where does charity begin or end?

[marty31]

my 85 year old mother received a letter just before Christmas 2014, from Christian aid explaining the water crisis in some African countries, the letter was based on her making a donation, her response was to send a cheque for £100.00 pounds, a full year later (xmas 2015) she received more a less a identical letter explaining the progress of the water sanitation works, but this time asking outright if she would double last years donation, what would your view be on this, had it happened to yourself? ignore it, send the double money, or complain that the letter was out of order?

 

[Slaneysider]

If the money was genuinely going to the charity then I can't see any problem , but it more than likely never reaches the right people it's probably siphoned off in dribs and drabs , a lot of the top brass in these charities are on obscene wages compared to the average person . If it was my decision I would give them nowt, it's nothing to do with the money it's the principal behind it.

 

[Lamson v10]

I would send them a letter telling them you are stopping you donations and why you are stopping them they really do take advantage at times

 

[minitube]

my 85 year old mother received a letter just before Christmas 2014, from Christian aid explaining the water crisis in some African countries, the letter was based on her making a donation, her response was to send a cheque for £100.00 pounds, a full year later (xmas 2015) she received more a less a identical letter explaining the progress of the water sanitation works, but this time asking outright if she would double last years donation, what would your view be on this, had it happened to yourself? ignore it, send the double money, or complain that the letter was out of order?

The letter was completely out of order, and I would consider disrespectful, as it specified an increased donation amount, or indeed any specified amount (other than a standard list of boxes starting from a minimal amount that could be ticked by the person). They should have thanked her for her past contribution(s) and simply stated that any continued support of any kind, at any time, would be greatly appreciated, and no matter how little. Anything that removes your freedom of choice and uses subtle forms of coercion are inappropriate in that field IMHO.

 

[Springer]

It begins and ends in the Lounge section rather than the General Board which is for salmon fishing related discussion

 

[marty31]

It begins and ends in the Lounge section rather than the General Board which is for salmon fishing related discussion

point taken, I see it now is moved, so no real harm done,

 

[Loxie]

The problem is the disconnect between the charities, who do good things, and their subcontracted fund raisers who get paid pro rata and very often do bad things.

 

[simon grace]

"Christian Aid's Chief Executive, Loretta Minghella OBE, earnedand£126,206 last year. We recognise that this is a large sum of money. However, we want to reassure you that we make every effort to avoid paying higher salaries than are necessary"

"In a statement, Oxfam said Lady Stocking was due to paidand£119,560andin 2012/13 - which means that her pay increased by 19 per cent from£100,008andin 2009/10 "which is in the lower quartile of what other large charities paid for their chief executives"

Google the rest for yourself..
My charity begins at home.

 

[Loxie]

"Christian Aid's Chief Executive, Loretta Minghella OBE, earnedand£126,206 last year. We recognise that this is a large sum of money. However, we want to reassure you that we make every effort to avoid paying higher salaries than are necessary"

And I'll bet she's not the top earner in the charity sector. I wonder what the salaries are like at the former S&TA?

 

[marty31]

"Christian Aid's Chief Executive, Loretta Minghella OBE, earnedand£126,206 last year. We recognise that this is a large sum of money. However, we want to reassure you that we make every effort to avoid paying higher salaries than are necessary"

good god! thank goodness she ripped the second (disrespectful) one up and didn't send the double money

 

[auldsalmon]

That was well out of order cheeky twats .Thats taking advantage of a generous lady
I give to some charitys at my discretion and the amount of which i am comfortable to give As soon as they ask for bank details for a direct debit its a definate no,no.

 

[Loxie]

Also beware of gift aid. As the personal limit has been raised so far over the last few years many fewer people, especially less well off pensioners, pay tax. If you have a gift aided dd with a charity and you have stopped paying tax, HMRC will come looking for you for their 25%, NOT the charity.

 

[paddymc]

If the money was genuinely going to the charity then I can't see any problem , but it more than likely never reaches the right people it's probably siphoned off in dribs and drabs , a lot of the top brass in these charities are on obscene wages compared to the average person . If it was my decision I would give them nowt, it's nothing to do with the money it's the principal behind it.

Exactly !

 

[tenet]

Marty - check with your mother about other "begging" requests. It isn't unknown for charities to sell on details of vulnerable people.

An elderly lady from Bristol committed suicide last year and her family subsequently discovered that she was giving to over 80 charities although they did say that wasn't the reason for taking her own life.

