[Bookstoprisoners] the donation idea

[Susan Porter Bruce]

Jacqueline,

Thanks for your thoughtful comments. I think this is all well worth  
some talk at one of our meetings. I was just in Strawberry Fields  
yesterday and noticed a woman peering in as I went to haul some out.  
I think it's a natural instinct people have, especially when these  
boxes look like the free boxes one sees outside stores. And we well  
know people are not big sign readers!

I won't go any further into commenting, but did want to say I think  
your idea of an event at IDF is great. In fact, something there  
during the first days of a semester might be good---or any time. It's  
become a busy corner.

Susan Bruce
On Jun 7, 2007, at 12:24 PM, Jacqueline Hannah wrote:

> Hello,
>
> I just wanted to take a moment and comment on the responses that  
> have been posted to the donation envelope idea -
>
> First, as Jay said, I was not suggesting the organization try to  
> "sell" books from the bin nor encourage the "shopping" from the  
> bin.  My intent was to pass on a reality of the bin use as someone  
> who has worked right next to them for years and seen how they are  
> used by your donors and others.  My suggestion for donation  
> envelopes was just a brainstorm on how to turn this issue into a  
> way to bring in extra funds for the organization.
>
> I don't think it is realistic to expect the browsing and "shopping"  
> to ever be entirely curbed and while some of you have made clear  
> you feel this is stealing, I have run that view past several  
> handfuls of folks I've talked to at the co-op in the last week and  
> gotten incredulous responses - whether any of us agree or not,  
> people who regularly donate to the bins either feel entitled to  
> pick up a book or two as long as they intend to donate (many said  
> they are careful only to take books like gardening books, toddler  
> board books, etc that prisoners are unlikely to be able to make use  
> of) *or* they do not participate in this practice themselves but  
> had a negative reaction to hearing that the organization might take  
> such a hardline attitude toward the shopping, going so far as to  
> call it "stealing".
>
> When I informed these folks that BTP gets a lot of its funds these  
> days for mailing and books that have to be ordered (like  
> dictionaries) by selling the choice donations on E-Bay they did not  
> know this (nor did I until this convo) and it did change their  
> attitude toward the "shopping" practice.
>
> I share all of this to say:
>
> No matter what our personal takes on it, people will do this.  If  
> BTP is going to try to discourage this activity, I hope that the  
> communication used to do this takes a positive tone and refrains  
> from calling the practice "wrong" or "criminal" as I think this  
> will endear no one to the org.  On the other hand, something that  
> included many of the points that came up in this convo like:
>
> "Hello, BTP supporters, thank you for your donations!
> Did you know:
> - that these books go directly to prisoners who request them OR
> - are sold on-line to pay for our book shipping costs OR
> - are placed in our book sales to help BTP raise funds to mail  
> books to prisoners?
>
> Every book is a huge help to BTP, thanks so much for donating!
> If you would like to shop for used books and support BTP at the  
> same time, please join us for our next book sale.  You can find out  
> when it will be at our website, www.nameofwebsite.org"
>
> People don't mean to steal or hurt the org in most cases, they just  
> don't consider these issues or know how the books are used.  Giving  
> them the benefit of the doubt while educating them on the org would  
> make a lot more fans and perhaps help curb the "shopping".  The  
> other thing that encourages shopping is very full bins that sit for  
> days - I know that this is no one's fault, but it is an issue.  The  
> bin at Common Ground has been overflowing for over a week now and I  
> have seen many a book disappear.  When the books all fit in the bin  
> I see very few books disappear.
>
> Regardless, the donation envelopes might be nice or even just an  
> address on the bins - people have asked me where they can send  
> donations to BTP.  Also, I would be interested in having the co-op  
> host a donations day for BTP in the fall.  I need to get the IDF's  
> approval, but it would be great if we had table out front of the  
> store entrance for BTP that was staffed on a busy day and we had a  
> Seed Sowing Day for BTP - this is where a percentage of all sales  
> for the day go to a local org that enriches our community.
>
> In the spirit of support,
> Jacqueline Hannah
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