Seeing Red

I purposefully don't talk about my job much on here. Something about working for a Christian non-profit and discussing it in a personal way on a "public" forum does not seem like it would be a good idea. However, I will say I am a bit worried about the future of my own job, and all fundraisers for that matter.

Working for a non-profit can be a bit tricky at times. When the economy goes south, our number of "clients" goes through the roof. Unfortunately, the number of donations are simultaneously plumetting somewhere far, far below the floor boards. It's understandable. The middle and upper classes are watching their 401k's and life savings vanish before their eyes.

Unfortunately, this leads to a huge decline in charitable giving for social service organizations like my own. Most non-profits receive about 40% of their annual income during the months of November and December. In a time when I should be overwhelmed thanking individuals and companies for their donations, I find myself sitting and waiting for that next check to come in, while more people than ever are lining up downstairs at the food bank.

And of course, living in a country whose economy is based on American tourism is not helping the situation. A few weeks ago the famous Atlantis Resort was rumored to be at 6% capacity; this week they laid off 800 workers. Did I mention this is the island's biggest employer? Not good!