I sense that there's a lot of naïveté out there about charities. Do people really think that they are run entirely by volunteers, that talented executives are not needed, and that charity money just floats down from the heavens? /2 #cdnpoli

2/ Charity dollars are limited and charities compete for those dollars. They'll use every weapon in their arsenal to beat each other out of the haul. They hire top executives to manage complex activities, resources, and marketing talent. /3

3/ They use every trick in the marketing book. Paid speakers, ugly greeting cards in the mail, key tags, sponsored marathons, long walks, etc. And, yes, they'll use recognizable personalities to help advance their charity cause.

We saw the same naïveté about political parties. Do people think they could exist without paid staff?