Fund For Non-violent Social Change

[Storekeeper]

Hey PB & RC,

This organization grants money for general peace and social action to people just like you who are anti-war activists. Give it a go and apply for a grant. You can make a difference if you just stop flapping your lips and take some initiative:

http://www.agapefn.org/sec/s-gr/BOTG_g.html

Hey fellas...did you ever stop to wonder who "funds" some of these activities who live off donations?

You might be surprised to find out what companies like Boeing, Lockheed, Budweiser (Busch), GM, & JR give to. How could somebody sell weapons and grant money to a Pacifist organization ? How could the former heads of MADD and SADD be on the board of Anheuser Busch? Isn't it nice of those tobacco companies to fund anti-smoking campaigns ? Why do they do it ?

[aging one]

Thanks SK applied and have a $200,000 grant coming on Monday!!!

[Storekeeper]

Hey dude...answer my edit questions :chug:

[aging one]

No time planning my future and thanks again!!!

[anon]

my guess is that the former SADD people are on the board to make sure that bud doesn't continue marketing its products to teenagers.

wasn't rjr forced to fund anti smoking campaigns after they lost a lawsuit?

i'm no tax expert, but it's my understanding that alot of corporations give money to non-profits (like the one in the link) for tax write-offs..... callling pb!

hey aging one, spread the wealth.

[Covertjay]

Why do they do it ?

Page Ranking????

Better than nothing I guess.

[tomcat]

Tax incentives and Page Ranking, of course. Companies are in business to make money. Period. No activity is tolerated that does not produce some benefit to the bottom line. Nor should it be: we stockholders are watching and evaluating every move. I own RJR because they are a well run company and highly profitable. Do I smoke? No. But lots of other folks do and RJR caters to their wishes very effectively. Good. That's why I own their stock. No company has ever lost money overestimating the gullibility of the trailer park.

[anon]

I own RJR

don't you mean 'altria' ? they had to change the name because the name 'rjr' was so toxic

[PeaceBlondie]

Thanks, Storekeeper. I went to the link and their website indicates they give grants of maximum US$2,000 to organizations, apparently not individuals. I don't know how many grant-writers at 501(c)(3) charities apply for such small grants, but the Agape Foundation is to be commended. The term agape comes from the Greek language used in the New Testament, and is the word for the highest form of love, sacrificial love which asks nothing in return.

I didn't take many corporate income tax classes, but as I recall in the USA, charitable tax writeoffs for corporations are limited to something like 5% per year of net profit.

If I were the CEO or board chairman of a corporation that was selling crack cocaine legally, I'd recommend we donate a pittance of our net profits to drug rehabilitation efforts. But I wouldn't try to put my corporation out of business. In real life, I see little difference between tobacco companies or alcoholic beverage companies and crack cocaine dealers, but I'm a prude in those areas. My 401(k) money is in a socially responsible mutual fund that doesn't own stock in any companies engaged in making weapons, tobacco, alcohol, or involved in abusive forms of employment such as sweatshop labor. It performs slightly below the S&P index funds because it takes a lot of research to find socially responsible companies.

Yes, Storekeeper, there are various donations made by corporations toward anti-war activities. Ray Kroc's widow Jeanne (he founded a hamburger stand named 'McDonalds') funded the Kroc Peace Studies program at Notre Dame University, which charges no tuition. But I think the late Jeanne Kroc used dividends from her stock to pay for the peace program, rather than directly from corporate profits. Upon her death a couple of years ago, she gave a huge inheritance to the Salvation Army, possibly a billion dollars.

Nevertheless, the anti-war programs operate on a shoestring. When I was a part-time reservist at the Christian Peacemakers Program, I paid $500 and my own travel expenses, each time, for the privilege of working 24/7 in a conflict zone, unarmed. Our full-timers got monthly stipends that didn't cover their student loans, and were expected to raise much of their own support. In other words, while certain portions of the military model inspired CPT's birth, their workers get paid less than half of what active duty military recruits earn.

In Austin, I knew the national co-chairman of SANE. He served for free, and had a regular full time job. After John Stockwell resigned from the CIA under protest and became an antiwar activist, he had almost no regular income and lived on the verge of poverty. He wasn't allowed to earn any royalties from his books about the CIA, whereas retired generals get full royalties. I know of nobody in the antiwar movement, even full time, who earned over $50,000 per year. Many earned under $20,000 so that they would be exempt from personal income tax, and they wouldn't be paying for the war machine.

Enough. Thanks for the thread.

[y]

Originally Posted by Storekeeper

Hey PB & RC,

This organization grants money for general peace and social action to people just like you who are anti-war activists. Give it a go and apply for a grant. You can make a difference if you just stop flapping your lips and take some initiative:

http://www.agapefn.org/sec/s-gr/BOTG_g.html

Hey fellas...did you ever stop to wonder who "funds" some of these activities who live off donations?

Thanks! I am going to be the next Cleo Odzer!!

[Storekeeper]

Originally Posted by raycarey

my guess is that the former SADD people are on the board to make sure that bud doesn't continue marketing its products to teenagers.

The original founders of both MADD & SADD are on Augie Busch's team. Both of them made a deal with the devil from the outset of their programs to get their programs off the ground. And because of those deals they got fired by the Boards of Directors once they realized they weren't allowed to attack the beer maker in certain ways. And both were rewarded for their loyalty with paid positions. MADD had an annual $800,000 grant from old Daddy Longpockets

GM was fined millions of dollars for their exploding trucks several years ago. The federal government never saw a dime of that money. You know why ? Because Uncle Sam made a deal with GM to have them donate the money to grass roots organizations. For example before the drive to increase the wearing of seatbelts a coupl decades ago only about 20 % of drivers wore them. Now seatbelt usage is over 70 %. Wanna know who funded the campaign ? GM. Why ? To pay off fines for exploding trucks. Not a bad idea.

[theent01]

Good posts SK, keep it up!

Added after 1 minutes:

Good posts SK, keep it up!

[Storekeeper]

PB,

I have a hard time understanding why anti-war movements operate on shoestring budgets. Think about it...all these celebrities that are supposedly anti-Bush and anti-war should either be able to dig into theor pockets or use their star power to raise funds, shouldn't they ? And what about all these supposed retired flag officers who are now supposedly anti-war? These guys can't donate $1000 bucks? One more time...I'll say it again...lots of hypocrites in the anti-war movement. What's really going on? Are the celebrities brainwashing their cash paying constituents?

Since you know what a 501(c)(3) grant is I'm convinced you know your tax stuff now.

How much you want to bet I can't write a proposal to get somebody to give me money to do a research project in Thailand ?

[anon]

see if you can get a grant to go and find osama bin laden.

[Storekeeper]

Why did you have to go there RC ? I might have to search now for a grant to study how you got your head stuck up your ass