Simon Community Ad on radio today - €25 or more asked for

Pacing Mule

I'm open to correction on this but I'm 99% sure I heard an advert for the Simon Community on the radio this morning which after doing the usual this is what we do and who we help etc went on to ask for donations of "€25.00 or more"

WTF ??? Why would you turn your back on smaller donations like that ? I know it's a charity but my knee jerk thoughts were greedy bastards and asking for that amount would make me more likely to donate to a different charity.

Surely a charity should be grateful of any donations at all. In the current economic climate I think it's a very foolish charity that mentions minimum donations in their adverts.

phasers

Concern regularly run ads asking for €60 or more

MizzLolly

Any donation over €23 is what they say is 'tax effective'. They get extra money back from the Government. As far as I'm aware it's only a recommendation.


Also..


Could I see a link to that please Phasers?

phasers

MizzLolly wrote: »

Could I see a link to that please Phasers?

I don't have a link to a TV ad, try turning on your telly once in a while

Mimikyu

This post has been deleted.

Pacing Mule

Probably hard to find a link to a specific advert - even Simons site has a donate facillity which you can fill in any amount on.

Kiera

phasers wrote: »

I don't have a link to a TV ad, try turning on your telly once in a while

:eek: you're just mean! We're finished!

MizzLolly

phasers wrote: »

I don't have a link to a TV ad, try turning on your telly once in a while

You don't have a link because charities don't ask for that much regularly.

I signed up to them a while back to give €7 a month, as seen on the ads.

I also signed up to Barnardo's with €7 a month, through a number on an advertisement.

phasers

Kiera wrote: »

:eek: you're just mean! We're finished!

OK


I wasn't trying to be mean, it was a genuine suggestion

MizzLolly wrote: »

I signed up to them a while back to give €7 a month, as seen on the ads.

I also signed up to Barnardo's with €7 a month, through a number on an advertisement.

Congratulations?

They still regularly ask for donations of 60 euro or more, doesn't mean they don't have direct debits as well.

Cicero

I recieved an unsolicited letter/parcel from a charity in cork 'giving' me a stack of christmas cards...about 5, complete with envelopes....then having the audacity to ask for money (8.95)for them, while not including an opt out or an envelope to return the cards if not required..have no idea how they got my name and address...this is a cruel nasty marketing trick, relying on the assumption that once somone receives something (regardless of whether they have asked for it or not) they feel instantly obliged to respond in kind...needless to say I didn't..!!

I think charities have got too 'clever' with their marketing campaigns in recent times-

MizzLolly

phasers wrote: »

They still regularly ask for donations of 60 euro or more, doesn't mean they don't have direct debits as well.

LOL, sorry, forgot this was after hours and we can all post nonsense without thinking.

ejmaztec

Cicero wrote: »

I recieved an unsolicited letter/parcel from a charity in cork 'giving' me a stack of christmas cards...about 5, complete with envelopes....then having the audacity to ask for money (8.95)for them, while not including an opt out or an envelope to return the cards if not required..have no idea how they got my name and address...this is a cruel nasty marketing trick, relying on the assumption that once somone receives something (regardless of whether they have asked for it or not) they feel instantly obliged to respond in kind...needless to say I didn't..!!

I think charities have got too 'clever' with their marketing campaigns in recent times-

You should fill in one of the cards and post it back to them with season's greetings.

phasers

MizzLolly wrote: »

LOL, sorry, forgot this was after hours and we can all post nonsense without thinking.

Oh for God's sake! Just recently they had the Concern fast and it said "Please send in just €60 or more" And they did the same last year, and asked for €45 on a few occasions too. If you don't believe me... well then that's your problem, why would I make something like that up?

TheZohanS

I remember a radio ad where Concern were asking for €60 off each donor.

MizzLolly

phasers wrote: »

Oh for God's sake! Just recently they had the Concern fast and it said "Please send in just €60 or more" And they did the same last year, and asked for €45 on a few occasions too. If you don't believe me... well then that's your problem, why would I make something like that up?

That's for the fast. That isn't a general appeal for a general fund. It's for an actual event. Like the picnics for Barretstown. Because it's once off, as in not regular.

