Amish/Mennonite Benefit Dinners & Auctions

[JohnH]

We are supposed to judge and make sure we remove the log out of our own eyes. But who can know the heart of those that are giving that is what I mean. You aren’t directly involved with these people so you can’t judge them out of the of their hearts when they are giving of themselves

I am most certainly directly involved with people who bid each other up high on benefit auctions, and have had a chance to watch the culture and how it works up front and personal.

[Ernie]

Yeah the auctioneers rarely get paid at these kind of events in Anabaptist circles.

Ok. The only Anabaptist fundraising auction I attended was for a school, and the Anabaptist auctioneers from out of state were paid. The school administrator said that the price the school paid for the auctioneers was well worth it, in terms of how much additional revenue the school was able to generate from the auction, due to an auctioneering team that was skilled at getting people to bid more than what they otherwise would.

[JohnH]

Ok. The only Anabaptist fundraising auction I attended was for a school, and the Anabaptist auctioneers from out of state were paid. The school administrator said that the price the school paid for the auctioneers was well worth it, in terms of how much additional revenue the school was able to generate due to an auctioneering team that got people to pay more than what they otherwise would.

It would seem to make more sense for them to publish the budget of fundraising costs, and then offer donors the option to just pay directly instead of paying an out-of-state team to travel and work there, which probably cost thousands of dollars for what essentially amounted to entertainment.

[ken_sylvania]

When I first started attending the various benefit auctions in Holmes County it greatly touched my heart. I saw it as a Christian witness in many different ways. It’s surprising to me to see such critical comments about it, but I feel like the motives of the heart are being judged here.
....

If people overpay for their items is for a good cause, and I don’t think that we should judge their motive as if they’re trying to impress anyone by their donation. Most people have no idea who the winner is so that doesn’t even matter.

Wait - are you judging me for being critical of benefit auctions and the spirit behind them?

[mike]

I grew up as part of a conservative Mennonite group that frowned on benefit auctions and dinners. I don't ever remember going to one as a youngster. Now I am a professional auctioneer that provides fundraising services to non-profits and organizations and I sit on committees/boards for Mennonite/Anabaptist organizations that derive a significant portion of their operating funds through benefit auctions and similar events. I can see both sides of this issue.

I am a little like Mike, if those who complain about such events are generous in their own ways then I respect their position. I have also learned to really appreciate the community oriented aspect of fundraising events where individuals and businesses pool their resources, time, and money to raise a significant amount of money for a good cause. Often the results exceed what would have been possible with individuals donating separately. There is some energy and synergy that happens - not to mention a little good natured competition that can really make it successful.

Do I think it is right for every organization or non-profit? No certainly not, but I do think it has a place - especially when community involvement and interaction is a desired by-product or part of the main mission.

I've tended to be on the 'skeptical' side of this, but I have been to a number of these, especially for the private schools our children attended, and now, the school our congregation operates. We generally don't buy very much of anything except for some baked goods, and also support the school a bit by eating there.

Another facet is that many people from the area attend the auction, I suppose to hopefully get a good deal on something. But this could also be the only exposure some people will have to the congregation or ministry that operates it. Is it a positive influence on them? We can hope so.

Fundraisers for regular operations of a private school have always bothered me. It feels like asking the public to help support your private school, which you have freely elected to be a part of, while the public already supports public schools with their tax dollars. It feels like saying, "Even though you already pay for public schools, please help me pay for my own expensive private school."

As a business that is flooded with donation requests, it is easy to get a little jaded by some of the types of requests that come in. For example, the churches and organizations that decide to do something for the community such as a free dinner or an Easter egg hunt or something like that, which is all fine and good, but then each year they come with their hand out for support for their event. Particularly if it is a church, how exactly is the decision made to go forward with an event that costs money when the church itself cannot underwrite the event? Sometimes I think these groups want to look good to the community and put themselves out as a benefactor, but they need donations from others in order to do so. Make it make sense.

[Neto]

I grew up as part of a conservative Mennonite group that frowned on benefit auctions and dinners. I don't ever remember going to one as a youngster. Now I am a professional auctioneer that provides fundraising services to non-profits and organizations and I sit on committees/boards for Mennonite/Anabaptist organizations that derive a significant portion of their operating funds through benefit auctions and similar events. I can see both sides of this issue.

