Really, no argument here, but...
June 6, 2005
By Cam Tait
"C'mon," said a deep, gruff voice - the same kind of war cry heard in the heat of battle at a wrestling match. "Tell them who you are. Let's give you a little publicity." Now, it's been a while since Mrs. Tait and I were at a banquet with a live and silent auction, but we were at just such an event last week. It gave me some food for thought, and I don't mean the yummy cheesecake they served for dessert.
The auctioneer, who I'm guessing is a heck of a lot more comfortable in a smelly barn moving cattle, was a little rough around the edges. Still, whenever he made a sale, he wanted the buyers to stand up, wave the company flag and shout their name at the top of their lungs. But it backfired on the first sale - a package that could have been viewed as a boys' weekend out with an NFL team. When someone with a roaming microphone found the buyer, he jokingly suggested his wife was in the audience and that he would rather not identify himself. Interpretation: his wife might be mad about the $2,000 he dropped for the trip. After some poking and prodding and some embarrassment, the buyer finally identified himself. Just imagine that couple's car ride home from the banquet.
I guess I'm showing my age when I say I have always believed giving is best when you don't reveal your identity. I was taught that philanthropy means giving and expecting nothing in return. But things change all the time. We now put corporate names on many charitable facilities. Part of that may be following the business world because we have sports stadiums, arts facilities, and other venues bearing corporate names. Television networks are doing the same.
So when we see that trend, perhaps it's easy to take it into a crowded banquet room during a live auction. Whether it's right or wrong and what the moral implications might be could go around and around the mulberry bush. So we won't do that. Let's just say I find it interesting.
But here's one thing that kind of bothered me. Our auctioneer friend repeatedly said: "You can use it as a write-off. We all can use more write-offs." He didn't sell the benefits of making a contribution to the cause, or how it would build a future, how the group could grow and prosper, or help those in need. None of that. All of his selling tactics were about income tax write-offs.
Interesting, indeed. Someone once very wisely said the only constant thing is change. The world is changing all the time, at a pace perhaps never before known to man. Do we embrace that, or do we firmly stick to our morals and ideas? Clearly, there is no definite answer to that.
So maybe the auctioneer with the over-used cowboy hat, the gruff voice and his own unique salesmanship got the job done. Most buyers gave their name and companies. And heck, the companies probably got a tax write-off.
The bottom line is that the live auction raised more than $19,000 for a worthwhile cause. And if it was done with publicity and tax implications, who are we to argue?
Cam Tait is a sports reporter and columnist for the Edmonton Journal. He covered community investments and volunteers for 19 years. E-mail Cam at cam@charityvillage.com with thoughts, suggestions or ideas.
Opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of CharityVillage.com®.
