Quotes by Michael Solomon

“After 9/11, charities like the Red Cross — which was subjected to a congressional inquisition — got a lot of criticism for collecting money on behalf of victims and using that as a cushion for the next catastrophe.”

“What donors need to do is go to the charitys Web site and see how they say they are going to use the money and if they have a question, call. Usually theyll be happy to establish a relationship with you so you know what the charity is using the money for and if its being used the way you want them to. That way everyone will be happy, and charities want that because they want happy donors who will continue giving.”

“For the people who founded Farm Aid, its probably in a much different place now than they thought it would be when they started it 20 years ago.”

“Farmers probably couldnt have asked for a more media-savvy and media-friendly group of people than these guys. Theyre all very high-profile and have been able to draw a lot of attention to the cause — which is something farmers never had before Farm Aid came along, so just getting people to think about it has been a victory.”

“We have a good time playing if theres three people in the place.”

“We took that as a sign that the rebound in the economy is affecting charities in a positive way.”

“Consumers are becoming part of the system, taking over functions that marketers used to do. They are not just on the receiving end of things anymore.”

“I try to schedule my driving less. It costs so much money to fill up a tank that I try not to go to my stores as often.”

“Sometimes, as in the Annenberg collection, gifts are in the form of artwork, or land, or some other piece of property whose value isnt as clear-cut as cash. In cases like those, the bequeathed amount is a best guess by experts.”

“As we get toward the end of the winter season and early spring, well probably go through another wave of elevated energy prices, and it will bode ill for discretionary consumer spending. Consumer spending might be rather lackluster for some time, perhaps a year or two. In the end were going to [see] a consumer thats saving more, is more cautious, and a little more spendthrift.”