As most of you are aware there is a money issue inside of JW land. They could be running out of money or they're just wanting more. Either way, they are making it appear as a funds issue to motivate individuals to donate more.
Over the past few months, the GB have been asking for donations to further the work, they are showing people donating right on JW.org, and the elders in most halls are asking the friends to donate more because they are not meeting their quota that they agreed upon with the branch each month (The loan that they act like isn't a lone anymore, just a lifetime payout now).
I've been hearing from multiple elders and surrounding congregations that the friends are confused as to where they should be donating!
They have the elders asking for more funds to be made out as a "congregation" donation to meet the quota and you have the GB asking for more money for the "World Wide Work" donations. Yes, they are two different funds. Whatever is made out to "World Wide Work" has to go directly to the branch. The local congregation cannot use that for local expenses or to meet the amount they agreed to pay the branch. It is separate from the monthly quota and cannot be used to meet it! At the hall, JW's also have the option to donate to "Local" which is for all the congregation expenses. Out of this local, all the hall expenses are paid, the amount they have to send the branch each month for the loan, the set amount they send the branch for the CO assistance program and the amount they send the branch each month for "insurance if someone gets hurt". Which I have yet to ever hear of a case of that happening so they're probably just pocketing that money. Basically a hall is sending money to the branch in 4 different funds (3 of which come out of local congregation donations, not World Wide Work) but all going to the same place.
The friends do not know where they should be donating! On one end they have the elders asking them to donate to the congregation so they can meet their expenses and the amount they send the branch. They are confused as to why they are still donating to the "World Wide Work" if they are already donating to the congregation which is sending money to the branch each month. To make matters even more confusing they are seeing the donate feature on JW.org and their videos, should they be using that too? They basically have 3 different places and spots they are being asked to donate. From what I've heard it's stretching the friends thin and pressuring them to donate to all of these different areas.
It seems the GB are attempting to triple dip. They want everyone to donate enough to the local congregation to meet the amount the congregation said they'd send to the branch each month, including the separate CO and insurance amount they send every month. They also want and are begging in their videos for them to donate to the World Wide Work at the congregation. The 3rd is you then have them promoting the use of jw.org to donate directly to the branch!
All three donations are ending up at the same place, minus whatever little the congregation uses for electric and internet. They are asking, "Where am I to donate?". They want to help the congregation meet their bills and set amount they send to the branch but they also want to donate more for the World Wide Work since the GB is asking for more financial help in that area.
You know it's obvious if the uneducated JW's start asking questions and are noticing all these money requests from all different angles, yet they're all going to the same place. This new donation arrangement is causing a ton of issues. It made more sense in the mind of a JW when it was viewed as a "building loan".
I smell franchise!