I Am Flattered, But…..

Given your craftsmanship, I wouldn't just be giving away my work to any one who asks for a donation....I don't care what someone said above, your work is your work to sell.  Like realtors, this isn't a hobby for you.

I have been known to occasionally donate something to an organization with which I was personally involved, but not to random organizations. That being said, I won a house-cleaning at a silent auction several years ago, and the same company has been cleaning my house monthly since then - it obviously paid off for them, especially since I refer the company to clients moving into the area and sellers who need a good house-cleaning before selling or moving.

Charity begins at home. There are qualified 501c3 charities and then there are scams. You have to know who you are dealing with. But tell us more about your bird houses and how we might find a web site to order one as a closing gift!

Ron - if it were local and I could choose a birdhouse I already had I might consider it.   But making one up and shipping can get expensive.

Cool birdhouses and I can understand why they would want them. It would fetch a good price at an auction. As far as donating one, I don't believe that they have any clue what goes into the process. 

Those asking for donations are frequent. Those asking for an unreasonable amount also are frequent. Many think if they don't ask they won't get. Everyone gives whatever they see fit. If you have more and it means less, then you are bound to seem more generous to those that value a dollar amount attached to it. 

This sort of thing really bothers me.  It's like they are trying to guilt you into do something.  Totally different if you know them and it's a cause you believe in and you volunteer.  Nothing is free...there are material costs and shipping and time. time is money.

And, not really sure how this advertising benefits you, esp if they are somewhere else and not your target.  You were very polite.

I totally get that you don't mind donating when it's YOUR choice, that's the same way I feel.  I am a very giving person and I would give a person in need the shirt off my back or the shoes off my feet, but I really get miffed when people want to keep their stuff and ask me to give mine away.

Ron - I don't see them offering your upside and think you handled the request well.

I am big on charitable donations at my discretion and prefer to help out in my own community, where I know first hand where it is all going.  The letter you received seems like just one of many that were sent out.  ;-)  I do not blame you a bit for declining the "opportunity."

If it were a charity you were familiar with and believed in, I'm betting you would have donated something. But this was basically a cold-call type of letter asking you to give something to someone you don't know --I'd say no also.

I feel like if I'm going to donate to a charity I don't really care what I get in return. Donating is supposed to be from the heart. Lets say I owned a bakery and a local charity asked me to bake a few hundred cookies for an auction. I would research the charity and make sure it was valid and in good standing. If I agreed with their causes and have the ability (time and money) to offer my services for free then I would. I don't care about them advertising my name and I don't care if I get future business from it. To me, that's not what giving is about. 

Ron Marshall donating free service is something I have never done - however, every closing does have a little donation for someone!