how dish donates to charities

kazuma05

Well-Known SatelliteGuys Member
Mar 16, 2010
28
0
oklahoma
Most people are already aware that some big corporations donate to charitable organizations. The two main reasons for donating are so they can receive a tax deduction and to improve the company's image with the public. This is a good a business practic. Most people wouldn't have any objections with this, but what if the company you are working for donates in their name using the money that came from your pocket.

Dish network takes the "low road", when they donate. They make their donations to legitament charities (like March Of Dime, Race For The Cure, Habitat For Humanity, and a few others). The way they raise the money has angered me and my fellow employees.

Dish network facilities have a business casual dress code (no jeans or t-shirts) on the week days. During certain months dish network will try to get employees to donate to the charity that dish is supporting that month by selling "jeans passes" . Here is how it works, dish will sell the passes to employees for $20.00. Once an employee buys a pass he or she will be able to wear jeans during that month.

The reason I don't like this is, because dish network is spending less than a quater to make their "jeans pass". The money that dish gets off the passes is donated to a charity only under dish network's name (not the employees) The bottom line is that most of the money that dish network donates to a charity is not from their profits or from Charlie Ergen, it comes from the employees wallets. I have bought some of the "jeans passes" before.One day I was curious to see if I would see on a pay stub where I donated. I was told that the $20.00 I spend only bought me the right to wear jeans that month, but I was donating to a good cause.

We are not required to buy the jeans pass, but any time we don't get one some manager will always ask "where is your jeans pass?" The know we don't have to buy the passes either but it doesn't mean they won't try to peer pressure some one into buying a jeans pass. I will not buy anymore jeans passes as long as I work there.
If you don't believe me you view the twitter account for my call center under user name: CSC_TUL .
 

Bobby

Publican
Supporting Founder
Lifetime Supporter
Sep 7, 2003
70,009
25,649
Rohnert Park, CA
It's really simple. Dress in business casual and make a $20 donation to the charity of your choice. When you are asked where your 'jeans pass" is show them your receipt to that charity. I did that for years with the phone company. I'd rather select my own charity then what's politically correct for the moment.
 

MCSuckaDJ

SatelliteGuys Family
May 25, 2005
38
0
Colorado
So, in addition to their own charitable donations, they actually incentivise employees to donate as well by offering small, tangible benefits?
That's unforgivable. :rolleyes:

Disgruntled employee is still disgruntled.
 

Tony S

SatelliteGuys Pro
Lifetime Supporter
Sep 7, 2003
1,502
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Hills of Eastern CT
I don't really have a problem with this...it is kind of a fun way to raise money for charities. However, if Dish puts pressure on you so that you feel like you have to contribute, then I think they are crossing the line!
 

KAB

SatelliteGuys Master
Pub Member / Supporter
Lifetime Supporter
Sep 20, 2005
21,742
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Fishers, IN
I don't really have a problem with this...it is kind of a fun way to raise money for charities. However, if Dish puts pressure on you so that you feel like you have to contribute, then I think they are crossing the line!

There is nothing new or evil about this at all. I just think the OP has an attitude about it. He never once made it sound like he realized his donations are deductible. Who cares what name it's given in? My wife and I participate in a similar program with her University employer.
 

ts7

SatelliteGuys Pro
Jan 31, 2006
434
8
IL
Kazuma05, GET OVER IT! This is a very common practice. My two previous employers have done this, my wife's employer does it - in fact, I would guess the number of medium to large employers that have a similar practice far outnumber those who do not. When it comes down to it, if the money is all going to the charity, what difference does it make who really gets the "credit"? If it really upsets you that much, then do what Bobby said and donate to your favorite charity yourself (and continue to dress to the "official" code).
 

Stargazer

Supporting Founder
Supporting Founder
Sep 7, 2003
16,567
340
Western WV
I can see why you are upset about how they want to donate (not giving the employees credit for their jeans pass donation) but at the same time I think it is a clever way to raise money.
 

dk21

SatelliteGuys Family
Feb 12, 2010
41
0
PA
Yes, I could see wanting the donation to be from Dish Network staff or something like that, but in reality, you are a part of Dish Network. I'm sure that they aren't looking to upset anyone. At least they do something to raise money for a good cause. That's more than a lot of companies do.
 

thedamaja

SatelliteGuys Pro
Feb 6, 2007
444
0
South Bend, IN
They do this where I work also and it doesn't bother me at all.

