---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A lot of charities spend a million…"
description: "\"A lot of charities spend a million dollars on a fundraiser to make $15,000. It's a social swirl. They do some great stuff and then - it's called missio..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/642/sam-simon-18848_about_a-lot-of-charities-spend-a-million-dolla_2949163.jpg"
---

#  A lot of charities spend a million dollars on a fundraiser…

![“A lot of charities spend a million dollars on a fundraiser to make $15,000. It's a social swirl. They do some great stuff and then - it's called mission drift. It becomes more about the parties.” quote by Sam Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/642/sam-simon-18848_about_a-lot-of-charities-spend-a-million-dolla_2949163.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/642/sam-simon-18848_about_a-lot-of-charities-spend-a-million-dolla_2949163.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/642/sam-simon-18848_about_a-lot-of-charities-spend-a-million-dolla_2949163.jpg)

> “A lot of charities spend a million dollars on a fundraiser to make $15,000. It's a social swirl. They do some great stuff and then - it's called mission drift. It becomes more about the parties.”

[Sam Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-simon/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Charities often waste money on flashy fundraisers, causing mission drift where focus shifts from purpose to parties.

**In simple terms:** Fundraisers can distract from core mission.

Key Takeaway

Prioritize mission over spectacle.

Themes

philanthropy mismanagement mission drift

Mood

critical analytical

Type

philanthropic organizational

When to use this quote

- charity planning
- budget reviews
- mission audits

Key Concepts

resource allocation organizational focus

Questions to Reflect On

- How can charities balance fundraising and mission?
- What safeguards prevent mission drift?

A Different Perspective

Spectacle can attract donors but dilute impact.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[About](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/about/) [Becomes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/becomes/) [Charities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/charities/) [Charities Spend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/charities-spend-898445/) [Dollars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dollars/) [Dollars Fundraiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dollars-fundraiser-4436446/) [Drift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drift/) [Fundraiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fundraiser/) [Fundraiser Make](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fundraiser-make-4436445/) [Generosity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generosity/) [Goals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goals/) [Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great/) [Great stuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-stuff/) [Lot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lot/) [Make](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make/) [Million](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/million/) [Mission](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mission/) [More](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/more/) [Parties](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parties/) [Philanthropy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philanthropy/) [Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social/) [Some](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/some/) [Spend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spend/) [Spend Million](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spend-million-893283/) [Stuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stuff/) [Then](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/then/)

## Related quotes

> [In the meantime, we see there are charities that spend much of their scarce resources that should be going directly to the children to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-rohrabacher/in-the-meantime-we-see-there-are-charities-that-spend-much-of-their/)

[Dana Rohrabacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-rohrabacher/)

> [Everyone wants charities to spend as little as possible on overhead. That's backwards. Overhead is what drives growth. If charities can't grow, they can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-pallotta/everyone-wants-charities-to-spend-as-little-as-possible-on-overhead/)

[Dan Pallotta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-pallotta/)

> [“To put a trillion dollars in context, if you spend a million dollars every day since Jesus was born, you still wouldn't have spent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-mcconnell/to-put-a-trillion-dollars-in-context-if-you-spend-a-million-dollars/)

[Mitch McConnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-mcconnell/)

> [I have $100 billion… You realize I could spend $3 million a day, every day, for the next 100 years? And that's if I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/i-have-100-billion-you-realize-i-could-spend-3-million-a-day-every/)

[Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/)

> [I had a teammate whose motto was, 'If I make a million dollars, I must spend a million dollars.' I was like, 'If I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-horry/i-had-a-teammate-whose-motto-was-if-i-make-a-million-dollars-i-must/)

[Robert Horry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-horry/)

> [I think it is wrong to spend $4 or $5 million in a campaign.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-scott/i-think-it-is-wrong-to-spend-4-or-5-million-in-a-campaign/)

[Bill Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-scott/)

> [We spend more than a million dollars a year on our colleges and university, and it is money well spent; but we must have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-capper/we-spend-more-than-a-million-dollars-a-year-on-our-colleges-and/)

[Arthur Capper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-capper/)

