MONEY MORAL DILEMMA. Would you ask for the sponsorship money back?

englishmac

geri1965 wrote: »

I totally agree with you Gibby. I upset one of the women at work last year when she asked me to sponsor her in the Race for Life and I refused because I don't agree with testing on animals. I think the cancer research industry is one big money making exercise with no proven successes that I am aware of. I do however contribute to local cancer hospices.

Anyway, back to the thread - no I wouldn't ask for my money back, if it was going to a charity I agreed with in the first place. I would give the friend a bit of a ribbing though!

I wholeheartedly agree with donating to local cancer hospices, they do a fantastic job and are often overlooked in favour of the big cancer research charities - the ones with vast resources pumped into marketing and run like a very lucrative business. I used to buy from Cancer Research for Christmas presents but the rip off prices got too much to stomach, particularly as my available funds diminished.

I would not be at all impressed by my mate. If I had sponsered per mile I would ask for my money back over and above the milage rate, if I'd given a one off donation I would just chalk it up to experience. Different matter if they had been ill but self-inflicted 'illness' knowing they had a marathon to run for a charitable cause is a bit much. They could have left the drinking until after the event to celebrate their success.

tallgirld

nah!!!! I wouldn't ask for it back. I would just make sure that next time I sponsor less money.

FIFTY QUID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bueller

Would I ask for the money back? No, I'd have given because I believe in the charity and their work, not simply because I want to sponsor a friend. That said, like others, I would get many a joke out of it at their expense, and if you can't forgive a friend, who can you forgive?!

I've run 2 marathons, both for charity, and as for those of you who think taking part in an event is just for personal gain with charity subsidy, I suggest you do can only comment if you have also participated in an event. It takes a lot of time to chase people for sponsorship, send emails/texts/creat web pages etc, not to mention the training! Also, I ran the marathon 10 days ago for a charity, and I was using a place I got in the ballot - it cost the charity nothing, nada, zip, zilch, not a bean. For my efforts I have raised over £1300, enough to pay for 30,000 prostate cancer awareness cards, and if that helps one person get an early diagnosis, and saves one person going through half what my g/f father has gone through it will be worth the 4 months of training.

Please don't forget that Charities spend big to raise big - I know I work for a (different) charity.

For all the Cancer Research scientist out there, I salute you, I ducked out after degree level, far too much like hard work!!

shieldsy

Something similar happened to me last year. I sponsored a friend to do the 3 peaks walk. Found out later that they only completed 2 because of some-reason-or-other. I'd already given the money so it did seem a bit churlish to ask for it back, but to be honest I was a bit miffed.

I think the whole thing here is about trust & integrity - people saying what they are going to do and actually doing it. If they simply asked for a donation then I might choose to give them a donation. If they say they are going to "earn" money for the charity then they should earn it. Because something is "for charity" should mean there are higher standards of trust, not less.

I did a sponsored coast-to-coast cycle ride last year. If I'd have not completed it there is no way I would have asked people for the full amounts. No doubt a lot of people would have said, "It's ok, keep the full amount". But that should be their choice not mine.

trejoy

Agree with Gibby. I do not give to charities who condone animal research including the MS Society, (I have MS). I give to the PDSA and my MS therapy centre. Cures yes, no to unnecessary cruelty.:A

jenjen_mt

Though I know its not the subject of the original thread.....

I agree with Gibby too. I would not sponsor cancer research as I know that most of the money goes directly into funding experiments on laboratory animals. I wasn't always aware of this and did donate to them in the past-now I am sorry I did as there is no justification for keeping animals in cages and subjecting them to horrific tests.

I would also mention that not all scientists are highly paid. I am a scientist too and am careful to work in an area where none of my reserach will ever be tested directly or indirectly on animals.

As to the original question (assuming we are taklking of a worthy charity), no I wouldn't ask for the money back and I wouldn't even mind if my friend put in the effort but pulled out. The hangover smacks of just not caring. I too would suggest they do some other fund-raising activity to make up for their slacking!

gb57

I cannot believe what I have been reading here! Have any of the ignorant so-and-so's going on about cancer research being a waste of time, and animal testing etc. actually HAD cancer?? Thought not. When you are dying and you refuse "conventional" treament out of principle, then please come on here and tell us about it (I sincerely hope, of course, that you are never in that situation).

Exactly WHICH proven "cures" does Gibby recommend? Some of the quack stuff on the internet which people are making a mint out of??? Any proof any of it works? Absolutely NOT - it is all anecdotal.

As for animal experiments - if they could have stopped my brother being in a wheelchair for 11 years before dying of MS on his 31st birthday, then bring them on, I say.

Cancer does NOT only affect "old" people. I recently lost a 47 year old and 51 year old friend to cancer. Through having cancer myself for 7 years (and now undergoing chemo) I have known a number of others, who have died - IN THEIR 30s AND 40s, leaving behind young children.

Huge strides have been made in recent years with new drugs (due to Research, oddly enough) extending life and offering real hope to people like me. If research continues then there should be real hope in the lifetime of many of you that cancer becomes something that more people live with rather than die from.

I am sorry to get "off subject" here, but I did not start it, and I can still not contain my anger.

lynda_giddins

I would not ask for money back - it was for a good cause and not to reward the friend, although I would make sure the friend know I was disappointed in their lack of commitment.

Banshee_2

I would not ask for the money back but i would make it clear to said friend that I thought they had obtained the money by deceit - and I would never sponsor them again!

kezbabybabe

I feel it's irrelevant, as it was the charity that benefited. You could have also donated the same amount directly.