UPDATE on Product (RED), Hallmark, Gather, and RESPONSIBLE Gatherers

A couple of days ago, I wrote an ARTICLE about the new "promotion" between Gather, Hallmark, and Gatherers, to benefit Project (RED)/The Global Fund.  I asked some questions that I felt needed to be answered before Responsible Gatherers participated, and I sought to find out whether Gather had negotiated the best deal possible to leverage our (Gatherers) work and contributions.

The "Hallmark PRODUCT (RED) Moderator" did post an article answering FAQ's about the program.  (The Moderator also promised an FAQ article about Gather's participation.)  Some of the answers confirmed the information that I had gleaned and put in my article.  There was one little piece that added information about the "promotion": 

Once you earn your first 150 points for the Hallmark (Product) RED campaign on Gather, Hallmark will send you Hallmark premium e-card (normally priced at $1.49 each). 8% of the wholesale price of this card will go to the Global Fund.

This worried me, and I asked for clarifications.  While yesterday was no doubt a busy day for anyone working for Hallmark, as of this writing (midday Friday) there is no response or promise of one.

So, given their small tidbit, I did some calculating last night.

IF Hallmark determines that the "wholesale" cost of the E-CARD that they are "giving" us (when we hit 150 points - is that EVERY 150 points?) is the actual RETAIL cost of $1.49, THEN for every $10.00 that WE donate, Hallmark will kick in $0.50!!! (The difference between their stated 8% and the final 5% has to do with the "value" of Gather points.)

That is 5%, and that is ONLY IF THEY determine that the "wholesale" is the same as the "retail". I have trouble figuring out how they'll determine the wholesale cost of a virtually-costless product (service?) that they only "sell" directly to consumers on their own website. I would HOPE that they don't determine the wholesale cost to be ZERO - but we just don't know. (Again, we have a right to know before we contribute.)

Again, my bottom line is that we should be responsible donaters, just as we should be responsible consumers, responsible voters, etc. By getting all googly-eyed about Hallmark when it appears that they are getting big consumer-brownie-points for very little charitable contribution of their own, we are NOT being responsible.

GATHERERS are the major piece in this 4-pronged arrangement (Project RED, Hallmark, Gather, Gatherers).  Gatherers are donating our work/time/points/money - and we HAVE THE RIGHT TO KNOW the major details of the arrangement, and have a right to URGE Gather (and Hallmark) to negotiate the best (for the Project RED/Global Fund recipients) possible arrangement.

If Responsible Gatherers don't get that information and aren't convinced that it is a sound arrangement, Responsible Gatherers should not participate, and should contribute money DIRECTLY TO THE GLOBAL FUND: http://www.theglobalfund.org/en/donate/

Again, as I've stated several times, I am all for helping fight AIDS/HIV - in Africa and everywhere.  Project (RED) seems to be a good way to raise money from consumers and corporations.  However, I want to make sure that WE are participating in a sound program and that we leverage our participation with the MAXIMUM POSSIBLE DONATION BY HALLMARK. 

Until we learn otherwise, we must assume that Hallmark is getting maximum exposure and goodwill for very little contribution to the Global Fund.  If true, I find that to be devious and unacceptable.  I hope that you do, too.