/iStock via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Text messages and emails from political campaigns are pouring into Americans’ phones and inboxes right now. It’s happening to political junkies, to people who gave their phone numbers to campaigns, and even to people who try to keep their contact information off mass mailing lists.</p>
<p>I study political campaigns, including how they use social media and mobile phones to build support. In my book “<a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/presidential-campaigning-in-the-internet-age-9780190694043">Presidential Campaigning in the Internet Age</a>,” I document the history of how campaigns have used the web, social media and phones in efforts to attract independents and urge supporters to take action. </p>
<p>As part of my research for the 2020 election, I subscribed to get text messages from Democratic nominee Joe Biden and Republican nominee Donald Trump. I also used my personal email account – the same one I’ve been using since 1995 – to receive email updates and alerts from both campaigns. I try to look like a supporter. I engage with the emails or text messages periodically, by clicking the links, and I even contribute a tiny amount of my own money to both campaigns so that I really look like a supporter. </p>
<p>Compared to prior election campaigns, as I document in my book, this election is not any more or less active on email. It is not unusual for campaigns to send up to a dozen emails a day from different people on the campaign and the party. What is unusual is the volume of text messages. While both Republican and Democratic campaigns sent texts in 2016, the volume of Trump’s texting this election cycle is unprecedented. </p>
<p>I’ve been inundated, particularly with requests to donate money.</p>
<h2>Floods of requests</h2>
<p>During the two conventions, the sheer volume of messages from the campaigns was astounding, but especially from the Trump campaign. For every one message I received from the Democrats, I received three to five messages from the Republicans, and that was true over both conventions.</p>
<p>On Aug. 7, the night Donald Trump received the nomination, I received five text messages, all from different numbers, some claiming to be from other Republicans, like House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy. I received 16 emails from senders claiming to be Trump, his children, his wife and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.</p>
<p>Campaigns bombard people with dozens of messages daily because it works. They use email and text messaging because the people who sign up for those communications are, typically, supporters. They already back the campaign and campaigns need money.</p>
<p>In July, Trump raised <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/05/us/elections/trump-vs-biden.html">more than US$165 million</a>, a record-breaking sum – no campaign had ever raised that much money in a single month – while Biden brought in $141 million. </p>
<p>Both campaigns have recently made huge advertising purchases, including Trump’s campaign <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/15/us/politics/trump-campaign-ads-dnc.html">spending $10 million to run TV ads against Biden</a> during the Democratic National Convention. Biden’s campaign has announced a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/05/us/politics/biden-ads.html">$280 million television ad buy</a> across two months and 15 battleground states.</p>
<p>They’ll need to spend – and raise – even more before Election Day arrives. </p>
<h2>More messages are better – for campaigns</h2>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/358863/original/file-20200918-24-zcvmei.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A graphic showing text notifications." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/358863/original/file-20200918-24-zcvmei.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/358863/original/file-20200918-24-zcvmei.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=574&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/358863/original/file-20200918-24-zcvmei.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=574&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/358863/original/file-20200918-24-zcvmei.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=574&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/358863/original/file-20200918-24-zcvmei.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=721&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/358863/original/file-20200918-24-zcvmei.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=721&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/358863/original/file-20200918-24-zcvmei.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=721&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Campaigns send lots of texts.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/illustration/texts-doodle-royalty-free-illustration/1219463155">Jake Olimb/DigitalVision Vectors via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>When I interview campaign operatives, they tell me that email is the single most effective way to raise money. Email is intimate, it lands in your inbox, and you can easily click a link to go to a website to provide your credit card number in exchange for a thank you and a sticker or a hat – and that feeling that you’re helping your candidate win. </p>
<p>While it might be easier to get large checks from small numbers of big donors, campaigns need high numbers of low-level contributors to demonstrate that they have the support of the masses. These texts and emails help get campaigns those small donations. </p>
<p>Texting is even more intimate, as the messages pop up in your notifications the way your friends’ texts do. Their punchy, personalized messages draw you in to click on the hyperlink: “Jenny, we’re sending the final list 8X-Match donors to Pres. Trump in 3 HOURS. Make sure your name is at the top.” Or “Jennifer, it’s Joe, and I have to ask one last time before tonight’s FEC deadline: Will you help me and Kamala reach our goal before midnight? We’re still short.”</p>
<p>Campaign operatives believe that the more messages they send, the greater the odds that you will act. One a day is not enough – though they do vary the timing and style of messages throughout the day. They’re betting that one of those messages will hit you in just the right way, at just the right time, to shift you from inaction to action and open your wallet. </p>
<p>[<em>Deep knowledge, daily.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters/the-daily-3?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=deepknowledge">Sign up for The Conversation’s newsletter</a>.]</p>
<p>Opting out is difficult – the messages appear in your most personal inboxes, so your instinct is not to ignore them. And they often come from different senders – I get texts from several numbers for each campaign – so it’s hard to block all the messages at once.</p>
<p>In addition, campaigns get more than just your money. Each time you act on one of those texts or emails – even if you just follow the link but don’t give money – the campaign gets insight on what types of messages seem to work with you. They’ll <a href="https://theconversation.com/amid-pandemic-campaigning-turns-to-the-internet-137745">learn from your responses</a>, and send you more messages like the ones that are successful, in the hopes you’ll stay involved.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/138755/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jennifer Stromer-Galley does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Mobile phones across the country are buzzing nonstop with text notifications from both presidential campaigns. A scholar of campaign communications explains why.Jennifer Stromer-Galley, Professor of Information Studies, Syracuse UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1384112020-05-26T22:59:40Z2020-05-26T22:59:40ZWe need good information to make decisions, especially when things go wrong<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/337530/original/file-20200526-106811-1l6t5n5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=193%2C246%2C3300%2C1776&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The Conversation's management accountant, Suji Gunawardhana.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Penny Stephens</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>A fortnight ago, two Conversation authors <a href="https://theconversation.com/that-estimate-of-6-6-million-australians-on-jobkeeper-it-tells-us-how-it-can-be-improved-137237">ran the numbers</a> on JobKeeper. They were puzzled at how the government came up with the estimate that 6.6 million workers would get the wage subsidy. Based on the best information they had, Professors Roger Wilkins and Jeff Borland wrote that only three million workers would qualify. </p>
<p>This week the federal treasury massively revised the estimated cost of the JobKeeper program and admitted their blunder. </p>
<p>This is where The Conversation is so valuable. Our academic authors provide clarity and insight into the policy and discussions shaping our nation - armed with the latest research and decades of knowledge.</p>
<p>Take Adjunct Associate Professor Karleen Gribble. In November last year, at the height of the bushfire season, Dr Gribble wrote with her colleague Nina Jane Chad on how to evacuate a bushfire with a baby. <a href="https://theconversation.com/evacuating-with-a-baby-heres-what-to-put-in-your-emergency-kit-127026">The story </a> revolved around one central piece of advice: what to put in your emergency kit. The article was shared by the Red Cross, national media and thousands of families during the bushfires. Dr Gribble said: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>the most significant impact so far is that VicHealth has now updated its official guidance on emergency kit items for babies – based on our Conversation article.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The Conversation provides a direct line from experts to those who need expertise. You get to see the ideas before they’re part of a broader public discussion. In Dr Nicole Lee’s case a Conversation article led to changes in the law:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>After a series of Conversation articles on methamphetamine, a large NGO invited me to help them and Vietnam’s government develop a new approach on drug treatment. I met with government officials, who signed a memorandum of understanding about changing their laws. Now there will be more interventions to help people, rather than just putting them in detention centres.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>These types of stories are common. In the past year, The Conversation Australia published more than 3,700 authors. Of these, 66% were contacted by media for follow up, including interviews on TV, radio, online or print.</p>
<p>Some 9% were contacted by government, 22% were invited to speak at conferences or contacted for research collaboration, and 14% were approached for business consultation. </p>
<p>The Conversation isn’t just a news site. We care less about clicks than we do about making a real difference, and that’s why we need your help. A donation from a reader like you can help create more impact. If you’re able, please give a <a href="https://donate.theconversation.com/au">one-off</a> or <a href="https://donate.theconversation.com/au?frequency=monthly&amount=30">monthly donation</a> – it’s a direct investment in experts and the impact their trusted knowledge can have on society.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/138411/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
The Conversation isn’t just a news site. We care less about clicks than we do about making a real difference.Molly Glassey, Digital Editor, The ConversationLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1393792020-05-26T06:53:32Z2020-05-26T06:53:32ZCeleste Barber’s story shows us the power of celebrity fundraising … and the importance of reading the fine print<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/337509/original/file-20200526-106832-1ukl4zf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=6%2C180%2C4620%2C2723&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Joel Carrett/AAP</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Comedian Celeste Barber’s <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-25/celeste-barber-bushfire-fundraiser-money-only-for-rfs/12282016">whopping $51 million bushfire fundraiser</a> showed us just how generous people can be in times of trouble. </p>
<p>But the need to seek the NSW Supreme Court’s advice about <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-26/how-celeste-barber-51-million-bushfire-donation-can-be-spent/12284178">how to spend the funds</a> also demonstrates how tricky things can become when large amounts of money are involved.</p>
<p>As someone who researches the regulation of philanthropy and the not-for-profit sector, the episode is both a lesson in reading the fine print and the need for simpler donations laws. </p>
<p>But it should not deter public-spirited celebrities from fundraising in the future. </p>
<h2>Celeste Barber’s big fundraising win</h2>
<p>The summer bushfires saw an outpouring of generosity, with Australians donating <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/bushfire-donations-near-500-million-as-watchdogs-put-charities-on-notice-20200117-p53sg5.html">vast sums</a> towards various charities and causes.</p>
<p>Barber has family on the NSW South Coast, which was badly hit by the fires. The well-known comedian responded by <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/culture/celebrity/how-celeste-barber-s-bushfire-fundraiser-went-from-a-trickle-to-a-flood-20200110-p53qd4.html">setting up a Facebook fundraiser</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/337511/original/file-20200526-106842-8f0nyc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/337511/original/file-20200526-106842-8f0nyc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/337511/original/file-20200526-106842-8f0nyc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/337511/original/file-20200526-106842-8f0nyc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/337511/original/file-20200526-106842-8f0nyc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/337511/original/file-20200526-106842-8f0nyc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/337511/original/file-20200526-106842-8f0nyc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Comedian Celeste Barber raised more than $51 million through her fundraising campaign.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Joel Carrett/AAP</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The beneficiary was the Trustee for NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) and Brigades Donation Fund and the target was to raise $30,000. </p>
<p>The fundraiser went viral and saw millions of dollars pour in from around the world. As donations skyrocketed, Barber told her fans via Instagram she planned to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/may/25/celeste-barber-court-rules-51m-dollars-bushfire-appeal-money-nsw-rural-fire-service">spread the money raised around</a>: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>I’m going to make sure that Victoria gets some, that South Australia gets some, also families of people who have died in these fires, the wildlife.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Ultimately, Barber raised more than <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-14/celeste-barber-facebook-fundraiser-is-complicated/11861146">$51 million</a> from about 1.3 million donors. Facebook’s fundraising partner, PayPal Giving Fund, then passed the money on to the NSW RFS donation fund.</p>
