Flaming charities!

dribsndrabs

teb wrote:

Up until last year, I always sent different charities a few quid evey now and then. it was never big amounts cos I'm not loaded but it was always done regularly and it was to at least 3 at a time.

For reasons that have got nowt to do with the thread, me and my better half have ended up in over 20k worth of debt and are trying to seriously deal with it now. Everything got cut and we're dead careful with money now.

Got a phonecall from Childline tonight giving me the talk about what they do and how they need support etc and they thanked me for money I'd sent them before and can I give them more.

I said sorry but I've got debt problems right now to the tune of 20K and we're really struggling to cope so I can't help them at the minute.

Flaming woman on phone then tells me well that's ok you can maybe just give us a small amount like £3 maybe every month by direct debit.

I was gobsmacked. I asked her, did you not hear me say I was in debt big time and can't help? I told her I thought she had a cheek still asking for money after I'd just told her why I couldn't help and she tells me she doesn't get commision for the calls. Is that meant to make it better?

I said I don't care if she gets commision or not, she still had a cheek pushing it when I was upfront with her about my situation. She says they have to get money to keep their service going.

I was dead annoyed at the end and told her I was putting the phone down on her as she was too pushy and had a damn cheek.

Last time I send any flippin charity money! If I can give in the future, it'll be into a tin in the high street!

I agree with Maryotuam - charities often employ other organisations to recruit new members/direct debits. I know, because I was one of those people employed to stand outside shops and stop people as they walked by. In actual fact, me and my fellow employees, were extremely ethical and passionate about the cause we promoted and often felt difficult and impolite stopping people as they did their normal day-to-day things; this was not an ethic shared by the people who did door-to-door recruitments in this particular company. Many of us left when pressure was put on us by management to get a certain amount of sign-ups and money per day.

I think OP you should write a letter to Childline to make them aware of the service and image that this woman produced of their charity. It might make a difference and stop this sort of behaviour being performed with other members of the public.

On a note about charities - most of the minimum direct debit orders (e.g. £2-3 a month) simply cover the costs of all the gumph that they may send you in the post or as part of your membership package. To ensure more money goes directly to the charity, ask that the charity either doesn't send you certain things by post, or rather sends you information by email. If you do receive publications, it may be an idea to give them to a local library, doctors, or dentists so that others may read them and possibly think of joining.

On a personal note OP (teb), I wish you all the best in resolving your financial situation.

trisontana

roses wrote:

Here is a link to a very useful website which tells you what % of the money you dontae actually goes to the people who need it:

http://www.charitiesdirect.com/charity7/CharitiesSearch.asp

TA whopping 65% of all money to Oxfam goes on "admin" (wages/shops/advertising etc).

I have just looked at that web-site for Oxfam and cannot see where you have got that 65% figure from.

Here are the actual figures :-

Total Income £253.30m
Admin Costs as% of Total expenditure 2.16%
Admin Costs as% of Total income 1.93%
Fundraising costs as % of Voluntary Income 15.87%
Number of Employees 4500
Fundraising costs as % of Total Expenditure 8.18%
Total Funds £86.60m
Total Investments £3.80m

teb_2

Wings_of_Ambition wrote:

I dont think you should take offence to these people. Admittedtly, the woman in question shouldnt have pushed when the OP stated they were in debt, but I wouldnt let it get to you.

I'm a streetwise bloke who doesn't easily take offence. What I got was ANGRY. The woman was out of line, big time.

Thing is, if it had been my partner's old mum on the phone, she'd have easily been pressured into giving money there's no way she could afford. I got no problem with saying no, I don't even need to make up an excuse, (although I did have a good reason to refuse her this time) but there's no way the old dear could do that. If she said no and the woman kept on, she'd cave.

teb_2

Astaroth wrote:

I have always wondered if it wouldnt be better to have a single super charity that collects all the money and distributes it appropriately amoungst its divisions (eg animal, children, 3rd world etc)

I think this is a real good idea but I can see big problems in who decides who gets what.

Astaroth

I am very sure it would be difficult but it is exactly the same at work when we have £Xm of IT budget to spend between 14 different business units all wanting to spend more than the total budget

ooobedoo

I was asked to increase my dd to the NSPCC, I told them that if they asked me againthen I would cancel altogether. I was very upset.