Science Memes

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submitted 2 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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[–] [email protected] 44 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I donate regularly to a charity and don’t try to dictate how they spend that money, because I have faith that they’ll responsibly use my donations.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 2 months ago (3 children)

Sure, but not just generally "charity." You pick and choose who you donste to, and you donate to charitable organizations that you think do good work. If they started smelting orphans, you'd probably stop writing checks.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

smelting orphans

Haven't heard that one before. Had a hearty chuckle.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 months ago

And so you should.

Orphans should never be smelted: it's far wiser to use them down at the mines or for chimney sweeping!

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I think in the context of the OP, not all donations have strings attached in the sense of trying to exert control. Maybe smelting orphans is undesirable but for donations previously received there's nothing the donor can do about that other. And picking and choosing who you donate to isn't a form of exerting control either.

Whereas large university donations do usually have agreements signed that could drastically change school policy. These are "donations" to exert control in some form or another

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago

Donations can't be clawed back, but ongoing donations can be stopped. And you're right that bigger donors exert more influence, and usually get something in return like naming rights for a building or changes to school policies. And that should be transparent, I don't oppose requiring large donations be made public. My point was just that it's always give and take. If the school changes the policy the big donor liked, they will shut off the money faucet. If the school does something most alumni don't like, many of them will stop giving. Recipients of donations always want to keep donors happy, the difference is a matter of scale. How far are they willing to go to keep a donor happy depends on how big the donation is.