<h2>The $51 million question</h2>
<p>But spending the money was not straightforward. </p>
<p>The RFS donation fund is governed by a “<a href="https://acncpubfilesprodstorage.blob.core.windows.net/public/6487f4fd-38af-e811-a963-000d3ad24077-1386880d-2c5e-4900-b9eb-e875094c366a-Governing%20Document-e3649ffb-46b0-e811-a961-000d3ad24182-88311702546_Gov.pdf">trust deed</a>,” which limits what it can use donations for. This means it can only spend funds received on equipment, training and resources or administrative costs for RFS brigades.</p>
<p>It does not allow donations to be passed on to fire services in other states or to other charities. </p>
<p>Given Barber’s comments about how the donations should be distributed and the intense attention on the issue, the RFS <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/rfs-to-seek-court-advice-to-unlock-51-million-raised-by-celeste-barber-20200220-p542oj.html">sought the advice of the NSW Supreme Court</a>.</p>
<h2>The NSW Supreme Court’s advice</h2>
<p>On Monday, the court handed down its <a href="https://www.caselaw.nsw.gov.au/decision/1723490a44616db38c818cbe">decision</a>, and depending on your perspective, it’s a mix of good and bad news. </p>
<p>On the one hand, the court confirmed that donations can’t be passed on to fire services in other states or to other charities. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/337514/original/file-20200526-106853-1qt27z8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/337514/original/file-20200526-106853-1qt27z8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=406&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/337514/original/file-20200526-106853-1qt27z8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=406&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/337514/original/file-20200526-106853-1qt27z8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=406&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/337514/original/file-20200526-106853-1qt27z8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=510&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/337514/original/file-20200526-106853-1qt27z8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=510&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/337514/original/file-20200526-106853-1qt27z8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=510&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The funds raised can’t be passed on to other charities.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">James Gourley/AAP</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>But it found funds can be spent to support <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/may/25/celeste-barber-court-rules-51m-dollars-bushfire-appeal-money-nsw-rural-fire-service">rural firefighters injured</a> while firefighting and the families of rural firefighters killed while firefighting. The funds can also be spent on physical and mental health training, as well as trauma counselling.</p>
<h2>Where to from here?</h2>
<p>The effect of the court’s decision is that the funds will stay with the RFS, where they will no doubt be used for important purposes. </p>
<p>But the decision may disappoint some donors, who thought the money would be able to be used to help the broader response to the bushfires. That includes supporting relief and rebuilding efforts in communities devastated by the fires, or helping injured wildlife.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/celebrity-charities-just-compete-with-all-other-charities-so-why-start-one-70711">Celebrity charities just compete with all other charities – so why start one?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The decision did flag that individual donors could bring their own court case if they believed the funds they donated where not being used for the purposes they were donated for. But this is unlikely - if you’ve donated $25, then you may not want to spend lots of time and expense pursuing a court case.</p>
<p>The NSW Parliament could pass legislation to broaden the purposes for which the donation fund can spend donations. And NSW Greens MP David Shoebridge has <a href="https://davidshoebridge.org.au/2020/02/25/media-release-fixing-the-52-million-rfs-donations-mess/">proposed a bill</a> to do just that. </p>
<p>But NSW’s Coalition government is unlikely to back a Greens-sponsored bill.</p>
<h2>What lessons can we learn?</h2>
<p>The main lesson is that if you’re setting up a fundraiser, or looking to donate to a particular charity, do some due diligence first. </p>
<p>For example, the national charities regulator, the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission has a <a href="https://www.acnc.gov.au/charity">free public register</a> where you can look up information about individual charities. </p>
<p>To be fair to Barber, she did only intend to raise $30,000 for the RFS, and only expressed a desire to broaden the beneficiaries of her fundraiser when it took off. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/after-the-bushfires-we-helped-choose-the-animals-and-plants-in-most-need-heres-how-we-did-it-138736">After the bushfires, we helped choose the animals and plants in most need. Here's how we did it</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>But it’s important to read the fine print and to understand what you can and can’t do as part of a fundraiser.</p>
<p>The episode also shows us that the laws governing charities and philanthropy in Australia are complex. </p>
<p>If the federal government introduced <a href="https://probonoaustralia.com.au/news/2014/07/dgr-reform-a-game-changer-for-philanthropy-demand/">simpler laws to regulate “deductible gift recipients”</a> (organisations that can receive tax deductible donations), then it’s likely the problem with Barber’s fundraising would have been easier to resolve. </p>
<p>This is because the activities of organisations wouldn’t need to as tightly confined as they are currently required to be.</p>
<h2>We don’t need to leave fundraising to the professionals</h2>
<p>In a short statement on Monday, Barber noted: “turns out that studying acting at university does not make me a lawmaker”. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1264831815782563840"}"></div></p>
<p>Some people may think the court’s involvement means we should leave fundraising to the professionals, and that celebrity fundraisers do more harm than good. I disagree. </p>
<p>One of the powerful aspects of philanthropy is that anybody can see an area of need, donate money and rally others to do so. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/as-fires-rage-we-must-use-social-media-for-long-term-change-not-just-short-term-fundraising-129446">As fires rage, we must use social media for long-term change, not just short-term fundraising</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>That is something we should encourage. Whilst it’s important to do due diligence, celebrities can play an important role by using their platform to promote giving. </p>
<p>Barber’s bushfire fundraiser was a powerful example of this, and we shouldn’t let the legal issues detract from it.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/139379/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Krystian Seibert does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A comedian’s record-breaking fundraiser shows us the power of celebrity. But it also reveals the complexities of raising a lot of money very quickly.Krystian Seibert, Industry Fellow, Centre for Social Impact, Swinburne University of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1300422020-02-12T16:45:41Z2020-02-12T16:45:41ZWhen presidential campaigns end, what happens to the leftover money?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/315049/original/file-20200212-61917-12vak7b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Andrew Yang ended his campaign after the New Hampshire primary. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Election-2020-Andrew-Yang/a88836f153034250814698115fc2a624/14/0">AP Photo/Matt Rourke</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/11/us/politics/andrew-yang-drops-out.html">Andrew Yang</a> and <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/02/11/756126032/colorado-sen-michael-bennet-ends-2020-democratic-presidential-campaign">Michael Bennet</a> have ended their campaigns for president.</p>
<p>What happens to the money they have raised, but not yet spent?</p>
<p>The amounts could be substantial. Financial reports submitted to the Federal Election Commission indicate that as of Dec. 31, 2019, candidates who had already dropped out still had plenty in the bank. Former Texas Congressman Beto O'Rourke <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/01/us/politics/beto-orourke-drops-out.html">dropped out Nov. 1</a>, but at year’s end still had US$360,000 in the bank. Sen. Kamala Harris, who <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/12/03/kamala-harris-drops-out-of-2020-presidential-race.html">dropped out Dec. 3</a>, reported having <a href="https://www.politico.com/2020-election/president/democratic-primary/candidates/fundraising-and-campaign-finance-tracker/">$1.3 million available</a>. </p>
<p>Other candidates who dropped out in January had large sums on hand not long before they ended their campaigns: <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/castro-drops-2020-presdiential-race/story?id=66774136">Julian Castro</a> had $950,000 on Dec. 31, and dropped out two days later. Less than two weeks before they exited, <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/01/10/election-2020-marianne-williamson-drops-out-presidential-race/2011312001/">Marianne Williamson</a> had $330,000 and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/13/us/politics/cory-booker-drops-out.html">Sen. Cory Booker</a> had $4.2 million. </p>
<p>I <a href="https://www.law.columbia.edu/faculty/richard-briffault">teach and write</a> about campaign finance law. There is one clear rule about that money: Candidates <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/52/30114">can’t use it for personal expenses</a>, like mortgage payments, groceries, clothing purchases or vacations. But there are a lot of other options, both within politics and outside of it.</p>
<h2>Paying what’s owed</h2>
<p>The first use for money from a candidate who has just quit the campaign is generally to pay the cost of winding things up. Just because someone announces they’re out, their expenses don’t stop right away. They may still owe rent on office space, as well as fees for services like polling and transportation and for staff salaries. </p>
<p>Some campaigns <a href="https://www.politico.com/states/florida/story/2016/03/grayson-desantis-among-us-senate-campaigns-with-most-debt-032665">max out their credit cards</a>, or <a href="https://www.fec.gov/help-candidates-and-committees/handling-loans-debts-and-advances/">take out loans</a> to fill their accounts, and those still need to be repaid. </p>
<p>Candidates whose campaigns have ended but who are still handling outstanding expenses need to keep <a href="https://www.fec.gov/help-candidates-and-committees/terminating-a-committee/">filing campaign finance reports</a> with the FEC. Once those expenses are paid, there may not be much left. </p>
<p>At times, candidates need to keep fundraising after they drop out, just to pay off the bills they ran up while running. Six months after they dropped out of the 2012 presidential nomination race, failed Republican candidates Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum were <a href="https://www.salon.com/2013/05/02/14_presidential_candidates_who_havent_paid_for_their_campaigns_partner/">still working to pay off their campaign debts</a>. Former presidential candidates Rudy Giuliani, Dennis Kucinich and John Edwards <a href="https://www.salon.com/2013/05/02/14_presidential_candidates_who_havent_paid_for_their_campaigns_partner/">took years to pay off</a> their campaign debts. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/313580/original/file-20200204-41554-12rstv0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/313580/original/file-20200204-41554-12rstv0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/313580/original/file-20200204-41554-12rstv0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/313580/original/file-20200204-41554-12rstv0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/313580/original/file-20200204-41554-12rstv0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/313580/original/file-20200204-41554-12rstv0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/313580/original/file-20200204-41554-12rstv0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/313580/original/file-20200204-41554-12rstv0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Cory Booker can use money left over from his presidential campaign to run for reelection to the Senate.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Election-2020-Cory-Booker/f7fd3e0517434f56805370d3f0619fd7/7/0">AP Photo/Patrick Semansky</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Saving for the future</h2>
<p>If there’s anything left over after all the bills are paid, the candidate has a few options. </p>
<p>For some politicians, the most likely use is to help pay for their next campaign. Booker, for instance, is up for reelection to his Senate seat. Once his presidential campaign has paid off any debts it may owe, he can <a href="https://www.fec.gov/help-candidates-and-committees/making-disbursements/transfers/">transfer the remaining money</a> to his senatorial reelection campaign fund.</p>
<p>If he, or any other candidate, wants to run for president again in the future, it’s easy enough to transfer the funds to a committee for the 2024 campaign season. </p>
<p>A former candidate can also use any excess funds to create a so-called “<a href="https://www.bnd.com/living/liv-columns-blogs/answer-man/article19572627.html">leadership PAC</a>,” which is a political committee that can be controlled by the former candidate but is not used to support that person’s campaigns. Instead, it backs a political agenda – including other candidates – the candidate supports. Leadership PACs have been criticized for functioning as “<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2018/09/25/leadership-pacs-are-campaign-finance-scandal/">slush funds</a>” for politicians to spend on <a href="https://www.rollcall.com/news/congress/new-members-meet-slush-fund">travel and entertainment</a> they can’t buy with regular campaign donations.</p>
<h2>Sharing the wealth</h2>
<p>Instead of using the money for the candidate’s own political purposes, people who drop out can donate their money to other campaigns or candidates. There are <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/52/30114">no limits</a> on how much they can give to a national, state or local party committee – such as the Democratic National Committee. </p>
<p>They can also give money to <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/52/30114">state and local candidates</a>, depending on state campaign finance laws, or <a href="https://www.fec.gov/help-candidates-and-committees/making-disbursements/making-contributions-other-candidates/">up to $2,000</a> to each of one or more candidates for federal office. </p>
<p>A former candidate can also <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/52/30114">donate surplus funds to charity</a>. This seems most likely to occur when a candidate is retiring from public life. For instance, former Sen. Joseph Lieberman transferred funds from his Senate campaign fund and his leadership PAC to a <a href="https://www.rollcall.com/news/lieberman-gives-219k-to-scholarship-fund">college scholarship fund</a> for high school students from his state, Connecticut. He used other leftover campaign money to organize his political and campaign papers to <a href="https://ctmirror.org/2013/08/28/burnishing-his-legacy-lieberman-leave-his-official-papers-library-congress/">donate to the Library of Congress</a>. </p>
