Is it classless to raise money for a charity that benefits you?

So you’re a Crohn’s sufferer and you’re asking about the ethics of raising money to research Crohn’s disease.

Totally OK. It’s a real disease, with real consequences that affect people. (I know a couple people who have it, myself.

As long as the money goes to the charity or the foundation (as opposed to straight into your pocket), it’s moral and ethical. That you might benefit from the research – is not really relevant or important. Others suffer from it, and the fund raising benefits all of them.

It’s good that you think in ethical terms; not many people do. But in this case, you’re being hyper-analytical and overthinking it.

Two analogies I would make:

Is it OK for a person who has cancer to contribute to the American Cancer Society? Of course.

Is it OK to give money to Planned Parenthood and still be a patient at their clinics? Of course.

From knowing you here @Mariah…I feel it is a safe bet that you are not doing this for just yourself. Many others will surely benefit from your fundraising efforts so hats off to you.

I think it’s great that it is personal to you. It didn’t occur to me about it ever being “classless.”

I’d go with “_____ many people are diagnosed with Crohn’s and colitis each year. I’m one of them. I have Crohn’s, too.” Of course, only if you are comfortable telling people that.

Nope, it is not classless. People will understand your motivation, but they won’t question the appropriateness of it.

I have a friend very involved in the MS Society; his sister has MS. I have friends involved in the Kidney Foundation; their kids have diabetes and are at risk of kidney disease. I have close friends with kids who have Downs Syndrome; they are active in groups to support people with disabilities. It is pretty common and not at all classless.

You are doing work for a foundation, not for yourself. Any benefit you receive will be very distanced from your effort, aside from the satisfaction of having done your part.

Not a problem at all! Do it.

Absolutely not.

The biggest hurdle for many charity events is to put a “face” on the illness. Even if you’re not acting as the public spokesperson, the people you’re meeting with in organizing the event get to know an actual sufferer.

Even if you were the only beneficiary of the event, I wouldn’t have a problem with it. If you’re willing to work for help while raising awareness, that’s great, as far as I’m concerned.

People do this all the time and there’s nothing classless about it.

Occasionally, someone running a scam makes the news, but thats not your situation so go forth and raise as much awareness and funds as you can. Totally fine.

That’s nonsense. What could possibly be tasteless in performing charitable work alone?

Just one more reason for me to admire you.

Like others, I don’t think it’s classless at all. As someone who doesn’t have personal connections to [pick a cause], I would want people with personal connections to be involved in a charity/foundation—they understand firsthand (or secondhand, etc.) what’s really going on and what will make a difference. Their involvement tells me the charity is genuine. Think Michael J. Fox.

You’ve got a vested interest, yes—which may be why it feels strange, because usually “vested interest” is a selfish thing—but in this case it’s not at all. You’ve had to deal with a disease, and now you want to help make treatment for that disease better. That means you’re vested in making sure the foundation is effective, meaningful, beneficial, etc.—it’s never just about abstract “charity work” for you; it’s about the cause. It’s a vested interest in the best possible way.

In other words, you’re quite classy, Mariah!
Best of luck on the charity event!

Don’t think twice about it. I’ve never heard anyone say anything negative about people who try to raise money for a charity for a disease they suffer from themselves. I don’t see it as classless at all.

You’re not raising money for the @Mariah Foundation one presumes so the fact that you suffer from the condition for which you’re attempting to raise funds is only coincidental. Yes, you have a vested interest in research into the causes and cures of this condition, but what of that? Heart disease is the #1 killer of women in the USA; would that mean that women should not raise funds for the study into prevention and cure of heart disease? That would be absurd.

In fact, to the extent that you are raising funds from voluntary contributions, I would say that you are on far higher ethical ground than others who lobby the government for “contributions” to various causes. Even though the causes are sound and again one presumes the money is being spent reasonably well, the “contributions” in that case are coerced: taxation being theft, and all.

So be of good cheer (and good heart: see above), and raise lots of funds.

My daughter has UC, and it will undoubtedly escalate from being controlled by drugs to likely a situation where surgery will be necessary. As you personally know better than anyone else here, it’s a life changer. Anything you can do is, in my eyes, way less about being selfish and classless, and all about maybe keeping other young people from suffering to the extent that the two of you have.
When we were out today and I bragged a bit about her to someone, then later apologized for maybe embarrassing her, she said “Mom, I have a poop disease. I got over being embarrassed by stuff a while ago.” That about sums it up.

Do what you can, please. I support both local and national groups. Never enough research, education, information.

Thank you.

@Mariah, no it’s not classless. You may at some time need to draw on their support. You may already have relied on their support. You are giving back. That’s called gratitude and doing what you can when you can.

Just have to say, in Gail’s honor, it should be “unclassy” not “classless” which means an entirely different thing! (And you call yourself a Bernie supporter.)

To be real picky, I would be happier with

“honorable” (dishonorable)

or maybe even

“ethical”

as opposed to unclassy/classless

Thanks all, these are basically the responses I expected. It just feels weird because there are worse things out there that I could fight, I could put the money towards charities for childhood cancer, but I chose the one that pertains to me instead. I guess I justify it with the thought that it’s a more obscure disease and if the people closest to it don’t do the fundraising then nobody will.

Humans of New York is currently covering childhood cancers, they’re covered right now. :-)
Let’s work to make people in their 20s able to beat this nasty thing.

@Mariah You say that the charity benefits you, but any benefit you receive is indirect and far removed from the money you raise. Your fundraising helps to pay for the organization’s overhead and to provide assistance to a charitable class of many individuals. Your efforts are better than ethical; you’re giving back in return for help you’ve received.

No. Many of the participants in the MDA walk are in wheel chairs because they need the money that is raised, just as many of the participants in the Breast Cancer walk wear pink shirts, indicating they are survivors/current patients.

No, not on its face.

It’s going really well. I just went public with my plans yesterday and already have over $1000 in pledges. I don’t know why I worried my friends would judge me. They are being very supportive. I should have more faith in the people in my life.

As well as your own instincts.