Authors and Charities—Is It Win-Win?

By Linda Lovely

Let me begin by saying I admire the many authors who generously donate time and potential profits to raise funds and awareness for their favorite charities. They do so by arranging for charities to sell their books and pocket the profits, by forgoing speaking fees to headline charity lunches and dinners, by spending countless hours organizing charity auctions.

In most cases, the partnership offers a win-win for charities and authors. The charities pocket money they might not otherwise receive, get free publicity, and have an opportunity to expand their donor base. Authors gain name recognition and, hopefully, fans, who will become dedicated readers of current and future books.

Earlier this month fellow RTG blogger, Marcia King-Gamble, suggested folks consider charitable efficiency when making donation decisions. She noted, for example, that the Red Cross spends 92.1% of its income on programs that benefit the community with administrative expenses representing less than 5% of total overhead.

That prompted me to consider at what point author-charity partnerships might become more advantageous to authors than charities. Let’s look at a hypothetical charitable event where an author will sell books. The nonprofit provides lots of free promotion in exchange for the author donating a “portion” of the profits.

The Iowa Great Lakes Maritime Museum

sells NO WAKE ZONE and keeps all profits--.

about $8 per book. We had a signing &

books are sold in the museum gift shop.

In this instance, shouldn’t the people who are urged to buy books to support the charity know the split? If the book retails for $16, how many dollars will the charity pocket versus the author? Let’s say the actual book costs $8, leaving $8 profit. If the author donates only a quarter of the profits, the charity is asking donors to spend $16 (on something they might not otherwise want or buy) in order to reap $2. This isn’t a terribly efficient way to raise money. However, it’s definitely a win for the author who gets all the benefits—promotion, sales, income.

As an author, I can argue this is no different than all the other businesses that donate a “portion” of profits on specific products to charities. When I buy from one online retailer, I’m told the charity I identified as my recipient will get a piece of the action. While I’m sure that “piece” is very, very small, I signed up because I’d make the purchase anyway, and my favorite charity might as well benefit.

So, fellow authors and nonprofit organizers, I’d love to hear what you think. If you’re involved in such an event, should you let your audience know what the various parties will gain?

So far, I’ve been involved as an author with two fundraising initiatives. In one case, I spoke at a luncheon. I received nothing for speaking and the nonprofit made its money from its sale of luncheon tickets. I benefited from the publicity and from a post-luncheon book-signing handled by a local bookstore. However, book purchases were entirely voluntary for attendees.

In the second instance, I provided signed paperback copies of one of my mysteries at cost to a nonprofit that’s near and dear to me. The nonprofit didn’t front a penny. It pocketed ALL profits as it made sales, and it reimbursed me for actual book costs after the fact.

So let’s hear your opinions. What model should authors and charities adopt for fundraising? Should charitable donations per sale of a book or the percentage of charitable proceeds from a luncheon or dinner be made public?

Helping Kids Through Research by Lynn Lovegreen

This month is Charity Month at RTG, when we highlight worthy charities. Today, I’ll tell you about  the Children’s Tumor Foundation.

I became aware of this group when my nephew and his wife participated in Cupid’s Undie Run (cupidsundierun.com), a charity which supports the Children¹s Tumor Foundation (ctf.org). Both have as their sole focus NF, or neurofibromatosis.

Neurofibromatosis encompasses a set of distinct genetic disorders that cause tumors to grow along various types of nerves and, in addition, can affect the development of non-nervous tissues such as bones and skin. Neurofibromatosis causes tumors to grow anywhere on or in the body. (Alan and Rory’s son Henry has type 1 NF.) 

Founded in 1978, the Children’s Tumor Foundation (CTF) began as the first grassroots organization solely dedicated to the goal of finding treatments for NF. Today, CTF is a highly recognized national nonprofit foundation, the leading force in the fight to end NF, and a model for other innovative research endeavors.

If you are untested in supporting CTF, go to their website and learn more about them and their fundraisers. Many families, including ours, thank you.

Lynn Lovegreen grew up in Alaska, and still lives there. Her young adult/new adult historical romances are set in the Alaska Gold Rush, a great time for drama, romance, and independent characters. See her website at www.lynnlovegreen.com.

Giving Is Caring...But Do It Wisely by Kristin Wallace

This month’s theme is focusing on our favorite charities. Giving back to your community or helping a cause you support can be as rewarding for you as it is for those who receive the help. There are so many worthy organizations that it can sometimes be hard to know which ones are legitimate. Even the legitimate ones don’t always end up dispersing funds the way they should. Many spend more money on “administrative” costs than they do the people they’re supposed to be helping. They might spend so much time fundraising that the true cause becomes obscured. Recently, Wounded Warriors came under fire for the way the organization spent money. That was a big, well-known charity, which can make people wary of giving.

