How much do you give to charity?

iamana1ias

Nottoobadyet wrote: »

The charity commission is great at identifying fraud specifically, but aren’t tasked with making sure overheads are reasonable / projects are effective, etc.

CC say they prefer that less than 25% of a charity's annual income is spent on fundraising, but it doesn't do anything if the big charities breach that

iamana1ias

clairehi wrote: »

oh well Ill cancel all my DDs with a clear conscience then.

Go for it. Find a local charity that means something to you and give them £10 a month. They'll really appreciate it.

serious_saver

I don't sign up to any direct debits at all. It sounds harsh but I'm freelance and therefore I don't feel I can commit to a direct debit as I never know how much I will get in my next pay.

I give money as and when I can afford it and the amount obviously depends on what I have available. I personally don't agree with giving away money that I don't have as it might get me onto debt and force me to rely on the charity of others. Often I like to give to specific cause where I think there is a genuine need for my money at the time and I wouldn't be able to do this if I had other DD's set up.

** EDIT

I should add that I give all of my unwanted clothes/ belongings to our local Salvation Army community shop as a friend of mine used to live on the street and was helped a lot by them and given temporary accomodation in their hostel. The volunteers in the shop also sort thorugh the donations and give some directly to the people in need rather than just selling them off - an attitude that I really appreciate.

Lara44

I sponsor a child with Plan, I read up on them and think they are great.

kingfisherblue

I give my time - I run a Rainbow unit and a Brownie unit. It's not just the time spent in the unit, it is also the planning, accounts (which are audited every year, in accordance with Girlguiding UK rules), shopping for the unit, researching activities, collating resources, attending trainings and meetings, etc.

I also give some time to a very small community group and to a local charity.

I give old clothes, bedding, toys, etc in some of the charity bags that come through my door, but I choose carefully. Some are businesses that only give a very small proportion to charity. I prefer to give to those that have shops in the surrounding towns, as it is more likely that the charity will benefit from any income.

I am a member of a couple of charities that support people with the disabilities that my son has. I am also a member of Carers UK.

I don't usually give to tin janglers, unless it is a charity I particularly support. Even then, it is only 50p or £1.

clairehi

iamana1ias wrote: »

Go for it. Find a local charity that means something to you and give them £10 a month. They'll really appreciate it.

I'm sure they would, but the national charities we support are all ones which "mean something to us" and we have good reasons for supporting these particular issues which are not addressed by local groups. I do provide substantial time and effort to a couple of local voluntary groups which is more desperately needed by them than cash.

I appreciate you are sincere but there are a lot of people who don't give anything to charity at all and hide behind the excuse that "it just gets spent on advertising". Well if more people did give, perhaps they would not need to advertise.

This discussion has got far away from the original point which was how would MSErs prioritise charitable giving compared with other spending.

serious_saver

clairehi wrote: »

This discussion has got far away from the original point which was how would MSErs prioritise charitable giving compared with other spending.

Very good point. People may disagree with me on this but I prioritise paying my bills and for my groceries first. Anything to do with work comes up top as well - I'm being brutally honest here, so this includes networking events and functions (even buying food and drink for prospective employers/clients/collegues. After all if I don't get the contract and earn money then I don't have anything to give away.

I would then consider giving to people in need that I know/helping out friends.

. . . then local charities and causes that I care about

. . . then sponsoring friends

and finally national/international charities.

Sometimes if there is an appeal that I care about I will give much larger 'one off payments'.

System

neneromanova wrote: »

I don't give anything to any charities as I have read up on each of these charities. If I could give the £5 a month straight to the hands of the starving child then I would gladly give money.

I do give unwanted items to charity shops though

same here -we went to the rspca looking for a dog and the amount of staff standing around doing nothing the entire time we were there was rediculous , there were 4 having a coffee break in the sun and another 4 in the reception .

*Louise*

I have a couple of DD's for a small amount each, but I also run a youth group and we do various charity events - bag packs for Marie curie, collecting for the poppy appeal every year, packing boxes for troops later this month, etc etc.

OP if you have to cut back then it makes sense to reduce some of the charity outgoings. Find one or two you really want to support and concentrate on them. Charity begins at home and all that - no point giving a large sum of money away if you really need it yourself.

Oldbiggles

“Charity begins at home.”
A well worn phrase perhaps, but nevertheless worth remembering.
I once signed up to the RSPB. That was a mistake as I then got begging letters from all and sundry: Cruelty to dogs league, Donkey sanctuaries, Animal welfare organisations etc. My mail box was cluttered with requests for money. Some of these charities pass around addresses of soft touches. So be careful what or who you donate your hard earned cash to.