On another note

I haven't been blogging my writing because I've been concentrating on writing rather than writing about writing of late but I'm off on a tangent today.


Today I'm going to rant. That is the joy of blogging if you are a ranter - you can rant and no one can stop you! I like a good rant and really resent being stopped mid point. In life I guess there are ranters and non-ranters and the ranting which are another group all together!


So prepare for the rant!


I am the race director for a little amateur-run 5 & 10k women's event that is trying to keep it's head above water in a world full of professional event organizers with beady rat-like eyes, sharp shark-like teeth and talons for fingers (it's my rant and I'll describe them how I want to!). There are of course some who are perfectly lovely people I'm sure. The kind of people who respond positively (or at all) when participants give them feedback on a race but when the same organizers appear on a number of events each year and the events disappear from the race calendar in the blink of an eye because they aren't profitable you know that they have no personal investment (I'm not talking money, I'm talking heart). But despite appearances my rant is not about race directors, no my rant is about something related yet different!


For an amateur event to continue they need the support of sponsors. The same sponsors you see gloriously emblazoned on the professional organizers' fliers. So when the little mouse comes begging for a crumb (or a muesli bar) to pop in their goodie bags they invariably get a version of the following (this is from a company that has sent me offers of large numbers of samples in my other life) :

Thank you for your recent email.
Large Corporation Ltd takes great pride in our ongoing ability to support philanthropic activities. As we feel sure you will understand, we receive many requests from the community and individuals for support. Unfortunately, because of the vast number of submissions received, we are just not able to help everyone.
We regret that we are unable to provide you with any support at this time, and take this opportunity of wishing you every success in your endeavours.
Yours sincerely
large corporation


(this usually arrives within the hour of you sending a request - apart from one that took 3 months and a number of back and forward emails to say they don't support anyone)


Now let me translate:
Large Corporation Ltd takes great pride in our ongoing ability to support philanthropic activities - we have pots and pots of money and we can buy friends.


we receive many requests from the community and individuals for support.  - everyone wants to be our friend


Unfortunately, because of the vast number of submissions received, we are just not able to help everyone. - we have soooo many friends


We regret that we are unable to provide you with any support at this time,  -  you're just not cool enough for us.

Yeah, just rub it in!


Frankly I'd prefer:


Sorry, we don't see any benefit for us from sponsoring your event/providing samples for your goodie bags so we won't give you anything.


Perhaps a little less bald but you get the drift. Don't tell me how wonderful you are - you are turning me down - I think you are scum! You just make me hate you more!


Now if I could be promising celebrity attendees, TV coverage, radio ads which will mention your company - would you want to be my friend then? Well I can't because all my spare money will go on trying to make the event great for the participants and I will be devastated if someone doesn't enjoy themselves because they don't get water at a waterstop because they closed up because they couldn't be bothered getting up early/waiting for the tailenders, or anything else that could ruin the event. Note that the water episode has occurred on a number of occasions at events run by the professionals. I personally have paid a large amount of money to one organizer and had to go to a dairy on a stinking hot day because the waterstops had all closed up and gone and there was no tailend Charlie! 


So as far as my jaundiced eye can see it's not philantropy it's profit. Don't talk the talk if you can't walk the walk!


The definition of philanthropy is: The desire to promote the welfare of others, expressed esp. by the generous donation of money to good causes.


I don't see the 'as long as you get some benefit out of it' part in the definition!


Oh well, I have my list of first against the wall come the glorious revolution - the only problem 
is I'll need the Great Wall of China to fit everyone in!


So now I will go and send off some more begging letters to large companies who will send me their form letter. But some will come through and I will hold them in highest esteem and make sure that everyone I talk to knows about them.