Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-29


ceived check for five thousand dollars The sender was
hard-headed business man, stranger to the work and
he did not live in the East: but he wrote that he believed
an organization taking advantage of this practical way
of presenting work could be trusted to the money
wisely.
Over hundred and forty thousand letters of appeal
have been mailed in years when extraordinary demands
confronted the association. Although printed in mi-
tation of typewrng, the addresses filled in the
letter by the typewriter giving it the appearance of
personal communication. Illustrated circulars in
closed with remittance blanks and unstamped return
enveops. Ten different kinds of letters have been used
in single monev-rasing campaign. The cost of get
ting out the hundred and forty thousand is five thousand
dollars
An analysis of the indicates that fifteen thou
sand dollars has come from fifteen hundred new
tributors Old subscribers to the number of nearly
twenty thousand send approximately a hundred and
seventythree thousand dollars Some of the latter in
their gifts, and others regret their inability add
to their customary donation Less than dozen re-
spond in such way to signify annoyance Without
large of good will it would be impossible for
the association to raise in this manner nearly two hun
dred thousand dollars unless it employed solicitors;
practice not INDUCED in by the way.
The money will not come in, however, unless great
pains taken with the letters of appeal sent Not
long ago the Brooklyn Bureau of Charities mailed sixty
eight hundred printed letters the postage alone costing
a hundred and thirty-Sx dollars Only hundred and
thirteen responses received, with total of five
hundred and four dollars. Something is wrong with
organization methods when there such results
this
On one occasion the writer sent out fifteen hundred
imitation typewriter letters, appealing for funds for
worthy philanthropy. and received exactly nnetyeght
replies, with five hundred and dollars in checks and
currency. Except for fresh work, almost all phi
lanhropic appeals sent in the autumn and winter
VERY successful example of federated charitable eff
fort is the Hospital Saturday and Sunday Associa-
ton which began several ago to try and interest
the Churchgolng public to JOIN making donations in the
various churches and synagogues the last Saturday
and Sunday of the calendar year to fund for the forty
five metropolitan hospitals The direct result to
a off
hospitals. The public realized that by giving in this
way almost ninety cents of each dollar subscribed
directly into the work. Encouraged by the
CeSsul reception of its plans the association which,
by the way, is nothing than committee made up
of representative from each institution to in
various lines of business and professional men in
helping to funds among their fellows. 1t has
about that there is subcommittee of bankers another
of commission merchants, third of lawyers and
each of which undertakes to collect money from men
and firms engaged in identical forms of business and
turns the total over the association Aside from
paid secretary and a clerk there is absolutely
pense attached to the raising of annual fund of nearly
hundred thousand dollars, and this is divided pro
according to the number of free patients cared for
in each of the fortyfve public hospitals The money
used provide free treatment to nearly fortve thou
sand men, women and children. seriously i'll injured
during the year and without means to pay
IN this connection it is interesting recall that
of the richest America make their only general
hospital donations in this way excepting ]. Pierpont
Morgan, who not only gives ten thousand dollars year
the Hospital Saturday and Sunday Association, but
the prncely of hundred thousand dollars the
Lying-in Hospital.
a sharp contrast is had in the example of John D.
Rockefeller, who gives twenty five hundred dollars
year the Saturday and Sunday Association; but
makes further donations individual hospitals. AS
no public announcement has ever been made of his
position this matter, the following authorized state
ment of it by his representative is striking
"AIr Rockefeller feels that the best way for him to
aid the relief of that suffering which due disease
and accident is by establishing and maintaining the
Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research in this city,