Chinese auctions, what do you think?

amother

Aubergine

Sun, Mar 05 2017, 8:16 am

There is something kind of "lo lishma" in buying tickets for a Chinese auction.
I was always against it, as in I would say "if I want to give money to a worthy cause, I'll give it anyway, but not because I think I may win a prize."
This was all until my DD's friend came by with a Chinese auction brochure, asking us if we want to buy tickets. My kids opened up their wallets, and bought tickets (for cameras, bikes, books, clothes shops, etc), I didn't let them give more than 30 shekels each, because I didn't want them to be disappointed by not winning anything.
I even found myself buying a couple of raffle tickets.
But I keep thinking, if the money that's collected is meant to be going to needy families, I'll just feel guilty using my prize (if I win).
I think I'd end up donating my prize to a needy person in the end.
Because what worth is my 30 shekels donation, if I win a prize worth 500 shekels?
I can't decide if it's a valid way of collecting money.

On the one hand, the proof is in the pudding, I'm sure thousands times more money is being collected because of the chance of winning a prize. Just look at my family alone, if this girl would have just been collecting money for the poor, I may have given her 10 shekels. But with the raffle tickets, she got about 120 shekels.

On the other hand, it's not 'tzedaka' lishma.

What do you think?

Sun, Mar 05 2017, 8:50 am

Very often, prizes are sponsored.
And the sponsor knows, or hopes, that the prize he's donating will make the institution more money than just giving that amount straight out.

In other words, using your 500 shekel example.... if 100 people give 30 shekel in the hopes of winning a 500 shekel prize, the institution just got 2500 shekel more than the actual donation.

One thing for sure: if it wasn't worth the institution's while, they wouldn't be doing it.

amother

Pumpkin

Sun, Mar 05 2017, 9:15 am

even though the proceeds to a good cause - it looks like gambling to me, and not something that I'd want my kids to participate in at a young age. I'm not sure how I'd handle a situation of a child came to my house to sell tickets... that a tough one.

amother

Violet

Sun, Mar 05 2017, 9:25 am

In general, I do not participate in auctions. I donate to the cause and decline the tickets. I want to give for the sake of giving, not because I might get something back in return. If kids come to my door, I give them the amount of a raffle ticket and decline the ticket and explain my reasoning. I want to teach my child to give because we are able to, want to and should- not to get something back.
We should give to give, not to get.

Along the same lines, I really dislike the kids' collecting campaigns where they receive a prize for the amounts collected. With all the incentives and prizes, I am scared my kids won't learn to give without getting anything in return.

On the other hand I am aware that prizes and incentives are tremendous fund raising options for the organizations, so I understand that point of view.....

amother

Red

Sun, Mar 05 2017, 10:08 am

I don't know how it works in Israel. But here in NY all prizes are donated. My mother (her business) donates to a few auctions every year. For her it's worth it because it's a tax write off and it's also great advertisement at the same time. And someone gets to win a prize. It's a win win situation!

She prob wouldn't give that much to the organizations if they didn't have an auction. (Its a service based business so the prize is worth is more than she can afford to actually give in cash).

zaq

Sun, Mar 05 2017, 10:16 am

I hear you and raise you one. For the kids collecting I don't object to the prizes; I object to forcing the kids to collect, which imho is pure exploitation of child labor. Some kids love it, and are good at it, and these are the future CEOs of America. If they want to gezunteh heit. Why shouldn't they get prizes for working so hard? Meshulachim get a portion of the take, after all, and that amounts to a lot more than the cheapie prizes.

But for the kids for whom this is sheer hell, this is nothing short of cruelty. There are other ways to teach them community responsibility and gemilut chassadim.

As to the auctions and raffles, wouldn't it be a wonderful world if everyone gave to the best of his ability without needing outside incentives? I think the proliferation of these campaigns tells us more about the givers than about the organizations. Once one org started this madness all the others had to follow suit lest all the tzedaka money get siphoned off to the org offering the best incentives.

I'm also offended by the sheer stunning materialism of many of the prizes offered. Sure there are a few that appeal to a more spiritual side--one clever org. includes the mitzvah itself as one choice--but for the most part they appeal to an unbecoming taste for luxury that makes something of a mockery of the mitzvah. So, like you, I send my check without entering the drawing. If the KBH wants me to acquire a mink coat or $5000 worth of diamonds, He'll find another way to make that happen.

amother

Pearl

Sun, Mar 05 2017, 11:03 am

I feel bad that you are probably on a tight budget as you are living in a country that is not your hometown. And it was hard to say no to such temptation.
I say like this about myself. Every second organization has a Chinese auction I am not donating to every single one. I do belong to a certain Chasidus so obviously they will go first and even before that, my family comes first.
Organizations that my family had to come onto will probably see my money faster.
Hatzolah a year that we did not donate to them, we used them unfortunately.
I have to say we have seen fraud from people -saying that they are collecting for so and so and meanwhile it was for themselves and were not talking about poor people. We are talking about millionaires.
The companies that advertise the most are something I stay away from.
I had a story myself. I was single at the time so a place was advertising a minyan at amuka will daven for you on this and this date. I called om *67 to block my number. A guy calls me back from that organization and I asked him so whats the story with amuka? Do you actually send down a minyan? He said in amuka I have one guy go down once a month for say $250.
What?!?!?!?!? For another few more dollars I can go to amuka myself. This man is advertising one thing and doing nothing. Enough said.

amother

Lawngreen

Sun, Mar 05 2017, 11:22 am

serious question-do pple calculate maaser?we give a set amount of money, if it goes one place then it doesn't go another. Are people saying that the organizations who do chinese auctions end up being where people give maaser or do most people just give however much they want wherever they want so they will end up giving more total if there are chinese auctions?