I am a little like Mike, if those who complain about such events are generous in their own ways then I respect their position. I have also learned to really appreciate the community oriented aspect of fundraising events where individuals and businesses pool their resources, time, and money to raise a significant amount of money for a good cause. Often the results exceed what would have been possible with individuals donating separately. There is some energy and synergy that happens - not to mention a little good natured competition that can really make it successful.

Do I think it is right for every organization or non-profit? No certainly not, but I do think it has a place - especially when community involvement and interaction is a desired by-product or part of the main mission.

I've tended to be on the 'skeptical' side of this, but I have been to a number of these, especially for the private schools our children attended, and now, the school our congregation operates. We generally don't buy very much of anything except for some baked goods, and also support the school a bit by eating there.

Another facet is that many people from the area attend the auction, I suppose to hopefully get a good deal on something. But this could also be the only exposure some people will have to the congregation or ministry that operates it. Is it a positive influence on them? We can hope so.

Fundraisers for regular operations of a private school have always bothered me. It feels like asking the public to help support your private school, which you have freely elected to be a part of, while the public already supports public schools with their tax dollars. It feels like saying, "Even though you already pay for public schools, please help me pay for my own expensive private school."

As a business that is flooded with donation requests, it is easy to get a little jaded by some of the types of requests that come in. For example, the churches and organizations that decide to do something for the community such as a free dinner or an Easter egg hunt or something like that, which is all fine and good, but then each year they come with their hand out for support for their event. Particularly if it is a church, how exactly is the decision made to go forward with an event that costs money when the church itself cannot underwrite the event? Sometimes I think these groups want to look good to the community and put themselves out as a benefactor, but they need donations from others in order to do so. Make it make sense.

When we returned to the States we DID send our two older children (then already in HS) to a Christian school. All of our children attended the public school for the elementary school years, during the times when we were on home assignment in the States. Our youngest got involved in band in elementary school, so since the Christian schools didn't have that, we kept him in the public school, where he graduated HS.

I actually do not favor taking children out of the public school system. I went to public school all 12 years, and it was good for me in respect to learning to live as a Christian in daily interactions with friends and classmates who were not Christians. People often talk about how bad the public schools are, but are they not that way partly because many of the Christian young people in that community are not there? I know that the public school scene now is not like it was 50 years ago. I get that. But do we unconsciously communicate distrust to our children if we "shelter them from the world" until they are 18? Let them learn to live as examples of faith when the things they face are the smaller things (in comparison to what they will face in later life).

[Valerie]

When I first started attending the various benefit auctions in Holmes County it greatly touched my heart. I saw it as a Christian witness in many different ways. It’s surprising to me to see such critical comments about it, but I feel like the motives of the heart are being judged here.
....

If people overpay for their items is for a good cause, and I don’t think that we should judge their motive as if they’re trying to impress anyone by their donation. Most people have no idea who the winner is so that doesn’t even matter.

Wait - are you judging me for being critical of benefit auctions and the spirit behind them?

Yes

[Valerie]

I've tended to be on the 'skeptical' side of this, but I have been to a number of these, especially for the private schools our children attended, and now, the school our congregation operates. We generally don't buy very much of anything except for some baked goods, and also support the school a bit by eating there.

Another facet is that many people from the area attend the auction, I suppose to hopefully get a good deal on something. But this could also be the only exposure some people will have to the congregation or ministry that operates it. Is it a positive influence on them? We can hope so.

Fundraisers for regular operations of a private school have always bothered me. It feels like asking the public to help support your private school, which you have freely elected to be a part of, while the public already supports public schools with their tax dollars. It feels like saying, "Even though you already pay for public schools, please help me pay for my own expensive private school."

As a business that is flooded with donation requests, it is easy to get a little jaded by some of the types of requests that come in. For example, the churches and organizations that decide to do something for the community such as a free dinner or an Easter egg hunt or something like that, which is all fine and good, but then each year they come with their hand out for support for their event. Particularly if it is a church, how exactly is the decision made to go forward with an event that costs money when the church itself cannot underwrite the event? Sometimes I think these groups want to look good to the community and put themselves out as a benefactor, but they need donations from others in order to do so. Make it make sense.

