OK, I have a bit of a rant here and I also would love to hear other Geeks views on the subject. Why does it seem. That every time something happens people feel the need to have a fundraiser. I see it all the time, someone was in a car accident HAVE A FUNDRAISER, someone's relative passed away HAVE A FUNDRAISER, someone has an illness HAVE A FUNDRAISER. When does this become too much? There was just a small airplane accident yesterday near my home and 4 adult males were killed, today they already have a gofundme fundraiser going collecting thousands for the families. A buddy of mine got drunk last year and crashed his motorcycle and couldn't work, what did they do HAD A DAMN FUNDRAISER.   . I was asked why I didn't come to the fundraiser by a few people and my response was this " if I go get drunk wreck my life and can't work I would not expect ANYONE to give up their hard earned dollars because I f'ed up. Most did not understand my reasoning.
I bust my ass and make sure I have insurance for emergencies, why should I pay for those who do not???
There are great causes for fundraisers such as TFT, St. Baldricks, and many others, but I am just talking about whenever something happens locally right away everyone jumps on the Fundraiser Bandwagon, I think mostly to get attention themselves.
I really would like to get a few points of view on this, maybe I am just an a$$ ( there ya go curmudgeons, I opened that up for ya)

Rant over for now

LOLOL that's pretty funny. That might be a small community thing - in a good way. I don't feel like I see it that often down here, but when I do it's usually for a funeral or something where the family can't afford it.

I'm with you on this one Kent. It seems that they are just becoming more of a fad than anything to me. The wife a guy that I work with has some REALLY dirtball family. Like they are the epitome of white trash. Well one of her cousins was killed about a year and a half ago in Texas in what looks to be a drug related murder. The first thing her dirtball family did was set up a gofundme fundraiser to bring his body back to West Virginia. But the kicker to the whole thing is, the guy I work with and his wife went down to visit the family not long after, and mysteriously the person that started the fundraiser had a new 50 inch big screen TV. Now, I'm not saying they used the money from the fundraiser to buy it, but I will say that the "man" of that household currently has 6 illegitimate children from 3 different women, with another on the way. And they live in a HUD house. I made my own assumptions. It's things like this that make me ignore fundraisers for every accident that happens anymore.

I agree that these fundraisers seem to have gotten a little carried away.  I don't think I'm as far on the negative side as you are, but I shake my head at quite a few for sure.

People are using crowdfunding for just about everything now.  I want to go to Europe, but cannot afford it, have a fundraiser.  My kid isn't getting as big of a birthday party as I want, go crowdfund.  I want to do pretend to be a photo journalist and need money to pay for my vacation, I mean fund my journey to get a story, do a kickstarter.

So this might not be the best time to mention this but I currently have a gofundme that needs support. I recently had a series of several small fires that destroyed a good number of my prized cigars. Insurance didn't cover the loss because the fires were considered intentional and repeated. Please send me a few bucks to help cover my losses. Thanks in advance!

I see a lot of gofunme's for several different reasons. I agree that people should try to get insurance for when bad things happen, but sadly not everyone has that. I do think that some people are abusing the kind people who donate money sometimes, as they really wouldn't need the money in the first place.

 Sometimes though, you can really tell the person making the gofundme is in severe need of some help for a very important cause. Actually recently I saw a very sad gofundme video about this guy who needed to raise money for a terrible disease that cause these giant boil things (keloids) on his face. I really felt bad for that guy. The whole thing got funded though and he has enough money to get the surgery that will hopefully fix the problem.

So really in the end, its up to the people to decide if they want to give their money or not.   Another thing is that people try to get acknowledgement for donating to these. Not that long ago a local girl died because she got hit by a car. Someone started the gofundme page and people were making donations with their names public and sharing things on facebook like "hey I just donated to this cause". I really hope these people were donating to the cause only because they wanted too, and not so other people can see that they did. It would be way better if only the person who is accepting the money can see where it came from. 

I saw the sister of the Charleston shooter Dylan Roof set up a gofundme because he wedding was cancelled due to her brother's actions.  What a f'n joke.

