Serena (Stakeholder)

"One of the biggest challenges running Give a Sock is wanting to do more and getting heartbroken often. Also, when they say, NO and I know they need socks and snacks but pride disturbs the process. Theirs and mine too. I've learned to accept what they say. Also, other people judging that items are given to people on the streets. Also, when 'sweeps' are allowed again and the city of Eugene, literally sweeps people out of their homes and throws all their stuff away that can't be carried. Many are disabled and it's really hard to witness."

There are important steps to consider when receiving and handing out donations including "Safety...'if it don't feel right, I don't do it'! Privacy...not everyone wants their info on social media, on or off the street. Best to ask if it's ok. Kindness...come in peace and know people are hangry, feeling dirty, tired, lonely, on edge, wits end. Rules...a list of rules is given out to anyone slinging socks including the news folks. Knowledge...learning where people are at and what I can do."

Getting and receiving donations happens in several ways. "Clients hear about Give a Sock through other clients or social media or myself and bring in items or cash when they come in for massage therapy sessions with me. Businesses host a basket for a month (sometimes longer) and we advertise their business by saying, 'thank you' on social media. Businesses look good for helping us and get more business and also by people bringing in items to their place. Bombas socks gave 1000 the first year, 2750 the second and we will get 5000 pairs in October! School classrooms have hosted a basket and had me come talk to their class about, Homelessness. Neighbors leave items on my front porch. [I also] purchase socks and essentials with cash donations if needed."

"I could delegate work better...working on it. Got someone doing logistics spreadsheet and two official directors. Now need to get 501c3 status!! Sometimes posts take me longer to do. Wanting to do it all and not having enough time! Wanting to do more for the ones ready for the next step in life. I wish there could be a super cool hotel type place run by them. Storage for their belongings so they can work without coming back to every single belonging taken."

Sophie

"I volunteer for a nonprofit in town called the Portland Bologna Sister City Association. [I have been a volunteer for] a little over a year now, maybe a year and a half. I am a board member, so [I donate my time] on an ongoing basis, and at a as needed capacity with maybe 3 to 4 meetings a month."

"I mostly donate my time, but I have also coordinated donations with artists, and other people in town to be used in the auctions and other aspects to get more money for the organization."

"I designed most of the [Portland Bologna Sister City Association] website at this point. My primary role is to do branding and design work for the organization. Working on donations, but also doing web development."

"I go to nonprofit websites to learn about their mission, how they are spending their money...keeping track of what people are doing, and how they are connecting...and potentially needing the contact information of someone I can contact related to whatever...like, I have different needs, so it is not always the president of the organization, but knowing who to contact for my need."

"We do have people who reach out to us asking how they can contribute and so that includes volunteering, and donating, and writing blog posts, contributing to our social media, and so [the website's donation page] was most about outlining...making those different areas very clear, we have these three options, these are really the ways we would experience help, with money, your time, or your experience and knowledge, so it is making the options clear and how they were grouping them, and making them distinct as necessary, also clarifying, acknowledging the people who have donated in the past, and trying to keep that list up-to-date. I try not to put information on my website, the websites I have designed that is just going to go out of date if there is nobody to maintain that information."

Latasha

"The last organization that I donated to would be Rosehaven, it is a women's and family shelter. I donated money. I have a friend who is on the board and she does quite a bit of outreach and works with a group of teenage girls that are really involved in it and does a lot of different events, and they were doing a fundraiser over Mother's Day weekend, and so she reached out and asked for her friends to donate, so I did."

I wanted to donate because "I've actually worked, or I've volunteered at a couple women's shelters before in the past, both in Portland and Seattle where I am from, and so I have that connection, and also be supportive of my friend, and the cause that she is passionate about as well."

The website "had a lot of photos and like personal stories of people who [used the shelter] made it feel more real, and made it feel like you could connect and really see how the organization helps people."

"I think Rosehaven is the only women's shelter that I've actually donated monetarily, and that I haven't actually volunteered at. Usually, what I like to do is volunteer or donate clothing or a lot time they want toiletries to create welcome packages to give to residents when they move in."

The donation page "was part of a specific fundraiser like they were trying to get to a certain amount for that fundraiser, they had a little bar to show what their goal was and how close to the goal they were reaching, and it also let you know too, after you donated that your donation was matched."

Jai

Some of the reasons for not donating is because "I am not really sure, sometimes I don't feel like that donation will come directly from me, it doesn't feel like I am actually making a difference, it feels more like I am support this company rather than I am making a difference and helping somebody."

"I think that what would help me [want] to support a [nonprofit organization] I would need to know that what they're doing supports a cause that I believe in, so when I find a company that supports a cause that I believe in, then I would consider donating and I think that information would be found on [their] website."

"I want to see [on a nonprofit's website] how they help people, and I want to see how they help the cause I believe in, I want to see that they are a responsible company, that they won't be misusing or abusing people's trust...I want to see that they are helping people, the cause I believe in, I want to believe they are actively doing that, and I want to see that they are not misusing funds."

"Maybe it would be interesting to see how my dollar helps. Like it will be interesting to track my dollar. You know how...like track my dollar, you know like how on Door Dash or Uber Eats you can track the meal? It would be interesting to see the money I am donating being tracked, like this is going to this, this person is, like you know you spend $50.00, this is going to help buy socks, Jane is going to Wal-Mart to buy socks, and this person is volunteering to hand out the socks. It would be cool to see the process instead of blindly donating, I want to feel like I am helping."