For instance, if you want to ask RantWoman for money to help cover a speaker's expenses or to support his or her work, please warn RantWoman in advance. RantWoman is shameless and will show up whether she has money or not. However, RantWoman has eccentric habits as far as what cash she does or does not carry. Carrying cash tends to help RantWoman spend money faster than she intends so she tends not to carry cash. This is one reason RantWoman also almost worships her bus pass.
RantWoman may make a special point of carrying something to give away if she knows an opportunity to support a good cause might be on the agenda and thinks it's fine, preferable even, if announcements about events indicate that being asked for money is part of the deal. You would think that by the time RantWoman has reached the ripe old age of (....never mind...) RantWoman would already be able pretty accurately to predict what kinds of events might automatically come with fundraising pitches. RantWoman recommends event organizers not rely on this and speak also to others not so prescient.
In the general case, RantWoman has been:
--Reading on Ashley W's blog Ashley W's blog of young Friends who have travelled in the ministry and who think there should be more financial support among Friends. RantWoman has been reading this. (RantWoman is seasoning a stew of questions about hireling ministers and historical practices around supporting those travelling in the ministry. RantWoman has also heard stories of Friends being downright cheap in supporting called ministers living amongst them. If RantWoman is feeling especially egalitarian she will at some point speculate about whether points of money are necessarily any more or less tender than points of money among other communities.) When RantWoman has money she is sometimes quite happy to have her money rather than herself travelling. This is another reason RantWoman does not in the least mind being asked.
--Reflecting on different times and reasons she herself has either been in the position of asking for money or of helping decide how available money is spent.
In addition to the event-specific comment above, some other thoughts on RantWoman's mind in terms of what she wants to see of people whose requests for money she reviews.
--Has the request and the proposed activity been seasoned with the support committee for a ministry? RantWoman is always especially pleased by requests that can be channeled through something that qualifies for a tax deduction. It's not particularly that RantWoman ever gets to take advantage of tax deductions. RantWoman just interprets the option of tax deductions as one indication that the person making the request has done good discernment and secured thoughtful conscientious support, as well probably as having interacted with the imperatives of bookkeepers.
--Is the amount asked for reasonable in terms of the costs of what one proposes to do?
--Is the amount requested reasonable in terms of budget and the guidelines of the organization being asked for funds. Here, RantWoman admits to being of two minds: RantWoman would prefer to see requests that show evidence of interacting with the question of how much may be available from a given source. On the other hand, if people ask for what they need, RantWoman and those discerning will still not feel obliged to offer more than makes sense within their limits.
RantWoman is working on a tirade about timidity on a corporate scale about asking for money but she has a feeling there is going to be a good deal more laboring with to bring others to her point of view. Stay tuned.
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