What to Expect

 People need a reality check when dealing with nonprofits.  Not all nonprofits are the same.  This is based solely on my years of experience and disappointment with some and gratitude for others.  

Letting a nonprofit display your artwork in their gallery is an iffy situation at best.  At worst you will never see your artwork or share of the sale price.  If you are lucky a volunteer decided they did not like you art work and picks it apart so that it cannot be made salable or usable again, but you get the pieces back in a bag.  I have had friends art work stolen.  I suspect that art work on display that is not returned or paid for is stolen and there is nothing that can be done.  Sometimes volunteers feel entitled to “free” things for the time spent volunteering. Maybe an employee needs a quick gift and your piece is just what they need, no big deal they can get the key it’s just on display and nobody will notice. My art work most likely disappeared this way.  There is the blame game and it was always someone else’s responsibility.  

You won a raffle prize but did not stay to the end to collect it.  They tell you what prizes you won on the phone and you can pick it up next week.  When you arrive they bring a hodgepodge of things leftover from various raffle baskets, but not what you won.  They explain that there was a feeding frenzy by the volunteers around the raffle table, but that they were not in charge of that area.  They try to explain that this is what you won.  Those that know me know that I don’t do big baskets of carbs.  Yes, I was told I bid on a big basket of carbs.  The volunteers feel that since you were not there and only contributed to the fundraiser that they were working, that they deserved what you won.  On this I call bull pucky.  I will make a note never to go to a fundraiser for that non profit organization again. They allowed the volunteers to screw both the donors and the patrons. I know you can’t control every aspect of the fundraiser, but really scraping together odds and ends when someone was told that they won a print and a nice ceramic bowl is really tacky.  I really wish that if that is what they let their volunteers do, don’t bother calling me to let me know.  Then there is a local charity that pushed non members to buy raffle tickets and then people were told no refunds and if you do not join our organization right now, if your name is drawn you will not get the prize.  All together now, can we say fraud. 

I do like the organizations that say thank you. You made a difference.  A simple thank you says volumes.

Just be careful with your work products.  If you spend money on raffle tickets don’t expect to get anything at all even if you were told you won.  Remember that helping the community is what you are doing, but you don’t need to repeat the same mistake.  There are plenty of good causes out there. 

I volunteer and make donations to make my community better. If you think you are entitled to more than a thank you, then maybe volunteer work is not for you.