brubenow

It's amazing to me how this forum brings out the nastiest, rudest, and most negative aspects in some of you! There's really no need to be so harsh on this person!

Dotted stripes, it's obvious that your post comes from a good heart and from a person who is looking to raise money for a good cause, and to help others. That's commendable.

You may need to start on a very small scale and in a different location, and work your way up. Maybe start in a city where English is the primary language, and rent banquet hall, find a local band, a cheap caterer, and advertise to family, coworkers, and friends that the money goes toward a specific charity. Pick a charity close to your heart. Have a raffle and the winner wins 2 plane tickets to Paris. Then move from that onto something bigger the next time.

Your heart is in the right place. Ignore the nasty comments. Do some research. It's a great goal to have

historytraveler

There have been no nasty comments. Most have just pointed out the real problems in trying to achieve this dream. Please note the OP's comment << all input welcomed>> Shouldn't anyone pursuing such a task be aware of the difficulties? Would it be better not to mention them? No one questioned the integrity of the OP's goal just addressed the realities involved in achieving it.

Blueeyedcod

Janisj - how about you go read a self-help book? You could clearly do with a bit of positivity. I wonder if you were every young once and put a dream out there - only to have it ridiculed and mocked?

Where is the empathy from ANYONE who can remember what it was like? A bit of encouragement wouldn't go astray.

OP - I would take your plans away from this bunch of pontificating beard-strokers who think they all run the world because they travel a bit.

janisj

Blueeyedcod: >>A bit of encouragement wouldn't go astray.<<

Since you are such an Italy expert, why not help the OP - tell her how she can accomplish this in Venice or Rome. Can't - right?


Maybe you can bankroll her --

brubenow

Historytraveler, your comments were not rude. But read again. Several of the others were extremely rude, mean, and condescending. There's nothing wrong with pointing out the faults in her plan, but it can be done in a respectful way.

janisj

I wasn't rude -- I was direct and explained that her concept of luxury is wildly (WILDLY) off. That she doesn't have any experience other than family dinners.

I will concede that 'gibberish' was a strong word and could/maybe should have omitted that bit. But <i>read</i> that section . . . if it isn't gibberish, it definitely is bushwa.

nytraveler

brubenow -

Sorry - but what you are recommending is illegal. Only registered charities can provide the donors with the opportunity to take deductions for their contributions. And holding a lottery is against the law almost everywhere except under the aegis of a registered charity.

The OP has very high flown ideas but no concept of what s/he is doing. Encouraging him/her to just wander off and do something like this without understanding the rules/regs can result in him/her unwittingly committing a crime.

Charitable donations are subject to rules/regs (granted different everywhere) and this is a very easy business in which to get in way over one's head.

Giving the OP some basic information is not being rude. It's helping to bring some fantasies back down to earth - so perhaps the OP can eventually do what s/he wants. Blind encouragement is not a positive response - it's preventing the OP from actually getting anywhere.

MmePerdu

I'm still wondering - fund-raising for what? Does not the "who" & "why" logically come before the "...Where, How, When, What: Those have not been decided yet." ??? I don't think it's rude to point out the gaping holes in the proposed venture. In any case, I think we've been had.

Blueeyedcod

JanisJ - have you heard of Caritas? All donations gratefully accepted. The OP does not have to set up a charity - what nonsense.

brubenow

You can still have a small, local fundraiser where the money is given to a registered charity, for example, The American Cancer Society, and the fundraiser doesn't need to be run by that charity. The OP can organize it, collect the checks which are made out to that charity, and send the money on. That's legal and tax deductible.

And I'm not talking about a lottery. I said a raffle. Very basic.

I've been to dozens of local fundraisers for local charities, or even to cover medical expenses for someone in need. School fundraisers also come to mind. There a dozens of options that are not going to get her arrested, don't worry. It doesn't need to be that complicated starting out.

brubenow

And I agree, giving basic information is not being rude. But the manner in which that information is given, can be and was. By several posters. You know who you are.

janisj

Blueeyedcod: >>JanisJ - have you heard of Caritas? All donations gratefully accepted. The OP does not have to set up a charity - what nonsense.<<

Where did I even mention the word 'charity' or setting up a charity? I never addressed that issue at all. I have no idea what you are blaming me for now . . .

fuzzbucket

Since the odds are overwhelmingly against the OP being able to pull off a luxury charity event in a city where she doesn't speak the language or understand the paperwork involved, why not just pick an existant charity in Paris, hold the event where she lives, and send the money to Paris? That way, everybody will have a good time.

anyegr

brubenow wrote: "You can still have a small, local fundraiser where the money is given to a registered charity, for example, The American Cancer Society, and the fundraiser doesn't need to be run by that charity. The OP can organize it, collect the checks which are made out to that charity, and send the money on. That's legal and tax deductible. "

And what happens if you have this small, local fundraiser doesn't raise enough money to cover the costs?

