Do you still give to charity?

Marcheline

I still give the same amount monthly by DD to Scope and give ad hoc donations to other charitable causes as currently I do not have any money worries (living with parents) HOWEVER, if things were getting tight for me, I am afraid to say that I would definitely cut back on giving to charity throughout the year. I would also stop saving monthly for my daughter until things picked up again.

Davesnave

Why don't charities get out of Africa where many are doing more damage than good?

Wow, a sweeping statement about a huge continent!

I don't know about any other charities besides the one I'm loosely involved with, but ours operates via VSO people, who are in the field and therefore cost us nothing. The money is being used in only 6 villages, and the main objective is to increase crop yields so that extremely poor people have a small surplus. The surplus gets the people roughly back to where they were before they had to care for so many AIDS orphans and cope with less predictable weather patterns. (Climate change is hardly their fault!) If there is anything left over, it goes into school fees for the orphans, improving their life chances a little bit.

These are hardly headline-grabbing objectives, but there is no conceivable way that 'damage' is being caused. I would describe what is done as helping the Africans to cope with the problems themselves. Each village has an African in overall charge, as it's by no means certain that we shall be able to sustain this scheme in the future, and it ought to become self-financing.

I would say that if nuts & bolts schemes like this don't take off in 5 years or so, they should be wound-down and the money used differently, but to suggest they are all bound to do harm is wrong.

Cleaver

macaque wrote: »

Why do charity chiefs pay themselves so much?
http://society.guardian.co.uk/salarysurvey/table/0,,1042677,00.html

Because they are highly complex organisations handling millions of pounds, sometimes hundreds of employees and they want to attract a certain calibre of leader?

Simca

I have a monthly direct debit set up for the Brooke Hospital for Working Animals and give the occasional donations, eg for the people of Gaza and to various charity collectors (Rag Week,etc). I also buy items at the pound shop near my office and then donate them to the local animal charity on my high street. Everyone benefits - I get the fun of shopping at a pound shop, the shop gets my business and then the charity shop gets donations of new goods.

theoretica

pebblespop wrote: »

we gave money to charity in a one-off donation and i am sure the charity have spent more than our donation on letters etc trying to get us to give more.

My charity giving is done through a DD to the Charities' Aid Foundation who claim back the tax (and take a tiny percentage for running costs, but haven't yet clawed back all the bonus they gave me for opening the account) and then I write charity cheques when I want to give. These can only be cashed by charities registered in the UK and don't need to have my contact details on so I am safe from targeted advertising!

You can always ask for sight of the accounts of a charity to which you are considering donating!

macaque_2

Davesnave wrote: »

Wow, a sweeping statement about a huge continent!

I don't know about any other charities besides the one I'm loosely involved with, but ours operates via VSO people, who are in the field and therefore cost us nothing. The money is being used in only 6 villages, and the main objective is to increase crop yields so that extremely poor people have a small surplus. The surplus gets the people roughly back to where they were before they had to care for so many AIDS orphans and cope with less predictable weather patterns. (Climate change is hardly their fault!) If there is anything left over, it goes into school fees for the orphans, improving their life chances a little bit.

These are hardly headline-grabbing objectives, but there is no conceivable way that 'damage' is being caused. I would describe what is done as helping the Africans to cope with the problems themselves. Each village has an African in overall charge, as it's by no means certain that we shall be able to sustain this scheme in the future, and it ought to become self-financing.

I would say that if nuts & bolts schemes like this don't take off in 5 years or so, they should be wound-down and the money used differently, but to suggest they are all bound to do harm is wrong.

You make some fair comments but you are wrong to interfere. If Africa needs charities, they should be home grown. Charity workers pollute cultures with their own values and become dependant on sufferers for their livelihoods. This is very unhealthy. They spend billions saving the lives of babies. Those babies grow up to a life of hell and then more babies have to be saved. As this happens charities grow into $billion organisations. It would disaster for charities if hunger and starvation went away. I know people are well meaning but the greater good would be better served by charities getting out altogether.

macaque_2

Cleaver wrote: »

Because they are highly complex organisations handling millions of pounds, sometimes hundreds of employees and they want to attract a certain calibre of leader?

