Hmm … over the last few months I have started to look at and read more and more personal finance blogs (PFBs) and I am finding what I see as a disturbing trend.
That is PF bloggers asking for “donations”. Donations for what? I’m not entirely sure, from what I can gather it’s a donation to the blogger for their own personal use. Are these bloggers charity cases? I’m surely hoping not.
So then what’s going on there, is it becoming acceptable to, from my point-of-view anyways, BEG for money. Are PFBs becoming like beggers street corners where they the blogger tinker a tin can at you as you walk past with “paypal” written across the front of it.
As you can tell, I’m alittle annoyed by this, fair enough if you throw on a few ads in your blog, I do the same, albiet in a very small corner which is generally out of the way of my general conten. But to actually throw up a link with “donation” on it, that is only 1 micro-step away from “work for food stamp” signage.
Firstly, if I’m going to donate my hard earned cash to anything it better be for something worthwhile, not just to “support” a blog, that’s what google adsense is for. Given that you can actually start up a blog for free, asking for “support” money rubs me up the wrong way even more.
Now I’m a big believer in charitable donations, my wife and I sponsor 2 underpriveleged kids myself, 1 in Africa and 1 in the Philippines. But to bloggers out there, please don’t try and portray yourself as someone even worthy of charity, I’ll assume that because you’ve got a blog you’ve got a computer, got the cash for an internet connection, and the time to actually write a blog in the first place.
Well thats enough ranting from me … I apologise if this post was rather negative, but I just felt the need to put down my thoughts on this.
Financial Knowledge is the key to Financial Prosperity
February 27, 2007 at 3:29 am
I like the spirit of your post… don’t censor yourself or worry about what other bloggers will think. Just speak your mind. I think some of my recent posts have angered some other bloggers.
In a way, blogging isn’t really free. My cable internet connection costs like $60 a month, not to mention my time. If people like the blogger enough, I don’t see anything wrong with giving him/her donations to reward them for their effort. Maybe a blog post helped save that person some money, or make them some money. Maybe they feel that giving some of it back to the blogger as a way of saying thanks is appropriate.
That said, I don’t have a donations link and im not sure i ever will.
peace!
February 27, 2007 at 4:05 am
Thanks for the comments moneyman, i’ll definitely check out your blog, I like to seeing contrarian views, keeps things interesting.
I see your point, but I just have this fundamental objection to what I see as blogger begging.
May 17, 2007 at 1:43 pm
I tend to agree with you, BigBuddha. Asking for a donation is not in the spirit of things. In reality, they are dressing up a commercial enterprise as some sort of charity by using the word donation. Call it something else like “voluntary subscription” or “pay if you like my post”, just don’t call it a donation.
Just like you, I have a simple widget on my blog for google adsense. I write so that I can share some knowledge around. If I make some money along the way, the would be a nice bonus.
Calling it a donation is just plain wrong.
March 25, 2008 at 4:33 pm
I came across your website when googling for information on asking for donations for personal use. I would appreciate some of your sincere knowledge and guidance. Here is my story: My husband and I are in our mid-forties, three children, 11, 7 & 5. My husband is an engineer and I have been a SAHM for 12 years until recently. We have a hobby farm with three horses, two goats, two rabbits, mass of chickens, two outdoor cats, two indoor cats and one little dog! We are both hard working and have tried to live somewhat frugally, plan, save & invest with good intentions to be good stewards. Well we made some serious mistakes, been “taken” by dishonest people and have found ourselves in a horrible debt distuation.
To make a longer story shorter, we moved away for a year to find better employment and living standards, bought a house turned into a money-pit, took out a bridge loan on our current house towards the loan on the new house. The old house didn’t sell, the new house a money pit, the job didn’t work out and we came back, to our old/current home in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. We were supports two mortgages and households for over two years and took a terrible financial beating. So our current debt of approx $150,000 is really for nothing.
As you can see, we are honest people who were too trusting and did not do our “due diligence” and were taken for a long, expensive ride. We didn’t overspend in foolish living or luxuries. That’s my story. My husband was working two jobs (electronic engineering & part time consultant/contract work), now down to regular job. To take up the slake just to keep our heads above water and pay our billls, I have been working for six months as a Tastefully Simple consultant (in-home taste-testing parties, fundraisers, business gifts, exposure events). My husband is working on getting a website up to advertise his engineering consultant contract work to bring in
March 25, 2008 at 4:40 pm
continued:
more money. I also sell fresh chicken eggs. The Upper Peninsula is in a recession, although a safer & wonderful environment to raise children. We still need more money. So after, reading The Secret, Jack Canfield, Mark Hansen, etc. books, I am looking to ask “the universe” to helpp us. That is why I am looking for a site to ask for donations from Philanthropists who are interested in helping individuals. I don’t even know how to put up a blog! i would appreciate your guidance in putting word out that we are looking for financial help. Selling our farm animals is not a good option. It would only provide a temporary fix and would break all of our hearts because, of course, they are family. Plus there is no market anymore because of last year’s drought and hay shortage. The horses are the biggest expense, but they are our greatest joy.
So I am here as humbly as I can asking for your guidance in where & how to ask for help. We are working toward our financial freedom but have immediate needs that we need help with. Not another loan but freewill offerings. Even if you would go to my Tastefully Simple website and place on going orders would be helpful if you didn’t want to donate to us outright. I would be ecstatic to have you as a business gift client! I can send business gifts, of differing prices, anywhere in the U.S. Thank you gifts to your clients, vendors, friends, family, etc.
That’s my story, thank you for listening and I hope I have not offended you.
Sincerely, Simplyhorses.
March 25, 2008 at 4:45 pm
continued page 3:
I forgot to add what specifically I am asking donations for. I still need $600 to finish paying for my eldest daughters school tuition at our local rural christian school. Next year two of our children willl be at the christian school and we will need $3800 to pay for their 2007/2008 school year.
Our secondary need is to pay extra wood for our outdoor woodboiler that heats our home (we cut wood, but also need more) approximately $800.
Thank you,
April 29, 2008 at 12:51 am
EDU…
EDU…
September 1, 2008 at 3:48 am
Hello!,
September 1, 2008 at 7:25 am
Good day!,
March 3, 2009 at 8:23 am
Hello webmaster
I would like to share with you a link to your site
write me here preonrelt@mail.ru
August 26, 2009 at 11:25 pm
This is a very difficult for me to write; the thought of turning to strangers for help is beyond my experience and comfort. However I feel with school fast approaching I have no choice.
I’m writing to ask for your help in providing the resources necessary to finish nursing school. My husband recently lost his job and our only source of income. While he currently receives unemployment it’s only a fraction of his previous salary and our savings is gone.
My tuition is over $22,000 a year, and this doesn’t include books or my living expenses (school is in another state). I’m afraid to take out loans to cover the whole cost because I’m already accumulating credit card debt just to survive. A bachelor’s degree in nursing can only benefit my family and our community.
With this in mind, I would like to ask if you could help me fund my education. Any amount would go along way toward helping me. Money can be sent directly to the college and placed in my account or I have set up a small website (www.donate4hope.com) where one can contribute via paypal.
Please consider this request with my gratitude.
Thank you
Hope Anderson
Walla Walla University
204 South College Avenue
College Place, Wa 99324
September 10, 2009 at 9:36 pm
Hi! I was surfing and found your blog post… nice! I love your blog.
Cheers! Sandra. R.