Sometimes I feel like a real Miser when I turn down a donation request at a public place.
It feels awful, because of all of the public attention for this decision that you’re making.
However, I think that it’s an unfair judgment because you don’t know what my motives are. Perhaps, I already donate to this charity annually in a far larger some than this measly $1 donation. Or, perhaps I prefer to donate to my cash to a different charity because it has more meaning to me personally. It’s also possible that I might be wary of every charity that comes along with their hand held out. If you didn’t know, many of them take most of your money and use it for marketing. Often times, you are dollars aren’t going where you think they are. That’s why, I always make sure to tell people that their donations truly matter when I am asking for Energy Bill Angels around Christmas time. Energy Bill Angels are people who contribute to my personal charity which provides heating and cooling equipment to families in need. In particular, I gather funding and HVAC equipment donations for local citizens who fall below a certain income threshold or have applied to be involved. Every single dollar goes to paying energy bills, purchasing emergency HVAC repair services, and funding routine maintenance appointments. Every single piece of equipment goes directly to a family who needs it. I should know, not only do I own this charity, but I’m a professional HVAC technician. I install each HVAC system myself.