Reality TV influences fundraising these days: Latest trend is public competitions like recent Pitch It!, where judges decide who is most worthy.
"Philanthropy is getting a little more like the reality shows Shark Tank and Cupcake Wars. Nonprofits can now perform like contestants on a game show to win their dough. A case in point is Pitch It! The Innovation Challenge 2014, a program of the Greater New Orleans Foundation (GNOF) in partnership with the Kresge Foundation and Chevron. This contest involved three finalists nonprofits who pitched their ideas to a panel of judges this morning at the New Orleans Museum of Art to win cash grants. . . . At stake? Three prizes of $25,000, $7,500 and $5,000 to advance the winning projects. In other words, every finalist wins something, which is all very touchy-feely, unlike those TV shows where contestants are practically hooted off the stage." -- Kiersten Marek, Inside Philanthropy