> [You don't have to spend a million dollars to make things look cool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-hill/you-don-t-have-to-spend-a-million-dollars-to-make-things-look-cool/)

[Taylor Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-hill/)

> [I found out that I can have the pretty things and I don't have to spend a million dollars on them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-colby/i-found-out-that-i-can-have-the-pretty-things-and-i-don-t-have-to/)

[Danielle Colby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-colby/)

> [I think it says wonders about people that can write an entire album, and put out an entire album of great songs. I mean,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-nichols/i-think-it-says-wonders-about-people-that-can-write-an-entire-album/)

[Joe Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-nichols/)

> [When you travel on a bus with guys who love all kinds of music, you get exposed to some great stuff, man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregg-allman/when-you-travel-on-a-bus-with-guys-who-love-all-kinds-of-music-you/)

[Gregg Allman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregg-allman/)

> [“Do you worry sometimes that all the really great stuff has already happened?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrey-niffenegger/do-you-worry-sometimes-that-all-the-really-great-stuff-has-already/)

[Audrey Niffenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-niffenegger/)

> [With stores like Topshop and H&amp;M you can find really great stuff, but I do like designer things as well, and I'm lucky because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saoirse-ronan/with-stores-like-topshop-and-h-m-you-can-find-really-great-stuff-but/)

[Saoirse Ronan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saoirse-ronan/)

> [The very first film I ever saw was a pirate movie called 'The Black Swan' with Tyrone Power. And I thought that was great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ridley-scott/the-very-first-film-i-ever-saw-was-a-pirate-movie-called-the-black/)

[Ridley Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ridley-scott/)

> [I always tell the fans, 'Screw it! Like what you like. Listen to what you want.' Insisting that one type of music is better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corey-taylor/i-always-tell-the-fans-screw-it-like-what-you-like-listen-to-what-you/)

[Corey Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corey-taylor/)

## More by Sam Simon

> [When people make donations to non profits, they want to know that their money goes to good use.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-simon/when-people-make-donations-to-non-profits-they-want-to-know-that/)

[Sam Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-simon/)

> [The thing about animals that speaks to me so much is that my passion for the animals and against animal abuse is based on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-simon/the-thing-about-animals-that-speaks-to-me-so-much-is-that-my-passion/)

[Sam Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-simon/)

> [I have been a vegetarian for forty-two years. I did it because I didn't want animals to die so I could eat. Then, eight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-simon/i-have-been-a-vegetarian-for-forty-two-years-i-did-it-because-i-didn/)

[Sam Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-simon/)

> [I was hoping for 13 episodes that my friends would like. It’s a good lesson, isn’t it? If you do something trying to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-simon/i-was-hoping-for-13-episodes-that-my-friends-would-like-it-s-a-good/)

[Sam Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-simon/)

> [Through PETA, we rescue animals in roadside zoos and circuses. They are some of the most abused animals in the country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-simon/through-peta-we-rescue-animals-in-roadside-zoos-and-circuses-they-are/)

[Sam Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-simon/)

> [I was just an animal lover. Everything that the Sam Simon Foundation does is supposed to help dogs and people - that's our mission.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-simon/i-was-just-an-animal-lover-everything-that-the-sam-simon-foundation/)

[Sam Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-simon/)

> [The sort of lifetime achievement stuff that I'm getting now is kind of like Tom Sawyer's funeral because they all know I'm sick. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-simon/the-sort-of-lifetime-achievement-stuff-that-i-m-getting-now-is-kind/)

[Sam Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-simon/)

> [I'm supporting the charities that I supported during my lifetime, and I want to continue to do that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-simon/i-m-supporting-the-charities-that-i-supported-during-my-lifetime-and/)

[Sam Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-simon/)

> [I am a big PETA supporter, and their East Coast headquarters is the Sam Simon building, and their West Coast headquarters is in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-simon/i-am-a-big-peta-supporter-and-their-east-coast-headquarters-is-the/)

[Sam Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-simon/)