<p>A former candidate with excess funds has two more possibilities. She can do nothing at all and just keep the cash in the bank. In 2014, an analysis found ex-candidates, Republicans and Democrats alike, had <a href="https://publicintegrity.org/politics/nearly-100-million-in-campaign-cash-sits-idle/">as much as $100 million</a> in unused campaign funds just waiting for account holders to decide what to do.</p>
<p>If the person really doesn’t want all that cash on hand, the law is vague on what’s next – it can be used “<a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/52/30114">for any other lawful purpose</a>,” besides personal use. For example, former Democratic Congressman Marty Meehan of Massachusetts <a href="https://publicintegrity.org/politics/nearly-100-million-in-campaign-cash-sits-idle/">helped fund a document archive</a> for his former colleague, Barney Frank.</p>
<p>[ <em>You’re smart and curious about the world. So are The Conversation’s authors and editors.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters/weekly-highlights-61?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=weeklysmart">You can get our highlights each weekend</a>. ]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/130042/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Richard Briffault does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>When political campaigns end, candidates often are left with a fair amount of money. They have a lot of options about how to spend it.Richard Briffault, Joseph P. Chamberlain Professor of Legislation, Columbia UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1307332020-01-29T17:53:01Z2020-01-29T17:53:01ZNotre-Dame and Venice: why such a gap in generosity?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/312280/original/file-20200128-81346-w6ko10.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C62%2C6000%2C3467&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">On November 12, 2019, in Venise, the sea rose 1.87 metres above its normal level, flooding much of the city.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Ihor Serdyukov/Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The year 2019 was marked by catastrophes that hit two major jewels of European heritage, seven months apart: the fire at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris on April 15 and the Venice floods that began on November 12. Drawing 13 and 35 million tourists a year respectively, Notre-Dame and Venice are internationally recognized symbols that have fascinated artists, believers and tourists for centuries.</p>
<p>Photos of their destruction have been shared over and over again in the media, far more than <a href="https://ilglobo.com.au/news/46055/not-just-venice-matera-calls-for-support-after-damaging-floods/">other disasters</a> of the same scale, and have left their mark on people’s spirits and triggered countless political and social reactions. Both situations were followed by a call for donations to collect funds for repairing the damage. </p>
<p>The results of these appeals have been vastly different, however, and to understand why, we interviewed Italian colleagues doing research on philanthropy.</p>
<h2>Two dramas, two strategies</h2>
<p>Paris firefighters had just barely brought the flames under control at Notre-Dame when an <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/notre-dame-fire-fund-rebuild-donate-macron-paris-cathedral-a8873846.html">incredible outpouring of generosity began</a>. France’s Fondation du Patrimoine was the first to launch a fundraising campaign, swiftly followed by the Fondation de France, the Fondation Notre-Dame and the Centre des Monuments Nationaux, all approved by the French government.</p>
<p>The country’s president, Emmanuel Macron, <a href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/macron-rebuild-notre-dame-1518112">appeared on television that same evening</a> to announce a national strategy for rebuilding Notre-Dame. By the next day, donations had exceeded expectations: 400 million euros pledged by the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-profane-and-the-sacred-why-luxury-firms-rushed-to-support-notre-dame-115739">Arnault, Pinault and Bettencourt families</a>, 100 million euros by Total and L’Oréal, as well as donations pledged from enterprises, communities and nations. Not to mention countless donations from individuals in France and from around the world, who donated 30 million euros in only a few hours, mostly online and via cellphones. By April 17, donations were estimated to reach almost 1 billion euros, an unprecedented figure.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1118820557326311424"}"></div></p>
<p>The Venetian floods in November 2019 provoked an entirely different reaction. On Tuesday, November 12, a historic high tide flooded the city with 1.87 meters of water, followed by similar levels of flooding in the following days, with <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/nov/17/venice-floods-call-for-help-damages-fundraise">80% of dwellings flooded and entire neighbourhoods submerged</a>. On November 14, the Italian government declared a state of emergency and allocated emergency funds of 20 million euros to dealing with the flooding.</p>
<p>On November 15, Luigi Brugnaro, the mayor of Venice, launched a public fundraising campaign to preserve the city, the “pride of Italy and international heritage”, by <a href="https://www.wantedinmilan.com/news/venice-floods-how-to-donate-to-relief-efforts.html">opening a bank account</a> to which anyone can send a transfer. Other initiatives were also established: Italian embassies announced a call for donations from <a href="https://www.panorama.am/en/news/2019/11/19/Russian-donor-Venice/2198799">foreign donors</a>, La Scala of Milan rallied to protect La Fenice, and various committees devoted to preserving Venice launched their own campaigns.</p>
<p>While the damages are estimated at around 1 billion euros, the funds collected are far from matching that figure. At best, only a few million euros have been raised, though it is difficult to know the exact figures. Why? Why were there unprecedented donations for Notre-Dame, yet we let Venice drown?</p>
<h2>Notre-Dame, an unforeseeable disaster</h2>
<p>The two events both involve internationally renowned “stars” of cultural heritage that now find themselves in dire straits. In both cases, the disaster was nor humanitarian nor social. <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/oliverwilliams1/2019/04/17/why-notre-dame-donations-are-provoking-a-backlash-against-billionaires/">Many have</a> critiqued the irony of donors’ lack of empathy regarding societal problems and the lack of attention given to other historical monuments that crumble in silence.</p>
<p>Notre-Dame and Venice are both symbols of a collective identity that now find themselves at risk. The danger that threatens them can substantially impact those that see a part of themselves in these symbols. Angelo Miglietta, cultural management professor at IULM in Milan, said the following about the Venice floods: “It gives the impression of decline, with the risk of losing our cultural heritage”.</p>
<p>The two disasters are very different. Notre-Dame is a unique monument, the damage to which is both clearly visible and meticulously recorded. The striking images of the fire ravaging the roof and the fall of the spire were powerful, dramatic and unforgettable.</p>
<p>In Venice, the damage affects the whole city: monuments, yes, but also run-of-the-mill establishments like stores, dwellings and roads. While the devastation of Notre-Dame took the world by surprise, that of the city of the Doges was announced. While the Catholic church and heritage experts regularly warned about the poor state of churches in France, a fire of such size was unpredictable.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/307791/original/file-20191218-11946-1qqrbvf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/307791/original/file-20191218-11946-1qqrbvf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/307791/original/file-20191218-11946-1qqrbvf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/307791/original/file-20191218-11946-1qqrbvf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/307791/original/file-20191218-11946-1qqrbvf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/307791/original/file-20191218-11946-1qqrbvf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/307791/original/file-20191218-11946-1qqrbvf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The destruction of <em>acqua alta</em> of last November directly impacted the habitants and merchants of Venice, unlike the fire of Notre-Dame.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Ihor Serdyukov/Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>At the time, many theories circulated about the cause of the Notre-Dame fire: was it a terrorist attack, human error, an electrical issue? The Venice floods, however, are far from a new problem. Given its unique geographical position, the city has previously been subject to <em>acqua alta</em> (high water) episodes and exceptionally strong tides, a <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/climate-change-blamed-for-higher-tides-creating-uncertainty-for-venices-canals-60-minutes-2020-01-12/">problem amplified by climate change</a>. Devastating natural disasters are not rare in Italy and regularly result in the declaration of a state of emergency.</p>
<p>According to Sara Berloto, a philanthropy researcher at Bocconi University in Milan:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“The Venice floods were seen as a natural disaster; the Italians are used to that. Notre-Dame, on the other hand, was seen as a man-made drama”.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Omar Bortolazzi, who watched both events from afar in Dubai, where he is a professor of international relations, stated:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“For me, the Venice drama was less traumatic than that of Notre-Dame. The fire was an unprecedented event. For Venice, the floods have a bit of déjà-vu about them and are less startling. It seems like a natural disaster that could have been better handled and perhaps even partially avoided.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Thus, the circumstances of the Venice floods seem to lend themselves less easily to calls for generosity…</p>
<h2>Incomparable fundraising tools</h2>
<p>The meagre results of the Venice fundraising campaign also have another explanation: strategic errors in how funds were raised. The Italian authorities were slow to react, while Macron declared a national campaign as soon as the fire occurred.</p>
<p>According to Antoine Martel, director of the iRaiser platform used by three of the four main groups raising funds for Notre-Dame, reactivity is key: “68% of individual donations were collected in the 48 hours following the fire. One emergency follows another. If you miss the media window, it’s over.”</p>
<p>Another point to consider is the difference in payment methods. For Notre-Dame, secure online donation platforms were in place the following morning, allowing individuals to donate quickly and easily from their computer or smartphone.</p>
<p>For Venice, donors could send a transfer to a bank account created for the occasion by city council. This solution that lacks flexibility, transparency and security, and is complicated by the fact that foreign transfers involve additional fees. The city also set up a campaign to <a href="https://www.wantedinmilan.com/news/venice-floods-how-to-donate-to-relief-efforts.html">donate by text</a> but donations were capped at 2 euros per text.</p>
<p>In the end, the scattered nature of the fundraising initiatives has been detrimental to Venice. According to Angelo Miglietta:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“There was a total lack of coordination and governance on the subject. The big donors and enterprises are more inclined to give large sums in the presence of clearly identified representatives with a clear message.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>For Notre-Dame, each of the four private organizations that launched a campaign is a recognized entity with public, verifiable accounts, who were supported by the government immediately after the disaster.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/307864/original/file-20191219-11900-1o4de7f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/307864/original/file-20191219-11900-1o4de7f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/307864/original/file-20191219-11900-1o4de7f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/307864/original/file-20191219-11900-1o4de7f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/307864/original/file-20191219-11900-1o4de7f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/307864/original/file-20191219-11900-1o4de7f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/307864/original/file-20191219-11900-1o4de7f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The coordination between the different entities involved was one of the explanations for the impressive fundraising effort after the Notre-Dame fire.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Loic Salan/Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Other than the different strategies, one last element explains the gap between the funds raised: the political handling of the disaster and the responsibilities of the State and local communities. In front of the still-smoking site, when Emmanuel Macron appealed to the French to rebuild Notre-Dame, he did so in front of Michel Aupetit, the archbishop of Paris; Anne Hidalgo, the mayor of Paris; and Franck Riester, the minister of culture.</p>
<h2>Political tension</h2>
<p>While the government was originally overtaken by private entities in raising money, it quickly got the upper hand by coordinating a national campaign and then supervising the cathedral’s reconstruction project, handed over to an ad-hoc public organization created on July 29. Despite some issues behind the scenes, the response fit the circumstances.</p>
<p>In Italy, the national disaster occurred in a complex political context, where the Italian government is emerging from a major political crisis. The tensions between the central government and that of the Veneto region, which has strong separatist tendencies, did not facilitate a unified and coordinated political approach.</p>
<p>Further, the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.fr/us/venice-mose-flood-gates-storms-2018-11">disastrous management of the Moses project</a>, which was supposed to protect Venice from high tides with a system of dykes, and has already cost almost 6 billion euros, experienced significant delays due to fraud involving the former mayor of Venice.</p>
<p>The system was supposed to launch in 2016, but now will not be operational until 2021. The November 2019 <em>acqua alta</em> also seems to have been met with “disillusioned cynicism” from the population, according to Omar Bortolazzi. The Italian public actors do not possess the legitimacy to encourage individuals and companies to act; according to Omar Bortolazzi, “resentment has taken precedence over the desire to donate”.</p>
