Aside from the effects of an economic downturn on our own, immediate circumstances, spare a thought for the many not-for-profit organisations that rely on our ordinary generosity and goodwill. Whether their cause is for animals, people or the planet, these various charity and community organisations are by and large at the complete mercy of the economic climate of the day. As a person who rarely says “No” to the nice lady from the Children’s Mater Hospital (Hi Christine, hope the family’s well) each month as their new raffle prize home is offered over the phone, or the almost countless others (PCYC, RSPCA and the list continues) I am now that person who cuts the call short.

Saying “No”, like anything, is a whole lot easier when you don’t have a choice.

There’s no need to listen to the spiel about the beautiful home or nice cars on offer as the outcome is the same: I can’t help this time. Before I’m taken to task on the concept that buying tickets in a raffle is not exactly a donation, I should point out that in over fifteen years of doing this I have won not a brass razoo. I know I’m not really going to be spending my summer cruising the Gold Coast in a new black Mustang Fastback (unless I buy one) so the only help I’ll be to the Surf Life Savers right now is to swim between the flags. So I politely thank the various callers for their patience and wish them a nice evening, suggesting they call back next month to see how I’m traveling.  Whether that’s optimism or confidence time will tell.

Now the world doesn’t stop just because Greg Anderson can’t spare some change, I know that. I also know that I’m not the only person in this situation and the ramifications for those organisations relying on the rest of us are huge. When a lot of people make a small contribution or effort the results can be immense. The opposite is equally true when they don’t.

Saying “No” for now.

-Greg

Related posts:

1. Greed vs Charity, and having to say “No”

As one of hundreds of thousands of small business owners in Australia, I always pushed the envelope during the good times.  Operating a contract for a national parcel freight carrier, my focus has always been on charging as much as the market (or in this case my one customer) would bear and expending as little as possible getting the job done in the process.  That’s business.  In fact, it’s my obligation as a company director under the Corporations Act.  The money charged for freight movements is one way or another reflected in the consumer goods landed price, so as long as the carrier can charge their customers enough everybody’s happy.  Greed.

That, of course, was until the public started to worry about their jobs and their ability to fund excessive consumerism.  They stopped buying stuff and it no longer needed delivery.  So the world’s highest-paid bean counters running the world’s largest parcel freight company inserted their Staedtler HB pencils into the electric sharpeners on their desks and took to the T-ledger with gusto.  To save the contractors?  No.  To save the company?  Possibly.  To save their jobs?  Now we might be close to the truth.  As we’ve seen already, although executive salaries are on the bottom of the list of places expenditure can be cut, nobody is immune to the GFC.

Now as I begin to miss operating that courier contract (they converted it to a company-operated run, poaching my only member of staff  to do the job) and the considerable cashflow it generated, I turn my focus to capitalising on the next phase of our economic cycle.  The power company get paid late for the first time in years and some of the local restaurants miss a patron or two, but only momentarily.  I have greed on my side.

Charity, and having to say “No”?  That’s the next post.

-Greg

Related posts:

1. Charity & saying “No”