From time to time, I receive solicitations to "donate" to support various conservative web sites. Some of these sites asking for a "donation" are for-profit. I have no problem with a for-profit site seeking "subscriptions" or "membership dues" or "tips" or other forms of voluntary gratuity or support, but to me, a donation is something that is made to a non-profit or public entity like a charity, political campaign, or a church. It doesn’t seem fair, or ethical, for a profit-making enterprise to use the word "donation".

Indeed, at worst, asking for donations might be a form of deceptive advertising, particularly when the site goes out of its way to obscure its true organizing structure. The key issue is the reasonable person’s assumptions about the purpose and meaning of the word "donate" and the context of the site’s marketing.

My perspective is that of someone working for a non-profit that is subject to myriad tax, accounting, and disclosure restrictions when we fundraise. The issue undermines political fundraising as well. How much responsibility does the conservative movement have to police its own ranks? Should it be possible to "donate" to a for-profit company?