Fundraiser for Matt Shlonsky Memorial (innocent bystander killed outside the Shaw Metro) at Lost & Found 6pm Wednesday

by Prince Of Petworth June 14, 2016 at 3:45 pm 22 Comments

shlonsky

From an email:

“Fourth Matt Shlonsky Memorial Fund Happy Hour

-To date, we’re 7k away from our minimum goal of $50,000. As you know, this will allow the fund to live perpetuity off the interest gained from the endowment.

-Secondly, tomorrow we are hosting our next fundraiser at 6pm at Lost & Found (1240 9th St, NW.) With (really really good) tickets from the Nationals donated as raffle prizes and door donations, we hope to get close to that 50k number. Event info is linked here.“

victoria

Sorry – that link doesn’t easily tell us what exactly the $50,000 memorial will be. (And again sorry, but I have no patience for searching.) Scholarships? Fresh Air fund/camps? Arts programs? Essentially, you are making a “Pitch” – (and competing with many other worthy causes) so you need specifics right up front.
- Prince Of Petworth
  
  http://www.american.edu/sis/news/20151006-SIS-Establishes-Memorial-Fund-to-Study-the-District-of-Columbia-in-Honor-of-Beloved-Alumnus.cfm
  - victoria
    
    Thanks – that’s what we need to know.
- Cleveland Park
  
  Link is on the Facebook event page: http://www.american.edu/sis/news/20151006-SIS-Establishes-Memorial-Fund-to-Study-the-District-of-Columbia-in-Honor-of-Beloved-Alumnus.cfm
- neighbor
  
  Why do people take it upon themselves to make the effort to make a negative comment about someone trying to do a little good in the world, and yet they can’t take the effort to click through and read the link?
  - EOTR_Res
    
    Amen. That was a weirdly aggressive comment.
victoria

Why do people think that asking legitimate questions = a negative comment? And why do people who want to criticize not actually read my post? I did click through. It wasn’t immediately clear. It was a Facebook page with lots of stuff. There are 100 other worthy causes competing for my attention every day, plus the regular 100 other emails, postings etc.

I give a lot to charity – but there are 1000 worthy charities – so don’t waste my time. You have 60 words to clearly state your case. Not me being harsh, just reality. And since you already hate me, let me go ahead and say that a “Fund to study the District of Columbia” is a terrible tagline. Of course Matt’s death was a tragedy. So honor him by being effective.
- SC
  
  A large percentage of communication isn’t what is being said, but how it is being said.
  - victoria
    
    Well that is sadly, poor comprehension! Intelligent people can understand a clear, logical question, and separate themselves from the tragedy of Matt’s (or any person’s) death from the reality of competing charities. Most people give to a cause that touches them personally – or at least is clear. If I give money to buy someone a goat, fix a cleft palette, repair fistulas, house the mentally ill, etc. I want to know that it actually has tangible results. It in no way detracts from Matt’s life and legacy to ask exactly what the “fund to study the District of Columbia” is meant to do.
    - SC
      
      Intelligence and finesse are not mutually exclusive.
      - victoria
        
        This is a blog, not a dinner party. Clarity/direct questioning does not equal lack of “finesse.” When you are campaigning for money for a cause it is best to make the specifics of your cause clear. Asking for details about a charity in no way diminishes the life of the person upon whom the charity is based.
      - TBD
        
        +1,000
      - TBD
        
        victoria, you might want to consider that the tone of your posts is detracting from your stated motivation.
    - neighbor
      
      All it would have taken is to click through the link to see where the money is going. The point is, if you are going to put in the effort to publicly challenge a charitable cause, why not take 30 seconds to do some really basic research about it first?
  - HaileUnlikely
    
    For whatever it’s worth, I think Victoria is being rather blunt and harsh here, but I completely agree with what she is saying. If I had known Mr. Shlonsky personally, I would probably be offended by what Victoria is saying, yet I can’t deny that she has a valid point here.
    - SC
      
      I also agree with Victoria’s points. And if I wanted to be helpful, those are the points that I would convey to the individuals running the charity, but certainly not in the same manner as she did.
- Mr. Obvious
  
  Consider first of all, the source: a website you frequent often. Consider second, the cause: the memory of an innocent and decent human being by any measure. Consider the third: It’s in the link.
victoria

This is a blog. I have no motivation, no agenda. Simply trying to engage in thoughtful and constructive discussion based on facts/reality. Your interpretation about “tone” is all your own thing.
- Mr. Obvious
  
  Tone deaf.
- Anon Spock
  
  Your tone tends toward the snooty.
  Same tone you took when discussing your rental in relation to someone asking how to find tenants. “You don’t have these issues blah, blah, blah” clearly not germane, but you just couldn’t help yourself. Some people like tooting their own horn. Not a big deal, and something I’m sure has been noted before.
  - anon
    
    It’s amazing how people can recognize traits in others that they fail to see in themselves.
- PoPOverWork
  
  And, it is common practice to keep your snootiness all in one thread.

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