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Charlotte Amalie
Friday, March 29, 2024
HomeNewsArchivesTHE GIVE AND TAKE: SOME CONTRIBUTING FACTORS

THE GIVE AND TAKE: SOME CONTRIBUTING FACTORS

Dear Editor:
I am writing both as a visual artist and as a gallery/gift shop owner specializing in retail sales of the work of local artists and artisans.
As a small business owner, I pay my payroll taxes, pay my gross receipts taxes, pay my corporate taxes and struggle constantly against the difficulties of doing business in the Virgin Islands with an anti-business and anti-development government whose sole purpose, it seems, is to squeeze every penny it can out of the private sector to support its inflated work force without giving anything in return.
This attitude coming down from the top implies that because you are in business, you can afford to pay whatever is thrown your way. This misperception permeates our society. Small business owners seem to be fair game for everyone wanting donations for this and that. I am bombarded on a daily basis with nickel requests from school kids scraping together funds to go on a trip, all the way to high-profile community non-profit organizations scraping together funds to survive.
In both cases, I would like to offer suggestions for people to think about before they ask for money from a small business. Small businesses are very different from large corporations. Yes, they may be more accessible or less intimidating to approach, and they do not usually have tightly monitored philanthropic budgets that are planned two years or more ahead of time. However, small businesses are generally run by individuals who are in business to earn a living, who work extremely hard seven days a week, with families of their own to nurture, feed, clothe, school etc. They are not usually run by some millionaire lying out by the pool handing out spare cash. In spite of our depressed economy in the Virgin Islands, most small business owners in this community are generous to a fault. They do their best to support all the auctions, raffles and other fundraisers that they can.
Patronizing businesses on a regular basis is a good way to maintain a relationship which is going to involve requesting donations from them from time to time. If a business is thriving, the owner is much more able to donate to worthy causes.
As an artist, I find that we are a group constantly targeted by larger organizations for donations. Why? Because we create beautiful works of art which enhance the look of an auction, or we create wonderful music or entertain an audience that enhances an evening of fundraising. Do the individuals who administer the non-profit organizations and who go out and solicit the donations ever think about purchasing art from the artists occasionally, to make sure they can afford to keep creating these beautiful things that they are asked to donate for free? Artist are small business owners, too; they need to earn a living, they have families to support and they need to have their businesses patronized to be able to stay in business.
The kids who come into my gallery often have little inherent courtesy, limited communication skills, scrappy pieces of paper and, worst of all, determination to interrupt business transactions with paying customers. If someone — teacher, parent, whoever — is responsible for sending these kids out to beg from people they have never met before and may never see again, then I suggest that they re-think their modus operandi.
For starters, make a list of the businesses they plan to target, and make an effort to get to know them. Teach the children good manners and clear diction, take the time to walk with them, present an informative letter to the business owner outlining the group's purposes and the reason it needs funds. By leaving a telephone number and an address, you give the business owners time to think it over, and if they choose to support the project, they can do so in a businesslike way by mailing in a check. The group is likely to receive a larger donation than a quarter from the till.
We are all in this community together. The artists, visual and performing, are a catalyst that keeps the community spirit alive from generation to generation, not a resource to be drained or neglected. By the same token, small businesses are the fuel that keeps the community's economy functioning. The fuel is getting low for all of us, so please do not forget that, if you are going to ask a small business for a donation, make sure you offer some return on the investment, through free publicity and use of its services whenever possible.
Corinne Van Rensselaer
The Color of Joy
St. Thomas

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