> [I feel so guilty when I see orcas performing their stupid tricks in their little swimming pools, and when I see circuses or elephant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-simon/i-feel-so-guilty-when-i-see-orcas-performing-their-stupid-tricks-in/)

[Sam Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-simon/)

> [I have a desire to help animals, the question of whether it makes financial sense, it's my money and I get to do what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-simon/i-have-a-desire-to-help-animals-the-question-of-whether-it-makes/)

[Sam Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-simon/)

> [The reason my food bank is vegan is because I can't pay for animal products in good conscience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-simon/the-reason-my-food-bank-is-vegan-is-because-i-can-t-pay-for-animal/)

[Sam Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-simon/)

> [Mary had a crypto key, she kept it in escrow, and everything that Mary said, the Feds were sure to know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-simon/mary-had-a-crypto-key-she-kept-it-in-escrow-and-everything-that-mary/)

[Sam Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-simon/)

> [I want to do whatever I can to survive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-simon/i-want-to-do-whatever-i-can-to-survive/)

[Sam Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-simon/)

> [Everyone in my family is taken care of. And I enjoy this.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-simon/everyone-in-my-family-is-taken-care-of-and-i-enjoy-this/)

[Sam Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-simon/)

[Explore all 34 Sam Simon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-simon/)

## More About quotes

> [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/)

[Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/)

> [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/)

[Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/)

> [I talk to my mates about our kids, being too tired and being worn out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-willoughby/i-talk-to-my-mates-about-our-kids-being-too-tired-and-being-worn-out/)

[Holly Willoughby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-willoughby/)

> [With 'Pretty Girls,' I saw the opportunity to talk not just about crime but what crime leaves behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/with-pretty-girls-i-saw-the-opportunity-to-talk-not-just-about-crime/)

[Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/)

> [I write about presidents. That means I write about guys - so far. I'm interested in the people closest to them, the people they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-write-about-presidents-that-means-i-write-about-guys-so-far-i-m/)

[Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/)

> [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/)

[Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/)

> [I learned a lot about myself at Oakmont.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-lowry/i-learned-a-lot-about-myself-at-oakmont/)

[Shane Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-lowry/)

> [I don't think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/)

[Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/)

> [Sport is not just about entertainment. It is equally about winning and losing, pooling and galvanising the energy of the youth, upgrading people's physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-ambani/sport-is-not-just-about-entertainment-it-is-equally-about-winning-and/)

[Nita Ambani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-ambani/)

> [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/)

[Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/)

> [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-didn-t-want-to-do-fashion-police-because-i-thought-this-is-stupid/)

[Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/)

> [I just worried about my weight. Worried about my appearance and thought I wan't pretty enough to be a pop star. It was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-durham/i-just-worried-about-my-weight-worried-about-my-appearance-and/)

[Judith Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-durham/)

> [I read a couple of books about neuroscience and the relationship between the mind and the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-read-a-couple-of-books-about-neuroscience-and-the-relationship/)

[Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/)

> [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/)

[John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/)

> [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/)

[Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/)

[Browse all 26,122 About quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/about/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "A lot of charities spend a million dollars on a fundraiser to make $15,000. It's a social swirl. They do some great stuff and then - it's called mission drift. It becomes more about the parties.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Sam Simon"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-simon/a-lot-of-charities-spend-a-million-dollars-on-a-fundraiser-to-make-15/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "About"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-simon/a-lot-of-charities-spend-a-million-dollars-on-a-fundraiser-to-make-15/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/642/sam-simon-18848_about_a-lot-of-charities-spend-a-million-dolla_2949163.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/642/sam-simon-18848_about_a-lot-of-charities-spend-a-million-dolla_2949163.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/642/sam-simon-18848_about_a-lot-of-charities-spend-a-million-dolla_2949163.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“A lot of charities spend a million dollars on a fundraiser to make $15,000. It's a social swirl. They do…” — Sam Simon",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Sam Simon",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-simon/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "A lot of charities spend a...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-simon/a-lot-of-charities-spend-a-million-dollars-on-a-fundraiser-to-make-15/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-simon/a-lot-of-charities-spend-a-million-dollars-on-a-fundraiser-to-make-15/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