<p>Despite the difference in generosity, the Notre-Dame and Venice dramas have one last thing in common: the criticisms mingled in with the sadness. While in France, these criticisms mainly targeted the major donors, and in Italy, they focused on how public power was managed, both situations show that the two monuments represent a collective identity of their respective country and have intensified already-present tensions.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/130733/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Les auteurs ne travaillent pas, ne conseillent pas, ne possèdent pas de parts, ne reçoivent pas de fonds d'une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n'ont déclaré aucune autre affiliation que leur organisme de recherche.</span></em></p>More than 1 billion euros were donated after Paris’ cathedral was grievously damaged by fire in April. By comparison, just a few million euros were given after catastrophic flooding in Cité des Doges.Arthur Gautier, Professeur, Directeur exécutif de la Chaire Philanthropie, ESSEC Éléonore Delanoë, Chargée de recherche, ESSEC Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1296952020-01-14T19:07:55Z2020-01-14T19:07:55ZArtists help communities during a crisis, not hinder. Why are we still told they don’t matter?<p>Artists are again finding themselves at the receiving end of criticism over funding.</p>
<p>A mural on the wall of a fire station funded through the Western Australia Percent for Art scheme has met with a <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-09/emergency-services-levy-money-spent-on-wa-fire-station-artworks/11853124">hostile reaction</a> in the light of the bushfire crisis.</p>
<p>In WA all new public buildings costing $2 million or more must spend 1% of the building costs on public art projects – a bipartisan initiative since 1989. </p>
<p>Public art plays an important role in connecting communities, humanising the environment and giving a community a unique identity, but WA Shadow Minister for Emergency Services Steve Thomas told the ABC “I think it is time for this policy to end”</p>
<p>“[It] is more important to put that money into the equipment [emergency services] require rather than art work to decorate the building,” he said.</p>
<p>Artists are a critical community resource, but this criticism is a familiar refrain in Australia where arts practice is seen as non-essential.</p>
<p>The federal government determined in December 2019 the arts no longer matter to the nation by <a href="https://www.artshub.com.au/news-article/news/public-policy/artshub/department-of-arts-axed-in-government-power-play-259388">disappearing the arts</a> from mention as a governmental responsibility and continuing to cut arts funding. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/remember-the-arts-departments-and-budgets-disappear-as-politics-backs-culture-into-a-dead-end-128110">Remember the arts? Departments and budgets disappear as politics backs culture into a dead end</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Crucial fundraisers</h2>
<p>Across the country, the average income of artists <a href="http://www.australiacouncil.gov.au/research/making-art-work/">from their artwork is A$18,800</a>, yet artists have raised millions of dollars in support of the 2020 bushfire crisis.</p>
<p>Comedian Celeste Barber has raised <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-09/celeste-barber-bushfire-donations-fundraisers/11852588">over $50 million</a> from more than 1.2 million people to help those who need it.</p>
<p>Pink, Elton John, Metallica, Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban, Chris Hemsworth, Kylie and Danni Minogue – to name only a handful – have <a href="https://news.yahoo.com/australian-bushfires-celebrity-donations-kylie-minogue-chris-hemsworth-104047775.html">personally donated</a> large amounts of their own money to help fighters and victims. </p>
<p>Visual artist Scott Marsh <a href="https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/news/someone-needs-to-pull-their-finger-out-artist-raises-60k-by-mocking-pm-in-controversial-mural/news-story/c7b23faf06c2e803949eb9fa9b11b995">raised more than $60,000</a> by painting a mural in Chippendale lampooning Scott Morrison. </p>
<p>The Stardust Circus prevented a blackout at the Ulladulla Evacuation Centre by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sydneymorningherald/photos/its-the-aussie-spirit-you-come-and-help-the-stardust-circus-saved-the-ulladulla-/10158311981256264/">lending their generator</a>. Theatre companies are <a href="https://www.artshub.com.au/news-article/news/trends-and-analysis/richard-watts/six-ways-artists-can-take-action-on-bushfires-259505">organising collections</a> at their performances for bushfire relief.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.abc.net.au/triplej/news/musicnews/bushfire-benefit-show-fundraiser-complete-guide/11852420">More than 32 concerts</a> are taking place across the country with musicians giving their time for free to fundraise. Visual artists <a href="https://www.broadsheet.com.au/national/art-and-design/article/art-fights-fire-online-art-auction-help-australias-bushfire-relief-effort">are auctioning their work</a>. </p>
<p>Writers, illustrators and editors are donating <a href="https://authorsforfireys.wixsite.com/website">books, mentoring, and naming rights</a> to characters in forthcoming books to support firefighters. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1214071028210470912"}"></div></p>
<p>As one viral Facebook post <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheEmmaFiles?__tn__=CH-R&eid=ARB-iOeLphL3WZ8uDGBOKlI4Vwg0gPWuL4Iyw3Kq6cX0I69DaT_I9FjuYpq2_7nx5q-gWCdRrv1Eq0p7&hc_ref=ARS07oo1WciXabHP9RVBjD7KDqcYne8mQfPyUIeB8fOAsYh1Mqr-yWENpUi7P9XMNQE&fref=nf&__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARAsdvE2xNN9YXp0Ory3FV74v6_X1fYziV3CkMGfkQStDT3jHl0aprE6VqwxdLWNE1rzAh7vLWhRs0LDa3qBFPGZFoLNMiq591FfKf-APKjHwjzSzj2wDIYjTb_7mLuwCYPuZgK4FkhLS8HSsMKREpmdIL8VccTxMalIBkCoVz1Po8RT91Ji9bjmLQR7mU72Io-aW_s_udODXd5ks_QTimUZveN_qAGikRPROgl7-BncWRaSnkO3ZyU_qkyyE_IO9G8kmdfmtxIM-PYhjc0T77DuFhscJ-JTpcYG21NTI6J9OayEHLqXa86SHpXvuZ84biRcfHosa6E3k8Fq6fU">asked</a>: “Tell me again that the Arts have no value?”</p>
<h2>Restoring hope</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.australiansiloarttrail.com/">Silo art</a>, the painting of water towers and other utilitarian sites such as fire stations, have transformed rural areas by the impact of arts practice. This has contributed to the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-06-30/rochester-cashes-in-on-silo-art-trail-explosion/9918800">economic well-being</a> of these communities, as well as making the local community feel a sense of pride in their town. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="InstagramEmbed" data-react-props="{"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/BhqsvB9jDgi","accessToken":"127105130696839|b4b75090c9688d81dfd245afe6052f20"}"></div></p>
<p>Art and artists can have a transformational role in rural communities by <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.5172/rsj.351.19.1.60">building resilience</a>. Rural communities value their local history and artists can play an essential role in <a href="http://www.culturaldevelopment.net.au/downloads/RuralCommunities_KimDunphy.pdf">recording and validating</a> a community’s culture.</p>
<p>Arts institutions, such as regional galleries, can also have a dramatic impact on a community. In 2012, the Bendigo Art Gallery generated <a href="https://creative.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/56761/Creative_Victoria-Regional_Development_Evaluation-Jan2016-2.pdf">$16.3 million</a> for the local economy. The Book Town festival in Clunes, the Writers Festival in Byron Bay and the Folk Festival in Port Fairy are all crucial to the sense of community in those towns. </p>
<p>Artists can be critical in <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8TOgF0LhVwxNU9RQzBLdlpTcGs/view">restoring hope</a> and <a href="https://visual.artshub.com.au/news-article/features/visual-arts/jane-osullivan/revealing-the-unseen-how-art-responds-to-tra">providing healing</a> to a community after it has experienced trauma. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://creativerecovery.net.au">Creative Recovery Network</a> works together with emergency management agencies across Australia to help communities affected by trauma and natural disasters to recover from their experiences. </p>
<p>Urban Initiatives and Arterial created a <a href="https://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/news/victoria/communities-reflect-on-rebuilding-after-black-saturday-bushfires/news-story/d7577521bdbd270d8db81bf28c8fc216">moving memorial</a> in collaboration with the local community to the 2009 Black Saturday bushfire victims at Strathewen. </p>
<p>The memorial incorporates 10,000 words by community members and serves as a place for community reflection as well as an ongoing learning site for young people. In this way the experiences are never forgotten, and passed on to the next generation.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/309803/original/file-20200113-103974-jualks.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/309803/original/file-20200113-103974-jualks.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/309803/original/file-20200113-103974-jualks.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/309803/original/file-20200113-103974-jualks.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/309803/original/file-20200113-103974-jualks.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/309803/original/file-20200113-103974-jualks.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/309803/original/file-20200113-103974-jualks.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The Black Saturday bushfire memorial at Strathewen.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>While the arts can create provocation, they can also be a means of honouring feelings and <a href="https://knowledge.aidr.org.au/resources/ajem-jul-2013-community-leadership-in-disaster-recovery-a-case-study/">processing grief</a>. There are times when communities need more than financial relief to recover from loss. They need a way to make sense of it so they can move forward. </p>
<h2>Committed to their community</h2>
<p>Artists have stepped up in a huge way at this dark time in Australian history by volunteering their talents and resources to support communities and firefighters.</p>
<p>They have demonstrated artists and arts practice can contribute to our society with passion, ingenuity, and imagination. It is time the arts and artists received the respect they deserve by our governments and the broader community. </p>
<p>The arts always matter, but at times of crisis they are especially valuable.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/129695/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jo Caust has received funding from the Australia Council. She is a member of the Arts Industry Council (SA) and NAVA. </span></em></p>Artists and entertainers have raised millions of dollars for the current bushfire crisis – so why are they still at the receiving end of so much criticism and so little funding and support?Jo Caust, Associate Professor and Principal Fellow (Hon), The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1294462020-01-09T04:54:52Z2020-01-09T04:54:52ZAs fires rage, we must use social media for long-term change, not just short-term fundraising<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/308955/original/file-20200108-107204-1rv6ofj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=452%2C18%2C766%2C570&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Comedian Celeste Barber's fundraising efforts have gained monumental support. But we need to think of long-term engagement in climate action too.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.facebook.com/donate/1010958179269977/">Facebook</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>With 26 fatalities, half a billion animals impacted and 10.7 million hectares of land burnt, Australia faces a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2020/jan/08/nsw-fires-live-updates-victoria-bushfires-south-australia-fire-sa-australian-bushfire-near-me-rfs-cfa-latest-news-wednesday">record-breaking bushfire season</a>. </p>
<p>Yet, amid the despondency, moving stories have emerged of phenomenal fundraising conducted through social media. </p>
<p>At the forefront is Australian comedian Celeste Barber, whose <a href="https://www.facebook.com/donate/1010958179269977/">Facebook fundraiser</a> has raised more than AUD$45 million - the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com.au/celeste-barber-facebook-bushfires-fundraiser-2020-1">largest amount in the platform’s history</a>. </p>
<p>Presenting shocking visuals, sites such as Instagram, Twitter and Facebook have been monumental in communicating the severity of the fires. </p>
<p>But at a time when experts predict worsening climate conditions and longer fire seasons, short bursts of compassion and donations aren’t enough. </p>
<p>For truly effective action against current and future fires, we need to use social media to implement lasting transformations, to our attitudes, and our ability to address climate change.</p>
<h2>Get out of your echo-chamber</h2>
<p>Links between social media and public engagement are complex. Their combination can be helpful, as we’re witnessing, but doesn’t necessarily help solve problems requiring long-term attention.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/climate-change-is-bringing-a-new-world-of-bushfires-123261">Climate change is bringing a new world of bushfires</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Online spaces can cultivate <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2019/05/why-social-media-ruining-political-discourse/589108/">polarising, and sometimes harmful, debate</a>.</p>
<p>Past research indicates <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0206841">the presence of online echo chambers</a>, and users’ tendency to <a href="https://theconversation.com/dont-just-blame-echo-chambers-conspiracy-theorists-actively-seek-out-their-online-communities-127119">seek interaction</a> with others holding the same beliefs as them.</p>
<p>If you’re stuck in an echo chamber, Harvard Law School lecturer Erica Ariel Fox <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ericaarielfox/2017/10/26/how-to-escape-the-echo-chamber/#53f1f6f14d10">suggests</a> breaking the mould by going out of your way to understand diverse opinions. </p>
<p>Before gearing up to disagree with others, she recommends acknowledging the contradictions and biases you yourself hold, and embracing the opposing sides of yourself.</p>
<p>In tough times, many start to assign blame – often with political or personal agendas.</p>
<p>In the crisis engulfing Australia, we’ve seen this with repeated accusations from conservatives claiming the Greens party <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/triplej/programs/hack/is-more-prescribed-burning-the-answer-to-bushfire-threat/11844766">have made fire hazard reduction more difficult</a>.</p>
<p>In such conversations, larger injustices and the underlying political challenges are often forgotten. The structural conditions underpinning the crisis remain unchallenged. </p>
<h2>Slow and steady</h2>
<p>We need <a href="https://insidestory.org.au/slow-burn/">to rethink our approach</a> to dealing with climate change, and <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/global-warming-effects/">its harmful effects</a>.</p>
<p>First, we should acknowledge there is no quick way to resolve the issue, despite the immediacy of the threats it poses. </p>
<p>Political change is slow, and needs steady growth. This is particularly true for climate politics, an issue which <a href="https://www.oxfordhandbooks.com/view/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199566600.001.0001/oxfordhb-9780199566600-e-1">challenges the social and economic structures we rely on</a>.</p>
