Is It Wrong To Ask? I’ve Never Asked for an Online Donation Before…

I’m having another Oscars Party, for the fifth year in a row. It’s the only party I have every year. I think if you have too many parties, it’s too much pressure unless you’re super good looking. So, as usual, I sent out the email invite to come at 5:00 pm, bring nothing, except Sibylle has a pound cake with berries because it’s that good, and total silence because the intro is usually very funny, and three bucks for betting. Cordy’s won four years in a row so I’m just having people give their money directly to her this year – I can’t stop saying it and while I thought she’d be mad at me, instead she’s started to act like it’s her party and won’t stop calling me with instructions.

I make dinner for everyone – my favorite part. One year, I was sick and picked up a lasagna from one of my favorite restaurants and told everyone I made it. Sorry about it. I’ve been lying for two years, still getting compliments on it and can’t decide whether to pick up the lasagna again this year or come clean.

Every year, all thirty friends (yes, I have thirty friends, don’t ask how or why) ask over and over what they can bring. I’m torn. Not about the food or drinks – that’s covered – but about asking them to contribute to my online fundraising pages. It’s not easy to ask.

I have a personal fundraising page on Crowdrise.com and my new online project is really meaningful and probably meaningful to most people coming to the Oscars party. Because it’s a new fundraiser for me, not many of my friends know about it yet, so none of them have donated. But they’re all in my community, many do work related to the fundraising project and would likely support the cause. Problem is, I’ve never done any personal fundraising at any of the parties in the last four years – is it wrong to ask?

I’m thinking of setting up my laptop in a non-discrete area and having my online fundraising page up on the screen and leaving some information about it out in a couple places in my condo so they can donate online throughout the night if they want to contribute to the personal fundraiser page. That’s good. Really good. You should do it, too. Sponsor me, donate online, start your own online fundraiser for the best cause ever, have an Oscars party and for sure get that lasagna and pretend you made it.