It's a well-known fact that only a small portion of money donated actually reaches the intended target. Depending on the charity, sometimes 80% is eaten up in administrative costs. Do a search on the internet, you will find lots of info about it.

If that is true, and if it's going to happen, I would much rather see it happen at the Red Cross (or just about any other company in the US) than at istock, that's for sure.

That's ridiculous.  You're insinuating IS is keeping part of the donation as 'administrative costs'?  Really, some people goto any length just to say something negative about IS these days.  They take the donation, match it %100 and pass it on, as I see it.  You're talking about one of those fundraising 'businesses', which has nothing to do with this.

Quote from: cclapper on March 20, 2011, 14:31

It's a well-known fact that only a small portion of money donated actually reaches the intended target. Depending on the charity, sometimes 80% is eaten up in administrative costs. Do a search on the internet, you will find lots of info about it.

If that is true, and if it's going to happen, I would much rather see it happen at the Red Cross (or just about any other company in the US) than at istock, that's for sure.

That's ridiculous.  You're insinuating IS is keeping part of the donation as 'administrative costs'?  Really, some people goto any length just to say something negative about IS these days.  They take the donation, match it %100 and pass it on, as I see it.  You're talking about one of those fundraising 'businesses', which has nothing to do with this.

I see it differently. I'm allowed.  

edit: PS, I guess you didn't see the ifs.

Of course the $25K maximum that IS are prepared to donate is but a miniscule fraction of the extra money that they are trousering from the recent cuts in commission. They're just exploiting the situation and folks' natural sympathy for Japan's people to their own ends, in just the same cold-hearted manner that they exploit their content providers as much as they think they can get away with. It's all highly calculated.

Oh, then...

If Shutterstock lowers payments to a flat $.10 and takes the rest and buys weed to sell to little kids, I'd certainly not want to sell there.

^Relieved to hear this. 

Whatever the motivations of IS, money is going to those in a horribly tragic situation. Even though IS behavior and competence has been less than stellar recently, I highly doubt they would steal the money or screw the pooch on this one. I am giving them the benefit of the doubt this time only, even though I donated through a different matching organization.

But I can't believe some of you are suggesting iStock is lining their pockets with donations for Japan. arguments like that are just absurd. I donated through iStock because they are matching donations.

I'm sorry, but this is just a super-cheap advertising promotion for iStock. They are not matching donations up to $25,000, they are matching the first $25,000 donated and after that they add nothing. It's a cynical attempt to buy goodwill.

Considering they will be helping themselves to something like an extra $1,000 from my sales alone this year from the commission cut, the sum they are offering to match is ridiculously small.  After all, by the time base contributors have scraped together $25,000 in commissions, iStock has raked in almost $150,000. You give all your commission and iStock gives 17% of theirs. And if more than 25,000 comes in, the percentage iStock contributes becomes ever more sustainable.

The programme looks to me like something dreamed up to exploit the suffering of the Japanese for the benefit of iStock/Getty/FH (but cynical profiteering is hardly something to be surprised about when engaging with the Gordon Gekko world of Corporate America).

No, iStock won't steal the money and they will donate $25,000 as stated (as long as contributors give more than that). But they are hoping to line their pockets through profits made from improved "goodwill".  Bear in mind that $25,000 is the sort of money you would pay for one full page advert in a good magazine.

If you want to engage with an ethical, generous photo agency, put your stuff with Alamy. They let you keep 60% of what you earn and then they hand over most of their 40% to medical research. And - amazingly - they find that doing so is "sustainable", even though their turnover is much lower than iStock's.

IMHO, anyway.

Quote from: Suljo on March 20, 2011, 15:24

Why somebody just dont say to this smacks on IS that they only have right to return money to contributors and too make they mendacious mouth shut with deep bow prepared to take kick in they greedy but.

I dont believe in they "donations" for Japan too. They will steal this money and eventually return few percent to exclusive contributors and then we will see another wave of Woo Yaing on they lets say forum.

If I'm taking your meaning correctly, you're saying something completely ridiculous: that IS would steal the donations intended for Japan.

I'm no apologist for IS, but if you're going to bluntly call them thieves, I think you need something to back that up.

Oh I see, but I will not be surprised at all even it is small amount.
Rather its cheap marketing before end of first quarter to avoid tax and redirect money to Japan.
Time will show us what is in they never ending greedy mind.

Quote from: sjlocke on March 20, 2011, 17:07

Oh, then...