There are some good causes of course.  I know we helped a geek out last year that was targeted because he was military and had some fairly large expenses, nothing of his own doing.  I certainly don't mind that.  But for all these crazy "I want to take my kid to Disney" ones are just stupid.

One that really galls me is the ones that are trying for money for international adoptions.  Not that I don't support adoption, but just because you want to go to China because it is quicker and easier, if you can't afford to do it on your own dime you can't afford to adopt to raise that child I would think.  

Ok, I'm done.

Quotetimpellis - 7/28/2015  12:54 PM

So this might not be the best time to mention this but I currently have a gofundme that needs support. I recently had a series of several small fires that destroyed a good number of my prized cigars. Insurance didn't cover the loss because the fires were considered intentional and repeated. Please send me a few bucks to help cover my losses. Thanks in advance!

Now there is a worthy cause. LOL

The on-line based fund raising I am generally suspicious of.  Where is the accountability or transparency?
I see these on a regular basis but many of the local ones are set up thru a bank.  But still nobody ever goes back and asks do they?

If it has anything to do to with selfish gratification, then f#$k that. If it has anything to do with helping those who truly need help, then f#$k yea. Helping someone in need is spiritually correct action. Help, assistance, charity, a hand out... if I am in a position to help, I rarely question the why of it all. To be of service to others, and humbly assist without motives, or thoughts of favor, is truly a thing of beauty, and to me, the basic reason for our existence. I do not believe we are here to hoard and conquer, but I do believe we are here to love, and take care of each other...  

Quotenirab - 7/28/2015  5:24 PM  If it has anything to do to with selfish gratification, then f#$k that. If it has anything to do with helping those who truly need help, then f#$k yea. Helping someone in need is spiritually correct action. Help, assistance, charity, a hand out... if I am in a position to help, I rarely question the why of it all. To be of service to others, and humbly assist without motives, or thoughts of favor, is truly a thing of beauty, and to me, the basic reason for our existence. I do not believe we are here to hoard and conquer, but I do believe we are here to love, and take care of each other...  

Shaddup, you hippie!

Oh, yeah. Does anyone want to give to my new fundraising page?  I'm trying to pay for more cigars for my new humidor...

QuoteJackal - 7/28/2015  11:34 AM

People are using crowdfunding for just about everything now.  I want to go to Europe, but cannot afford it, have a fundraiser.  My kid isn't getting as big of a birthday party as I want, go crowdfund.  I want to do pretend to be a photo journalist and need money to pay for my vacation, I mean fund my journey to get a story, do a kickstarter.

Yup and it is easy money I believe they do get abused for too many things that can be viewed as a non essential asthey say a fool and their money are parted.

QuoteSparklePony - 7/28/2015  3:02 PM

Oh, yeah. Does anyone want to give to my new fundraising page?  I'm trying to pay for more cigars for my new humidor...

Excellent idea.  How about this for a crowdfunding project? - I am building a humidor to promote my company, and if we are fully funded and hit our stretch goals, I will award a prize of allowing the top contributors to purchase cigars from my company at a moderately discounted price.

I am sure that there is someone out there who would like to try this plan.

Quotenirab - 7/28/2015  5:24 PM

If it has anything to do to with selfish gratification, then f#$k that. If it has anything to do with helping those who truly need help, then f#$k yea. Helping someone in need is spiritually correct action. Help, assistance, charity, a hand out... if I am in a position to help, I rarely question the why of it all. To be of service to others, and humbly assist without motives, or thoughts of favor, is truly a thing of beauty, and to me, the basic reason for our existence. I do not believe we are here to hoard and conquer, but I do believe we are here to love, and take care of each other...  

I'm with you on this one!

Quotetimpellis - 7/28/2015  1:54 PM

So this might not be the best time to mention this but I currently have a gofundme that needs support. I recently had a series of several small fires that destroyed a good number of my prized cigars. Insurance didn't cover the loss because the fires were considered intentional and repeated. Please send me a few bucks to help cover my losses. Thanks in advance!

