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Charities board update
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Please note, our Forum rules no longer allow the posting of links to personal fundraising or crowdfunding pages, such as JustGiving. You can read the full set of our Forum rules here.
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Which charities are most efficient?
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Charities vary enormously, but I'd guess that many with overseas operations find it better / more effective to use more paid staff than volunteers. Volunteers are fantastic, and the UK charity I work for couldn't function without them, but sometimes it's better to pay staff to do a particular job so that it gets done when you need it, how you need it, where you need it, rather than as and when a volunteer is available / willing.
But, whether you have staff or volunteers, it's always a good idea to take care of them. You may feel that gym membership is a luxury, and not something a charity should help staff with, but keeping your staff healthy is a very good idea. Paying them all an extra £500 a year probably works out dearer than giving those who want gym membership a contribution towards it - because they won't all want it!Signature removed for peace of mind0 -
Care actually is offering:
"Interest Free Loans
Employees with at least three months continuous service are eligible for an interest-free loan to assist them in purchasing either: an annual season ticket, a gym membership (up to £500), or a bicycle (up to £500)"
So the benefit is worth around £50 @ year depending on your loan interest rate. Not exactly in the City bonus/perk category.
Yes, an 8% ratio of fundraising costs is very low. There are a number of approved ways of calculating this so accounts are not always comparable.
It is well known that low income people are more generous to charity than wealthy people (in percentage of income) -- thanks Bella.0 -
Thank you both. I've found Care's lendwithcare site and am now addicted :T It is the perfect fit for us, as we can choose just who to help, and may even get the loan back. Such a great idea! I'm a little :eek: about the 30% interest rates to the borrowers, but I guess with no collateral that is understandable as the borrower could potentially choose not to pay anything back.Debts 2004: £6000..............................................Aug 2007: £0!!!!0
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Hi, I'm chair of the charity Post Pals and run it. I find some of the spending other charities do as shocking! Majority of donations to us go straight to the families we help, the RSPCA advertising budget a few years ago was £17 MILLION in one year, ours is 0 as is our pr budget, fundraising budget, staff costs. We are run by people with serious illnesses from our bed and when in hosputal we simply take our laptops in with us (purchased by ourselves rather than the charity). I can't always do it but quite often I can tell people what their donation was spent on, for example someone gave us £100 last week, I was able to tell her I was buying special baubles which you can record a voice message onto and sending them to children who either are or could be having their last Christmas, sometimes if people join our Facebook group they get to see kids smiling with the things they have been given or helped with
We have business people as trustees so they have the skills that the staff with huge wages would have.
Someone said the biggest charities make the biggest difference, sometimes they help more people as little charities can't change the whole world but we do change individual families worlds!
Www.postpals.co.uk
2 minute video about how we run and how we help !http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l42sKtdPXrw&feature=youtube_gdata_playerBest wins in 2013 £200 and Mini iPad. 2014 no wins. 2015 2 nights 5* hotel with £300 vouchers plus £1150 Harrods gift card
Rehome an unwanted prize or gift with a seriously ill child through Postpals.co.uk0 -
Hello Vikki,
Without casting any criticism to the useful and kind efforts of your tiny charity, I would say that there is no conflict between the new small charities setup by a few big-hearted individuals and large, long standing charities which support a range of causes throughout the country and the world. RSPCA is a network of over 200 local charities helping people and animals in many thousands of cases every year. If they spend money to educate and raise funds, why should that be unacceptable?
Let's take an example:
The Blue Dog Protection Charity spends £10,000 @ year on fundraising and raises £100,000. That leaves £90,000 so at £90 per dog, they can help 1000 dogs per year.
The Green Dog Protection Charity spends £100,000 @ year on fundraising and raises £500,000. That leaves £400,000 so at £100 per dog, they can help 4000 dogs per year.
One charity spends only 10% of income on fundraising, the other spends 20% of income on fundraising.
If you were one of 5000 needy dogs which charity would you like best?0
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