So how can you know which charities are spending money the right way?

Tips:

1. Do some investigation - One good place to check is Charity Navigator.  This entity looks at IRS forms to see how much of the donations are going to executive compensation, as well as other program costs. The site also gives ratings based on transparency when it comes to spending.

2. Try to find organizations that spend 75% or more of donations on their stated mission.

3. Look at local charities in your community. Sometimes you can see the results of your giving in an immediate way, such as when you donate to a local food bank. You might also choose to sit on the board or volunteer in some other way.

Here are some other articles that might give you insight before you donate.

Money Smart - How To Find Charities That Spend Money Wisely

Love to Know - What Percentage of Donations Go to Charity

Consumer Reports - Best and Worst Charities For Your Donations

I hope this gives you some good tips on how to choose the organization for your charitable giving.

Kristin Wallace is the USA Today Best Selling Author of inspirational and contemporary romance, and women’s fiction filled with “Love, Laughter and a Leap of Faith”. Her latest release is COMING HOME TO PARADISE…

About the book:

Thirty years ago, desperation drove Elizabeth McCarthy to do the unthinkable when she abandoned her infant daughter, Layla, to the care of her mother. Now, after years of trying to outrun the memories and the guilt, Beth has come home to Shellwater Key to make amends. She has survived deadbeat relationships, becoming a single mother, and cancer, but now faces the most difficult battle of her life…finding a way to connect with the legendary mother she was never able to please…and earning the forgiveness of the daughter who has every reason to hate her. She might even have a chance to find the missing piece of her heart when Layla’s father arrives in town looking for answers.

Coming Home To Paradise is a powerful story of a woman who never felt like she was enough, despite being physically beautiful. It’s the story of a woman who has been broken by life, and by illness, and who now only wants to make things right. A story about discovering that it’s never too late to find true love…or more accurately…find the true love that slipped away.

For info visit Kristin’s website at: Kristin Wallace Author 

Where the Heart Is

Hi everyone! I am YA author B A Binns , writer of contemporary and realistic fiction for teens. My tagline tells you what I am about - Stories of Real Boys Growing Into Real Men - and the people who love them. 

This month the topic is charity and giving.

We dream about people who are totally altruistic, but the reality is that all too often, charity begins at home, and then stays there. Fortunately, we don't all have the same definition of home. For me, home really is where my heart is. When I give, it's because my heart is involved.

When I was a child I was the picture of real altruism. Or maybe I was just tired of having to eat everything on my plate because my mother always recited the plight of the starving children on the other side of the world. I began sending my allowance to CARE (http://www.care.org/) at an early age. My motive may have been suspect, but I felt good that even my small amounts were helping some unknown kid on the other side of the ocean get their own plate to clear.

During my childhood, my family spent a time being homeless. Today I donate both money and volunteer time to Journey From Pads to Hope, http://www.journeystheroadhome.org/landing/ an organization that provides services to the homeless and those at risk of becoming homeless in suburban Cook County. My church is part of a network providing shelter to homeless men and women one night a week during the fall and winter, and I have volunteered to help serve food and care for participants.

My daughter was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at fourteen. As a result, I discovered a kinship with other parents dealing in similar situations. For me, giving to organizations that help families dealing with this almost invisible crisis ranks up there with giving at home.

These days I find that my giving journey has moved in a giant circle. When I was in my twenties I gave to Alzheimer’s organizations. I worried about the possibility of facing that problem in my own future and wanted to give money for research. Now that I’m getting older, I find I’m at the other end of the giving spectrum. My primary charities involve giving to help families of children who have birth defects.

And, I am proud to say that my daughter has begun on her own charity course. She was involved in several church sponsored crop walks to fight hunger during her teen years. And this even though I was careful to never force her to clear her plate or call on the ghosts of starving children across the globe. She figured out the need for herself.


My giving involves more than just money. Being retired means I have time, and having time means I can volunteer. Right now I have volunteered to be a mentor to a young summer intern in the publishing industry. (I think I have her believing my input is valuable!!) Mostly it about giving her business advice, a subject my years as a manager have taught me well.

I also give time to children's literature. I don't just write, I give my time and knowledge to to teachers, libraries, and librarians across the country where I talk with professionals about ways to reach out to young reluctant readers and start them on the paths of reading, a path that will enhance their future.