 

[Safranfoer]

I write letters like that for some small Uk charities. It sounds like your mum has ended up in the wrong data pot. The amount asked for depends on previous giving history. You'd ask a small one off donor to consider doubling it - £5 - not someone who has given £100.

I've also written for huge international charities. It would be unfair to name names but there was one in particular where everyone working on the account cancelled their direct debits and bitterly regretted the marathons etc run in their name. They wasted a criminal amount of money on marketing.

For a charity to succeed they need to be run by astute business people, not volunteers. I don't mind them paying competitive salaries to their management if a decent return on investment is seen and, critically, this return goes to the projects it should.

I do pro bono work for a tiny charity that pays for children from very poor or troubled households to go on holiday to Skegness. Schools nominate them. The children write letters afterwards that break your heart: we went bowling! I've never been bowling. Next year, can you see if my brother can go? He'd love bowling. They gave me a pair of pyjamas that no-one else had ever worn before, and said I could keep them, and we could have 3 meals a day. I don't have nits any more and they gave me some posh medicine for my hair to take home in case they come back. I wish my mum could have seen the sea before she died. Maybe she wouldn't have cried as much. It's so big!

I write my socks off for them and shamelessly manipulate and ask for money. All kids should form some happy memories.

 

[marty31]

Marty - check with your mother about other "begging" requests. It isn't unknown for charities to sell on details of vulnerable people.

An elderly lady from Bristol committed suicide last year and her family subsequently discovered that she was giving to over 80 charities although they did say that wasn't the reason for taking her own life.

yes I think you have a valid point there, since the donation, she has been inundated with similar letters, and requests

 

[JACK POWER]

It seems a pity to confuse charity with exploitation. Charity begins where ever it is needed.

 

[Tippet321]

Having worked in Africa consider these point before giving anything to the continent

Remember Bob Geldof and Bonio (of the "every time I clap my hands a child dies in Africa" until someone shouted to stop clapping) and Band aid the Ethiopian government were trading goods donated to other African countries

Africa is probably the richest continent on earth - why are the people starving and without clean water send begging letter to the heads of African countries and also to the Chinese who are constantly procuring more and more of the continent.

I am sorry but there are many more deserving caused both nationally and locally at home

 

[Paul White]

Marty - check with your mother about other "begging" requests. It isn't unknown for charities to sell on details of vulnerable people.

An elderly lady from Bristol committed suicide last year and her family subsequently discovered that she was giving to over 80 charities although they did say that wasn't the reason for taking her own life.

She recieved over 3,000 unsolicited "Charity" calls and fliers prior to her suicide. Disgusting.

Paul

 

[Chicharito]

She recieved over 3,000 unsolicited "Charity" calls and fliers prior to her suicide. Disgusting.

Paul

Totally agree with you Paul. I have liked your post but not sure if that's quite right somehow.
My mum is in her 80's as well like Marty's and I worry about all these attempts by charities , scammers etc trying to get hold of her money !

 

[Paul White]

Totally agree with you Paul. I have liked your post but not sure if that's quite right somehow.
My mum is in her 80's as well like Marty's and I worry about all these attempts by charities , scammers etc trying to get hold of her money !

The local Bristol news had a piece this morning about her suicide and apparently her family are not blaming the charities. It can't have helped though at her age, being pestered non-stop by begging calls and letters.

Paul

 

[Safranfoer]

I can see how people get hounded. If they're on a mailing list and they have a high propensity to give, their data is gold dust to charities. No-one stops the lists being sold over and over again - there's no limit on how much junk mail a person can receive in a year, your data can be sold ad infinitum. Add this to unscrupulous chuggers who don't know when to give in, and it can easily become overwhelming.

If anyone's worried, they should get their folks/themselves registered with the Mail Preference Service: Mail Preference Service

 

[Loxie]

I can see how people get hounded. If they're on a mailing list and they have a high propensity to give, their data is gold dust to charities. No-one stops the lists being sold over and over again - there's no limit on how much junk mail a person can receive in a year, your data can be sold ad infinitum. Add this to unscrupulous chuggers who don't know when to give in, and it can easily become overwhelming.

If anyone's worried, they should get their folks/themselves registered with the Mail Preference Service: Mail Preference Service

And for that matter you can do phone and email preference service as well, although email is largely ineffective.