If Shutterstock lowers payments to a flat $.10 and takes the rest and buys weed to sell to little kids, I'd certainly not want to sell there.

    The point many posters are trying to make is that Istock has thrown away any trust that they once had with contributors. And i agree that this is a cynical attempt by Istock to piggyback on the tragedy in Japan to improve their image. Given the way that Istock has operated recently, I have no doubt that the "cap" on matching contributions is $25,000, a paltry sum for a company with these resources. As for the administration of funds given to support this initiative, again, Istock has proven time and again that when the company mismanages, it somehow always seems to hurt the contributors, not the company. Finally, the above mentioned "scenario" is childish and and insulting to a company that, at this point, seems to be doing a pretty good job of watching out for both the company and the contributors- a point that cannot be said of Istock, despite the continuous push back by it's woo-yayers.

Oh, I said "if".  I certainly wasn't bad-mouthing them .

Of course the total to be matched across all contributions is $25k.  No reasonable person would read it any different.  These kind of things sponsored by a business always have a maximum cap the company matches in the aggregate.

Of course the total to be matched across all contributions is $25k.  No reasonable person would read it any different.  These kind of things sponsored by a business always have a maximum cap the company matches in the aggregate.

I don't think that's universally true. My husband's company has deep pockets, I'll grant you, but they match up to $12K per employee per year for charitable contributions.

Here is the wording Pixart referred to, in 3 or 4 point type on the istock donation page:

The charities comprising the iStock Cares Japan Relief Fund are the US organizations within these international agencies. If you provide the requisite information, you will receive a receipt respecting your donation, which is generated by our donation processing software provider, Benevity Social Ventures, Inc. The issuance of a donation receipt does not constitute confirmation or an opinion as to the deductibility or tax treatment of your donation, and you should consult your own tax advisors in your relevant jurisdiction in that regard. The registered charity that administers the iStock Cares Japan Relief Fund is the American Endowment Foundation, which acts as a donor advised fund in delivering donation funds to eligible charities. AEF may charge a reasonable administrative fee, which shall not exceed 7% of the donation amount, for processing the donations made on the iStock site and any applicable matching funds provided by iStockphoto. Certain of your personal information required for generating receipts and processing donations will be provided to Benevity and the iStock Cares Japan Relief Fund in accordance with the Donation Terms of Use. iStockphoto's aggregate donation to the iStock Cares Japan Relief Fund shall not exceed $25,000USD. For further terms and conditions of your donation please visit the Donation Terms of Use.

Here is a paragraph in the Donation Terms of Use:

6. Donations

6.1. In delivering certain aspects of the iStock Donation Programs, iStock licenses the Benevity Platform and uses the services of the Foundation. Depending upon the nature of the iStock Site, it may also utilize the services of other foundations or entities to effect similar results for users in other jurisdictions. You direct iStock to make a gift on your behalf of all funds held by iStock on account of Donation Credits generated by your participation, subject to adjustments permitted under this Donation Platform Agreement, to the Foundation on the date (the �Donation Date�) that is the later of (a) and (b) below, where:

(a) is the earlier of: (i) in the case of a Direct Gift or a Donor Advice Gift made by you, the date upon which you have instructed iStock to make the donation via the specified action on the iStock Site (such as the purchase of a Donation Pack); (ii) in any case where any of the Default Rules apply, the date on which the donation is deemed effected by such Default Rule; and

(b) is the date of which the Foundation is in receipt of unrestricted funds in an amount equaling the redemption amount of the relevant Donation Credits.

Such Gifts will be received by the Foundation or by iStock as agent to be transferred to the Foundation, and thereafter will normally be a tax receiptable donation made by the relevant Participant to the Foundation (so long as such Participant is a US taxpayer and/or otherwise eligible under applicable law). All such donations are to the Donor Advised Fund maintained by the Foundation, and will be subject to a management fee of 7% payable to the Foundation, which is deducted from the amounts disbursed by the Foundation to the Eligible Charities (the �Platform Fee�). In the event your right to Donation Credits is acquired through donations made by credit or other payment card using iStock�s or other Program Originator�s merchant account (or equivalent), the amount of the donation may be reduced by such merchant account charges (unless paid for by iStock or such other Program Originator).

Just sayin that most of the time, there are fees taken out from the amount donated. If I don't trust istock's accounting to handle my commissions and my IP, why would I add this to the mix? Just my opinion.

Ou no
Another EL dl
hope that is not another security issue on they side?!