    An arsonist, no less!

Quotegitfiddl - 7/28/2015  5:18 PM

Quotenirab - 7/28/2015  5:24 PM

If it has anything to do to with selfish gratification, then f#$k that. If it has anything to do with helping those who truly need help, then f#$k yea. Helping someone in need is spiritually correct action. Help, assistance, charity, a hand out... if I am in a position to help, I rarely question the why of it all. To be of service to others, and humbly assist without motives, or thoughts of favor, is truly a thing of beauty, and to me, the basic reason for our existence. I do not believe we are here to hoard and conquer, but I do believe we are here to love, and take care of each other...  

I'm with you on this one!

Yea Buddy!      

QuoteSparklePony - 7/28/2015  4:59 PM

Quotenirab - 7/28/2015  5:24 PM  If it has anything to do to with selfish gratification, then f#$k that. If it has anything to do with helping those who truly need help, then f#$k yea. Helping someone in need is spiritually correct action. Help, assistance, charity, a hand out... if I am in a position to help, I rarely question the why of it all. To be of service to others, and humbly assist without motives, or thoughts of favor, is truly a thing of beauty, and to me, the basic reason for our existence. I do not believe we are here to hoard and conquer, but I do believe we are here to love, and take care of each other...  

Shaddup, you hippie!

now, ain't you a sugar plum!      

QuoteJackal - 7/28/2015  6:13 PM  

QuoteSparklePony - 7/28/2015  3:02 PM  Oh, yeah. Does anyone want to give to my new fundraising page?  I'm trying to pay for more cigars for my new humidor...

Excellent idea.  How about this for a crowdfunding project? - I am building a humidor to promote my company, and if we are fully funded and hit our stretch goals, I will award a prize of allowing the top contributors to purchase cigars from my company at a moderately discounted price.  I am sure that there is someone out there who would like to try this plan.

 In before frozen

IBTL!!

QuoteJackal - 7/28/2015  6:13 PM  

QuoteSparklePony - 7/28/2015  3:02 PM  Oh, yeah. Does anyone want to give to my new fundraising page?  I'm trying to pay for more cigars for my new humidor...

Excellent idea.  How about this for a crowdfunding project? - I am building a humidor to promote my company, and if we are fully funded and hit our stretch goals, I will award a prize of allowing the top contributors to purchase cigars from my company at a moderately discounted price.  I am sure that there is someone out there who would like to try this plan.

If I am to get involved in this, I'll require to see the Prize first... this time  

IBTL as well

I have to agree on this too. Its being taken advantage of. There are some good causes though. But mostly BS causes. Here is a good example. My mother in law has that blood disease that is a type of cancer. I ( I forget what it is called) She is expected to pull through it by the way. But does have to have a bone marrow transplant. She lost her job because of being off too long. So my wife set up a gofundme account to help with the transplant. She raised $900. Not bad. Same time a some guy in the area overdosed on heroin, had an account set up for funeral fees and $3000 was raised. Don't worry about all the other lives he ruined in the process of ruining his own. Im just curious how much of that money went to the funeral, and not in someone else's vein.

I think im going to set up a gobombme account

I see it often for legit purposes (family looses bread winner, house burns down, wreck only having liability etc.) and never have an issue with folks lending a hand. Hell a few times I have even donated things or money to help someone. I personally believe a community that works together to help those around them has a healthier way of life vs those who live for themselves (not attacking anyone just my personal views.) Now I will say I can not help as much as I like but I still try and donate time to help, hell even recently when I had my terrible Segway incident that left me with a serious concussion and out of work for 3 weeks my own family/friends got together and donated a bunch of money and help to me and my little family until I could get back into proper hours for work. This was done because my job !@#%$ed me out of workers comp somehow leaving me pretty much broke for those 3 weeks I was unable to work.

Anyways I salute those who are down to help out those around them for legit reasons, specially folks who fall on hard times and have worked their asses off before that. All though for your side part I would never donate to someone who was stupid enough to drive drunk and hurt themselves. They deserve every bit of pain and suffering they get.