[The following was submitted to TLS by Tomchei Tzedakah, in response some comments made on this story] 1. Tomchei Tzedakah should arrange volunteer or low-cost drivers: For a time, Tomchei Tzedakah tried very hard to have volunteers drive meshulachim. We organized over one hundred volunteers, but it petered out. Part of the reason it didn’t work out was because meshulachim felt they made much less money when they were not driven by an experienced professional.
2. Drivers should only take an hourly rate:
Meshulachim prefer to pay a percentage because if the driver has an incentive the meshulachim often do better. The issue is that the drivers have banded together and are demanding a percentage that many feel is too expensive.
3. Support Aneyei Ircha and hire drivers from the community:
If any Lakewood resident wants to become an approved driver, they should contact Tomchei Tzedakah and we’ll help him get established.
4. Should Tomchei Tzedakah do more?:
As is evident from the comments here, there are varying opinions on whether the current system should be changed. That’s why the decision was made to ‘not enforce’ the new guidelines. But it is also unfair to a meshulach that is not using a driver or is using a reasonably priced driver to be denied donations (or even be denied the opportunity to meet with a nadvan) because the driver issue has poisoned the atmosphere. So the new policies add transparency to the process and will iy’h help many meshulachim.
The best would be a hybrid sytem that would include a base salry plus bonus percentages that are reasonable such as 33% up to $250 then 25% up to $500 then 20% up to $1000 and 15% above $1000. This would be in addition to a reasonable base salary per hour so that everyone has an incentive for the meshulach to do well, and the nadvan that gives a major donation doesn’t feel like it is being unfairly wasted on a driver who didn’t earn it. Hatzlacha.
#1, could you please call Tomchei Tzedaka and give them this idea? I think this will solve all the problems.
they should not interfer
.” Tomchei Tzedakah should arrange volunteer or low-cost drivers: For a time, Tomchei Tzedakah tried very hard to have volunteers drive meshulachim. We organized over one hundred volunteers, but it petered out. Part of the reason it didn’t work out was because meshulachim felt they made much less money when they were not driven by an experienced professional.”
Obviously it is worth it so why attack it? Why don’t you initiate a campaign against fancy mailers etc. they all cost money to the tzedakah. Everything has a cost drivers are part of the meshulachims cost.
Call the aguda employment office and let them know of these driver job openings. Plenty of our local people can have parnossoh through this
i would like to know if ANY involved in this enterprise ever went collecting door to door for themselves or for others
you don’t look into anyim too much lest the Abishter look into your affairs. Overboard chevra.
Its a free country not Russia let everyone charge/ pay what they want
#1
So you say if I give $500 the driver should get $125 & if I give $1000 the should get $150 does not sound fine me ! I know the driver if giveing his time & its not for free
Btw Who is behind the Tomchei Tzedaka? Who are the Rabbonim?
It’s a free world. But I remember before Tomchei Tzedakah was established, there were so many frauds, that many big nadvanim weren’t giving. When Tomchei Tzedakah started giving ishurs, donations shot UP.
By the way, Star-K of Baltimore has the same system, but they also write on their Ishur HOW MUCH money everyone should give to each meshulach. So let’s be happy that in Lakewood our Ishur is not so detailed.
i fimd that a large percent of them expired
#9 you missunderstood me. the fee would be cumulative: for a $1000 donation the driver would receive 33% of $250 plus 25% of the next $250 (thats the increment up to $500) and then 20% of then next $500 (thats the increment up to $1000) for a total of around $245 for the driver out of the $1000 donation the meshulach received. I think that is a much fairer way of doing things. Hatzlacha
meshulochim over staying their stay dates on isshur
my experience is that many meshulochim are here for the long term or shall i say for the season 2 months sometimes even longer
you sometimes can have have between 10-20 meshulochim going around to shuls each and every day. I find a reg shachris if giving out dollars can cost u bet $10.00-$20.00 x’s that by 6 its a 100.00 -120.00 per week thats just for one tefila.If your giving quarters its $4.00 per scharis x’s 6=$24.00 x’s 4 weeks x’s 12 months adds up to over $1152.00 just quarters for one tefila not even counting mincha and maariv this is before the same meshuluch comes to your home and during the day to your business
I really dont think its fair for the same olam to go around ea and every morning to the same shuls this in a way is the fault of the drivers! as if as you explain they get a cut they have an incentive to continuosly go around with the meshulochim.Im not against the driver getting paid but perhaps a diffrent system can be set up.Even if they come by twice a week to the same shul its still too much which is getting back to my opening sentence that meshulochim are here for the season
their meals are taken c/o, bagel nosh breakfast/lakewood bake shop lunch/bais hatvshil supper or weddings if they arebored of the bais hatvshel menu sleeping is arranged as well
its like camp they hang around here anywhere bet 1 month and 3 months some will go home for yomtov and come right back they walk out with anywhere between 3-8 grand some even more
another reason they fold over the ishur so no one can see the EXPIRATION DATE as it expired and they are still using it
their are also rumors (perhaps you can verify or deny) your ishurim are being forged if thats true it really puts the whole ishur issue up for discussion as if the tzibur cant rely on you being some are forging it defeats the whole purpose of the vaad hatzdoka .
i dont even want to get into the inyan of aneya eercho kodmim we have families living amongst us who are strugilling with out the basics and so much money goes out of town for this or that inyan why was last weeks tomche shabbos dinner half empty???we have families who dont have money to buy food yet millions of dollars go out of our community each year somethings majorly wrong with our priorities
Ideally there should be no Tomchei Tzeddakos “controlling” things. However, as one poster mentioned, before this system there were MANY MANY frauds, some more obvious than others. Since this system began most of us are more comfortable giving donations to those who come to our doors. I am more inclined to give a larger donation whenever I am able to because there is an Ishur. I give each gentlemen a great amount of respect and consideration (regardless of my donation) in order to make up for the indignities. May Hash-m bless them with much success and menuchas hanefesh, and all of us on the other side of the door, as well.
You can always say no!