JOSEPH TOUR CAST NOT ALLOWED TO COLLECT $$ FOR BC/EFA- Page 2

[nycdncr]

Posted: 10/11/04 at 10:36pm

I think you all are missing the point. Giving to BC/EFA is not required....people are not hounded....a simple curtain speech is made and the cast members stand in the lobby with buckets to collect spare change or bills that people *want to give*. People have to right to give or not to give. I feel that we were not granted the right to collect. That's why we are soooo upset.

Whatever....it's done. We're in Des Moines now and set to collect tomorrow night.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 10/11/04 at 10:42pm

BC/EFA is not the best place to send your money. They get a one out of four stars at CharityNavigator.com. There are other AIDS organizations that will make much better use of your dollar. Do your research, then decide. Don't make your decision based on peer pressure.

I'm sure this will be a very unpopular position to take. Before you all flame me, please realize that I produced one of the very first Equity Fights AIDS benefits about 15 years ago. Every single dollar that came in went straight to them. We got every single thing donated, from the venue to the pretzels on the table. What they did with the money we gave them was their choice.

These days, I give to organizations that are more efficient with my money. Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation is one of them. I'm not telling you not to give to BC/EFA. I'm telling you to get all the facts before you decide where your money goes.

Updated On: 10/11/04 at 10:42 PM

[Yawper]

Posted: 10/11/04 at 10:44pm

I think the higher ups at BCEFA would agree with me when I say that the opportunity to collect is an extreme privilege, not a right, and should be viewed as such.

[nycdncr]

Posted: 10/12/04 at 9:24am

Well...here's hoping the 'privilege' to collect is granted to us here in Des Moines.

[WayWicked]

Posted: 10/12/04 at 1:42pm

Perhaps NYCdancer, you could tell us why such a large portion of the money raised goes to administration costs rather than people who need it? One out of four stars is not good for a charity.

[nycdncr]

Posted: 10/12/04 at 2:02pm

Maybe you could direct that question to BC/EFA.

Broadway Cares does a great deal of good. Any amount of money raised for HIV and AIDS research and care is good in my opinion.

I just received a nice letter from Tom Viola at BC/EFA thanking me for bringing the situation in Detroit to his attention.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 10/12/04 at 2:08pm

Tom Viola is a wonderful man. Doesn't negate the fact that their monies aren't used as efficiently as a lot of other organizations.

[nycdncr]

Posted: 10/12/04 at 2:12pm

But....they still do a lot of good work, no?

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 10/12/04 at 2:22pm

They do. And I'm not saying your complaint isn't valid. However, I think the Broadway community's VERY aggressive fundraising tactics, while extraordinarily effective, blind many people - performers and theatergoers alike - to the fact that BC/EFA is not an efficient organization where it counts. There are other organizations that people don't bother to consider because they see all the glitz and the glam and the fun.

Updated On: 10/12/04 at 02:22 PM

[ckeaton]

Posted: 10/12/04 at 2:25pm

Yes, but do other charities offer you such wonderful incentives in return? I wonder if that is partially responsible for the high overhead? Do they have to supplement the cost of the posters, cookbooks, etc?

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 10/12/04 at 2:26pm

Why do you need incentive to give to a cause you believe in? That is your reasoning for choosing a charity?

[Unknown User]

Posted: 10/12/04 at 2:45pm

At leas BC/EFA isn't part of Palotta TeamWorks. Now there is a messed up company. And to think I rode in two of the bike rides and raised all this money. I was floored to hear how horribly managed and how greedy the bastard was. Shame on HIM!

[Yawper]

Posted: 10/12/04 at 2:46pm

Another things that's always made me a bit uncomfortable is seeing how much cash gets put into the buckets, with no way of knowing or insuring what actually makes it back to BC/EFA.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 10/12/04 at 2:49pm

Well I guess that is what faith is all about. If someone from a show is dipping into the cash fund then we have a serious problem. And that is between them and the gods. I mean come on... if someone stole from a charity they should be burned at the stake (oh.. just like palotta did...)

[nycdncr]

Posted: 10/12/04 at 2:51pm

Yawper....c'mon. Do you honestly think people would pocket that money? You need to have a little more faith in the human race.

[Yawper]

Posted: 10/12/04 at 3:49pm

When there is that much uncontrolled cash around that many loosely supervised people, I know there are *some* who will give in to temptation. And from business experience I know that as someone gains confidence that their behavior is unnoticed or is acceptable among their immediate peers, they always gradually increase their 'service fee', 'raise due but ungiven', or whatever justification they use.

[nycdncr]

Posted: 10/12/04 at 3:53pm

i think the people you describe would fit in the rare minority.

[ckeaton]

Posted: 10/12/04 at 4:54pm

Rath, if you are making the assumption that I "need" incentive to donate money to a charity, that's just incredibly off base and completely unwarranted.

I was merely asking/pointing out that the overhead might be more because just about all of BC/EFA's curtain speech schtick is, if you give us "this"... we'll give you "that". And we all know that "that" is not free.

My saying that the "incentives" are wonderful is a fact. People all over the country take home a piece of the night. I always give money to the BC/EFA lobby appeals. Do the window cards, etc. increase my donation? Of course. I'd be remiss if I didn't admit that my $5 has become $50 many times, to the benefit of my office wall and those who recieve BC/EFA redistributions.

Chill out.

[Mr. Tuttle]

Posted: 10/12/04 at 4:58pm

It's interesting that other charities are able to have a lower over head than BC. While this does not neagate the fact that they do some credible work, the fact is that they are not managing their money as well as they should. And when you waste money on administration costs, that could be money going to help people.

[nycdncr]

Posted: 10/13/04 at 2:33am

we raised hundreds of dollars tonight in des moines!!!!!

[nycdncr]

Posted: 10/14/04 at 12:30am

tuesday night we raised $2315!!111