Donation Box

[jcwarren]

What do you guys feel about donation boxes. I would like to put one out mainly to help recover some of the expenses of putting on a light show. Is this greedy? What do you guys mostly use them for, charity, or to cover some expenses? I've been debating with myself on this one for quite a while and was just wondering if I could get some ideas / suggestions. Thanks

J.C.

[Brian Mitchell]

I think that collecting to support the display is somewhat frowned upon by many of us. Everyone I know that has a donation box uses it to give to a charity.

The general consensus seems to be that if you can't afford to do a big display, you should keep it at a size you can afford. I know I don't speak for everyone but I think I speak for a majority.

I can't say I haven't thought about using donations for the display but my conscience says it's not the right thing to do.

[Mike Bagwell]

Hello J.C.

My name is Mike Bagwell and I am located in Springfield, MO. I have a large display that covers two yard with around 85,000 lights and other things. The display was starting to become a money burden to me. To my supprise when I took time to visit with people on nights that the display was running, I was ask many times do I have a donation box, or do I take donations. After about 100 people asking me this I decided to try it. The one thing that was important to me is that people did not feel obligated to give. My display is free to all, but for those who would like to be apart of it and help pay for the utilities its avaliable. You must be careful on how you make your donation sign. Do not solicit (approach with a request or plea) as cities have ordnances against soliciting. My signs simply say "Bagwell Lights Donations Here" and "Display Donatons Here". Putting your display name helps if you put donation boxes in other yards, like accross the road. This helps people know that it is part of your display. I say nothing about the donation boxes in my radion instructions. Now you can go another way and say that part of the donations recieved will go to some charity, don't give the percentage as there are those who will find something to gripe about. On that subject there will always be someone who will not like the donaton signs. Out of about 13,000 cars I will get around 2 or 3 that will comment about it on blogs. This is my second year with donations boxes/tubes. Each of the two years it has paid my operating cost in full and helped with some upgrades. I have come up with a simple design for a donation box that is easy to setup and hard to steal. I drive a T-post into the ground similar to what is used in farm fences. My donation box is a 4inch PVC (Schedual 40) Candy-Cane. At the bottom I use a T-cleanout capped at one end and with a security lid/access cover. The lid/access cover has an indenchen that a wrench can fit into to unscrew it. As the cain comes up from the ground I installed a 90degree-T-fitting. Because I needed a little slop for the money to slide I cut the 90degree-T-fitting to a 75degree-T-fitting. Now to prevent someone from sticking there hand into the 4 inch PVC pipe and stealing money. At the end of the T-fitting I installed a pvc reducer, I believe it was from 4inch to 2inch. I drilled two small holes on each side (do not drill at bottom as will catch on money) of the joint and installed small screws to connect the two pices, this allowes you to do cleaning if need. From the top of the T-fitting I installed a short straight pices of pipe with two 90degree fitting on top to make it look like a cane. Connect the cain to the T-post with large hose clamps, or two hose clamps connected together. I was able to get all the parts at a local hardware store such a Lowes. I think the cost was around $100 in parts total. I will post a picture of the donation box.

Mike Bagwell

[Mike Bagwell]

Here is the Candy-Cain Donaton Box. Easy for cars to donate and hard to steal fast.

Attached files

[shfr26]

This was my first year using LOR. Yes the output of money and all other costs may get to be a burden, but I will never ask for donations to help pay for the display. Can you honestly say that 100% of the donations will be used for the display? I will put a donation box out in 2010, but it will be for some local charity. I do not think I would get the same happy feeling that I do talking to people out at the display if I knew that they were actually helping to pay for it. This is just my opinion and if you feel you want to do it, go for it. I only have 32 channels and about 8,000 lights, but have purchased 20,000 more for 2010. If I can not afford it, I will not do it.

[chris mashburn]

Pete

I agree. I've been decorating for 13 years. I started out small and every year I got a little bigger. I would get my stuff right Chistmas so I could get the good deals. I could'nt imagine taking money for a hobby. If it gets to a point I can't afford it I will stop. That's just my opinion and you know what they say about opinions.

[michael spencer]

Couldn't agree more, if you cannot afford the expense don't expect someone else to pay for your hobby. Certainly collect for charity if you wish, mine being the Air Ambulance.

