DONATIONS: A Necessity or Seasonal Headache? No doubt you too have been flooded with donation requests this season. Personally, I hate this seasonal rush of requests for cash, sometimes accompanied by the most heart throbbing (and excessively manipulating) pictures.
I handle this by keeping a list throughout the year of groups that support my views on conservation and which seem to be accomplishing something. To keep track of things, and to keep my sanity in the face of all the bleetings, I make almost all my donations from this list and at this time of the year.
For instance, WWF Canada is on my list because they published a ‘Living Planet Report Canada’ which documents the current (and badly deteriorating) state of wildlife here in Canada. I donate to the Population Institute of Canada (PIC) because work on reducing population is essential to preserving that which I value. Sea Shepherd too, as they do vital work in the oceans. My only human directed donation is to the Food Bank because I don’t like to live in a city where there’s hunger not met.
It’s my firm opinion that, while the stream of requests is sometimes hateful, it’s my duty to respond as best as I can. The natural world I love is being smashed by the human juggernaut and if I don’t donate, who will? I also believe that if you don’t donate enough to almost hurt, you are not donating enough.
My advice is to find your reasons, do your homework, and then donate in a thought out way.
Ian Whyte
Ottawa
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