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Why would they ask for my employer information in order to make a donation? My employment has nothing to do with this. Are we now owned by our employer who need

Why would they ask for my employer information in order to make a donation? My employment has nothing to do with this. Are we now owned by our employer who needs to know everything we do?

pixl97 7y ago
I'm thinking the opposite, making sure an employer is not demanding the employees donate, or giving money to the employees to donate by proxy.
- awb 7y ago
  > making sure an employer is not demanding the employees donate, or giving money to the employees to donate by proxy That scenario seems extremely unlikely.
  - mirimir 7y ago
    Nope, it's happened frequently, which is why they ask.
    - awb 7y ago
      When?
      - mirimir 7y ago
        That's a good question, because I've had no luck finding an example. I do recall reading about it, but that could have been decades ago. And it's hard to find old stuff. What I find is about contributions from employees of government contractors, and from government employees. So maybe that's been the driver for the requirement.
      - closeparen 7y ago
        Here's somebody going to prison in 2014: https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/arizona/investigations/2014/03/13/arizona-john-junker-fiesta-bowl-sentencing/6377447/ https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/arizona/investigations/...
- Ididntdothis 7y ago
  It’s not my employer’s business what I donate to and nobody else’s business who my employer is. This question is highly inappropriate in my view.
  - shanhaiguan 7y ago
    Indeed, it isn't your employer's business what or whom you donate to. But the more straightforward answer is that they are likely required to ask by law (possibly subject to other criteria).
  - anigbrowl 7y ago
    It's a standard question on political donation forms, required by campaign finance law. Read more here: https://www.quora.com/U-S-Presidential-Campaign-Donations-why-must-we-include-employer-and-occupation-information https://www.quora.com/U-S-Presidential-Campaign-Donations-wh... The above is relation to presidential campaigns specifically but the logic applies equally to other electoral contests.
  - blaser-waffle 7y ago
    Until Citizens United blew the door open, if you were a corporation you had to find ways to get money to candidates. Telling your employees to donate to $CAUSE was one of them, and offering them bonuses or matching or other "incentives" -- aka "sign here to get your X-Mas bonus" on donation form -- was a way to move money.
- bnjms 7y ago
  How is that ever a serious concern? Prosecute it if it happens and note that in any non coercive case it just leaves the employee with a bonus.
  - nitrogen 7y ago
    The only case I've read about was more "pressure" from one exec on other execs to all donate a certain way. I don't recall where I read it. But it's also conceivable in any job with a large power imbalance for workers.
currymj 7y ago
they have to make sure you don’t work for the government or government contractors whose employees are prohibited from making political donations.
- Ididntdothis 7y ago
  There are many areas where this is done by a checkbox.
  - gorgoiler 7y ago
    I wish this idea was more common in society. I hate being asked for identification in order to get a drink — I wish I just had a card with my photo on it and the official government phrase “It’s legal to serve this guy.”
- nradov 7y ago
  Most government employees are allowed to make political donations.
p49k 7y ago
It’s the law. Technically only required when the cumulative amount of donations reaches $200, but impractical not to collect it for every donation as the org may get in a situation where they realized they collected that much from one person but now don’t have the info because they didn’t ask - given the penalties, cost/benefit sways heavily toward being safe and always asking over catering to the few pedantics who might not donate due to this.

Why would they ask for my employer information in order to make a donation? My employment has nothing to do with this. Are we now owned by our employer who needs to know everything we do?

pixl97 7y ago

I'm thinking the opposite, making sure an employer is not demanding the employees donate, or giving money to the employees to donate by proxy.

awb 7y ago
> making sure an employer is not demanding the employees donate, or giving money to the employees to donate by proxy That scenario seems extremely unlikely.
- mirimir 7y ago
  Nope, it's happened frequently, which is why they ask.
  - awb 7y ago
    When?
    - mirimir 7y ago
      That's a good question, because I've had no luck finding an example. I do recall reading about it, but that could have been decades ago. And it's hard to find old stuff. What I find is about contributions from employees of government contractors, and from government employees. So maybe that's been the driver for the requirement.
    - closeparen 7y ago
      Here's somebody going to prison in 2014: https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/arizona/investigations/2014/03/13/arizona-john-junker-fiesta-bowl-sentencing/6377447/ https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/arizona/investigations/...
Ididntdothis 7y ago
It’s not my employer’s business what I donate to and nobody else’s business who my employer is. This question is highly inappropriate in my view.
- shanhaiguan 7y ago
  Indeed, it isn't your employer's business what or whom you donate to. But the more straightforward answer is that they are likely required to ask by law (possibly subject to other criteria).
- anigbrowl 7y ago
  It's a standard question on political donation forms, required by campaign finance law. Read more here: https://www.quora.com/U-S-Presidential-Campaign-Donations-why-must-we-include-employer-and-occupation-information https://www.quora.com/U-S-Presidential-Campaign-Donations-wh... The above is relation to presidential campaigns specifically but the logic applies equally to other electoral contests.
- blaser-waffle 7y ago
  Until Citizens United blew the door open, if you were a corporation you had to find ways to get money to candidates. Telling your employees to donate to $CAUSE was one of them, and offering them bonuses or matching or other "incentives" -- aka "sign here to get your X-Mas bonus" on donation form -- was a way to move money.
bnjms 7y ago
How is that ever a serious concern? Prosecute it if it happens and note that in any non coercive case it just leaves the employee with a bonus.
- nitrogen 7y ago
  The only case I've read about was more "pressure" from one exec on other execs to all donate a certain way. I don't recall where I read it. But it's also conceivable in any job with a large power imbalance for workers.

currymj 7y ago

they have to make sure you don’t work for the government or government contractors whose employees are prohibited from making political donations.

Ididntdothis 7y ago
There are many areas where this is done by a checkbox.
- gorgoiler 7y ago
  I wish this idea was more common in society. I hate being asked for identification in order to get a drink — I wish I just had a card with my photo on it and the official government phrase “It’s legal to serve this guy.”
nradov 7y ago
Most government employees are allowed to make political donations.

p49k 7y ago

It’s the law. Technically only required when the cumulative amount of donations reaches $200, but impractical not to collect it for every donation as the org may get in a situation where they realized they collected that much from one person but now don’t have the info because they didn’t ask - given the penalties, cost/benefit sways heavily toward being safe and always asking over catering to the few pedantics who might not donate due to this.