Mike (United Kingdom)

[Scott T]

Last time I checked, "It's the season for giving"

Our Holiday Light and music show is a gift to the community from our family. This year we are taking donations for a the Officer Joshua T. Miktarian Memorial Scholarship Fund. He was shot and killed in the line of duty while protecting our community. I have personally donated to this fund and now all money I collect from our Holiday Lights Show will also go directly to his scholarship.

[Alan C]

I agree with the majority here. Donations should be 100% for a named charity.

Regards,

Alan.

[Linda]

My husband was outside setting up the display last year. A woman driving by stopped, held out a $20.00 bill, and told him she would like to donate to the display. He explained to her that we didn't take donations for the display. She insisted because she had been noticing how much hard work we had been putting in to getting it set up and because she enjoyed it so much each year, so he took it at her insistance. I think most of us can afford it, but a lot of us don't have money to burn and the money we spend on it could very well go to some other bill. What I spent since last Christmas on controllers and lights would have paid off all of my credit cards and I pay cash for most of what I buy. I do this because "I" enjoy it and love it when others tell us how much they enjoy watching the display. I feel like I'm giving a Christmas present to all who pass by and at the same time helping to spread the gospel as well. I don't think anyone should be made to feel guilty about collecting for their display if they so choose. I say "go for it".

[PaulXmas]

I am another one who would never ask the public to pay for my hobby(or whatever people want to call this).

Only take on what you can afford! (and hide the rest from your wife)

[George Simmons]

Linda wrote:

I feel like I'm giving a Christmas present to all who pass by... I don't think anyone should be made to feel guilty about collecting for their display if they so choose.

I agree with both those points. Having said that, however, a large regional display used to provide an info sheet that solicited donations to help defray their personal electrical costs. "PLEASE DONATE - even one dollar isn't too little to give." (Their words) I place that among the ten tackiest things I've ever seen. In my opinion, if you're going to accept donations for yourself personally, keep it low keyed and voluntary.

I accept and even encourage donations. I run announcements reminding people and I include it on the handout sheets. And I give ALL proceeds to our local foodshelf. For me that's the only way to go.

[Linda]

Good cause. I'm collecting for our local food bank this year. And a donation of food is as good as money. I thought about borrowing a shopping cart for food donations, but the food bank provides barrels, so I'll just use those. I just thought a shopping cart would be cool.

[George Simmons]

Linda wrote:

I thought about borrowing a shopping cart for food donations...

I agree - it would be cool. My problem, however, is keeping people from donating actual food items. God bless their generosity, but what are they thinking putting cans of vegetables and soup out by my information mailbox when it's near or even below zero degrees? (And these are people who you'd presume live close enough to here that they know all about how quickly stuff freezes when it's that cold.) I could understand, maybe, if it only happened once. Maybe, on a real good day, I'd even understand it happening twice during the course of a lighting season. But last season it happened close to half a dozen times! I even recorded an announcement thanking folks for their generosity but asking them to please not leave freezable food items.

I was thinking about also collecting for Toys for Tots this year. Anyone with experience along those lines and any tips to share???

[Donny M. Carter]

I think if you can't afford a hobby like lights, and your still buying stuff for your Christmas display. Maybe your hobby should be paying of your bills!! I'm just saying!

[Linda]

Well one can afford a hobby and still pay their bills.

[George Simmons]

Linda wrote:

Well one can afford a hobby and still pay their bills.

Which brings the discussion nicely back to the OP's question from January: Is that greedy?

[Linda]

I think if you can't afford a hobby like lights, and your still buying stuff for your Christmas display. Maybe your hobby should be paying of your bills!! I'm just saying!

I think that remark was very sarcastic and was obviously meant to be considering the exclammation marks on the end, and was most likely directed to me since I'm the only one who has said anything about "bills" . I never said I couldn't pay my bills, and neither did the original poster. I said I could have paid all my credit cards off with what I've spent. I am a member of a few different lighting communities and I must say, regretfully, that some of the members on this one should practice being a little more tactful.

[Donny M. Carter]

Please forgive me. What I am trying to say is that if anyone needs to take a donation to help pay for their display maybe they should not be doing it. What anyone on this forum can afford or not afford is not my business. I just feel that only donations going to charity should be taken. Please accept my apology.

[Linda]

I accept your apology and would probably not even responded to the post had I noticed it was started in JANUARY!