When we returned to the States we DID send our two older children (then already in HS) to a Christian school. All of our children attended the public school for the elementary school years, during the times when we were on home assignment in the States. Our youngest got involved in band in elementary school, so since the Christian schools didn't have that, we kept him in the public school, where he graduated HS.

I actually do not favor taking children out of the public school system. I went to public school all 12 years, and it was good for me in respect to learning to live as a Christian in daily interactions with friends and classmates who were not Christians. People often talk about how bad the public schools are, but are they not that way partly because many of the Christian young people in that community are not there? I know that the public school scene now is not like it was 50 years ago. I get that. But do we unconsciously communicate distrust to our children if we "shelter them from the world" until they are 18? Let them learn to live as examples of faith when the things they face are the smaller things (in comparison to what they will face in later life).

What I’ve seen over & over is parents who raise them in the faith and lose them due to public school teaching, such as evolution. Then these days as young as kindergarten children are forced to read books that promote LGBTQ - I hear these stories of children being “influenced” by these teachings which is why so many denominations now are pro LGBTQ. I feel that parents still need to protect the souls of their children because of what I’ve witnessed happening..

[JohnH]

Fundraisers for regular operations of a private school have always bothered me. It feels like asking the public to help support your private school, which you have freely elected to be a part of, while the public already supports public schools with their tax dollars. It feels like saying, "Even though you already pay for public schools, please help me pay for my own expensive private school."

To be fair, we also support public schools with our money. Our own member-supported school is also open to the public provided they comply with the same requirements on church families (essentially, not having a TV in the home). With that said, we do not conduct public fundraisers to support our own school.

The youth group is conducting fundraisers to raise funds to build a new school, but they are doing things like offering up work days, hosting meals, or selling "meal tickets" (where you get a full meal delivered to your home) to do this. This is essentially offering up their own labour in exchange for community support for the school.

As a business that is flooded with donation requests, it is easy to get a little jaded by some of the types of requests that come in. For example, the churches and organizations that decide to do something for the community such as a free dinner or an Easter egg hunt or something like that, which is all fine and good, but then each year they come with their hand out for support for their event. Particularly if it is a church, how exactly is the decision made to go forward with an event that costs money when the church itself cannot underwrite the event? Sometimes I think these groups want to look good to the community and put themselves out as a benefactor, but they need donations from others in order to do so. Make it make sense.

Yes, I agree with this. At times it seems the main effect of joining the local Chamber of Commerce is to get requests to support various things.

[Valerie]

I grew up as part of a conservative Mennonite group that frowned on benefit auctions and dinners. I don't ever remember going to one as a youngster. Now I am a professional auctioneer that provides fundraising services to non-profits and organizations and I sit on committees/boards for Mennonite/Anabaptist organizations that derive a significant portion of their operating funds through benefit auctions and similar events. I can see both sides of this issue.

I am a little like Mike, if those who complain about such events are generous in their own ways then I respect their position. I have also learned to really appreciate the community oriented aspect of fundraising events where individuals and businesses pool their resources, time, and money to raise a significant amount of money for a good cause. Often the results exceed what would have been possible with individuals donating separately. There is some energy and synergy that happens - not to mention a little good natured competition that can really make it successful.

Do I think it is right for every organization or non-profit? No certainly not, but I do think it has a place - especially when community involvement and interaction is a desired by-product or part of the main mission.

I've tended to be on the 'skeptical' side of this, but I have been to a number of these, especially for the private schools our children attended, and now, the school our congregation operates. We generally don't buy very much of anything except for some baked goods, and also support the school a bit by eating there.

Another facet is that many people from the area attend the auction, I suppose to hopefully get a good deal on something. But this could also be the only exposure some people will have to the congregation or ministry that operates it. Is it a positive influence on them? We can hope so.

Fundraisers for regular operations of a private school have always bothered me. It feels like asking the public to help support your private school, which you have freely elected to be a part of, while the public already supports public schools with their tax dollars. It feels like saying, "Even though you already pay for public schools, please help me pay for my own expensive private school."

As an outsider, I never looked at the school benefit options that way. Actually, I was very happy about attending auctions where the public recognizes the value of an Amish school and the sacrifices families make raising a lot of children on one income. They’re a good example to the secular world. So I really don’t think Most outsiders look at it negatively at all.