To me the important part is that the charity receives the money not that they know exactly who it came from.
 

Ghpr13

SatelliteGuys Pro
Pub Member / Supporter
Jul 1, 2009
3,212
0
Louisville, KY
They do this where I work also and it doesn't bother me at all.

To me the important part is that the charity receives the money not that they know exactly who it came from.

Same here. This was done a couple of times where I worked. We all understood that the donation would be in our employer's name, but we still had a choice to give or not. Even if you give $20/month for the jean's pass, that only totals $240/year. As a tax credit for the year I wouldn't think that $240.00 would make much difference in the bottom line of the average taxpayer.

All in all, if it bothers you, then don't do it...like others have said, donate on your own. There's nothing wrong with that. Everyone has their own charities that feel strongly about, and that may differ from what your employer wants to donate to.

Ghpr13:)
 

navychop

Member of the Month - July 2014!
Pub Member / Supporter
Lifetime Supporter
Jul 20, 2005
60,079
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Northern VA
End result of this program:

-Charities get more money than they would have if these companies did not run such programs. It's a sort of painless way of getting money from you to charities, money you might not have donated otherwise.

-Dish & other companies foot the bill for running such programs and sending the money to the charities, maybe spending more money than they get in the deduction. Certainly not a significant revenue source.


My company does not do this. I hope they don't ever, because I will be the one that has to manage such a program- not something I look forward to.
 

Dishman1978

SatelliteGuys Pro
Jul 31, 2010
3,274
90
California
kazuma05 said:
Most people are already aware that some big corporations donate to charitable organizations. The two main reasons for donating are so they can receive a tax deduction and to improve the company's image with the public. This is a good a business practic. Most people wouldn't have any objections with this, but what if the company you are working for donates in their name using the money that came from your pocket.

Dish network takes the "low road", when they donate. They make their donations to legitament charities (like March Of Dime, Race For The Cure, Habitat For Humanity, and a few others). The way they raise the money has angered me and my fellow employees.

Dish network facilities have a business casual dress code (no jeans or t-shirts) on the week days. During certain months dish network will try to get employees to donate to the charity that dish is supporting that month by selling "jeans passes" . Here is how it works, dish will sell the passes to employees for $20.00. Once an employee buys a pass he or she will be able to wear jeans during that month.

The reason I don't like this is, because dish network is spending less than a quater to make their "jeans pass". The money that dish gets off the passes is donated to a charity only under dish network's name (not the employees) The bottom line is that most of the money that dish network donates to a charity is not from their profits or from Charlie Ergen, it comes from the employees wallets. I have bought some of the "jeans passes" before.One day I was curious to see if I would see on a pay stub where I donated. I was told that the $20.00 I spend only bought me the right to wear jeans that month, but I was donating to a good cause.

We are not required to buy the jeans pass, but any time we don't get one some manager will always ask "where is your jeans pass?" The know we don't have to buy the passes either but it doesn't mean they won't try to peer pressure some one into buying a jeans pass. I will not buy anymore jeans passes as long as I work there.
If you don't believe me you view the twitter account for my call center under user name: CSC_TUL .

You better chek your employee handbook and make sure you dont get fired for posting stuff like this. Had an installer get fired out of my shop for talking down about Dish.
 

Bob Haller

Supporting Founder
Supporting Founder
Sep 11, 2003
25,124
4,061
pittsburgh pa
I never liked jeans and dont understand their popularity.

I had a tough time with my first job as field service tech, they wanted me to wear a suit and tie, I hated that and wasnt compliant, but with me on the road they had trouble enforcing it.....

every now and then someone in management would get a bug up their butt and make a issue of it.......

these days i sometimes wear a dress shirt with long sleeves and a sweater vest in the winter ... that keeps my tie from getting sucked in a machine...
 

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