Cheap Bastard or Responsible Fiscal Steward? You Decide.

Many years ago, when I was working in the news bureau of a large public university, my director kicked off our weekly staff meeting by noting that all employees were being encouraged to buy a season-ticket package to support the school’s football team.

Problem was, the football program there was not simply bad, but epically awful. Nobody wanted to go to games — not students, not alumni, and certainly not those of us who were already supporting the university by dint of our talents (he said modestly).

That memory flashed through my mind when I read a recent question on Ask Metafilter from a nonprofit employee who objected to his organization’s request that he and his colleagues pony up:

The development department is after everyone on the staff to set up recurring donations via credit card or bank draft. I have been hedging, because I think it’s odd that I’m being asked to “give back” a portion of my salary like that. I donate to other causes … ones for which I cannot work 40+ hours a week.

At a different university where I worked, we were solicited by the development office to contribute to the school’s annual fund, but it was never heavy-handed, and it was made clear to us that our participation was one of the criteria that went into the mysteriously calculated national rankings that we all didn’t care to admit we followed. So how is it where you are? And do you think you have an obligation to give financially if you’re already giving professionally? | 501(c)