Forum Moderators: phranque
I don't make money on this site yet, however it is very possble to do to (through affiliate programs and adsense).
The topic sounds very altrustic, however upon getting really deep into the topic I am seeing hints that there is quite a lot of business behind this topic, people making VERY good livings and sometimes not even forwarding the products to the third world (selling them and donating a portion of the profits to the third world).
They are not doing anything illegal, but perhaps immoral and certainly misleading. Not ALL the organizations are doing this, but quite a few, certainly the ones that have the cash to pay for advertising.
Sometimes people discover this "truth" and email me, but I never have the heart to reply, why? Because on some point I agree with them, I'd never donate anything through these guys.
So I am in a ethical dilemna, do I work on the site and play the igorant card while I'm promoting something I don't completely agree with. Or do I stop working on the site and throw in the towel (even though saying you work on a site that supports donating products overseas SOUNDS AMAZING on the surface)
However, I'd first write down a "charter", which can be published on your site and which indicates exactly what you do and where your limits are. There is a large element of trust when it comes to philanthropy, and you need to build that trust into your site as an integral part.
I'm not suggesting badmouthing other sites/companies which work in this field, but never have dealings with, run advertisements for, etc. any association, company or other entity which you do not feel meets the minimum standards set out in your charter.
Trust comes from clarity, openness and good organization. Work on those aspects and tread carefully. Charities are big business, and unfortunately, some of the darker side of big business ethics have filtered through to affect entities working in this field.
There is always going to be a conflict between what your advertisers want known, and what your audience wants to know, no matter what subject you cover.
Actually it's not "perhaps immoral" as you wrote, it's immoral. Don't do anything that you feel uncomfortable with even if you gain from it, it will come back and stab you in the back anyway.
Hope it works out!
Instead being a site that is a guide to donating products to third world countries by promoting the organizations.
It is going to be shifted into a site that is an INDEPENDENT guide by showing which organizations are good and which are bad. This way I can still promote good organizations, but I can make an even greater difference by directing people towards good organizations and away from bad organizations.
Continuing to pretend that you have this site which is a guide to donating stuff to third world countries, wouldn't the issue that you bring up really be one of the most key factors to what your guide is actually about? I.e., donating stuff to third world countries? It's not a guide to feeling good about yourself because you think you donated something to a third world country. It should be about organizations that actually 'deliver on the goods.'
This is a very big problem in charity for reasons people outline here - no one wants to be the messenger of the bad news that these people - organizations who seem really nice are actually sinking the majority of accumulated funds - or close to it - into promotional materials and running costs. However, this is very important news for people who are looking to give. The continual reluctance of some charity organizations to be accountable for their funds and actions perpetuates the cynical attitude of some who then are skeptical of giving to any organization.
Down side for a site that lives on advertising for charity causes is that the ones that spend the biggest percentage on funding campaigns are likely to be the ones with the biggest budget for promotions. However, if you stick to supporting the ones which seem to maintain responsible use of given funds, you will sleep better, and are probably also more likely to become an 'important' site within this niche.
Best of luck with your new, reinvigorated project!
an INDEPENDENT guide by showing which organizations are good and which are bad.
I agree with your choice.
But please be very careful when showing "which are bad". Document (not just hearsay) and be explicit in your reasoning. Some very big charities have been known to be very upset, litigious, and a public relations nightmare when their faults are exposed.
Having the human resources of a world class ethics prof (and perhaps a law prof as well?) available may be what is needed to set out a site framework/guideline for how to best grade and document the organisations behaviour.
You'll be amazed what a twenty minute spot on a national news show will do for you new site's traffic.
You'll be amazed what a twenty minute spot on a national news show will do for you new site's traffic.
talking about morals =)
get into the real world ... the big charities/not for profits whatever you want to call them, are big businesses, with co-orporate structure. directors, fundraisers and so forth all on decent salaries (and why not), they have offices paying rent etc,etc - believe me they all make a profit (its a question of semantics about how this is defined, but if they weren't they would be history)
there are scammers true and companies that play the old, x% of profits to charity/third world game, but most of the legit charities are not giving anything like as much money to the third world (in % of gross) as you might think either.
When it comes to charitable giving I love to know exactly where the money is going and exactly how it is being spent/invested for the greater good.
Dig for the facts. Stick to the facts. Present the facts and let the cards fall where they may.
Ask hard questions. Put them in writing and ask for a reply in writing. Let people know what questions you asked and how fuzzy the answers were. When it comes to dollars and cents don't accept fuzzy numbers. Opinions can be fuzzy. Dollars need to add up.
The "moral" thing to do is to take action to STOP THE ABUSE by bringing it to the attention of the public as my message indicated.
