It seems there are shops on Etsy that claim to donate money to charity from their sales, but don't actually do it.
I know I shouldn't be surprised by this, but I was. I'm 47 but am still blissfully naive at times!
That said, I have become aware of some Etsy rules regarding these donations and am abiding by them - I have contacted the charities I wish to donate/loan to to request permission to use their name in my 'fundraising' efforts. I have received said permission from Kiva.org and am awaiting the same from the Red Cross. I cannot therefore donate to the Red Cross relief fund for Japan until I have received that permission (which is maddening) so have gone ahead in the knowledge that there's no reason not to grant it and have listed this charity now so that my customers know where the net profits will go to.
It's all arse-about- face, but there we go. I have followed the rules, I list full details in my Etsy profile and do, truly, donate the money.
I'm not sure what else I'm supposed to do to prove this, but am left feeling frustrated tonight and upset that I may loose sales because people suspect I'm lying.
When people are in such dire need of urgent help, I find myself jumping through hoops designed by others, and which slow the whole process down. Clarity is hard to come across tonight in Etsy and there are a lot of other shop owners feeling the same way.
My heart is heavy.
Occasional musings from my little studio in the Pacific Northwest ...
