Would you buy from a company that denied our soldiers?

Question

I received an email from a friend. I was shocked in reading the contents. The Family readiness Group of the North Carolina National Guard, are trying to compose Christmas packages for our soldiers. They were asked for one special gift they would like to have. Their answer was a Wii System and some games for the one TV they have for 150 soldiers in each unit Remember only one Wii system was requested. A post was posted by Victoria Felicio to [e-mail] at 19:02:54000 10/22/2007. This was their reply:

Message (#6851-000626-2101\6262101)

Hello Victoria,

Thank you for contacting Nintendo with a donation request for the North Carolina National Guard unit you are building holiday packages for.

I want to let you know that although your request is worthwhile, we will be unable to provide you with a donation of a Wii system. Because we receive many more solicitations than we can accommodate, we generally direct our contributions to large organizations such as the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Starlight Starbright Children’s Foundation, Untied Way, and Boys & Girls Clubs, Nintendo is able to provide assistance and stay involved with our community.

Thank you for thinking of Nintendo.

Sincerely,

Nintendo Of America Inc.
Mina Harris


Please tell me how you feel about their response, and I’m sure you all have someone serving in this war in Iraq. Me personally had brought a system for my grandson for Christmas, as of today I returned it. Our soldiers lives are nothing to this Company that makes billions from these soldiers families!

Answer 1

Corporations decide a year ahead where their philanthropic dollars will go. Although it's disappointing, I'm sure that many of the requests that go to them are worthy. I know that there are requests for about 100 times what the budgeted amount of money is. If you will notice, they tend to give to national non-profits that have a track record. Also, their sales might be down from their projections, and they have to honorthe commitments they've already made.

Perhaps you could get a donation from a local store like WalMart or Target. That would be a more appropriate request for a local organization. Maybe the local PX if there is one in NC.

In reference to your question, I am sure that some military families buy Wii, but for one thing if they buy at a PX they already get a discount, and I don't think it's billions of dollars for that group.

I wish you luck in your project--it sounds great. Do try the local resources for your donations.

Answer 2

Nintendo needs to draw the line for donations somewhere. If Nintendo only makes donations to a few large 501(c)3 organizations they eliminate the possibility of opening themselves up to accusations of favoritism. If they contribute to your friend's North Carolina unit, then if they deny other North Carolina units (or units from any other state, for that matter) the denied units have every right to be angry/disappointed to not get a Wii system.

Now, another equally deserving project/group (pick anything...group home, fund raiser for a child with a life threatening disease, the possibilities are endless) requests a donation because the North Carolina Guard Unit received a Wii system. Are they approved or denied? If approved, it opens up another set of groups to ask for donations. If denied, it upsets them because 'the North Carolina Guard Unit received one'.

The reasons for denying the original request are not because they are anti-Iraq war, anti-American or that they don't appreciate 'the billions their company makes selling their products to these soldiers families' that the 150 member unit of the North Carolina Guard spends on Nintendo products. (Yes, I realize you didn't mean that specific NC Guard unit spends billions on Nintendo products and probably meant the entire US Guard families - but as far as you know ALL Guard units didn't ask for a Wii system.)

Nintendo has set up guidelines to follow to avoid situations of favoritism or discrimination in their donation practices. I don't have any examples of any other company's donation guidelines (to be honest, I haven't taken the time to look) but I can imagine there are others with similar policies. I personally think it is perfectly acceptable as a policy and if I were in the market to buy a Wii system I would still continue to do so even after reading the letter you were forwarded. But, that is just my opinion as to what I would do.

Answer 3

I won't let video games in our house.

I'm not surprised, but I am disappointed. The address for shipping should have been enough to let Nintendo know it is a legitimate request for the soldiers in Iraq. My guess is they stick with the "large charities" because:

1. They get receipts for the donations to "large charities" and the donations can be written off by their accounting department.
2. They don't trust letters unless they are from "large charities",
3. They think if it gets out they donated a game console to troops that it will make them look like they support the war rather than being impartial,
4. They don't think sending a free Wii to soldiers is worthwhile, and/or
5. They don't care.

Whatever the reason, I hope it affects their sales. But, knowing big business and their brainwashing of kids (and adults, actually), there will be a Wii under most Christmas trees this year (at least, as many as they will LET be sold. They've had all year to produce enough units for Christmas. I KNOW there is NO WAY they made enough. They are too caught up in providing too few in order to make them more popular and more expensive.) Don't you just LOVE big business??

Have you sent a copy of this letter and your story to local news agencies? Go for it, if you haven't. I would hate to give Nintendo any press at all, since they say even bad exposure helps sales. But maybe in this case, it would give people (especially members of our military) pause.

Answer 4

this is a capture word meant to advance morale. incredibly, the long hand version is, we are battling a conflict against an enemy that's no longer sure via national borders, us extensive-unfold individuals won't be in a position to understand why we are in Iraq yet our generals are o.k. knowledgeable and that i'm specific have their motives, and those human beings have brazenly referred to as for our dying and destruction. they opt for to wreck our economic device, our protection, our properties, our lives, our lifestyle, and confident, our freedom. there is not any debate approximately this, the terrorists will brazenly inform you this. Are the palestinians getting screwed in Israel? confident. Did we abuse the muslim center east for the duration of colonial days? confident. in spite of the undeniable fact that, i did no longer do those issues, and on an identical time as I sympathize with the suffering of others, i'm no longer keen to die or enable my buddies die for it.