If you have told everyone the money will go to this specific charity, the donors will want to know their money actually goes there. If you don't get a receipt from the registered charity, how can the donors do a deduction? If I was a donor I would certainly be upset.

If a donor got really angry he/she might accuse the organizer of fraud. Even if the organizer did have honest intentions it would get messy. And the registered charity that was named in all the invitations would also be upset, since it could taint their reputation.

menachem

There's already WATO, so the OP can desist.

https://www.facebook.com/wearetheoracle

Blueeyedcod

Janisj - You said how can she accomplish this? she can accomplish her charitable intentions by giving to Caritas - that was my point. As for the whole event thing - hey just start small. Of course she can do it in Italy. Not everyone is not stuck in some time warp with nonna doing all the cooking for all the family gatherings all the time. I wish her well.

kerouac

In France, one can deduct from one's income tax 75% of the amount given to charities who help "persons in difficulty" and 66% for donations to other charities or foundations. And this includes donations to charities in other countries of the EU as well as in Norway and Iceland (but not Switzerland). For this reason, most people prefer to finance charities directly to get a personal receipt rather than paying something to an organizer who may or may not donate to a charity.

https://www.service-public.fr/partic...vosdroits/F426

hetismij2

I admire OP's dreams, but question whether they are practical, never mind legal, just as others have done.

Presumably OP is intending to make a living out of this as well as donate to charity? In which case they instantly hit the problem of a work visa, unless they are an EU citizen.

No experience at all, unrealistic prices, no French, or connections in France, all major obstacles, to put it mildly.

Start with trying this at home, with friends and family. See ho you get on with organising such an event, be prepared to make a loss though!!

Gretchen

I might be out of my mind but that's usually where my best ideas come from. The first time I went to Paris I had this vision of putting together an event that will fund raise for a cause.

I have read the first post several times--and the many interesting responses. It is more than obvious that the OP has no experience in fund raising. I am active in a several organizations that DO fund raise (and it ain't easy no matter the BEST of causes) and realizing a significant profit (aka, donation to the charity) over costs comes down to the number of corporate sponsors enlisted to underwrite the event. IME it is impossible to charge enough for the event to net significant money after expenses.

Above is the OP's first sentence which I find totally fascinating and I am pretty sure she is the ONLY person in the world with this experience of seeing Paris for the first time.

The red herring of "you can contribute to Caritas" is interesting. One of the first necessities in attracting people to go to an extravagant fund raiser anywhere is a devotion and belief in the cause it will support to be willing to pay the fee. It is highly personal and finding a guest list of invitees with that desire is required.

I think this could be a way for the OP to get a free trip to Paris on the premise of a "good cause".

Gretchen

I might be out of my mind but that's usually where my best ideas come from. The first time I went to Paris I had this vision of putting together an event that will fund raise for a cause.

I have read the first post several times--and the many interesting responses. It is more than obvious that the OP has no experience in fund raising. I am active in a several organizations that DO fund raise (and it ain't easy no matter the BEST of causes) and realizing a significant profit (aka, donation to the charity) over costs comes down to the number of corporate sponsors enlisted to underwrite the event. IME it is impossible to charge enough for the event to net significant money after expenses.

Above is the OP's first sentence which I find totally fascinating and I am pretty sure she is the ONLY person in the world with this experience of seeing Paris for the first time.

The red herring of "you can contribute to Caritas" is interesting. One of the first necessities in attracting people to go to an extravagant fund raiser anywhere is a devotion and belief in the cause it will support to be willing to pay the fee. It is highly personal and finding a guest list of invitees with that desire is required.

I think this could be a way for the OP to get a free trip to Paris on the premise of a "good cause".