Jump to content

When do you stop donating to a corps?


Recommended Posts

Say you're a small donor to a corps of which you've been a long-time fan. And say that corps has dropped competitively, moreso due to several years of bad design decisions and bad staff decisions that produce those bad designs. And say that you don't care as much about competitive placement, so long as (i) you like what's being produced, (ii) show design is competent in the neighborhood that the corps should be competing in, and (iii) sufficiently talented members are still opting to be in the corps. That is, I'm not about unrealistic competitive expectations. Also, I'm not a boomer that's upset about dancing on the field, or electronics, or amplifications, or any number of other things that might drive drum corps fans away in general - this is corps specific.

At what point do you decide that your donation, however small, should go to a different organization that makes better decisions? Let's assume "good" refers to hiring talent and making design choices, and that an axiom is that members are safe, taken care of, having a good experience, and so on. 

Or do you always say "they keep getting my donation - they're my first drum corps love, and the members deserve it"?

 

(If you've noticed any of my posts, you probably know the corps I'm referring to, though I think this can be a sufficiently general conversation)

  • Thanks 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 minutes ago, kdaddy said:

Say you're a small donor to a corps of which you've been a long-time fan. And say that corps has dropped competitively, moreso due to several years of bad design decisions and bad staff decisions that produce those bad designs. And say that you don't care as much about competitive placement, so long as (i) you like what's being produced, (ii) show design is competent in the neighborhood that the corps should be competing in, and (iii) sufficiently talented members are still opting to be in the corps. That is, I'm not about unrealistic competitive expectations. Also, I'm not a boomer that's upset about dancing on the field, or electronics, or amplifications, or any number of other things that might drive drum corps fans away in general - this is corps specific.

At what point do you decide that your donation, however small, should go to a different organization that makes better decisions? Let's assume "good" refers to hiring talent and making design choices, and that an axiom is that members are safe, taken care of, having a good experience, and so on. 

Or do you always say "they keep getting my donation - they're my first drum corps love, and the members deserve it"?

 

(If you've noticed any of my posts, you probably know the corps I'm referring to, though I think this can be a sufficiently general conversation)

Could apply to a whole Finals worth of corps.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

honestly, i've rarely donated directly to a corps. i am more than willing to buy merchandise if i like their product, but I save any kind of serious donations to go directly to members fees. That way i don't have to get hung up on placements or administrative decisions that bother me....if it's a kid I taught or know them or their family, no problem because i'd rather help the kid out and not have to worry about if i like their show or scores or whatever. And since my corps is dead, I don't have to worry about feeling pressured as an alumni.

  • Like 8
Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you are unhappy with decision making you need not feel obligated to donate.

I'd be more apt to move my donation to a small corps that's making entertaining choices and providing a good learning environment to help students grow vs moving my donation to one of the big dogs.

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

There are two OC corps and one WC corps that call my area home. I do donate and do not feel my donation is misspent. That being said, the WC corps is not as financially strapped as it once was, and is doing rather well competitively and financially. I would love to see this corps use smaller donations for scholarships. The donations from people like me I am sure are appreciated, and acknowledged,  but for a corps that has top, well paid staff and everything is state of the art, smaller donors who are fans, alums, or simply like supporting drum corps would love to know our donations are used are used to help kids march who can’t afford it.

Two things I no longer do: when corps ask you to bring bottled water, Gatorade, paper products, etc. to a show, I no longer do it. I’ve done this with four different corps in the past couple of years and it is treated as if it is an imposition by the people collecting it. My guess is it sounds like a good idea at the time but it’s not practical. I also avoid Amazon wishlists. They can be problematic with a traveling group.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

31 minutes ago, Jeff Ream said:

honestly, i've rarely donated directly to a corps. i am more than willing to buy merchandise if i like their product, but I save any kind of serious donations to go directly to members fees. That way i don't have to get hung up on placements or administrative decisions that bother me....if it's a kid I taught or know them or their family, no problem because i'd rather help the kid out and not have to worry about if i like their show or scores or whatever. And since my corps is dead, I don't have to worry about feeling pressured as an alumni.

There's a LOT of wisdom here. I do donate to a Corps, but I also "save for a rainy day" to donate to individual members of Corps. And I usually save THOSE funds for the MM's that I can tell are up against a wall with no other way out. 

  • Like 2
  • Thanks 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

When I give money to a corps I want it to do everything I want.  If they don't, I will withhold my donation and laugh in glee at them because my lack of donation will hurt them badly.

I want them to feel great financial pain because they don't do what "I" want. 

Who cares that those kids chose that corps.  It's all about me.

Edited by Continental
  • Like 2
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 minutes ago, Tim K said:

There are two OC corps and one WC corps that call my area home. I do donate and do not feel my donation is misspent. That being said, the WC corps is not as financially strapped as it once was, and is doing rather well competitively and financially. I would love to see this corps use smaller donations for scholarships. The donations from people like me I am sure are appreciated, and acknowledged,  but for a corps that has top, well paid staff and everything is state of the art, smaller donors who are fans, alums, or simply like supporting drum corps would love to know our donations are used are used to help kids march who can’t afford it.

Two things I no longer do: when corps ask you to bring bottled water, Gatorade, paper products, etc. to a show, I no longer do it. I’ve done this with four different corps in the past couple of years and it is treated as if it is an imposition by the people collecting it. My guess is it sounds like a good idea at the time but it’s not practical. I also avoid Amazon wishlists. They can be problematic with a traveling group.

I rather agree with most of the points you and Jeff Ream have made on this thread.

But I am disappointed in your diminishment of your grocery giving. The soup kitchens I help administer have well benefited from some of the gate baskets at contests. Sometimes the bored look is because a corps or soup kitchen agreed to give someone "community service hours" and that person is just checking off or marking time.  With the corps itself, sometimes it is a case of tour tiredness.  But let me underscore the poor, particularly the working poor, do appreciate your giving as do the majority of corps, even if you give it through the mms tour fees rather than the admin. general funding.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 minutes ago, xandandl said:

I rather agree with most of the points you and Jeff Ream have made on this thread.

But I am disappointed in your diminishment of your grocery giving. The soup kitchens I help administer have well benefited from some of the gate baskets at contests. Sometimes the bored look is because a corps or soup kitchen agreed to give someone "community service hours" and that person is just checking off or marking time.  With the corps itself, sometimes it is a case of tour tiredness.  But let me underscore the poor, particularly the working poor, do appreciate your giving as do the majority of corps, even if you give it through the mms tour fees rather than the admin. general funding.

I think I know a bit more about soup kitchens and food pantries volunteers than I do drum corps volunteers, and have provided community service hours for all sorts of people for all kinds of reasons in different non drum corps situations. That being said, I have a feeling we’re not dealing with people doing community service hours at drum corps shows, at least not collecting the donations. 

Edited by Tim K
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Gave to individual members few times. Got a real nice thank you “you guys rock” from member who set up PayPal. Twice gave to specified members thru a corps dues set up and  was a bad experience. Never got verification that money was received and when emailed to check no one stole the checks got a nasty response that blamed the member. Donation website said CORPS would respond (not the member) but didn’t stop Corps head from sending me one members personal email address without permission.

Last few years donated to Corps that started up few years back that was a former rival. Know some Corps management and trust them. Donation card has check list where you have option of paying for items during show dates. Have been paying for lunch at a show lately. After show date the corps posts rehearsal pics on their fb page including sign saying thank you to (names of those who donated).

Edited by JimF-LowBari
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...