RE: “Donating to charity is a pipe dream for many students,” April 2-8.
At the time of this writing, there are 40 different campus groups that have been classified as being focused on “Philanthropy/Social Action,” according to the Carleton University Students’ Association website. This alone tips the scales of Luke Carroll’s misrepresentation and thinly veiled character attack of who is approaching students for charitable donations, considering that there are only 15 Greek letter organizations at Carleton.
In light of this, let’s talk about what Carroll’s April 2-8 letter is really about—blatant perpetuation of a bias towards the Greek community on this campus. I would like to point out, for the premise of this article, that I am not a member of the Greek community.
As with all relationships between individuals and organizations alike, you will never find yourself seeing eye-to-eye all of the time. To fault the fraternities and sororities of our campus for their philanthropic work is absurd.
Looking for innovative fundraising? Try riding a seesaw for 100 hours to raise money for a research hospital. Interested in raising the bar? Set your sights on raising $10,000 to build a school in Nicaragua to give someone else a chance at a better life for themselves. Don’t forget Relay for Life, where over $45,000 was raised by a demographic that compromises less than one per cent of our campus: Greeks.
As someone who has worked on a number of fundraising campaigns, it is no secret that fellow students are not the primary source of contributions. The university atmosphere provides a unique space to utilize a network of more than 23,000 peers, who in turn have their own networks that expand beyond campus. Spreading awareness through these groups of parents, high school teachers, or neighbours can lead to sizable contributions.
Additionally Carleton is home to 735 employees who sit on Ontario’s Sunshine List, which is comprised of top earners over a benchmark of $100,000 a year, who traverse the halls as much as you or I. It would be naive to assume that the many causes supported at Carleton are reliant on the good will of students alone.
I will contend with Carroll that the financial aspect of the student experience can be difficult. For one, I am not looking forward to graduating with $52,000 of student debt. Giving is not a one-size-fits-all exercise, giving is meant to be done in accordance to ability as it correlates to one’s time or financial situation.
However, Carroll has missed the point of what charity seeks to accomplish. If you’re giving your money, or time for that matter, to charity out of guilt—please stop.
Charitable action is based on the concept of altruism—that is, giving without the expectation of personal benefit. To characterize non-essential items like a coffee or beer as necessity is incredibly narcissistic. Foregoing small luxuries to invest in the community can make all the difference in someone’s life, whether they live across the street or around the world.
I now challenge you, the reader, to reconsider the next time you’re approached by a charitable organization. Is your extra-large double-double worth it, or can you spare the change to make a change?
