Disaster Relief Funds

by StephaneLaliberte 14 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  StephaneLaliberte

  If the need for relief is beyond what the congregations in the area can provide, the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses arranges to supply what is needed. [...] Since the work is performed by unpaid volunteers, the funds that are allocated go toward actual relief, not administrative expenses. - JW site

  In the context above, "arranges" is in fact administering. Considering that the administrative work is done by the Bethels where everything (building, food, clothing, etc) is paid by the donations, I don't understand how they can claim that the funds don't go into administrative expenses.

  In fact, sometimes, it is the exact opposite; it goes solely into the administrative expenses! How? Bethel administers the local elders who collect food, clothing, etc from the surrounding congregations. While none of these things are paid by the donations, the travel expenses of the Bethelite(s) administering the whole thing is.
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  the girl next door

  What is the issue? Wouldn’t all of it be considered donations? Whether the actual supplies or the expenses involved collecting or distributing it? Even if you considered it administrative, aren’t those efforts supported by donations?
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  StephaneLaliberte

  That's my point. The JWs are using a straw man argument here. Reading between the lines, it leads the reader to believe that they are more efficient with the donations than any other organizations, since, unlike other organizations, they're administration personnel are unpaid volunteers.

  While this is true to some extent, it is not. They actually pay for all the expenses of their administrative personnel + some small pocket change. So, there is still a significant expense going into administration, like any other charity.
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  the girl next door

  The administrative costs are funded by donations. Everything they do is donation based whether it is time, goods, assets or money.

  Im sure they make interest on money in the bank too and profit from flipping property.

  So they are not being forthright? Can’t it just be spun one way or the other?
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  Listener

  The other thing is that the organization gets JWs to donate to the worldwide work and not a specific fund for disaster relief therefore the organization chooses how much to contribute to disaster relief.
  
  When they say that "the funds that are allocated go toward actual relief". This allocation comes from the organization and not from the individuals who donated. It's pretty pointless to say that none went to administration costs.
  
  As an example a person might donate $100 where -

  $99 was allocated by the organization to the WWW which includes all it's administrative costs (including the cost of flying GB members to disaster areas for 'upbuilding')
  $1 was allocated by the organization specifically for disaster relief
  
  Of course the statement that they made was true but very little of the donated money went to disaster relief, whereas an organization like Red Cross may have $100 donated to them with maybe $60 going to admin costs and $40 going to direct relief.
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  smiddy3

  And what little relief they do actually give is discriminative whereby they give only to fellow members or those in approved standing in the congregation and certainly not to the general public.
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  the girl next door

  Watchtower is also effective in compelling those that they help to send in their insurance checks. The work needed is done with volunteer labor and often donated materials. So even during a disaster relief effort, Watchtower makes money. True not everyone has the proper insurance, but still why not just do the favor and let people keep the insurance money?
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  Moster

  Watchtower is also effective in compelling those that they help to send in their insurance checks.

  Never heard of that before...
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  the girl next door

  Yep.

  https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/284921/watchtower-made-money-off-hurricane-katrina
  
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  joe134cd

  I’m all for a home owner paying for services rendered. In my opinion unless wt was going to help those in desperate need they should of never got involved in disaster relief.