Charging to Volunteer?

I received a nice note from a volunteer this morning who asked a great question: Why does Barbera Foundation charge for some of the events?

Ticket sales go towards supporting the particular event, various fundraising initiatives, and overhead expenses that the Barbera Foundation incurs. For example, ticket sales from a dinner at a homeless shelter may go towards supporting another charity like the Lymphoma and Leukemia Society, or a fundraising initiative of the Barbera Foundation (purchasing sleeping bags for the homeless, or flowers for survivors of domestic violence). Ticket sales also go to cover some of the admin expenses of the Barbera Foundation (for example business insurance). In a nutshell, it is a "kill two birds with one stone" approach: Volunteers donate their time by cleaning national parks, serving dinner to the homeless, etc. while simultaneously donating money to support the Barbera Foundation and other fundraising initiatives. Please review our financials here for more information on how every $1 is spent.