Fundraising Your Own Salary

[DVCLiz]

I know two of DD21's friends have taken jobs that require them to solicit funds to cover the cost of their salary and benefits for the year. Both jobs are within the religious realm, although they are different organizations. Is this common? What are your thoughts?

 

[arminnie]

Very common for missionaries.

 

[shellybaxter]

Common for fundraisers and resource development people, as well as grant writers

 

[MiniGirl]

Also common for anyone who works for a fundraising organization. I mean portions of all money donated go to operate the organization it is donated to, right?

 

[snarlingcoyote]

Also common for some types of non-profits.

I'm up in the air over the wisdom of the various methods by which religious folks are expected to feed their families. I think, personally, it's always better when the religious organization is big enough that the money side of the organization is separate from the ministerial (as in ministering, not just the pastoring) side of things.

But in some smaller organizations, it's a fact of life that if you want to have enough filthy lucre to keep body and soul together, you have to raise your own money.

 

[themilesfamily]

I know two of DD21's friends have taken jobs that require them to solicit funds to cover the cost of their salary and benefits for the year. Both jobs are within the religious realm, although they are different organizations. Is this common? What are your thoughts?

Hmmm...it depends.

I'm aware of a mega-church in the Midwest that is "hiring" people to evangelize and spread the word about their church. They charge their "employees" thousands of dollars to take classes that they are told are required to advance into the position. They're not paid anything and are taught that it's a sin to make more than a "living wage," (i.e. what they are able to raise for themselves.)

It all sounds like a big scam to me. Just my opinion. And it sounds like they're attracting mostly young people, just out of college.

 

[emdav]

Hmmm...it depends.

I'm aware of a mega-church in the Midwest that is "hiring" people to evangelize and spread the word about their church. They charge their "employees" thousands of dollars to take classes that they are told are required to advance into the position. They're not paid anything and are taught that it's a sin to make more than a "living wage," (i.e. what they are able to raise for themselves.)

It all sounds like a big scam to me. Just my opinion. And it sounds like they're attracting mostly young people, just out of college.

And just how much are the leaders of this church making? I'm willing to bet it's more than a living wage. It sounds like a scam to me too.

 

[DVCLiz]

Hmmm...it depends.

I'm aware of a mega-church in the Midwest that is "hiring" people to evangelize and spread the word about their church. They charge their "employees" thousands of dollars to take classes that they are told are required to advance into the position. They're not paid anything and are taught that it's a sin to make more than a "living wage," (i.e. what they are able to raise for themselves.)

It all sounds like a big scam to me. Just my opinion. And it sounds like they're attracting mostly young people, just out of college.

That souns scamm-ish to me, too.

The kids I know who are doing this are involved with either Young Life international or a long-standing campus ministry program. I don't think either are scams but it must be tough to have your first job and have the first order of business be to raise your salary before you can start.

I was just glad my daughter got a regular job with a paycheck!

 

[powellrj]

Very common for missionaries.

I consider this much different than missionaries. We support several missionaries both personally and through our church, but we have gotten several letters over the past few years from people wanting us to "support" them because their job doesn't pay their salary.

I have a real problem with it. Let me back-up and say I have a problem with the ones we have gotten letters from. Not from the letter writers, but from the organizations these people work for. The organization we have gotten letters from gets payments for the service they provide, plus receive grants and money from other places throughout the year. If they were offering their service at a discount, I wouldn't have a problem with it, but they charge above average for their service, fund raise and then want us to pay their staff? Thats where I have a problem.