Today’s rant from Chris™ involves the arrival in my e-mail inbox of requests for money.

I’m not talking about those bogus “Nigerian” businessmen who send stupid messages like, “I am the wife of so-and-so.  My husband was beaten to death with badminton rackets after winning a game against the local military strongman/smoothie franchise owner.  I just happen to have $80 zillion that needs to be deposited somewhere, and your bank account is as good a place as, say, a Swiss bank account.  You just have to send me $1,000 first.  Whaddya say?”

I’m talking about legitimate requests for money from people that I actually know.

I am reminded, for example, of the time a few years ago that an e-mail arrived from an old college friend.  She was going a run in support of AIDS research and needed people to sponsor her.  While I’m all about supporting AIDS research, I support the cause directly through the mandatory voluntary charity program we have set up through payroll and … the message asking for sponsorship was the first communication I’d had from her in nearly five years.  I had no idea where she was living, what she was doing in her life, and, frankly, was pretty sure she had the same amount of information about me.

Contrary to feeling honored to be part of an important process, I felt kind of like she’d sent a broadband message to her entire address book (which is, I’m sure, what she actually did).  Etiquette would normally dictate a semi-personal follow up directed individually to me that would sort of soothe that rough patch over.  Such a message didn’t come.  I did get routine messages of increasing frequency detailing the amount of money she still needed to raise, but … I actually felt a little insulted.

I didn’t donate, and, as callous as it may sound, I don’t feel that guilty about it.  Just one message to me individually would have swung my opinion.  Just one.

The organization that I went to Saudi Arabia with in 2005 sends me requests for money so frequently that I have the address set to filter directly into my junk mail folder.  I know they’re teetering on the edge of bankruptcy, but knowing the guy in charge, I’m not sure that would be a bad thing.

I just got another one from a colleague who works for a non-profit.  Their funding has been cut this year, and the doyenne of this particular organization sent a message to “twenty select friends” asking them to contribute $1,000 each to help her make up the shortfall.  While I like this woman personally, and I think the work that she does is important, I have issues with the way she does it.  Also, and more importantly, I don’t have $1,000 laying around that I can donate.

Her message was, at least individually addressed, but … I’m not a huge fan of requests like these.  What if the shortfall continues next year?  If I manage to find money somewhere (I could, theoretically, use one of my work accounts and buy an institutional membership in her organization), am I going to be expected to contribute next year?  I’m not sure I want to establish that precedent.  Provide me with a more solvent business plan and I’ll consider it.

I realize this all goes to make me sound like a stingy bastard, and perhaps I am.  I’m also an underpaid public servant whose savings account balance can’t ever seem to hit four digits.  If you want money from me, you need to make a good case for it.

What say you all?