<p>Our values and aspirations must also change, and be reflected in our online conversations. Our dialogue should shift from blame to a culture of appreciation, and growing concern for the impact of climate degradation. </p>
<p>Users should continue to explore and learn online, but need to do so in an informed way. </p>
<p>Reading Facebook and Twitter content is fine, but this must be complemented with <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2016/12/05/503581220/fake-or-real-how-to-self-check-the-news-and-get-the-facts">reliable news sources</a>. Follow authorised user accounts providing fact-based articles and guidance. </p>
<p>Before you join an online debate, it’s important you can back your claims. This helps prevent the spread of misinformation online, which is unfortunately rampant.</p>
<p>A <a href="https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/sites/default/files/2018-02/Measuring%20the%20reach%20of%20fake%20news%20and%20online%20distribution%20in%20Europe%20CORRECT%20FLAG.pdf">2018 Reuters Institute report</a> found people’s interaction (sharing, commenting and reacting) with false news from a small number of Facebook outlets “generated more or as many interactions as established news brands”.</p>
<p>Also, avoid regressive discussions with dead-ends. <a href="https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-algorithms/">Social media algorithms</a> dictate that the posts you engage with set the tone for future posts targeted at you, and more engagement with posts will make them more visible to other users too. Spend your time and effort wisely. </p>
<p>And lastly, the internet has made it easier than ever to contact political leaders, whether it’s <a href="https://twitter.com/ScottMorrisonMP">tweeting at your prime minister</a>, or reaching out to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SussanLeyMP/">the relevant minister</a> on Facebook.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/listen-to-your-people-scott-morrison-the-bushfires-demand-a-climate-policy-reboot-129348">Listen to your people Scott Morrison: the bushfires demand a climate policy reboot</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Tangible change-making</h2>
<p>History has proven meaningful social and political progress requires sustained public awareness and engagement.</p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/309178/original/file-20200109-138677-1e9h83o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/309178/original/file-20200109-138677-1e9h83o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/309178/original/file-20200109-138677-1e9h83o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=1300&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/309178/original/file-20200109-138677-1e9h83o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=1300&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/309178/original/file-20200109-138677-1e9h83o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=1300&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/309178/original/file-20200109-138677-1e9h83o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1634&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/309178/original/file-20200109-138677-1e9h83o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1634&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/309178/original/file-20200109-138677-1e9h83o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1634&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Australian comedian Celeste Barber started fundraising with a goal of $30,000.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.facebook.com/donate/1010958179269977/1015653102133818/">Celeste Barber/Facebook</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Consider Australia’s recent legislation on <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/the-year-that-marriage-equality-finally-came-to-australia">marriage equality</a>, or the historical transformation of <a href="https://history.house.gov/Exhibitions-and-Publications/WIC/Historical-Essays/No-Lady/Womens-Rights/">women’s rights</a>. </p>
<p>These issues affect people constantly, but fixing them required debate over long periods.</p>
<p>We should draw on the awareness raised over the past weeks, and not let dialogue about the heightened threat of bushfires fizzle out. </p>
<p>We must not return to our practices of <a href="http://sourcesofinsight.com/13-negative-motivation-patterns/">do-nothingism</a> as soon as the immediate disaster subsides. </p>
<p>Although bushfire fundraisers have collected millions, a <a href="http://www.europeansocialsurvey.org/docs/findings/ESS8_toplines_issue_9_climatechange.pdf">European Social Survey</a> of 44,387 respondents from 23 countries found that – while most participants were worried about climate change – less than one-third were willing to pay higher taxes on fossil fuels.</p>
<p>If we want climate action, we must expect more from our governments but also from ourselves.</p>
<p>Social media should be used to <em>consistently</em> pressure government to take principled stances on key issues, not short-sighted policies geared towards the next election.</p>
<h2>Opening the public’s eyes</h2>
<p>There’s no denying social media has successfully <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/gallery/2020/jan/01/new-years-disaster-full-horror-of-australias-bushfires-begins-to-emerge-in-pictures">driven home the extent of devastation</a> caused by the fires.</p>
<p>A clip from Fire and Rescue NSW, viewed 7.8 million times on Twitter alone, gives audiences a view of what it’s like fighting on the frontlines.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1211943881790509056"}"></div></p>
<p>Images <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/gallery/2020/jan/08/scorched-earth-the-bushfire-devastation-on-kangaroo-island-in-pictures">of burnt, suffering animals</a> and destroyed homes, resorts, farms and forests have signalled the horror of what has passed and what may come.</p>
<p>Social media can be a formidable source of inspiration and action. It’s expected to become even more pervasive in our lives, and this is why <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2019/12/3/20980741/fake-news-facebook-twitter-misinformation-lies-fact-check-how-to-internet-guide">it must be used carefully</a>. </p>
<p>While showings of solidarity are incredibly helpful, what happens in the coming weeks and months, after the fires pass, is what will matter most.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/129446/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Emma Hutchison receives funding from the Australian Research Council and from a University of Queensland Foundation Research Excellence Award. These grants are enabling research into the roles emotions play in shaping local and global politics. </span></em></p>Celeste Barber’s $45 million fundraiser is amazing, but battling Australia’s fires should be an ongoing effort. With the help of social media, it can be.Emma Hutchison, Associate Professor and ARC DECRA Fellow, The University of QueenslandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1294452020-01-07T06:53:45Z2020-01-07T06:53:45ZHow to donate to Australian bushfire relief: give money, watch for scams and think long term<p>The devastation of the Australian bushfires has generated an <a href="https://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/bushfire-relief-how-you-can-help-those-in-need/news-story/a0476ac3538b8c373f281ea6be204421">outpouring of generosity</a> amongst Australians. </p>
<p>We have been giving directly to charities such as the Red Cross, the Salvation Army and others working on the ground to support survivors. Many of us have contributed to appeals such as <a href="https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/celebrity-life/aussies-rally-around-celeste-barbers-staggering-fire-fundraiser/news-story/b7481dce04dade93f3719bc0acac9e59">Celeste Barber’s</a>, which, at the time of writing, has raised A$42 million for the NSW Rural Fire Service.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/308730/original/file-20200107-123373-1x8mj6e.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/308730/original/file-20200107-123373-1x8mj6e.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/308730/original/file-20200107-123373-1x8mj6e.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=521&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/308730/original/file-20200107-123373-1x8mj6e.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=521&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/308730/original/file-20200107-123373-1x8mj6e.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=521&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/308730/original/file-20200107-123373-1x8mj6e.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=655&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/308730/original/file-20200107-123373-1x8mj6e.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=655&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/308730/original/file-20200107-123373-1x8mj6e.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=655&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">At the time of writing, celebrity Celeste Barber had raised $42 million.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Facebook</span></span>
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<p>Wealthy Australians, like the <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/packers-crown-donate-extra-4-million-for-bushfire-relief-efforts-20200106-p53pcm.html">Packer</a>, <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/billionaire-philanthropists-donate-1m-to-bushfire-emergency-response-20191227-p53n4b.html">Gandel</a> and <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/heartbreaking-kylie-minogue-s-family-donates-500-000-to-bushfire-appeal-20200107-p53pdc.html">Minogue</a> families, have also made large commitments, as have many businesses.</p>
<p>The fact that so many of us have been reaching into our pockets during this difficult time is not surprising. Australia is the fourth most generous nation in the world, according to the most recent edition of the <a href="https://www.cafonline.org/about-us/publications/2019-publications/caf-world-giving-index-10th-edition">World Giving Index</a> and emergency relief is a <a href="https://www.communitybusinesspartnership.gov.au/about/research-projects/giving-australia-2016/">common cause</a> to which we give.</p>
<p>But it’s worth thinking carefully about how to give, to ensure you’re not wasting your contribution or inadvertently making things worse. </p>
<h2>Watch out for scammers</h2>
<p>One thing to be mindful of during times like these, is that unfortunately some people may seek to prey on the generosity of others. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/update/bushfires-and-scams">issued a warning </a>about fundraising scams associated with the bushfires. </p>
<p>If you aren’t sure about an organisation that you’ve been approached by, you can always check whether they’re a registered charity using the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission’s online <a href="https://www.acnc.gov.au/charity">register</a>. </p>
<p>It lists all charities registered in Australia, and details their operations, finance and governance.</p>
<h2>Money usually trumps everything else</h2>
<p>Generally, it’s best to give money. The organisations you give it to can then decide how to use it best.</p>
<p>We may be tempted to give goods like blankets or clothes, but organisations often get overwhelmed by donations of goods. </p>
<p>The idea of donating while also clearing out unused items at home may seem tempting but many organisations don’t have the resources to sort through donations. Often, the goods donated just aren’t fit for use.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1213703278699016193"}"></div></p>
<p><a href="https://dhs.sa.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/1893/management-of-donated-goods.pdf">Research</a> by the federal and South Australian governments examined this problem, saying of the 2009 Victorian bushfires:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The Victorian Bushfires resulted in the donation of in excess of 40,000 pallets of goods from across Australia that took up more than 50,000 square metres of storage space. The costs for managing these donations i.e. three central warehouses, five regional distribution points, approximately 35 paid staff, material handling equipment and transport costs to distribute the material aid, has amounted to over 8 million dollars.</p>
<p>In addition, volunteer numbers reached 1,500 during the first three months provided through over 40 store fronts. Resources in the fire affected areas immediately after the event were severely stretched as a result of material aid arriving without warning and without adequate resources to sort, store, handle
and distribute.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The report highlighted how this is a consistent problem during disasters, leading to the development of the <a href="https://dhs.sa.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/1894/national-guidelines-for-managing-donated-goods.pdf">National Guidelines for Managing Donated Goods</a>. These guidelines reinforce the point that donating money is the preferred way to help out during a disaster.</p>
<p>If specific requests are made for <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/radio/northcoast/programs/breakfast/koalas-need-you-to-help-make-them-mittens-and-give-them-blankets/11714410">certain goods</a>, however, then you can respond by donating accordingly. The charity <a href="http://www.givit.org.au/disasters">Givit</a> acts as a broker that facilitates the donations of goods that meet the needs of charities and those they are seeking to help.</p>
<p>Always make sure that what you donate is of reasonable quality. It’s important not to use donation appeals an excuse to clean out items that probably should go in the rubbish or recycling bin.</p>
<h2>Donations after the bushfires are also important</h2>
<p>We’re facing a long and hot summer, with the prospect of ongoing bushfires. At some stage, they will subside and with them the appeals for donations will also end.</p>
<p>But it’s important to remember that even once the immediate crisis has passed, rebuilding after a disaster takes a long time and requires considerable resources. </p>
<p>Governments play an important part but there is also a role for philanthropy both large and small. For example, the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal has a <a href="https://www.frrr.org.au/cb_pages/supporting_bushfire-affected_communities.php">Disaster Resilience and Recovery Fund</a> which makes grants to local not-for-profit groups for community-led projects that address the most pressing needs that emerge 12-18 months after a disaster.</p>
<h2>The bigger picture</h2>
<p>Supporting the immediate response and rebuilding efforts is vital, but it’s also important to consider how as a nation we collectively address the factors which are increasing bushfire risk. </p>
<p>Climate change is <a href="https://theconversation.com/climate-change-is-bringing-a-new-world-of-bushfires-123261">increasing the risk</a> that we will see more frequent and intense bushfires.</p>
<p>Charities provide vital support to those in need during times of crisis. But they also have an <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1037969X1504000312">important advocacy role</a> putting pressure on governments and businesses to change policies and practices.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-what-are-the-limits-to-charities-advancing-political-causes-71466">Explainer: what are the limits to charities advancing political causes?</a>
