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AAW E-mail

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What is up with this e-mail I received from Linda Tacke? Is the AAW now using this (GiveMN) to raise money for them and how did they get my e-mail address?

Dear Timothy,

Your support of American Association of Woodturners has been greatly
appreciated. We are especially grateful to those like you who have given loyally
to support our mission.

We are committed to educating youth and we can only do this with your donation.
If you would like to contribute to AAW and our youth education program please
visit the GiveMN link http://givemn.razoo.com/story/American-Association-Of-Woodturners
or call the office (651-484-9094).
Thank you

Linda Tacke
Interim Executive Director

This message was sent by American Association of Woodturners from GiveMN, where
you can donate securely to over 1.6 million US registered nonprofits.
Visit GiveMN
 
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Sounds like a general fund-raising effort for the AAW's youth program by a Executive Director who understands her job. An ED is supposed to spearhead fund raising by solicitations as well as seeking grants and other forms of support.

I am fairly certain that they got your e-mail address from the information you supplied in your membership renewal. Since the e-mail is an official AAW fund-raising effort in support of one of its primary functions, education, they are quite proper to do so, unless, of course, you specifically told them that you did not want to receive any communications from the AAW by e-mail.

Or was this a trick question, Tim?:D:D
 
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trick question

It wasn't a trick question I was wondering who :
" GiveMN link http://givemn.razoo.com/story/Americ...Of-Woodturners "
are. And if they were hired to raise funds for the AAW.

Not every question I ask is a trick question. I was wondering if they were hired to collect for the AAW.

What is the difference in donating directly to the AAW and going through this GiveMN website ? Do they get a percentage?
 
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Morning, Tim,

Thems is differn't questions. ;)

It's one thing for the AAW to solicit donations for the kids programs; quite another to give a split to a facilitator. I know that fund-raising is rarely free, but if I were to respond with a donation (to an e-mail I didn't get btw) I'd like to know if all the scheckles sent wind up funding the program.

Let's also not rule out the possibility of fraud. While the linked site is pretty elaborate if it were a scam, I suppose that the question could be asked because the AAW has the ability to contact members directly. It has an on-line shopping store and membership renewal functionality, but it may not yet be set up to receive direct donations that way.

Perhaps Ms. Tacke will jump in here to expand and respond.

If not, I'd suggest e-mailing her directly and asking her to post here. A confirmatory notice on the Home Page might help as well.
 
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Larger data base

It may be that GiveMN has a much larger data base than the AAW has. This message may have gone out to hundreds of thousands of recipients. If that is so, then will the AAW data base be used to solicit donations for other non profit organizations?

It appears that the AAW is teaming up with a larger fund raising organization so it can broaden its appeal for funds. That could be good as well as annoying.

The board of directors obliviously knows about this because of the video clip with Tom Wirsing.

Another question is did the AAW need to pay anything for this beyond the cost of the e-mail blast. I would imagine that in one of the future Board meetings this new effort will be evaluated as to its merit.

It also looks like it might have been set up by Mary Lacer in 2009. She has a comment on the web page that the link takes the viewer to. It's dated 11-17 2009.

I would ask the board of directors myself, but it seems that when I do ask a question, I'm redirected to someone else that still has no answer. It may be intentional or not and might be due to the volunteer aspect of the governance of the AAW. But in the end, it is still a form of the old "run around".

Curtis Thompson
 
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Alternative?

Looked up Razoo's TOS and found something I didn't like.

On their TOS page http://www.razoo.com/p/terms we find that while their intentions may be good and honorable, they only pledge to make "reasonable efforts" to give the donation to the organization that is the "intended" beneficiary. They therefore retain the right to do whatever they "need" to do with the money I have donated to THEM even though it's for the AAW.

Plus they take nearly 3% for credit card fees.

I could understand and support the fund raising effort for the kids, but if I'm donating to the AAW, I want it beyond any question that my kopecks are going where I want them to. The card fees for on-line convenience are one thing. The other issue I'm not happy about. I believe I'd spend the 44 cents to send a check until the AAW installs a software function to make direct donations through its website.

YMMV
 
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Looked up Razoo's TOS and found something I didn't like.

On their TOS page http://www.razoo.com/p/terms we find that while their intentions may be good and honorable, they only pledge to make "reasonable efforts" to give the donation to the organization that is the "intended" beneficiary. They therefore retain the right to do whatever they "need" to do with the money I have donated to THEM even though it's for the AAW.

Plus they take nearly 3% for credit card fees.

I could understand and support the fund raising effort for the kids, but if I'm donating to the AAW, I want it beyond any question that my kopecks are going where I want them to. The card fees for on-line convenience are one thing. The other issue I'm not happy about. I believe I'd spend the 44 cents to send a check until the AAW installs a software function to make direct donations through its website.

YMMV

It sounds like we NEED to hear from Ms Tacke. Thank you for doing the research, I would hate to have my intentions thwarted, even if it seemed to those doing it like they "needed" to for some unexplained reason... Kind of reminds me of another situation in which I was embroiled not long ago.:eek::cool::(
 
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email

I went to the AAW home page and none of the e-mail links work for me so if someone can get Linda to answer these questions asap before members start sending money to these guys!

Thanks
 
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I went to the AAW home page and none of the e-mail links work for me so if someone can get Linda to answer these questions asap before members start sending money to these guys!

Thanks

I sent her an e-mail this morning (didn't bounce), but it's Sunday and I'm sure she has a life. I'd think we might get some feedback tomorrow.
 
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Both Linda Tacke and Linda Ferber are out of the Saint Paul office today, so you’ll have to be a little patient getting the follow-ups you’re wanting.

However, I do know that this is a 100% legitimate AAW sponsored fund raising program intended to benefit our youth education activities.

I also know that some of the email blast that Linda tried sending out late last week ran into server issues, and that explains why some members have not yet received the email donation solicitation.

One other note, all credit card transactions carry a transaction fee, normally on the order of 2.5% to 5.0%, depending on a number of things like the transaction value and service provider terms. If anyone is opposed to having some part of their donation going to a third party to cover transaction costs, please mail your check to:

American Association of Woodturners
222 Landmark Center
75 5th St. W.
St. Paul, MN 55102

If there's anything more to this story, one of the Lindas will follow up when they get back in the office later this week.
 
Joined
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Both Linda Tacke and Linda Ferber are out of the Saint Paul office today, so you’ll have to be a little patient getting the follow-ups you’re wanting.

However, I do know that this is a 100% legitimate AAW sponsored fund raising program intended to benefit our youth education activities.

I also know that some of the email blast that Linda tried sending out late last week ran into server issues, and that explains why some members have not yet received the email donation solicitation.

One other note, all credit card transactions carry a transaction fee, normally on the order of 2.5% to 5.0%, depending on a number of things like the transaction value and service provider terms. If anyone is opposed to having some part of their donation going to a third party to cover transaction costs, please mail your check to:

American Association of Woodturners
222 Landmark Center
75 5th St. W.
St. Paul, MN 55102

If there's anything more to this story, one of the Lindas will follow up when they get back in the office later this week.

Thanks, Ed. That's about how I had it figured.

Now in a perfect world, the banks would cut their fees to some minimum like 1% in the case of donations.
 
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