A friend of mine will give absolutely nothing to any charity and believes that charity begins at home and with your loved ones. A nicer guy you will never meet and will more than happily do free work if someone’s in dyor straights. He believes that charities take too much out of the donation pot. I do give to charity (brain tumour and poppy appeal) and I feel that the money these charities spend on wages mean that they can attract good calibre of people who then know how to generate more money for the charity. I do think however some of them are well overpaid but I suppose they could attract salaries similar in the private sector. Maybe the way forward is to support local charities. Below table shows the UK top charities and how much is actually spent on fundraising and wages (generating income)
I give a small amount monthly to cancer research, but tend to give to others now and then such as poppy appeal etc
Some charities are self licking lollipops, some aren’t. Some are highly politicised but pretend otherwise. I give infrequently and very selectively. Genuine research needs paid staff but plenty more are marked out by their volunteers. Some have outrageous ‘overheads’. Nuff said.
I never give to 'chuggers' collecting in the street or outside supermarkets. I do give to RNLI, Air Ambulance, British Legion regularly by direct donation. I'll usually buy a Big Issue if I've any change.
I got chugged in milton Keynes shopping centre for NSPCC £10 a month. I don't mind that one tbh. Air ambulance when I see them.
Poppy appeal only, spent 10 years working for charities being posted all around the world, so done my bit The statistics quoted by @SleepyOwl are interesting but I suspect hide another anomaly and that which costs are included in Charitable Activities? Surprised BHF is only 26.2%
My daughter once asked why the lady was selling Biggy Shoes. Often wish The Big Issue was any good. Articles about motorbikes would be a good start! I have done a bit of fund raising with Round Table. We give money we raise to local causes, that can be charity, or just someone in need of a bit of help. We only really really give to national charities when supporting someone locally who is raising money for them, usually because they have had a need or close association. Personally a little uncomfortable with the big charities, but don't doubt the good intentions. There was a guy at work who struggled to get sponsorship when he was raising money for a youth club he helped at. I heard people saying they would have given to a cancer charity but not the youth club. Not sure if people were against him because he had a red mohawk haircut and lots of metal on his face. I just felt he was doing something great for kids. Since then have always looked to support the people doing things more than organisations.
Please can someone explain to me the difference between fundraising and generating income. My simple mind thinks they are one and the same. Oldfart
I used to give to a few charities monthly, but stopped that a few years ago due to their politicisation, how little of the money donated was used for the actual cause, and the deception of who the actual recipients are. So now just the British Legion, and very selective individual causes (just giving, etc).
The British legion at poppy time and the sally army at christmas, I don't watch telly as I was fed up with all the begging adverts trying to make me feel uncomfortable in my own home half these places would be fine if they spent their money on infrastructure and not AK's.
yes DD, good point on the homeless. Never really know how to handle it. I have bought food but then you see the guys sitting there with a stack of sarnies. I have started giving to the shelters directly. I ring them up and see what they are short of. Sometimes its sleeping bags or socks etc. I drop them off to them.
Very seldom as i dont really have the spare money but i do to the occasional call for funds like the one Joe recently asked for and our shooting club does give to a local help for heroes branch but in the light of what DD said about them i may reconsider and look for another similar, and like most i just dont like the way some charity's pay their staff/CEOs silly salaries its a charity FFS! but i do realize that it does take money to run a large charity.
Yes i give to homeland charities especially children's. I cancelled my rspca donation. A few years ago i lost a little king charles spaniel. Phoned them all weekend as i had a disabled Son crying his eyes out. Then on the Monday they phoned to say my spaniel was in kennels over Bracknell. When i picked him up he had been there from about a couple of hours after i left him. That cost me over £500 pounds. So never again would i support them. Also had a pillock here in Burnham who had two women taking dogs then he would come and say you need to pay £100 as a reward to these Ladies. Joe.
Shooting off at a tangent here, albeit charity related. Sorting out my mothers finances after her death, I was shocked by the amount of cheques she had written out to charities. £20, 2 or 3 times a month on average. Obviously to door knockers. She was in her 90's and probably considered to be a soft touch. She lived in a small close of bungalows all owned by a similar age group. I've often wondered if these people passed the word on likely " targets ". Air ambulance, poppy appeal and local support from me.
Johnjo That is a trait that is starting all over again. My wife who visits clients was shocked by exactly the same scenario's. Joe.
Poppy appeal and a local hospice so I know it helps local people. Used to buy a lot of t shirts from h4h but they need to radically update their designs. Still donate if I come across any ex servicemen doing fundraisers.
Andypandy I searched every where couldn't find one any where. So someone on here said go to the poppy appeal charity but the didn't sell poppies so spend some money to help them along. You know the first place i found one was Infinity motorcycle accessories Dorchester. Now a happy bunny i just got to have my Poppy. Joe.
