Supporting Waltham Non-Profits
In an attempt to help Waltham residents even before Election Day, I’m pledging to donate $1 of my own money (up to $2000) in June to the following non-profits for every $10 donated to the Committee to Elect Sean Diamond between Earth Day and Memorial Day:
I strongly encourage everyone in Waltham to consider volunteering at or donating directly to these charitable organizations. For those that can afford to do so, I would be honored if you would donate to my campaign as well.
Why these organizations?
Since moving to Waltham in 2019, I’ve been regularly donating to several local non-profit organizations that promote food accessibility and dignity for our neighbors in need.
Healthy Waltham is in the middle of a capital campaign to renovate and furnish a new permanent location to continue providing dignified food pantry services.
Community Day Center of Waltham provides dignified, judgement-free shelter and support to adults experiencing homelessness.
Waltham Fields Community Farm* provides access to educational programming and fresh-grown produce, including subsidized and SNAP CSA shares.
*As full disclosure, I also volunteer on the Board of Directors for WFCF. For an overview of my community involvement, please view my Civic Resume.
FAQ’s
Isn’t this just asking citizens to donate to your campaign, so you can get a tax break for your own donations?
No! I regularly give to these non-profit organizations each year. While this incremental donation may have a very marginal impact on my tax return next year, I primarily want to encourage folks to directly support to these organizations. Only those that can afford to do so should donate to my campaign.
Is this allowed by campaign finance laws?
Yes. I will be donating my own personal money, and I’m not asking for any endorsement (or anything else) from these non-profit organizations in exchange. There will not be any conditions placed on the money I donate.
Why are you raising money for your campaign from others using this “scheme”?
I have already contributed $1000 of my own money to the Committee to Elect Sean Diamond, and I expect that I will need to contribute more of my own money to the campaign to get the message out, including: lawn signs, postage for mailers, and campaign materials.
If my campaign doesn’t raise any money, I will simply end up contributing $2000 of my own money directly to my own campaign (with no additional money available for local non-profits). Given the opportunity, I’d rather donate that money to local non-profits (and hopefully inspire others to do the same) with the political campaign having enough funds to cover costs until Election Day in November.