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<p>There are many environmental charities doing exactly this, to push Australia toward a more comprehensive response to climate change. </p>
<p>So it’s also worth thinking about how your donation can help support the policy change needed to address climate change and to mitigate the risks associated with it – including more bushfires.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/129445/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Krystian Seibert is a member of the Australian Conservation Foundation.</span></em></p>It’s worth thinking carefully about how to give, to ensure you’re not wasting your contribution or inadvertently making things worse.Krystian Seibert, Industry Fellow, Centre for Social Impact, Swinburne University of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1289242019-12-16T19:05:14Z2019-12-16T19:05:14ZCrowdfunding: when the government fails to act, the public wearily steps up<p>In a year that began with floods and will finish with fire, emergency fundraisers have grown rapidly, <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/2019">increasing by 35%</a> during 2019. Many farmers seeking relief from extended drought conditions <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/business/small-business/tears-running-down-my-face-farmers-turn-to-crowdfunding-for-support-20180806-p4zvqg.html">have been compelled to turn to crowdfunding</a>.</p>
<p>As for the wreckage wrought by the current bushfires, GoFundMe reported that by the end of November, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6603425743491907584">more than 700 campaigns</a> were launched in response.</p>
<p>Australia is now ranked third globally in donations per capita, with one in ten contributing to a GoFundMe campaign this year. <a href="https://www.fpmagazine.com.au/gofundme-australia-2019-report-372195/">Regional towns are the most generous donors</a>, with Wagga Wagga, Mackay, and Launceston ranking highest.</p>
<p>What’s more, GoFundMe fundraisers specifically <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/2019">highlighting climate change</a> increased by more than 65% in 2019. </p>
<p>And globally, on GoFundMe alone, crowdfunding campaigns <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/2019">have raised over US$9 billion</a> from 120 million donations. </p>
<p>Between bushfires, devastating floods, and a drought with no end in sight, crowdfunding campaigns reflect a weary resolve <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-12-14/bushfire-emergency-reveals-scott-morrisons-leadership-failure/11797826">amid the perceived inadequacy</a> of government responses to natural disasters. </p>
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<a href="https://theconversation.com/crowdfunded-campaigns-are-conserving-the-earths-environment-97312">Crowdfunded campaigns are conserving the Earth's environment</a>
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<p>Crowdfunding previously played only a relatively minor role in Australian life. But several recent campaigns illustrate the increasing influence crowdfunding might serve in forms of advocacy and activism.</p>
<p>Volunteer firefighting crews, stretched to their limits after weeks on the frontlines, have attempted to crowdfund equipment and supplies. </p>
<p>In fact, the most successful Australian GoFundMe campaign ever - raising $2 million from more than 45,000 donors - is for the <a href="https://au.gofundme.com/f/help-thirsty-koalas-devastated-by-recent-fires">Port Macquarie Koala Hospital</a>, treating koalas injured during the fires.</p>
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<p>But some close observers within charitable and philanthropic groups <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2018-08-01/drought-dos-and-donts-of-donations/10057862">still advise</a> donors to consider directing their contributions through registered charities. </p>
<p>One local brigade’s efforts to fundraise better protective masks were met with warnings from the rural fire service against establishing campaigns “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/dec/12/volunteer-firefighters-in-australia-warned-not-to-crowdfund-for-equipment">without the appropriate authority</a>”.</p>
<h2>Not just advocacy, political activism too</h2>
<p>Other campaigns in <a href="https://www.fpmagazine.com.au/gofundme-australia-2019-report-372195/">GoFundMe’s top ten most successful</a> this year reveal that, at their best, such causes can simultaneously serve as direct advocacy for marginalized people and wider activism to address underlying injustice.</p>
<p>An immensely praiseworthy example – and the third most successful campaign this year – is “<a href="https://www.gofundme.com/bfvnvt-freethepeople">FreeHer</a>”. </p>
<p>This campaign raises funds for Indigenous women in Western Australia imprisoned for inability to pay fines (<a href="https://www.hrlc.org.au/news/2017/8/2/three-years-since-ms-dhus-tragic-death-in-custody-unfair-laws-remain">such as Ms Dhu</a>, who died in police custody after being held for unpaid fines).</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/ms-dhu-coronial-findings-show-importance-of-teaching-doctors-and-nurses-about-unconscious-bias-60319">Ms Dhu coronial findings show importance of teaching doctors and nurses about unconscious bias</a>
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<p>The FreeHer campaign achieved immediate impact and sent a resounding message that such practices are wholly intolerable. The WA government <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/sep/25/wa-repeals-laws-on-jailing-for-unpaid-fines">subsequently repealed the laws</a>. </p>
<p>Beyond this, <a href="http://andrewleigh.org/pdf/SecondConvictAge.pdf">there are now wider calls to address incarceration rates</a>, particularly for Indigenous Australians, whom Aboriginal activist, academic and community leader Noel Pearson argued are “<a href="https://capeyorkpartnership.org.au/speeches/the-uluru-statement-from-the-heart-lowitja-odonoghue-oration-2018-2/">the most incarcerated people on the planet Earth</a>”.</p>
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<p>Other notable campaigns this year were even more directly political, something previously uncommon in Australia. </p>
<p>Among them were Senator Sarah Hanson-Young’s <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/SarahHansonYoung-LegalFund">defamation case against David Leyonhjelm</a>, the <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/fight-the-greens">counter-campaign</a> to “Fight the Greens”, and a few wholly unsuccessful efforts to re-elect hard right nationalist Fraser Anning.</p>
<p>In contrast, Anning’s arch-nemesis “Egg Boy” (Will Connolly) was far more successful – the eighth-highest fundraiser this year – with well-wishers raising substantial funds for Connolly’s legal fees. </p>
<p>When his expenses were covered pro bono <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-05-29/egg-boy-will-connolly-donates-%24100k-to-christchurch-victims/11159370">Connolly donated the funds</a> to victims of the Christchurch mosque shooting.</p>
<p>However, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/nov/18/jim-molans-2019-campaign-raised-43000-from-online-crowdfunding-sites">concerns have been raised</a> that crowdfunding election campaigns could harm electoral integrity, largely due to the difficulty of tracing the source of donations.</p>
<h2>Who gets a soapbox?</h2>
<p>Conspicuously absent from GoFundMe’s list of most successful campaigns was one that might have otherwise finished on top. </p>
<p>Israel Folau’s campaign against his contract termination by Rugby Australia was undeniably contentious, raising debates around <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-christians-disagree-over-the-israel-folau-saga-118773">theological perspectives</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-the-israel-folau-case-could-set-an-important-precedent-for-employment-law-and-religious-freedom-118455">employment law implications</a>, or the <a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-could-the-australian-christian-lobby-be-investigated-for-its-israel-folau-fundraiser-119457">contested functions of charitable institutions</a>.</p>
<p>The campaign’s de-listing from GoFundMe – and rejection from the Australia-based MyCause platform – fed into narratives of <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-07-02/whos-donating-to-folau-meet-christian-supporters/11263502">Christians feeling “bullied”</a>. </p>
<p>Why? Well, GoFundMe and MyCause are private companies, but to many they also represent the public square, presumably open to all. Such companies can act as gatekeepers, barring campaigns they believe may harm their reputation. </p>
<p>Perhaps the most infamous example was between 2014 and 2016, when <a href="https://www.salon.com/2014/09/10/gofundme_bans_all_content_relating_to_abortion_but_leaves_antiabortion_campaigns_active/">GoFundMe banned campaigns</a> directly raising money for an abortion.
GoFundMe later relented, and have <a href="https://www.marieclaire.com/politics/a28136645/go-fund-me-fight-back-reproductive-rights-campaign/">recently partnered</a> with the ACLU and Planned Parenthood in support of reproductive rights. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-could-the-australian-christian-lobby-be-investigated-for-its-israel-folau-fundraiser-119457">Explainer: could the Australian Christian Lobby be investigated for its Israel Folau fundraiser?</a>
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<p>The enthusiasm of the Australian Christian Lobby to host Folau’s campaign after it was de-listed – <a href="https://www.acl.org.au/pledge_izzy">raising over A$2 million in two days</a> – could also foretell a more ideologically-driven array of crowdfunding platforms. The furore may have even given the Morrison government an easier task <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/dec/14/religious-discrimination-bill-what-will-australians-be-allowed-to-say-and-do-if-it-passes">in selling the Religious Discrimination Act</a>.</p>
<h2>Competing for attention in markets of sympathy</h2>
<p>Crowdfunding can achieve wondrous outcomes, but less heartening is how often it’s needed to correct failures of the state, or suffering caused by private interests.</p>
<p>An obvious example is medical expenses, which easily comprises the most common type of campaign, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-11-17/gofundme-folau-factor-helped-marko-but-not-raaf-vet/11696444">despite the very low chances</a> of success and threat of further harm.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/as-patients-turn-to-medical-crowdfunding-concerns-emerge-about-privacy-77776">As patients turn to medical crowdfunding, concerns emerge about privacy</a>
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<p>It’s these heart-wrenching campaigns many pointed to when criticising Folau’s claim he was in “<a href="https://www.acl.org.au/pledge_izzy">the fight of my life</a>”.</p>
<p>Social crowdfunding platforms are effectively markets for sympathy, where “the crowd” weigh claims to moral worthiness. Such mechanisms create few winners and many losers. And suffering can be compounded in witnessing how much one’s life is worth in the eyes of others.</p>
<p>Crowdfunding is a popular tool of recognition and redistribution, promising new ways to govern ourselves and determine what values we hold. </p>
<p>But we must ensure it doesn’t become an altar of “<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1467-8675.12166">sacrificial citizenship</a>”, where good people falling on hard times must prove they are uniquely deserving above all others. </p>
<p>Platforms of public appeal cannot be a substitute for good governance and institutional protections.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/128924/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Matthew Wade does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Farmers seeking relief from the drought and firefighters stretched to their limits have turned to crowdfunding for help. But public appeal shouldn’t replace good governance.Matthew Wade, Honorary Lecturer, Australian National UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1204012019-07-31T11:42:18Z2019-07-31T11:42:18ZAll public universities get private money, but some get much more than the rest<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/286083/original/file-20190729-43153-1vpn7bl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=274%2C448%2C4194%2C2264&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has more than $3 billion in its endowment.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Outtakes-AP-A-NC-USA-OTKGB115-JPG-UNC-Chapel-H-/3bf90d2032d542f7a6d9be5cd6178b8d/1/0">AP Photo/Gerry Broome</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>U.S. <a href="https://www.case.org/trending/2018-vse-survey-results">universities raised nearly US$47 billion</a> in the academic fiscal year that ended in mid-2018. This new record haul marked a 7% increase from the prior year.</p>
<p>As usual, <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/these-20-colleges-took-in-28-of-donations-to-universities-last-year-they-educate-16-of-undergrads-2019-02-11">private universities</a> generally led the way. But public universities are hardly on the sidelines. </p>
<p>Some of the most prestigious public universities, such as the University of California, Los Angeles and the University of Washington, have <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2012/02/15/146900650/wealthy-colleges-see-spike-in-fundraising">since 2011</a> begun to join schools like Stanford and Johns Hopkins universities in the top 10. Meanwhile, the universities that <a href="https://ticas.org/sites/default/files/pub_files/inequitable_funding_inequitable_results.pdf">get less funding</a> are <a href="https://www-chronicle-com.liblink.uncw.edu/article/In-the-Drive-for-Donors/244523">struggling to compete for the donations</a> that can help make up for the steep reductions in state spending on higher education that began <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/state-colleges-receive-the-same-amount-of-funding-from-tuition-as-from-state-governments-2017-03-24">more than 30 years ago</a>.</p>
<p>As a professor of <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=2vnyevwAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">higher education management and finance</a> conducting research about the private donations that help fund public universities, I’m increasingly concerned that this practice is making the <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2019/03/28/college-endowment-universities-receive-most-gifts-funds/39230729/">richest public universities</a> richer. The rest face fewer choices as many of these schools are being forced to stretch their budgets thin and <a href="https://www.wpr.org/uw-stevens-point-scraps-plans-drop-6-majors">cut academic programs</a> and, in extreme cases, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/alaska-defunds-scholarships-thousands-university-students-ahead-fall-semester-n1035231">scholarships</a>. </p>
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<h2>Donations</h2>
<p>Educational fundraising is as old as U.S. universities. Harvard, for example, is named after its first donor. <a href="https://www.harvard.edu/about-harvard/harvard-glance/history">John Harvard</a> was a minister who left the newly established college half his estate and a large number of books in his will, <a href="https://harvardmagazine.com/2000/01/john-harvard.html">back in 1638</a>.</p>
<p>Public universities <a href="https://www.doi.org/10.1353/rhe.1996.0002">did little fundraising until the mid-1970s</a> because they received ample government money. </p>