 I am also giving time to and whatever expertise I possess to WeNeedDiverseBooks (http://weneeddiversebooks.tumblr.com/), a group working to increase the number, variety, and quality of books featuring diverse characters, locations and situations. One of my current roles involves helping with the group's first diversity festival. This festival is scheduled for July 2016 and will occur near DC. My role is to organize workshops, demonstrations and other activities for child and teen attendees. A year seems like a long time, but it's an entire conference so I need to finish this and get back into volunteer mode, picking speakers and performers for the big day.

You see, charity may begin at home, but HOME is as much the concepts I care about as it is my physical location. Yes, we must take care of ourselves and our families. But sometimes home includes people whose problems and suffering mirror our own. I don’t give to random charities, not even when they give me the spiel about the needy people. But I have suffered problems in my life, and I find my heart opening when the charity involves a pain I know something about.

Make a difference - Give where it's meaningful!

 By: Marcia King-Gamble

www.lovemarcia.com

Every time I open my mailbox I’m flooded with solicitations urging me to give, give and give! One story is more heartbreaking than the other. I’ve learned about diseases in countries I can barely pronounce.

But with the controversy surrounding charities, it’s smart to pick and choose.

I’ve had experience with one such questionable charity while researching my book, Just You.

In doing my research, I found a story similar to the one I was writing. A young woman had been diagnosed with lymphoma, undergone a stem cell transplant, and had complications resulting in her untimely death. As a result, her father, a well-known scientist had set up a foundation in her name. He took my call and seemed pleased that we could collaborate together. He would answer questions (i.e. help me in my research,) and in exchange, I would promote his daughter’s website while promoting my book.  It sounded like a win-win to me. We’d each gain something. We spoke many times and then he fell off the face of the earth. No return calls, nada!

My book went on to be sold several times, but never published. I updated it and decided to check out the foundation’s website and see what was new. Lo and behold the site no longer existed. This of course prompted me to investigate. What I discovered sickened me. This man had used his child’s death to defraud many people. One former employee quoted him as referring to the people he allegedly wanted to help, as “cash cows.” 


The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, says it’s not those with money that give the most. It’s actually average Joe - people making less than $50,000 a year that donate  roughly about 4% of their income to charity, while those earning more than $100,000 give about 2%. 

Isn’t this even more reason to ensure your money goes to the right place? 

Since allegedly, there are plenty of bogus charities or even wasteful and ineffective ones, why not research and make sure your hard-earned dollars are well spent. 

So how do you pick wisely?

Research your cause.  Charities are a business and businesses have agendas. 

Don’t donate the moment you get that call. There’s always the chance you’ll give money to an organization that isn’t a charity at all, or one where most of the proceeds go to the friendly voice on the phone - a professional fundraiser. 

Any legitimate charity should have a working phone number and a verifiable mailing address. Ask some basic questions of a live person. For example, what is that charity’s purpose? What are their short-term and long-term goals?

The organization you’re interested in should be upfront about how donated money is spent. Don’t be afraid to ask what percentage of your dollar goes towards the actual services versus how much is spent on administration or fundraising. Did you know some keep anywhere from 25 to 95 cents of every dollar collected? 

The American Institute of Philanthropy (AIP), a watchdog for charities, recommends supporting a charity in which at least 60% of your donation goes to the charity and not to administrative or fund raising efforts. 

CharityWatch.org, says that a top-rated charity is one that spends 75% or more of its budgets on programs and $25 or less to raise $100 in public support. There should be an “open-book” status for disclosure of basic financial information and documents to AIP. 

The annual Forbes list of the country’s 200 largest charities also contains important information. This is another good source to check to see if the charity you’re interested in uses funds wisely and efficiently.

Another good source is the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance. This site evaluates a surprising number of small national charities. Individual BBB offices can also provide information about local nonprofits. 

Review a charity’s privacy policy. Make sure that your name and personal information is not handed off to the highest bidder. Some charities sell or trade names and e-mail lists with other nonprofits, as well as list brokers, mailing houses and telemarketers.

Choose a small cause that’s important to you. Read your local paper and determine who needs help right now. A small amount of money can make a significant difference in someone’s life. You can also make small regular donations throughout the year. By getting personally involved in your cause, you will know how your dollars are being spent.

A couple of my favorites are listed below:

 Khamoni’s mother was afraid her disease wasn’t survivable, but St. Jude has increased the survival rates for Khamoni’s type of leukemia to 94 percent today.

St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital - http://bit.ly/1IptGMx
Relay for Life (raises money for cancer research) http://bit.ly/1G6EWg4
Women in Distress http://bit.ly/1HWpTUl


Marcia King-Gamble is a Caribbean American author. She's been published since 1998 by Kensington, BET, St. Martin's Press and  Harlquin. Find her on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Apple. Recently she joined the Indie World.