The top 10 excuses for not supporting FOE charities (and how to answer them)

Charity activity will transform our aeries - as long as we can counter the naysayers. Here are a few suggestions:

1. “Can’t afford it – the Aerie needs money.” If we raise money for the premises and not for charity, we end up as a bar that charges dues competing with bars that do not – and expecting people to contribute for improvements that our competitors pay for out of their bar revenues. A charity event gives more people a reason to support the bar. It gives them a reason to invite others to join them. And when a charity event raises money, the bar generally takes in more money that neither the charity nor the bar would have seen otherwise. Charity makes more money for the Aerie.

2. “Our members can’t afford it.” Instead of relying only on outright contributions and raffles, look first for ways we can together provide entertainment “bargains” for members – a lunch or dinner, entertainment or other social outing members wouldn’t have elsewhere or on their own. That by itself is an important contributor to the well-being of our community.

3. “We don’t even know where to begin.” Start by appointing Committee Chairmen for all or most of the FOE charities, even if their only role for now is to report at meetings whenever others express an interest in helping those causes. It gives people someone to go to when they have an idea. No Eagles Club in Ontario is large enough to become large donors to every FOE Charity Foundation charity, and some of those Committee Chairmen will only report that there’s no activity so far.

The FOE Charity Foundation logo is not free clip art people can slap onto posters for whatever fundraisers they like. It's meant to be used to show that your event is part of the very special effort that has helped Eagles raise well over $100 million so far – all of which aids research and treatment.

4. “We don’t have the money for expenses.” Start with small things that don’t cost much. The money raised will be in the Aerie Charity Fund if needed for investments in bigger events. You’ll know from the success of your smaller events and the volunteers they attract if you’re ready for a big event. If not, just keep on with the smaller activities until the opportunity does arise. Ten $50 events is the same revenue as a single $500 event, often at less total cost.

5. “People don’t want to be hounded for money all the time.” Raffles and 50-50 draws have their places, but they shouldn’t be relied upon for most fundraising dollars. With social events for charity, people with limited means should be able to have just as much fun as those with more money who choose to participate in extras like raffles. The event that turns a modest profit for the charity will also generate a big increase in bar revenues.

6. “We need to focus on increasing membership first.” New members come from sponsors who are current members. Our members need something to feel proud of, something to brag about to their friends and relatives who aren’t Eagles now. A member working for the Diabetes Fund now has a reason to bring in as a new member that diabetic cousin or nephew who otherwise wouldn’t be attracted to the Eagles, to help out in a cause that’s important to him. Relying on cheap bar prices only attracts cheap drinkers, discouraging others who want something more meaningful for their leisure time.

7. “We don’t have the volunteers for a big event.” Nothing succeeds like success. Start with a small fundraiser that needs two or three people to make it work. That makes people aware of the charity and generates the seed money to do something a little bigger next time. Now that others have seen exactly what’s involved, it’s easier to get more volunteers for the next time.

8. “We support the big charities.” The big charities are so well known because they keep so much of your donations for administrative expenses and salaries, advertising and promotion and “awareness
programs”. The small portion that’s left for research could be going anywhere. You as the donor have no say in who gets it. The Fraternal Order of Eagles Charity Foundation already has a structure, the Grand and Provincial Aeries, which we already pay for through our membership dues: no administrative rake-off.

9. “Charity begins at home – we should help local causes here in town.” Indeed we should. Only the Fraternal Order of Eagles Charity Foundation lets a Local Aerie “earmark” funds it raises to meet a local need – and then allows the Provincial Aerie to “top up” that money to produce a larger grant than would have been possible otherwise. Donations made locally might produce a thank-you letter that will gather dust on an Aerie bulletin board. But a grant from the FOE might make our aerie the largest single contributor to a local support group or treatment center.

10. “We don’t get any recognition for sending money to the Grand Aerie.” We don’t “give” the money we raise to the Grand Aerie. The Grand Aerie holds those funds in trust, and for the most part returns it to the Province or State it came from. Our money is spent on grants in our communities. We can’t count on that from other charity fundraising organizations. The only exceptions are funds used for large grants at our annual Conventions that significantly raise awareness of the Fraternal Order of Eagles, and small grants provided to new Local Aeries to kick-start public appreciation of the Eagles in new communities.