<p>Billions of dollars still flow to these schools, overall, from the <a href="https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/issue-briefs/2015/06/federal-and-state-funding-of-higher-education">taxpayers in their states as well as federal money</a>. But states have cut their average per-student <a href="https://www.educationnext.org/higher-ed-lower-spending-as-states-cut-back-where-has-money-gone/">funding for their public universities by 25%</a> over the last three decades. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/university-of-michigan-raises-5-billion-others-close-behind-1538658001">Since the 1990s</a>, most public universities have treated fundraising as an increasingly significant source of revenue, on top of taxpayer dollars and tuition payments. Typically, public universities raise money through campus-based fundraising offices and <a href="https://agb.org/trusteeship-article/partners-in-advancement/">affiliated foundations</a>. The latter are technically independent but exist for the sole purpose of raising and managing money for a specific school.</p>
<h2>Funding</h2>
<p>Some donations pay for specific grants and scholarships. For example, funding scholarships is the top priority of the <a href="https://www.apnews.com/48b92f812312499c98477095a5c7daca">University of Kentucky’s campaign to raise $2 billion</a>. In this way, donations can help to make college more affordable, at least for the students who get scholarships.</p>
<p>But the price of going to college keeps rising. The official average total tab for tuition, fees, room and board for students attending public universities in their own states <a href="https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=76">increased by 34%</a> between 2005 and 2015, from $14,499 to $19,189.</p>
<p>The net price of public university college tuition, what in-state students pay after applying grants and scholarships, also grew 27%, from an average of $11,430 to an <a href="https://trends.collegeboard.org/college-pricing/figures-tables/average-net-price-over-time-full-time-students-public-four-year-institution">average of $14,330</a> in that time frame. <a href="https://ticas.org/sites/default/files/pub_files/student_debt_and_the_class_of_2017_nr.pdf">Two-thirds of graduates leave college with debt</a>, which nationally <a href="https://trends.collegeboard.org/sites/default/files/2018-trends-in-student-aid.pdf">averages about $27,000</a> for the alumni of public universities with bachelor’s degrees.</p>
<p>One reason for the failure of fundraising campaigns to restrain tuition hikes is how donors give. <a href="https://theconversation.com/disappointed-donors-cant-count-on-getting-their-charitable-money-back-93635">Many of the biggest gifts</a> are reserved for specific uses. For example, <a href="https://www.chronicle.com/article/Hillsdale-College-Sues-U-of/246656">one donor to the University of Missouri stipulated</a> that the school spend his money to hire faculty who are “disciples” of the free-market economy.</p>
<p>Another is that <a href="https://www.philanthropyroundtable.org/philanthropy-magazine/article/the-passion-and-pitfalls-of-giving-to-college-sports">many big gifts</a> fund things unrelated to academic instruction, such as new <a href="https://www.upressonline.com/2019/06/fau-receives-3-million-donation-from-the-rocco-and-mary-abessinio-foundation-to-renovate-rename-basketball-arena/">sports arenas</a> and <a href="https://terrapinclub.com/sports/2018/9/16/endowments.aspx">coach salaries</a>.</p>
<h2>Endowments</h2>
<p>Charitable gifts from alumni, companies and other donors also fund <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/how-do-university-endowments-work/">endowments</a>, pools of money that universities and their foundations created to collect and invest donor dollars in assets like stocks and bonds. Endowment funds and income, such as interest and dividends, fund student aid programs, professors’ salaries and additional expenses. </p>
<p>All told, U.S. higher ed endowments have more than <a href="https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=73">half a trillion dollars</a> in capital and generate <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2019/01/31/college-endowments-returned-82-percent-2018-annual-survey-adds-some-insight-how">millions in investment income</a> every year. They are growing at private and <a href="https://www.nacubo.org/Research/2019/Public-NTSE-Tables">public universities</a> alike, with two of the top 10 in Texas, which derives money from <a href="https://www.utsystem.edu/puf">the state’s petroleum revenue</a>, and the University of Michigan. </p>
<p>But huge endowments are not the norm at public universities. The endowments of about 50 of the most prestigious public universities in most states are much larger than the rest. For example, the endowment of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the biggest in my own state, stood at around <a href="https://uncmc.unc.edu/files/2017/09/CHIF-FY2017-AnnualReport.pdf">$3 billion</a> at the end of its 2017 fiscal year. </p>
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<p>Chapel Hill’s endowment is bigger than those of the state’s other 16 public universities combined. Elizabeth City State University, a historically black university in North Carolina, has the smallest one. It totaled about <a href="http://www.ncauditor.net/EPSWeb/Reports/Financial/FIN-2017-6086.pdf">$11 million</a> at the end of the 2017 fiscal year. </p>
<p>Endowments are designed to grow so that they can benefit universities in perpetuity. So university <a href="https://www.case.org/system/files/media/file/Endowments_Facts_Jan2017.pdf">governing boards limit spending</a> to an <a href="https://www.nacubo.org/Press-Releases/2019/US-Educational-Endowments-Report-8-2-Percent-Return-in-FY18">average of around 5% or less</a> of the endowment’s total assets per year.</p>
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<h2>Disparity</h2>
<p>Prestigious public universities, which are often referred to as the state’s “<a href="https://trends.collegeboard.org/college-pricing/figures-tables/tuition-fees-flagship-universities-over-time">flagship university</a>,” typically raise the most money. <a href="https://news.umich.edu/u-michigan-raises-5b-shattering-records-for-public-universities/">The University of Michigan</a> is among the most successful. It set a new record in 2018 for fundraising at public universities when its comprehensive campaign hauled in over $5 billion in gifts and pledges.</p>
<p>These campaigns are possible, in part, due to <a href="https://www.chronicle.com/article/Major-Private-Gifts-to-Higher/128264">an increasing number of gifts in excess of $100 million</a> from wealthy donors, such as <a href="http://as.virginia.edu/ampersand/uva-plans-new-school-data-science-120-million-gift-largest-university-history">the $120 million</a> hedge fund CEO Jaffray Woodriff gave the University of Virginia to establish a data science school.</p>
<p><a href="http://carnegieclassifications.iu.edu/index.php">Researchers split</a> the nation’s 600 or so public universities into three main groups. The roughly 200 “doctoral universities,” which includes the 49 state flagships, spend the most on research and offer 20 or more doctoral degrees. Examples of nonflagships in this category are <a href="https://msu.edu">Michigan State University</a> and the <a href="https://louisville.edu">University of Louisville</a>.</p>
<p>These schools <a href="https://www.case.org/trending/2018-vse-survey-results">raised an average of $74 million</a> in 2018.</p>
<p>That’s about 10 times the $7.1 million amassed by the group designated as “master’s universities.” Around 275 of these schools offer few doctoral programs but award at least 50 master’s degrees. Examples include <a href="https://www.adams.edu">Adams State University</a> in Alamosa, Colorado, and <a href="https://www.ewu.edu">Eastern Washington University</a> in Cheney, Washington.</p>
<p>The roughly 130 “baccalaureate colleges” mainly offer bachelor’s degrees and have the few graduate programs. Example include <a href="https://www.iuk.edu/index.html">Indiana University-Kokomo</a> and <a href="https://www.cobleskill.edu">SUNY Cobleskill</a>. They garnered an average of $4.2 million in donations in 2018.</p>
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<h2>Causes</h2>
<p>While studying the causes of these disparities, I’ve interviewed a total of 30 people who are either presidents of public universities or leading fundraising efforts on behalf of these schools.</p>
<p>One reason for the differences, I’ve found, is structural. Big, prominent public universities are more likely than smaller higher ed institutions to have medical and law schools. The doctors and lawyers who graduate from them, in turn, earn large incomes and are more able to make big donations to their alma maters. </p>
<p>The public universities lacking law and medical schools often educate <a href="https://scholars.org/brief/why-regional-comprehensive-universities-are-vital-parts-us-higher-education">high numbers of low-income students</a>, including many people who are the first in their families to go to college. This means that there is less wealth to tap among students, parents and alumni.</p>
<p>“A lot of our alums are artists, teachers, professional people,” one of the leaders I interviewed whom I’ll call Roger told me. “But we don’t have the lawyers and the doctors that some of the bigger schools do.” </p>
<p>Another explanation is historic. The public universities with the biggest endowments typically began fundraising earlier on. This head start has given them an edge for years and today is making it easier for them to employ more fundraising staff to spot and cultivate potential big donors.</p>
<p>[ <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=expertise">Expertise in your inbox. Sign up for The Conversation’s newsletter and get a digest of academic takes on today’s news, every day.</a></em> ]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/120401/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kevin McClure received research funding from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education. </span></em></p>Overall, the growth in giving to public higher ed institutions isn’t compensating for a reduction in funding by the states.Kevin McClure, Associate Professor of Higher Education, University of North Carolina WilmingtonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1134982019-03-15T12:20:02Z2019-03-15T12:20:02ZWhat Red Nose Day tells us about the need for comic relief in the modern workplace<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/263923/original/file-20190314-28483-1lvecz7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Red Nose Day – organised by <a href="https://www.comicrelief.com/">Comic relief</a> – is one of the only times of year when it’s OK to go to work in a brightly coloured wig and throw gunge at your boss. </p>
<p>Founded by the comedy scriptwriter Richard Curtis and comedian Lenny Henry in response to famine in Ethiopia, the telethon has raised more than £1 billion since it began in 1985. And much of the money included in this “grand total” is raised by staff in shops, supermarkets, banks, restaurants and other high street locations up and down the country.</p>
<p>Employee fundraising is the most common way UK-based companies <a href="https://www.institute-of-fundraising.org.uk/library/corporate-fundraising-a-snapshot-of-current-practice-in-the-uk/">support charities</a>, and similar activity can be found <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1057/9781137341532_33">across the world</a>. The phrase “corporate philanthropy” suggests donations that are approved in the boardroom and made from company profits, but when it comes to raising funds from customers and colleagues, shop floor employees do most of the legwork. They organise the fundraising activities, explain the charitable cause to customers, ask for contributions and thank the donors. </p>
<p>Yet despite their essential role, little is known about why employees get involved with good causes. <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10551-018-4093-x">So our new research</a> looked to gain a better understanding of the “shop floor” perspective on corporate philanthropy, to discover the motivations and expectations of this army of fundraisers on the shop floor. </p>
<p>We wanted to to find out how staff members decide which causes to support (Comic Relief being only one of many beneficiaries) as well as what fundraising activities to develop. We also looked at what motivates them to become involved, and how their decision making and charitable behaviour might differ from that of business owners and managers. </p>
<h2>Giving to good causes</h2>
<p>Charity fundraising relies on askers as much as givers. And research demonstrates that <a href="https://www.institute-of-fundraising.org.uk/library/insights-report-2-why-people-give-and-experience-of-donating/">most donations are prompted</a>, proving the adage that “if you don’t ask you don’t get”. </p>
<p>But our results highlight distinct differences between the goals and motivations of business leaders and their employees. While the bosses seek “brand alignment” with appropriate charities that can deliver proven business benefits, their employees prefer causes that are personally meaningful and related to their own life events. </p>
<p>Many of the staff members we spoke with expressed their disquiet about the types of causes prioritised by their corporate leaders – which are often perceived as less worthy than charities they would choose. One of the people we spoke with explained how their company had recently made a major investment in an arts organisation: “Theatre is like a luxury, you can live without a theatre.” </p>
<p>In all the workplaces we studied, the causes most likely to inspire enthusiastic employee fundraising efforts were cancer charities, children’s charities and hospices. Personal connections and experiences trigger these preferences – as someone working in a bank explained: “One of our colleagues unfortunately died in one of the hospices, so there is a personal feel for the hospice that we’re trying to raise funds for.” And a supermarket employee noted: “Lots of colleagues do tend to think of cancer charities –- and yes, that’s number one in my book. And children’s charities for the obvious reasons.” </p>
<h2>Fun in fundraising</h2>
<p>Once a “seriously worthwhile” charity is chosen by employees, employees then expect workplace fundraising to be “seriously fun”. An opportunity for light relief from their day job, while breaking down barriers between staff, customers and managers. </p>
<p>Reflecting on her motivation for voluntarily leading the staff charity committee, one woman explained: “You go down the chilled meat aisle and there’s some guy standing there in a blue wig and some Elton John blue sunglasses. It’s just a bit of fun and the customers love it as well.” </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/263927/original/file-20190314-28487-4dpw0i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/263927/original/file-20190314-28487-4dpw0i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=345&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/263927/original/file-20190314-28487-4dpw0i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=345&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/263927/original/file-20190314-28487-4dpw0i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=345&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/263927/original/file-20190314-28487-4dpw0i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=434&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/263927/original/file-20190314-28487-4dpw0i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=434&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/263927/original/file-20190314-28487-4dpw0i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=434&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Raising money for charity can take lots of different forms.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
