Charitable Intentions With Potentially Uncharitable Results

October 29, 2013

My husband was ecstatic last weekend as the winning bidder of four Ravens tickets at a silent auction. The silent auction was part of a fundraiser for my friend’s niece, Melissa, who has been suffering from a rare illness that left her paralyzed from the waist down. Her story captured the attention of the local newspaper, then went viral when she was the featured recipient of Chive Charities for Hope for a Home. When I made the check out to pay for the Ravens tickets, I was told to make it payable for $350 to Melissa, but my check was miniscule compared to the over $388k raised altogether.  I was so happy that Melissa’s fundraiser had been such an amazing success, but I was also concerned about the consequences these donations might have on her since I was writing the check directly to her.  Continue reading “Charitable Intentions With Potentially Uncharitable Results”