Probably inappropriate carping

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monark88

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This happened to me about 3 weeks ago. I was invited to donate a pen for auction, for a fund raising event in a small SW Ohio village, for their upcoming 2014 Bicentennial.
I sent in 5 pens plus another pen as a gift to the gent with whom I was corresponding.

The understanding was that these pens would be placed in their auction, along with other items. The event came and went with on comment from the guy about how the auction went. After 3 weeks I emailed him and asked how things went. I reminded him that I had some specially engraved boxes that we to go along with any pens auctioned off. He ignored this offer.

He finally emailed back and said the committee decided to just raffle the pens off, along side fresh baked goods and tickets to different events. He also informed me that he had no idea what the pens brought in to their fund raising. He also never thanked me for the pens nor the one I presented him for his own personal use.

My problem(if thats the right term) is that we had an understanding that the pens would be in their auction. I believe that the pens would have gotten better interest in that manner as opposed to a raffle. The pens were of a variety from a Platinum slimline to a majestic jr and a Majestic single blank to a cigar and others.

As I suggested at the beginning perhaps I was expecting too much.

You opinions please,
thanks Russ
 
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I understand and commiserate with your rant. The problem with donations is that once they are out of our hands people can do whatever they want with them :( I actually thought you were going to say that the guy kept your pens for himself!

Don't be afraid to donate to other good causes!
 
Really, i wasn't ranting or whining. I agree that, under most circumstances, once out of my hands, thats it. But we had an agreement that they would go to auction. He also asked me to donate additional pens for their 2014 upcoming "auction". I probably will.

Russ
 
Have you communicated your displeasure at not having them used for the event that you donated them for? Simply respond that you will have to reconsider your options if they are not to be used as stated or within your understanding of how they will be used.
 
I just donate with no strings atached. The pens can be used however needed. I've had pens bring in small amts and nice amounts. I have other more important things to occupy my attention.
Do a good turn daily!
Don

Sent from my Samsung Epic using Forum runner
 
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He might be one of these folks (or the rest of the committee) that think these are just $5 pens. Maybe you should explain to them what these pens go for on the open market and maybe they won't be put in aside for raffle prizes next to Aunt Mae's cupcakes.
 
mredburn said:
Have you communicated your displeasure at not having them used for the event that you donated them for? Simply respond that you will have to reconsider your options if they are not to be used as stated or within your understanding of how they will be used.
Click to expand...

I have, respectfully. Waiting for reply. I'm not terrifically upset. More concerned that thank you's and recognition were not forthcoming. I will donate for their event next year. I have to, I have 20 pen boxes with their logo. :)

I donate many pens and stoppers.over the past few years, prior to my 2 years off from turning. I get too much enjoyment from giving.

I have been asked to donate a pen or pen set to the upcoming Jesuit High School silent auction here in Portland. Also several PSI diamond files. I no longer care about selling.

Thanks Russ
 
Russ; I also get satisfaction out of donateing and giving my pens away. There is more happyness to me in a smile and thank you, than in counting dollars. I think the problem you incountered is this. The person you gave the pens to, or the people that were going to auction them off, had no idea what they were made of, how they were made, or that they were craftsman made one of a kind pens. Without someone there that spoke penturning, they were just another pen priced more than the Bic they are useing now. Not getting an update or thank you, on the other hand, is not very thoughtful of the person you sent the pens to, seeing you bothered to send him a pen also. An E-Mail would be the least to expect! A hand written thank you note would have seemed much much better. At our woodworking show last month, I had a guy come up to me and thank me for making the pen that he had won in the raffel last year. That made the donation worth while. Jim S
 
plantman said:
Russ; I also get satisfaction out of donateing and giving my pens away. There is more happyness to me in a smile and thank you, than in counting dollars. I think the problem you incountered is this. The person you gave the pens to, or the people that were going to auction them off, had no idea what they were made of, how they were made, or that they were craftsman made one of a kind pens. Without someone there that spoke penturning, they were just another pen priced more than the Bic they are useing now. Not getting an update or thank you, on the other hand, is not very thoughtful of the person you sent the pens to, seeing you bothered to send him a pen also. An E-Mail would be the least to expect! A hand written thank you note would have seemed much much better. At our woodworking show last month, I had a guy come up to me and thank me for making the pen that he had won in the raffel last year. That made the donation worth while. Jim S
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Jim,
you hit it right on the nose. The man is a retired college professor. One would expect a certain amount of "class", for want of a better word. He is a very nice guy and we had similar backgrounds, from the same area.

The reason I was concerned is that the village is Darrtown Ohio(home of Walter "Smoky" Alston Dodgers Mgr) and where many of my ancestors settled(corny, I know). Here is a pic of the boxes-although engraved in black and white
Russ
 

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:RockOn: Very nice logo Russ!! Makes a great keepsake for someone. I will give you my personal and well ment " THANK YOU " for spending your time and money on a great cause. Jim S
 
I had a similar situation where I work. There were several of my peers wanting me to put my pens in as a raffle. I donated several of my better pens. When I attended the event I never even heard any mention of my pens. I suspect that they were simply thrown into a 'grab bag' of other items. When the event happens again, next Christmas, my pens and I will be absent. I'm trying, again, at a different venue and we'll have to see what happens. This year I included my business card with "Handcrafted African Blackwood Pen" which should indicate that it isn't a $5 "Office Max" pen - we'll see!

Dan
 
Russ,

I had the similar thing happen to me with Pens For Hope. I donated 4 pens to a guy i Knew who was sponsoring a fundraiser and golf tournament for one of his employees whos daughter had cancer. After I gave him the pens, a few days before the tournament I carried him some money that we had raised at our office to go to the family. His secretary was using one of the pens I had donated. Come to find out he had gave them to all the ladies who worked in his office. Since I knew the guy well, I had some pretty choice words for him. In the end he wrote a nice check to the family. Thats part of the reason we try to give the pens directly to the kids. On the ones we donate for raffles, I ask for proof of sell.
 
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