If that is the case, why do some the biggest charities have the lowest salaries? Have a look at the Salvation Army.

Plenty of retired businessmen are happy to do these jobs for almost nothing. The bottom line is that charities have just become another trough like local authorities, banks and quangos.

dealsearcher

fran-o wrote: »

wow people are so suspicious of charities these days.. I'm not entirely surprised as I feel the same way when I receive unsolicited requests for money!

I am sure many charities are suffering because of the number of scams and unsolicited requests for money are putting people off. The combination of fraudulent money scams and the recession must have meant that fewer people are giving to genuine needy cases. So the scammers and fraudsters are not only stealing from people but are also causing those people to be suspicious of everything, including genuine needy causes.

lynzpower

macaque wrote: »

You make some fair comments but you are wrong to interfere. If Africa needs charities, they should be home grown. Charity workers pollute cultures with their own values and become dependant on sufferers for their livelihoods. This is very unhealthy. They spend billions saving the lives of babies. Those babies grow up to a life of hell and then more babies have to be saved. As this happens charities grow into $billion organisations. It would disaster for charities if hunger and starvation went away. I know people are well meaning but the greater good would be better served by charities getting out altogether.

This is totally incorrect on so many levels. You should be ashamed of yourself for being so narrow minded!

You should take a look at the charities worldwide who actively promote contraception, safe birthing, the prevention of trafficking for sexual and domestic abuse , quality healthcare etc and TRAINING. VSO/ Medicines San Fronteirs etc are CONSTANTLY looking for people who can TRAIN communities and share skills. Look around you.

It would be " a disaster" for charities, and having worked for charities for a few years, I will tell you right now, that certainly I and everyone I have ever worked with in charities would love it if there was no demand for thier service. Having seen the abuse, poverty, depression and sickness of those who they care for, would be inhumane if they wanted to continue that suffering so they could get paid. You clearly have no idea what it is to work with and for people in need, no concept of what sort of attributes charity workers have.


Where do you get this from

macaque_2

lynzpower wrote: »

This is totally incorrect on so many levels. You should be ashamed of yourself for being so narrow minded!

You should take a look at the charities worldwide who actively promote contraception, safe birthing, the prevention of trafficking for sexual and domestic abuse , quality healthcare etc and TRAINING. VSO/ Medicines San Fronteirs etc are CONSTANTLY looking for people who can TRAIN communities and share skills. Look around you.

It would be " a disaster" for charities, and having worked for charities for a few years, I will tell you right now, that certainly I and everyone I have ever worked with in charities would love it if there was no demand for thier service. Having seen the abuse, poverty, depression and sickness of those who they care for, would be inhumane if they wanted to continue that suffering so they could get paid. You clearly have no idea what it is to work with and for people in need, no concept of what sort of attributes charity workers have. Where do you get this from

The people who run big charities earn large salaries and enjoy great kudos from their jobs. They jet around the world in business class and stay in top hotels. They have become dependant on suffering. For them, the idea of an end to suffering is cause for great alarm. They employ political lobbyists by the truckload, they have huge marketing divisions and in some cases budgets of hundreds of millions. The proportion of donations that reaches the troops in the field is often shockingly low.

Charity workers are driven by the best of motives. Unfortunately, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. You are a charity worker. Both of us have been judgemental about each other. The difference is that my judgements stay here whereas yours travel abroad with you in your charity work.

Charity workers love to fly off on mercy missions to tropical countries where they drive around in Land Rovers. They love to be photographed with black babies and give moral guidance to native communities. The fact is that the UK is desperate for social workers (a much maligned group). Charity workers run a mile at the very thought of this. Who picks up the mess in cold run down British streets? Step forward the Sally Army and the Big Issue. There is the true spirit of charity for you.