# "Pay It Forward" -- Nice Gesture or Stupid Stunt? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 18, 2007, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-it-forward-nice-gesture-or-stupid-stunt/430463 "2007-12-18T16:46:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-it-forward-nice-gesture-or-stupid-stunt/430463/1 "2007-12-18T16:46:27Z")
From the [CNN article](http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/12/17/bank.gift.ap/index.html): > [@](#): > > FARGO, North Dakota (AP) – A bank is giving its full-time employees $1,000 each and part-time employees $500 each. There’s one condition – use it for people in need. > > State Bank & Trust Chief Operating Officer Michael Solberg said each full-time employee will receive $1,000 and each part-time employee will receive $500, as part of a $502,000 “Pay it Forward” initiative. > > “We’re going to really see some huge impact on our community,” Solberg said. > > Employees were told not to use the money for themselves, their families or families of other bank employees. The bank asked each employee to document the good deed with a video camera. The deadline is June 30… ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-it-forward-nice-gesture-or-stupid-stunt/430463/2 "2007-12-18T16:55:26Z")
As an employee, I’d be irritated by it, not because I would ratehr keep the money (of course I would), but because I don’t need the pain in the ass of having to go and videotape myself donating it smewhere. If the bank wants to donate money to charity, that’s fine, but involving the employees like this is just a stunt. Incidentally, if the employees have to give all the money away anyway, then why give the full and part time employees different amounts? Oh, and if this was done in lieu of a Christmas bonus, I’d be pissed. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-it-forward-nice-gesture-or-stupid-stunt/430463/3 "2007-12-18T16:56:19Z")
I don’t like the “video documentation” part of it at all. Much better to just appoint a committee of employees to make anonymous donations to selected people/charities. This smacks more of a publicity stunt than anything else. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-it-forward-nice-gesture-or-stupid-stunt/430463/4 "2007-12-18T16:59:37Z")
By the way, if I had to pick a cause, I’d pick medical marijuana. ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-it-forward-nice-gesture-or-stupid-stunt/430463/5 "2007-12-18T17:00:19Z")
Have they supplied each employee with a video camera?! ---
**Author:** ![the\_PC\_apeman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ac8455/32.png) [@the\_PC\_apeman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_PC_apeman)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-it-forward-nice-gesture-or-stupid-stunt/430463/6 "2007-12-18T17:06:43Z")
I like the idea personally but I accept that it’s not for everyone. I just sent a $50 [kiva.org](http://kiva.org) gift certificate to a friend for Christmas. I know she’ll be as pleased to receive it as I would be. But no one else on my list is getting that kind of gift because they wouldn’t feel the same way. From the article: > [@](#): > > In previous years, the Fargo-based bank has taken 5 percent of the company earnings and divided it up at holiday time among employees. It does seem here to be in lieu of a traditionally given profit sharing scheme so I agree the forced march sucks. It’d be better if the bank divided up it charitable giving budget instead. ---
**Author:** ![tonedef](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@tonedef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tonedef)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-it-forward-nice-gesture-or-stupid-stunt/430463/7 "2007-12-18T17:16:05Z")
lol what a load of crap. I would pocket the cash or tell them todo there won charity. OR i would claim that me at the pub is a good enought charity! ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-it-forward-nice-gesture-or-stupid-stunt/430463/8 "2007-12-18T17:23:41Z")
Just get your brother to dress up as some homeless dude… ---
**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-it-forward-nice-gesture-or-stupid-stunt/430463/9 "2007-12-18T17:36:03Z")
If its not a solely a publicity stunt, how did CNN get wind of it? ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-it-forward-nice-gesture-or-stupid-stunt/430463/10 "2007-12-18T17:42:56Z")
I would’ve just said that I donated the money to The Human Fund. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-it-forward-nice-gesture-or-stupid-stunt/430463/11 "2007-12-18T17:46:48Z")
Good publicity for the bank. Good for the community. Helps people. Makes employees feel good. Get over it. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-it-forward-nice-gesture-or-stupid-stunt/430463/12 "2007-12-18T17:48:11Z")
I’d make a donation to The Human Fund. ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-it-forward-nice-gesture-or-stupid-stunt/430463/13 "2007-12-18T17:49:03Z")
I’d say giving them the money to do it is borderline. Asking them to videotape it, though- stupid stunt. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-it-forward-nice-gesture-or-stupid-stunt/430463/14 "2007-12-18T17:50:49Z")
[QUOTE=John Mace] I’d make a donation to The Human Fund. [/QUOTE] I beat you by six minutes. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-it-forward-nice-gesture-or-stupid-stunt/430463/15 "2007-12-18T17:53:44Z")
[QUOTE=Lord Ashtar] I beat you by six minutes. 😃 [/QUOTE] Damn. I didn’t read all the posts before I wrote that. ---
**Author:** ![Siege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Siege](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siege)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-it-forward-nice-gesture-or-stupid-stunt/430463/16 "2007-12-18T17:56:00Z")
I’d have two problems with that. First, I don’t own a video camera, nor do I have any desire to own one. (Yes, I could borrow one.) Second, I believe it’s tacky and somewhat sinful to draw attention to one’s charitable giving. I actually take this so seriously that when I participate in one of those “Buy a Shamrock to Help [whatever]” campaigns, I don’t put my name on it. To me, the purpose of giving to charity is to help others, not draw attention to myself or show off how unselfish I am. If the company wants to do something to increase its charitable donations by using its employees, why not have a food or clothing drive, instead? That way, people can donate according to what they’re willing and able to do. Also, to a part-time employee, $500 could make a real difference in the budget. If money’s tight, the temptation to use a month’s rent to pay the rent or groceries or buy a few more presents for the kids could be rather great. After all, being forced to give $500 away when you’re eating ramen noodles and using coupons can seem a bit rough. I suspect that’s why the bank wants video-taped evidence, but it still seems a bit rough on the employees. ---
**Author:** ![ArizonaTeach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/45deac/32.png) [@ArizonaTeach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArizonaTeach)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-it-forward-nice-gesture-or-stupid-stunt/430463/17 "2007-12-18T18:05:03Z")
Have they thought about donations to The Human Fund of Rio? ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-it-forward-nice-gesture-or-stupid-stunt/430463/18 "2007-12-18T18:10:07Z")
The requirement for a video might make some of the employees distribute the money in ways that make better video but don’t do as much good. If I were given $1000 to give to charity, I would go online, research some causes and charities, and then donate online to them. That might do a lot of good, but it’s going to be a snoozer of a video. It would be tempting to instead do something that will make for more interesting video like get the money in cash and give it out to homeless people, even if that’s probably not going to do as much good for the community as something like making an online donation to the county food bank. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-it-forward-nice-gesture-or-stupid-stunt/430463/19 "2007-12-18T18:15:35Z")
Wonder who gets the tax writeoff for ‘charitable contributions’… Stunt - perhaps with good intentions - possibly even with (some) good results - but a stunt none the less. ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-it-forward-nice-gesture-or-stupid-stunt/430463/20 "2007-12-18T18:22:06Z")
[QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic] By the way, if I had to pick a cause, I’d pick medical marijuana. [/QUOTE] Oh, like Duuude, is today the 32nd of June? I, like, think we have to do something by today. Oh man, Sponge Bob totally punkd, that shark. Any Oreos left? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-it-forward-nice-gesture-or-stupid-stunt/430463.md?page=2)