Please give me your opinions...

PassedAtFailing

Hello everyone,

I'm looking at doing some fundraising either for an individual charity or for a number of charities. The idea is quite simple, but I'd like some statistics to put in a marketing plan. If you could answer these questions:

• Would you pay to leave a message on a website?
• How much would you pay?
• How much space would you expect?
• If not, why not?
• What features might encourage you to donate?
• Would you just donate directly? Do you think it could encourage people to donate?

Assume that it is either a charity branded website with all the money less administration costs going to them or you can choose a charity when donating.

Also assume that a fair amount of publicity could be gained by the website.

Please let me know what you think.

fengirl_2

I would not pay to leave a message on a website as I am sure that whatever I have to say isn't worth paying for.
If I want to donate to a charity, I first of all research that charity, look at its outcomes and its reserves and make a judgement as to whether I want to buy those outcomes and whether the charity actually needs my money.
Then I donate directly and cut out the middle-man.
People need to be educated to donate smarter.

McKneff

I too would do more research before donating now.

There was a thread here not so long since wherethe Irish Air Ambulance charity has folded but while 700,000 thousands of pounds had been raised the charityh only received £60k, the rest went on admin etc.

PassedAtFailing

Please remember that the research is linked to an event where all the profits would go to the charity. Even Just Giving takes £15 a month from charities plus 5% of the donations.

What about the people who wouldn't think about donating directly? Would something like this work encourage them?

BLT_2

I give my money to the homeless guys on the streets, that way I am not subsidising company shops or contributing to overseas charities.

fengirl_2

You have hit the nail on the head as to why I wouldnt donate to an event 'where all the profits go to charity'......can you guarantee to me how much the profit would be? £1, £100?
Someone on here recently was asking for sponsorship to climb Kilimanjaro, but only about a fifth of the money donated went to the eventual beneficiaires - the rest went on giving someone a nice holiday.
The money raised mentioned in my siggy line cost nothing but the time of the people writing the bids.

PassedAtFailing

BLT wrote: »

I give my money to the homeless guys on the streets, that way I am not subsidising company shops or contributing to overseas charities.

It's difficult to answer this, however, you could argue it's quite possible you are subsidising shops. We all know the cliche of the homeless man buying a beer over a meal. We wouldn't like to suggest that is always the case, no more we would like to suggest every charity is corrupt.

fengirl wrote: »

You have hit the nail on the head as to why I wouldnt donate to an event 'where all the profits go to charity'......can you guarantee to me how much the profit would be? £1, £100?
Someone on here recently was asking for sponsorship to climb Kilimanjaro, but only about a fifth of the money donated went to the eventual beneficiaires - the rest went on giving someone a nice holiday.

Perhaps asking this question on a money saving website is very silly. Naturally all terms would clearly be set out, although I'll give you a provisional example: a small percentage of the donation would be taken by the payment processor to processor payments and I'd estimate that to be around 2%.

Nevertheless, I appreciate all the replies and would certainly value some more.

McKneff

Even some of the plastic bags that come through the door a a bit of a con.
These are companies who are making profits from us by morally blackmailing us and misleading us into thinking that the actual bags from the charity.

I have one at the moment that lists everything that they do, about african children, watrer wells, schools.
They say :We give £60 per tonne to the Charity: but they dont say how much they get per tonne.
Any of my unwanted clothes, brica a brac now get put into a bag and taken directly to the local cancer research shop.
Actually I get fed up of these bags, last month, in just one week I had 4 pushed though my letterbox in just 5 days.

PassedAtFailing

McKneff wrote: »

Even some of the plastic bags that come through the door a a bit of a con.
These are companies who are making profits from us by morally blackmailing us and misleading us into thinking that the actual bags from the charity.

I have one at the moment that lists everything that they do, about african children, watrer wells, schools.
They say :We give £60 per tonne to the Charity: but they dont say how much they get per tonne.
Any of my unwanted clothes, brica a brac now get put into a bag and taken directly to the local cancer research shop.
Actually I get fed up of these bags, last month, in just one week I had 4 pushed though my letterbox in just 5 days.

That's very helpful, thank you.

It must be said that a lot of those posting bags - although more commonly leaflets - through doors are actually companies and not charities.

The original post still stands though and please be assured that the research is regarding genuine major charities. I would be grateful if anyone could comment.

BLT_2

PassedAtFailing wrote: »

It's difficult to answer this, however, you could argue it's quite possible you are subsidising shops. We all know the cliche of the homeless man buying a beer over a meal. We wouldn't like to suggest that is always the case, no more we would like to suggest every charity is corrupt.
.

To be honest I don't really care whether he spends the money I give him on beer. That is his choice and his inalienable right. The important thing is that I have given my money directly to the individual, whatever he spends it on it has given a small respite from his misery.

I don't believe charities are corrupt, there are millions of good people running the shops and working for charities, I just choose to make my contribution direct to those whom I believe need it the most.

As to Fengirls comments about charity climbs etc I totally agree, I wouldn't touch them with a bargepole. 'Please give me money so I can cycle across Peru visiting ancient sites of interest to raise money for charity' - yeah right. Anyone want to sponsor me to visit the Seychelles for a week, anything I don't spend on flights, accommodation and food I will drop off at the local charity shop

GiveItBack

PassedAtFailing wrote: »

• Would you pay to leave a message on a website?
• How much would you pay?
• How much space would you expect?
• If not, why not?
• What features might encourage you to donate?
• Would you just donate directly? Do you think it could encourage people to donate?

.

Hello,

There are a range of ways to fundraise, they all appeal to different types of people.

Back to your queries. Are you targetting individuals or companies to leave the messages?

I wouldn't pay as an individual, and I can't think of too many companies that would either. It would depend on the content - what are the comments related to? Why would people visit, and therefore what are the comments going to be about, and are they worth me paying to speak, or to read?