MoneySavingExpert.com Charity Fund Nominate a Charity June 08

What's this all about?

As part of this site's ethical stance, each year money is donated to charity. With nearly half a million pounds donated so far, it's MoneySavingExpert.com's way of giving back to users.

Two thirds of the money goes to support the debt & consumer education The MSE Charity; and the rest to charities nominated by site users.

More info: The Site's Charity
More info: How this site is Funded

STEP 1. You nominate (ends Friday 27 June 2008)

Any user of the site (which means anyone of course) can nominate a charity registered in the UK to receive the money. From this four charities will be picked.

i. Click Reply to this post... If you're not registered on the forum, which is different to signing up to the e-mail, you will have to do so. Of course it's totally free and your email is never used for anything else.

ii. Please include in your nomination.

a. The Official Name of the Charity.
b. A link to the Website of the Charity.
c. A desciption of no more than 8 words of the charity - this is crucial, its what will be used to describe the charity in the vote.
d. One paragaph only (max 150 words) of why this charity should be supported; whether that's for your personal reasons or more generally.

If a charity has already been nominated, please do not do so again, you can show your support by clicking the 'thank you' button for that post. To see if a charity has already been nominated please use the search this thread function just above this discussion thread remembering to spell the name correctly (otherwise it won't find it) or scroll down to the bottom of this post to see a list of some of the charities already nominated.

Also please, no other discussions in this thread, it is purely for nominating.

Whilst you may nominate as many charities as you choose, remember they will be shortlisted, so it makes life easier if you just nominate one.

STEP 2. Then a panel of regular Forum users will do a short-list

Five of the site's most regular users will be asked to short-list 12 charities from those nominated. The following are the criteria they will be asked to use when short listing.

• Relevance: Charities which are relevant to both the subject base and usership of MoneySavingExpert.com will be given priority.
• National and International: Roughly two thirds of the selection should be UK based charities and one third overseas/international.
• Six larger and six smaller. To ensure some smaller charities where the money really makes a difference are included, there will be six large and small charities.
• Popularity. If you support a charity nominated below, then Thank it (you need to be logged in to do this), to indicate you support it. While not binding, this will be looked at in the decision process.

From previous years I know much soul searching goes into this job, and a lot of care is taken. Its not easy with so many worthy causes, so let me thank the volunteers in advance, and I hope all nominators will realise how difficult the choice is.

One charity is already pre-selected (five charity get the money, four are voted for). Re-cyle (fighting poverty with affordable transport) is very small and something I've been involved in since the early days. As such its been part of the charity fund since the beginning and it relies on the cash.

So I hope you'll understand why I give it an automatic birth, the money is a lifeline to it. To see previous years charities visit the The MSE Charity Fund page.

STEP 3. There's a site wide vote from the short-list

After that there will be a site vote announced in the weekly e-mail to select the charities from the selected short-list. The top two big and two small charities will then each be given 20% of the total money available (ie 20% of a third of the entire fund). The winners will be announced in the weekly e-mail.

Martin

PS Do remember if you like a nominate charity below, then thank the post of the person who recommended it.

PPS. Members of the MSE team are allowed to nominate, but their nominations won't receive special treatment.

PPPS. List of some of the charities already nominated:

Cancer Research
Woodlands Cancer Care
PDSA
Meningitis Research Foundation
Hemihelp
CAB
Wirral Autistic Society
Alzheimer’s research trust
Ronald Mcdonald House
Salvation Army
Uk Multiple Sclerosis Society
Carers uk
Sands (still birth and neo natal death society)
Bury hospice
Disaster emergency committee
Friends of animals league
Crisis
Little hearts matter
Childline
Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP)
SSAFA forces help
Eaves housing for women
BLISS
Find a cure for Martha (Kidney research)
East anglia’s childrens hospice
CPAG( End poverty)
Roy castle lung cancer foundation
Alzheimer’s society
RNLI