COLCHESTER – If you went to the website for Vermont Public Radio on December 31st, you would have seen that it was your last chance to donate financially to the non-profit organization. VPR was not alone in sending out final requests for monetary support as the end-of-year deadline approached. Hundreds of Vermont non-profits e-mailed, tweeted, posted, and send out request letters via the U.S. mail, telling supporters that this was their last chance to donate. Unfortunately, not everyone believed them.
The VPR website now tells a different story, as new rules no longer allow any sort of donations to non-profit organizations. “We tried to tell them,” said development officer Donna Hasian. “We told them it was their last chance, we begged, we pleaded, and we met our goal for the year, but what about future years? I just don’t know that we can keep going indefinitely, now that everyone’s absolute last chance to donate has passed.”
Other non-profits agree that they were as clear as they could have been that once midnight hit on December 31st, everyone’s final opportunity to donate money would be gone. Finance officer for the Vermont Democratic Party Albie Poore says “I don’t know how we could have been more straightforward. We used hyperbolic, near apocalyptic language in our messaging, but I don’t know that it really sunk in. Now that January is here, everyone’s opportunity to donate to us is gone forever.”
Vermonters are pleased that the requests for money will no longer be flooding their feeds and inboxes, although some fear that the desperation and potential financial armageddon may have been exaggerated. “We just won’t know for sure until next December,” said Colchester resident Dana Coll. “Then we’ll see if the asks return.”
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