Oorah Auction: Are you putting in? For what?

[Yeki89]

Im the type not to win anyway......

[mercaz1]

i put in a couple of dollars months ago. dont even remember for what anymore
i also never win

[Yeki89]

they say the odds of winning a mwga million os greater then winning oorah auction

[springles]

I dont want to say anything negative about a charity , especially since they do important work, but I have heard that Oorah's % of money earned that actually goes toward the charity mission is significantly low compared to other charities.  In other words, a higher than average amount of money that they raise is going towards overhead, advertising... and not to the kids they are working with.
Do you own homework to see if this is accurate but I just feel it is important to look into the tzedakah organizations that you give to rather then just blindly give because an organization runs a chinese auction.

[Yeki89]

i dont want this thread to be full of loshen hora. The aspect of money going for charity vs. Ads is not to be discussed. Rather are you going to give moneis towards the auction, in hope to win a prize.

[michael]

I like giving money and getting the gifts. I only deduct what I would otherwise pay to get those gifts (usually not too much), so it's kind of a free item. Got the moonwalk last year, and it was awesome.

[Yeki89]

i want a kosher lamp, but im not dropping $500 bucks masser for one.

[michael]

It's not all maaser, as you'll deduct what you would have paid. So you get to save your maaser money. 

[oldguy]

I dont want to say anything negative about a charity , especially since they do important work, but I have heard that Oorah's % of money earned that actually goes toward the charity mission is significantly low compared to other charities.  In other words, a higher than average amount of money that they raise is going towards overhead, advertising... and not to the kids they are working with.
Do you own homework to see if this is accurate but I just feel it is important to look into the tzedakah organizations that you give to rather then just blindly give because an organization runs a chinese auction.

If you would do simple math the only way they raise so much money is only by spending so much on advertising.
btw i personaly know how careful they are when they spend the money as my wife has a close friend that was HC in GZ and she told her how hard it is for her because they make sure everything they buy is the cheapest price/best quality.

[satturn]

i know someone who works there also- they are very smart with their money, it seems that their methods work! and i know personally many people who were helped tremendously by them. I donate every year.

[springles]

If you would do simple math the only way they raise so much money is only by spending so much on advertising.

But if I give $100 to them and only $50 goes to help the kids, as opposed to giving $100 to another organization where $80 goes to the actual tzedakkah then I dont care how much more they are raising by advertising. 

btw i personaly know how careful they are when they spend the money as my wife has a close friend that was HC in GZ and she told her how hard it is for her because they make sure everything they buy is the cheapest price/best quality.

That doesnt mean anything when their numbers are below most other charities.  They might be buying cheap things but they are spending money on something if a smaller than average percentage of their money is actually going to help the kids that they help.

[AsherO]

This has gone off topic. I feel misappropriated maaser/tzedakah money is a waste, and I try to give my money to organiezations that put it to good use.

If for <$60,000/year a (Chabad) Rabbi on a college campus can give countless Torah lessons, host ~30 students every Friday night, and run a plethora of other Jewish activities, I feel my money is going to good use. I don't know how he does it, but I know he does, and I'm proud to be a partner.

[elizmm]

I always wondered if real people won or did they just make up names, but I recently met someone who actually won a prize in oorah - so I guess its real.

I actually enjoy and use the english kitzur that I got last year as a free gift.

[Yeki89]

i actually dated a girl that won around the world, around the year.

[Ergel]

i actually dated a girl that won around the world, around the year.

Had she used it yet?

[yossi4k]

But if I give $100 to them and only $50 goes to help the kids, as opposed to giving $100 to another organization where $80 goes to the actual tzedakkah then I dont care how much more they are raising by advertising. 
That doesnt mean anything when their numbers are below most other charities.  They might be buying cheap things but they are spending money on something if a smaller than average percentage of their money is actually going to help the kids that they help.

I can confirm that a lot more than 50% of the money which Oorah makes from the auction is used towards actual tzedoko. What you are all confusing is the revenue from Kars4Kids. Kars4Kids is a non-profit car donation company which Oorah created to help finance the camps' major purchases like the new boyzone campgrounds.  All the huge billboard advertising, radio jingles etc for Kars4Kids is funded DIRECTLY from the profits of K4K, not a cent is taken from the auction. As far as the rest of the literature, auction booklets etc.. 85% of this stuff is done on-house right in Oorah therefore it costs them next to nothing.
Thats besides for the Donor Decide program which lets you  choose exactly which part of Oorah you want to sponsor. For instance, Saturday night learning $360 or Tefillin $520. http://www.oorah.org/donordecide/donors_page.asp
The point I'm trying to make is that, Oorah uses as much of your donation towards charity mission as other organizations if not more. Besides for that, its an amazing organization which has over 500 devoted volunteers who give a nonfrum children a chance to experience real Yidishkeit in a fun atmosphere. And thats not just during the summer. They follow up with the kids throughout the year and take them on shabbatons, chagim trips and learning programs to keep up the kesher.
And yes, I  volunteered there for almost 3 years.   

[Yeki89]

Had she used it yet?

yup, hence i didnt marry her

[Ergel]

yup, hence i didnt marry her

Those two questions were one and the same

[Yeki89]

[chofetzchaim]

I was searching for moon bounces and this thread came up. Does anybody here have (or know someone who has) a moonwalk for sale for cheap. Possibly you got one from last year's Oorah auction and no longer use it. Please PM me. Thanks.