If I seem to look considerably older than I did at this time last year, there’s a reasonable explanation.
I spent the first third of 2023 as the Mother of the Bride. (And if you don’t know why that would prematurely age a person, you clearly don’t have daughters.)
I learned a lot through the experience – including the fact that today’s young couples really, really, REALLY want money instead of physical gifts, and that they’re not afraid to tell you as much.
At first, this completely horrified me. In fact, if I’d been wearing pearls when my daughter first mentioned her plan to ask for cold, hard cash on her wedding registry, I might have clutched them.
But then I realized something: I know some other folks who really, really, REALLY want money instead of products, too.
They’re called non-profits.
Like my daughter, humanitarian organizations really aren’t trying to be difficult when they request that you donate dollars rather than tchotchkes. Instead they’re being practical. After all, they know that, much like that brown, daisy-covered umbrella stand I once received from one of my wedding guests, there are some gifts they’ll never, ever be able to use, including some that will sadly end up in the trash pile.
Here at ALAN, we totally get that. After nearly two decades of working closely with non-profits, we’ve seen that many well-intended product donation efforts often go to waste, even if they aren’t covered with daisies. Plus we’ve observed that many non-profits can usually do a better job of purchasing what they need, when they need it most, if they’re just given access to adequate funding.
However we can definitely relate to the other side of the dialogue, too– the same side that compelled me to insist that my daughter add at least a few household items to her no-nonsense, go-funding request on her wedding registry. Because when push comes to shove, there’s often something in a lot of people’s DNA that wants to do something more tactile or personal than “just money” for the people or causes we care about.
Thankfully, when it comes to your giving style, ALAN’s got you covered either way.
If you feel like being “team modern bride,” head on over to check out the details about our End-Of-Year campaign. We’re trying to raise $100,000 by December 31 so we’ll be ready to activate for more disasters in 2024. And we’d be delighted to have your help.
Or, if you feel like being “team mother-of-the-bride,” head on over to the Active Logistics Needs section of our Disaster Micro-site. It’s where you’ll find ALAN’s own version of a tangible gift registry – several specific requests for contributed warehousing, material handling equipment and trucking that have nothing to do with money but everything to do with using a “little bit of logistics to do a whole lot of good.”
Either way, you’ll be making a world of positive difference.
And if you’re still feeling generous? Rumor has it I could use an extra supply of Oil of Olay.
Lori Lockman
Communications Director
American Logistics Aid Network
