The Boys & Girls Clubs of America may end up being the biggest winner of Sunday night's Emmy Awards. The afterschool youth programming nonprofit is now seeing a donation surge after a controversial fundraising bit at the center of television's biggest night.
Emmys host Nate Bargatze pledged $100,000 to the group at the top of the telecast -- with a twist. The comedian then deducted $1,000 for every second that an acceptance speech exceeded the allotted time and added the same amount for every second under the limit. Boys & Girls Clubs children stood with the trophy holder for each announcement before retreating into the wings.
The charitable gag failed to restrain many winners. "Hacks" star Hannah Einbinder vowed "I'll pay the difference" while accepting the award for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series. "We (expletive) over the Boys & Girls," comedian Seth Rogen said as the ticker plunged deeper into the negatives. With the show nearly over, the sum had fallen below zero to negative $60,000.
The Boys & Girls Clubs "were waiting to see the outcome in real time, like everyone else," Lisa Anastasi, the organization's chief development and external relations officer, said Monday in an email. They ultimately received what Anastasi called a "generous surprise": $250,000 from Bargatze and $100,000 from broadcaster CBS.
"The number, I'll be honest with you, was embarrassing," Bargatze said before announcing the final amount.
And the nationwide nonprofit is still reaping the benefits. Donation totals have more than doubled compared to this time last week and its search interest is at a record high, according to Anastasi.
"The $350,000 donation will be incredibly impactful to our programs and in the lives of kids and teens who attend our Clubs," Anastasi said. "But this moment was about more than the donation for us -- it was also special because it placed our mission and our Club Kids on a national stage."
Some viewers applauded the altruistically minded mockery of long-winded Hollywood elites. Not all in the worlds of entertainment and philanthropy were equally enthused, though.
A Variety columnist said the running joke turned artists' moments of celebration into ones "they'll remember for having been policed in the most sanctimonious and irritating manner possible."
Generosity is not about gimmicks, according to fundraising strategist T. Clay Buck. In a LinkedIn post, he said "communities are not props" and "neighbors' needs are not entertainment."
"$100,000 is not a joke -- it's rent, it's meals, it's staff salaries, it's futures," Buck said. "And to cheapen that gift by making it conditional, transactional, or theatrical diminishes the very heart of giving."
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