A Portion of the Profits Will Be Donated to Charity
You’ve probably seen that a good number of times. A company promotes their products or services by donating a portion of the proceeds to charity.
I hate that. Here’s why…
People may see that as “corporate responsibility” or some other pseudo-intellectual nonsense. They may praise the company for taking an active role in their community, or the nation, or the world. Certainly, it is good “corporate citizenship” for businesses to “give back,” right?
Here’s what is really going on… They are taking your money and giving it to a charity of their choice. And then the company, not you whose money it was, is the one that reaps the rewards!
Think about it. Let’s say that you buy a $100 item from this company and they give $5.00 to charity. Wow. Isn’t that nice?
But, wouldn’t it be better if they charged you $95 for the item? Because, really, if they can give away $5 to charity on your purchase, they are overcharging you $5. They’re saying, we didn’t need this money to pay our employees, we didn’t need this money to invest in research and development, we didn’t need this money for business operations, we didn’t need this money for our shareholders, we didn’t need this money that we overcharged you!
Which is better? Paying $100 for an item and having $5 go to a charity of their choice, or paying $95 for an item and having that $5 left over in your pocket to do with as you please? Maybe you can give it to the charity of your choice. Maybe you could use it to pay off debt, or feed your kids. The point is that it’s your money; you should be able to do with it as you please.
Why should a company be praised for overcharging you for the products you buy so that they can give your money away to a charity you may or may not have otherwise donated to?
If a company feels it’s making too much money, why not lower prices? Why not invest it in making better products? Why not pay their employees more, maybe attracting better ones in the process?
Because, that’s not what it’s about. What it is all about is making themselves look better by being seen as “charitable.” But, it’s a trick. They are using your money to make themselves look good.
Keep your money. Make yourself look good with it if you are so inclined, but don’t fall victim to these marketing ploys. Buy from companies that make better products, provide better service or give you the best prices. Don’t buy from the ones overcharging you to make themselves look good!
Let the people keep their own money and do with it as they think best. Power to the people!
How can you write this after you shilled Pete and I- last month to donate to your crazy “don’t kill my avatar” scheme?
That wasn’t charity. That was a legitimate service being offered! I haven’t forgotten about your special viral story. Oh, no, don’t you worry about that! Just working two bloggers into one story is a bit of a challenge, but you’ll be so surprised.
This is a good post that I think deserves stumbling because I don’t think many people see it this way but they should have their eyes open when they are parting with their money. I can’t wait to read the viral story!
Thanks!