Angela Dove: Award-Winning Writer

The best and worst in 2010 fund raising calendars.

(Images coming soon, folks. We're experiencing some technical difficulty . . . )

It’s nearing the end of a year spent largely in a recession, and charitable giving is down.  Churches and service organizations (and even for-profit businesses) are scrambling to come up with innovative fundraising ideas. And instead of making just one pitch, why not take the opportunity to remind patrons that their support is important all year round? The answer is obvious: The 2010 Calendar of Questionable Taste.  Let’s examine a few. And yes, they’re all real.

Hot Mormon Muffins: A Taste of Motherhood.  Each month offers a svelte Mormon mom and accompanying muffin recipe. They may be onto something here. Across the board, church giving is down. Why not borrow this idea and tailor it to your own congregation? “Puttin’ on the Ritz (Crumb Toppings): Sexy Baptist Casseroles” and “After the Pumpkin Patch: Scantily Clad Methodists Share Recipes for their Favorite Scintillating Squash” may bring your budget back to the black.

This SPCA Calendar shows actual animal welfare personnel in the buff and on the job. Obviously this isn’t the most practical way to apprehend feral cats, but what’s a few scratches and a round of intensive antibiotics compared to the frolicsome fun of producing such a calendar? I can certainly see the fundraising potential for service groups, but organizers will need to use a little common sense. For example, while audiences might grin at the sight of a mostly nude volunteer peeking out from behind a clothing rack at a local thrift store, others may balk at Naked Meals on Wheels.( On the other hand, NMOW would probably yield the best photos. It’s really six vesus one-half dozen.)

   The Pets Rock and Yoga Dog calendars uses digitally altered images of family pets to make them look like some of rock & roll’s most iconic characters, such as this Amy Winehouse kitty, or to make animals appear to have achieved meditative stances. Thanks to computer programs like PhotoShop, pets need not actually wear leather jackets or perform sun salutes. In fact, cooperation on behalf of the subject is no longer required. Strictly hypothetically, local employees could take photos of their boss at the office Christmas party and digitally alter them to make Mr. Jeffers appear to be wearing—or doing—any number of things. Either selling the calendar to coworkers, or asking a large amount from Mr. Jeffers in exchange for your agreement not to publish, could bring in enough revenue to purchase a new couch for the employee lounge. And it’s all in good fun! Ha ha! See?

So there you are. A new fundraising idea with plenty of time left in the year to bring your vision to print. And please, should your group decide to give this a go, keep your local columnist informed.