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</figure>
<p>The fun also involves shop floor staff organising activities that can be painful, embarrassing and even humiliating for their managers. In another supermarket we were told that: “Last year we had all of our section leaders and half our managers having their legs waxed and chests waxed.” Customer-service staff in a different company gleefully announced: “We’re having some stocks made. I’ve actually just been offered a gunge tank as well, and the managers will go in those.” </p>
<h2>Turn the tables</h2>
<p>Our study also highlights a previously overlooked aspect of corporate philanthropy, and that is the creation of what anthropologists call “liminal spaces” – where the normal ways of behaving and organising social life are temporarily overturned. Workplace fundraising can satisfy shop floor staff’s desire for some –- albeit shortlived –- power and enjoyment at the expense of their corporate superiors. </p>
<p>Of course, it is not only during fundraising activities that “liminality” occurs in the workplace. It also happens at other culturally sanctioned times in the calendar, such as the annual office Christmas party when normal standards of deferential behaviour are lifted. And at away days or outward bound-type trips when conventional ranks are disregarded in pursuit of team building objectives. </p>
<p>Ultimately though, this new research reinforces the point that philanthropy typically dovetails with personal concerns. Specifically, it shows that prioritising the philanthropic preferences of people on the shop floor over those in the boardroom enables companies to respect the moral claims of their staff and helps to humanise the workplace with employees’ personal experiences. All of which increases their likelihood of being enthusiastic participants in fundraising activities.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/113498/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Beth Breeze received funding for the study discussed in this article from the Economic and Social Research Council, UK (ESRC ref: RES-593-25-0003)</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Pamala Wiepking does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>From bake sales to office Olympics, fundraising for Red Nose Day can boost staff morale and lets employees support a good cause.Beth Breeze, Director, Centre for Philanthropy, University of KentPamala Wiepking, Visiting Stead Family Chair in International Philanthropy, Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, Indiana UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1085822018-12-14T11:46:58Z2018-12-14T11:46:58ZThe NRA’s financial weakness, explained<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/250572/original/file-20181213-178561-1fxgroh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Political clout doesn't guarantee a healthy bottom line.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Trump-NRA/33f45f136ec641e6a74e4abaf1f8d67f/12/0">AP Photo/Evan Vucci</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The National Rifle Association’s political <a href="https://www.axios.com/2018-midterm-elections-nra-spending-d82d4b38-045c-4206-b81b-10bfb5336e80.html">spending fell</a> during the 2018 midterm elections. There’s talk of ending small <a href="https://www.thetrace.org/rounds/nra-kills-coffee/">perks like free coffee</a> at its offices and even <a href="https://www.thetrace.org/rounds/nratv-layoffs-employees-ackerman-mcqueen/">employee layoffs</a>.</p>
<p>These and other trends indicate that at a time when the NRA’s clout may seem stronger than ever, its financial power may be faltering.</p>
<p>As a <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=Rap6TboAAAAJ&hl=en">researcher</a> who studies and tracks the <a href="https://twitter.com/countingcharity?lang=en">finances of nonprofits</a>, I have followed the NRA’s financial disclosures for years. Here’s what I’ve observed lately.</p>
<h2>A negative nest egg</h2>
<p>The best reflection of an organization’s financial cushion is its <a href="https://www.aicpa.org/interestareas/notforprofit/resources/financialaccounting/new-standard-aims-to-improve-not-for-profit-financial-reporting.html">unrestricted net assets</a> – an accounting measure of how much money it has available to spend.</p>
<p>The NRA had negative US$31.8 million on hand at the end of 2017, according to <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/5300476-NRA-2017-990.html">the form</a> all nonprofits must file with the IRS. The group, which spent an average of $278.3 million a year, had a negative balance at the end of six of the previous 10 years.</p>
<p>In the 2017 financial statements, I’m seeing signs that the problem could be <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/media/418989-layoffs-hit-nratv-after-gun-rights-group-loses-55m-in-revenue">more serious</a>.</p>
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<p>This is very different from how <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/kellyphillipserb/2018/03/08/ask-the-taxgirl-is-the-nra-a-charity/#c68f04017dfd">two other prominent</a> organizations operate. Consider the financial health of the <a href="https://www.aclu.org/finances">American Civil Liberties Union</a>, a civil rights group, and the <a href="https://www.aarp.org/about-aarp/company/annual-reports/">AARP</a>, which advocates on behalf of people who are 50 and older. Like the NRA’s main arm, they are 501(c)(4) social welfare groups that have a national reach and name recognition, and that engage in public policy advocacy.</p>
<p>The ACLU – although its budget is only a third of the NRA’s – had unrestricted net assets worth $140.2 million when 2017 came to a close, according to its <a href="https://www.aclu.org/finances">tax form</a>. And the AARP – whose annual budget is nearly five times that of the NRA – finished with a balance over <a href="https://www.aarp.org/about-aarp/company/annual-reports/">$1.3 billion</a>.</p>
<p>The NRA’s circumstances <a href="http://skoll.org/2018/03/19/how-we-assess-an-organizations-financial-health-a-step-by-step-guide-to-decoding-the-numbers/">stand out</a> by comparison not just with its peers but with all nonprofits. <a href="https://www.irs.gov/statistics/soi-tax-stats-annual-extract-of-tax-exempt-organization-financial-data">IRS data</a>, including for fledgling startups, indicate fewer than 7 percent of American nonprofits ended 2017 with a negative balance.</p>
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<h2>How it happened</h2>
<p>Despite years of thin finances, 2017’s negative $31.8 million balance in unrestricted net assets is notable as the organization’s 10-year low.</p>
<p>Given the growing push for gun control measures on the heels of more frequent and more deadly mass shootings, you might guess that <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-greenwald/nra-convention-dwindling_b_10107208.html">declining membership</a> dues could be to blame. But that’s not the full story.</p>
<p>The NRA does not release <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2018/02/26/nobody-knows-how-many-members-the-nra-has-but-its-tax-returns-offer-some-clues/">membership data</a>. But it does by law have to make its cash flow a matter of public record. The group’s revenue has grown, but by about 0.7 percent a year over the past decade, not enough to <a href="https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CUUR0000SA0L1E?output_view=pct_12mths">keep up with annual inflation</a>, which ranged between 1 and 2.3 percent over the past 10 years.</p>
<p>As a result, it looks like the organization got into this bind by spending beyond its means. Despite this relatively stagnant income, <a href="https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/530116130">NRA expenditures</a> have been growing by an average of 6.4 percent a year, maxing out at $412.7 million in 2016.</p>
<p>And all nonprofits, just like families and companies, run into trouble when they fail to live within their means.</p>
<h2>No imminent demise</h2>
<p>The financial struggles have even led the organization itself to warn that it could <a href="https://nypost.com/2018/08/03/nra-says-its-broke-and-on-the-verge-of-collapse/">possibly collapse</a> in court filings.</p>
<p>Despite this drama, however, the organization has a robust <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/nobody-knows-how-many-members-the-nra-has-but-its-tax-returns-offer-some-clues/">revenue stream</a> due to a large member base, loyal contributors and the <a href="http://www.nrapublications.org/media/1535172/rate_cards_magazines.pdf">revenue it still gets from ads</a> that run in its print publications and commercials that air on its video channel, <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-nras-video-channel-is-a-hotbed-of-online-hostility-92477">NRA TV</a> – even amid a <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-is-the-nra-boycott-working-so-quickly-92513">successful boycott</a> led by gun control advocates.</p>
<p>That means cutting back on spending can work wonders. Early signs, such as <a href="https://www.axios.com/2018-midterm-elections-nra-spending-d82d4b38-045c-4206-b81b-10bfb5336e80.html">reduced election spending</a> and <a href="https://www.thetrace.org/rounds/nratv-layoffs-employees-ackerman-mcqueen/">job cuts</a>, indicate such parsimony is getting underway.</p>
<p>Though it owes more money to others than it has freely available to pay them back, the NRA isn’t in immediate danger.</p>
<p>Much of what the NRA owes won’t come due for a while. Its two prominent liabilities are services it <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/nra-donors-respond-to-imminent-threat-but-long-term-finances-are-shaky-2018-03-29">owes to members</a> who have prepaid their dues for multiple years and what it owes its <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/nra-donors-respond-to-imminent-threat-but-long-term-finances-are-shaky-2018-03-29">retirees</a> – its pension fund is <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4823792-NRA-Audit-FY-2017.html">underfunded</a> by $49.7 million.</p>
<h2>Getting out of trouble</h2>
<p>Despite signs of a more frugal path forward, there are three reasons why the NRA’s financial situation could get worse instead of better.</p>
<p>1) It relies heavily on telemarketers</p>
<p>The use of for-profit telemarketing and donation processing companies to solicit from supporters is often an <a href="https://theconversation.com/when-charities-let-telemarketers-gouge-donors-89426">ineffective way</a> for nonprofits to raise money.</p>
<p>But the NRA is a <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-nra-is-being-sued-over-its-relentless-telemarketing-campaigns">big fan of these contractors</a>. It reportedly paid one company, Akron-based Infocision $24.3 million in 2017 in exchange for telemarketing and donation processing services. Infocision is <a href="https://publicintegrity.org/federal-politics/high-profile-charities-distance-themselves-from-telemarketer-following-federal-allegations/">no stranger to controversy</a> itself – the company agreed to pay a $250,000 settlement in January 2018 after a federal agency accused it of lying to donors, although it said it did nothing wrong. </p>
<p>The NRA has become so fixated on bringing in new members that its Infocision contracts permit the company to <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/nra-donors-respond-to-imminent-threat-but-long-term-finances-are-shaky-2018-03-29">keep 100 percent</a> of credit card payments collected from new and lapsed members. As a result, increasing its membership may no longer boost the NRA’s bottom line, at least not right away since some of their new members’ initial dues will not make it to their coffers.</p>
<p>2) It borrows money from the NRA Foundation</p>
<p>The <a href="https://theconversation.com/is-the-nra-an-educational-organization-a-lobby-group-a-nonprofit-a-media-outlet-yes-92806">NRA is a 501(c)(4) membership organization</a> but is also closely affiliated with a political action committee and several public charities. The affiliated charities, including the <a href="https://www.nrafoundation.org/">NRA Foundation</a>, don’t face the financial issues that the NRA itself does.</p>
<p>Charity spending rules preclude the affiliated charities from just giving money to the NRA to shore up its funds. But, if the NRA runs out of options for cash, it can borrow from its affiliated foundation. This is precisely <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-11-02/nra-political-spending-drops-for-midterms-after-big-bet-on-trump">what the gun group did in 2017</a>, suggesting that outside cash options were running thin and future options for getting cash may be even thinner.</p>
<p>3) It needs more cash for underfunded pension obligations</p>
<p>Despite the NRA’s pension fund already being <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4823792-NRA-Audit-FY-2017.html">underfunded</a>, the organization indicated in 2017 that it had no plans to infuse it with cash that year. Instead, it promised to make a cash contribution of <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4823792-NRA-Audit-FY-2017.html">$7.8 million in 2018</a>. </p>
<p>Providing the needed support for an underfunded pension may be wise, but it will force the NRA to scrape up an extra $7.8 million of cash in a time when cash is already in short supply.</p>
<h2>Throwing away its shot?</h2>
<p>Another revenue source – fees earned from <a href="https://www.thetrace.org/rounds/nra-lockton-affinity-lawsuit-carry-guard-insurance/">insurance products</a> NRA members buy – is being threatened due to efforts by New York state to block the group from marketing <a href="https://www.claimsjournal.com/news/east/2018/05/03/284486.htm">firearm liability coverage</a>. These fees, which accounted for <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4823792-NRA-Audit-FY-2017.html">more than $14 million</a> in revenue in 2017, would be hard to replace.</p>
<p>In sum, though the NRA’s financial situation does not strike me as immediately dire based on the information available, it is far from healthy.</p>
<p>And while details about the NRA’s wobbly balance sheet are surely less salacious than <a href="http://fortune.com/2018/12/07/trump-campaign-and-nra-illegally-coordinated-during-presidential-election-watchdog-groups-say/">other news</a> about the gun group, such as <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2018/12/nra-leader-jack-abramoff-gop-operative-russian-spy-maria-butina-lobbying/">allegations and reports</a> that it may have been a conduit for Russia to <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-criminal-conspiracy-charges-against-an-alleged-russian-spy-might-mean-for-the-nra-3-questions-answered-100124">influence the Republican Party</a>, a weak financial footing may ultimately be what saps its political power.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/108582/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Brian Mittendorf does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>More often than not, the group owes more money than it has available to spend at the end of the year.Brian Mittendorf, Fisher Designated Professor of Accounting and Chair, Department of Accounting & Management Information Systems (MIS), The Ohio State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.