Vent - Charity Shops Again -'are spending less than half of cash on good work'

missbiggles1

LadyDee wrote: »

Over 50 years ago I can remember a newspaper printing an "expose" of the way in which Oxfam spends its income - I think executives flying first class, staying in top hotels around the world was just an example, and at that time about 10% was actually spent on what people donated. Apparently nothing changes.

And don't get me started on the ridiculous prices I sometimes see being asked for some items, and so-called "designer" clothes. I did query a price marked on a garment recently, the assistant pointed out that it's "designer". Mr. Primark would be proud :-)

If somebody'll pay it then that's a good thing - the charity is Oxfam (or whatever) not the customer!

hollydays

donnac2558 wrote: »

Oxfam is one of the worst, for every £1 you give only 10p goes to good causes.

A friend used to volunteer in one of the shops and she said it was real eye opener. The managers arrive in shiny new 4 x 4s leased by Oxfam read the riot act if the shop is not performing well enough. Its all targets targets(this is women and men working for free) whilst the manager are on top salaries. A number of ladies who had been there a long time, decided how to price items. Picked over stuff before it hit the shop floor and helped themselves to anything really nice for a few pounds. If they let it go into the shop the price was 3 or 4 times more than they paid for the same. Perk of the job.

Where you get this 10p in the pound statistic from please?

Pollycat

hollydays wrote: »

I'd be interested to know though, if mse'ers managed a charity shop, how would people do better?
I do very nicely out of charity shops .
I do actually prefer them now that they look clean and welcoming.

I don't think the critical report is aimed specifically at charity shops - it's how the charities spend their money.

missbiggles1 wrote: »

If somebody'll pay it then that's a good thing - the charity is Oxfam (or whatever) not the customer!

I agree with this.
If I don't like the price of an item, I walk away.

hollydays

Pollycat wrote: »

I don't think the critical report is aimed specifically at charity shops - it's how the charities spend their money.


I agree with this.
If I don't like the price of an item, I walk away.

No, sorry , I was referring to the comments about prices of goods referred to by others .
I could write a newspaper article about the amazing bargains I get all the time from charity shops , but the bah humbug brigade don't want to read that.

I only donate to charities that don't operate the bag collection scheme.
http://more-anon.com/charity-collection-bags-winners-and-losers/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-30227025

" Every year, thousands of us across the UK donate our used clothing to charity - many in the belief that it will be given to those in need or sold in High Street charity shops to raise funds. But a new book has revealed that most of what we hand over actually ends up getting shipped abroad - part of a £2.8bn ($4.3bn) second-hand garment trade that spans the globe. We investigate the journey of our cast-offs and begin to follow one set of garments from donation to to destination"

LadyDee

missbiggles1 wrote: »

If somebody'll pay it then that's a good thing - the charity is Oxfam (or whatever) not the customer!

I more than happy to pay reasonable prices in charity shops, but I'd rather give a homeless person a bag of food than pay ridiculous prices for someone else's cast-offs so that top execs of Oxfam and similar can enjoy fat-cat salaries and lifestyles. Oh, I forgot 10p might just go to the starving in Africa or even corrupt officials.

hollydays

LadyDee wrote: »

I more than happy to pay reasonable prices in charity shops, but I'd rather give a homeless person a bag of food than pay ridiculous prices for someone else's cast-offs so that top execs of Oxfam and similar can enjoy fat-cat salaries and lifestyles. Oh, I forgot 10p might just go to the starving in Africa or even corrupt officials.

Yep , give food to homeless people , don't shop in charity shops at all seems your best solution.

Pollycat

hollydays wrote: »

Yep , give food to homeless people , don't shop in charity shops at all seems your best solution.

But how would giving a bag of food to a homeless person help my local hospice assist people in the final stages of life?

Poppie68

I use charity shops now and again for purely selfish reasons, when I have a clear out I only give to the local children's hospice shop, they have a rather dismal shop through choice to keep the overheads down staffed by volunteers and managed by one of the hospice manager's. I believe because of the lack of pomp and circumstance is the reason they are the most popular in the area for donators and customers.

I've started collecting the occasional winter items from family in the last couple of years and giving to a local homeless charity whose volunteers walk the streets to distribute, again because they have minimal overheads.

hollydays

Pollycat wrote: »

But how would giving a bag of food to a homeless person help my local hospice assist people in the final stages of life?

No , it wouldn't, I'm not saying it's what I would do but you can't have it all ways.

missbiggles1

I donate goods to the charity shops which charge the highest prices but buy things (I'm talking mainly about books) from those that are cheapest. That way both I and the charities get the most out of things.