Dear John: Why does the YMCA have fuzzy funding?

Dear Readers: Finally, a response — of sorts — from the YMCA about accusations that it is forcing workers to raise money in order tꦓo get top job per📖formance ratings.

Dear Mr. Crudele: I write in reference to your recent columns regarding the YMCA of Greater New York.

It is important to understand that as a charitable not-for-profit organization serving the five boroughs, the Y relies on a diverse mix of funding to provide a wide range of programs and social services, many of which we offer free or at a subsidized cost to New Yorkers.

Donations from the public are critical to the success of our social mission, and it is both legitimate and legal for our employees to be ambassadors and advocates for the Y’s fundraising efforts.

To clarify, employees are not required to give personally to the Y. We take to heart any uncertainty that may exist about what drives performance evaluations, and we continue to review our policies to ensure that staff position requirements around fundraising are as clear as possible, communicated thoroughly and applied consistently.

Best,
Ellen Murphy, Vice President of Communications, YMCA of Greater New York

Dear Ms. Murphy: Thanks for the clarification, but I’m st🌳ill a little confused.

I understand the part about it being “both legitimate and legal for our employees to be ambassadors and advocates f♕or the Y’s fund-raising efforts.”

Got that! That makes perfect sense an♈d I applaud those employees who are “willing” ambassadors.

But is it legal and legitimate forꦗ workers 💮— as has been alleged, at least at the McBurney Y on 14th Street — to be forced to raise money in order to secure a top job-performance rating?

Was this tit-for-tat going on at McBurney? How about aꦺt other branches? And if it was going on, has it been stopped?

I’m sure 💎you understand the dilemma here. Employees might not be required to personally donate to the Y, but if their pe🔯rformance ratings and their next raises are dependent on a donation coming from somewhere, then they will probably be forced to dig into their own pockets.

So while a personal donation may not be required, what other choice would employees have but to contribute some o🌠f their own hard-earned money?

I’ll assume you’ve fixed any miscommunica🌠tion you’ve had with employees (and the bosses) and stopped this policy. Thanks for getting ﷺback to me.

Dear John: I worked for three Fortune 500 firms, and they all solicited employee money for the chief executive’s favorite charity, which was United Way.

When I worked for Alcoa, management was nice about it. But there was a suggested range of donations, and as you rose up the ladder, “optional” became mandatory.

And I know this because a co-worker was given a list of names and tasked to take sign-up cards to everyone above a certain pay grade and wait until they filled them out and signed them.

My dad and grandfather worked for Bell of Pennsylvania all their lives, and their United Way donation was always mandatory. Bell bosses loved to brag in the newspaper how they always had 100 percent employee participation. Well, duh! Do you like your job?

At my last employer, VPs and equivalent rankers were “invited” to at least one meet-and-greet party at the CEO’s house with a candidate running for Congress. Managers were expected to ante up $1,000 for the privilege. I know this because my boss told me he felt he had to attend, or else. (By the way, the candidate lost.)

Now that I think on it, when I was in Air Force basic training and filling out paperwork for allotments — savings bonds and such — a kindly old drill sergeant “suggested” a small donation from my monthly pay to the Red Cross would be a great idea.

And the beat goes on. J.D.

Dear J.D. Thanks for the tour of shakedown lane. The question remains: Is/was it legal for the YMCA to require employees to raise donations in order to get good performance reviews? At the very l꧑east it sounds tacky. At its worst, it sounds like an illegal shakedown by an organization that prides itself on doing good. Still waiting to hear from the New York Labor Department.

Dear John: I’ll keep it short: China stock market tanking?

Why/how? Should the world be worried? R. D.

Dear R.D.: I’ll keep this short.

Tanking? Seems to be. But a totalitarian regime can make🎃 magic when it wants to manipulate the markets.

Why? The Chinese stock market is tanking for the same reason every other bubble bursts. Prices got too high based on f൲undamentals.

But in China, you fundamentally don’t ♛know what fundamentals to believe.

Should the world be worried? Probably. China has ൩major investments around the globe. If that country needs to repatriate money because of a sagging stock market and economy, its investments in countries like the US and continents like Africa will suffer.

We wanꦑted a global economy. We got it, and will now have to🎃 live with the consequences.

Send your questions to Dear John, The New York Post, 1211 Ave. of the Americas, NY, NY 10036, or john.crudele@btc365-futebol.com.