I just hung up the phone from another of those fundraising organizations. This one was raising money for needy kids for a fine organization. When the caller identified himself and told me what my gift would go for, I asked if he was a fundraiser or a member of the organization. He informed me that he was a fundraiser.

Next question: What percentage of what you raise actually goes to the organization for the needy children. Answer: about 10-15%. (Standard answer, by the way.) Next he tried to make the excuse that they have a lot of overhead. "Right!!!" Eighty-five percent overhead?

"I'm sorry," said I, "but I don't give to fundraising organizations that overcharge their clients." Actually those are NOT my exact words. I really WAS a bit more tactful.

I didn't tell this man that organizations like Lutheran World Hunger do their fundraising for about seven percent, but I could have. I didn't mention that when we Lutherans send a dollar to our disaster relief program that $1.00 actually goes for disaster relief ... but maybe I should have. Ah, well, there will be a next time. There always is. Once in a while, depending on how talkative I feel, I even tell them what percent of my income I give through my church. Then I like to ask what percent they give away to any and all causes, or what they are personally donating the cause they are trying to get me to give to.

If you're like me you get two to four such calls a week. If you're like me, you give to very few because you're really giving to the fundraiser.

Hint! Moneys given for any benevolent cause are best given through our church. In fact, that's what I often tell fundraisers. Did you know that our church actually supports many of the causes the fundraisers are calling about? I mean in our ELCA (and almost every other denomination) you can find, in one form or another, most of the causes these folks represent.

Sometime back I decided rather than become annoyed with fundraisers, I'd simply have some fun. Admittedly, some of them are annoying. But after all, they are people too, and they're merely trying to make a living. Of course, if they get obnoxious, it's even more fun.