Speaking of which I raised €120 last March for the Trocaire fast. Congrats to me again!

Pacing Mule

TheZohan wrote: »

I remember a radio ad where Concern were asking for €60 off each donor.

Well links for MizzLolly or GTFO

TheZohanS

Pageant Messiah wrote: »

Well links for MizzLolly or GTFO

OK.

Pacing Mule

MizzLolly wrote: »

That's for the fast. That isn't a general appeal for a general fund. It's for an actual event. Like the picnics for Barretstown. Because it's once off, as in not regular.

Speaking of which I raised €120 last March for the Trocaire fast. Congrats to me again!

I'd make the same point though - why should you turn your back on someone organising a fast and sending in even €10 for what they would have eaten. I just don't see whyany charity should put limits on donations. Fair enough if it's one of those working trips with minimum sponsorship required to offset expenses etc.

doubleglaze

Cicero wrote: »

I recieved an unsolicited letter/parcel from a charity in cork 'giving' me a stack of christmas cards...about 5, complete with envelopes....then having the audacity to ask for money (8.95)for them, while not including an opt out or an envelope to return the cards if not required..have no idea how they got my name and address...this is a cruel nasty marketing trick, relying on the assumption that once somone receives something (regardless of whether they have asked for it or not) they feel instantly obliged to respond in kind...needless to say I didn't..!!

I get them every year from what seems to be the same Cork charity. I bin them immediately and ignore the follow-up request for money I get later on.

MizzLolly

Pageant Messiah wrote: »

Well links for MizzLolly or GTFO

I believe both himself and Phasers that there was an ad for €60, presumably for the fast as Phasers mentioned. I do remember receiving a letter from one of them looking for €40 to send cows and the likes to a family. Can't remember which of them it was (I didn't send any money) It is not what is asked for 'regularly' however. Which is what I wanted links to back up.


EDIT: I do agree with you Pagent Messiah. I don't disagree with what's being said at all. I disagree with false information.


@ Cicero - that's really, really weird. I had a woman calling to the house for some Romanian Orphanage fund a while back but she had no I.D etc. I find this all very strange. Could you call the organisation and ask them to stop sending to you? That's bad form.

Pacing Mule

MizzLolly wrote: »

I believe both himself and Phasers that there was an ad for €60, presumably for the fast as Phasers mentioned. I do remember receiving a letter from one of them looking for €40 to send cows and the likes to a family. Can't remember which of them it was (I didn't send any money) It is not what is asked for 'regularly' however. Which is what I wanted links to back up.

Although it wasn't Concern the advert I heard this morning was a general appeal for donations and asked for €25 or more - as a once off donation. Be it €25 or €60 I think it's a bit mad to put minimum limits on donations.

Morlar

Pageant Messiah wrote: »

Although it wasn't Concern the advert I heard this morning was a general appeal for donations and asked for €25 or more - as a once off donation. Be it €25 or €60 I think it's a bit mad to put minimum limits on donations.

I think they should be required to say how much of the money gets to where it is supposed to go and how much is chewed up in overheads and salary etc. That might make them more competitive at least & maybe then they wouldn't need to ask specifically for the larger donations.

CrazyRabbit

Concern were SPENDING about €25 a month spamming me with letters asking for donations!

RMD

A lot of people in this thread seem to be confusing asking for 25€ as demanding a minimum of 25€.

Pacing Mule

"Send €25 or more" does imply it though.

Cicero

ejmaztec wrote: »

You should fill in one of the cards and post it back to them with season's greetings.

Absolute class response...never thought of that...:D

MizzLolly wrote: »

@ Cicero - that's really, really weird. I had a woman calling to the house for some Romanian Orphanage fund a while back but she had no I.D etc. I find this all very strange. Could you call the organisation and ask them to stop sending to you? That's bad form.

I never give at the door unless it's a local person who can prove who they are, and what the're about..this is my 2nd year of receiving them...I actually got two sets this year for some reason....no, I won't be returning them...I will use them...and will, in lieu give money to charities who don't practice underhanded marketing tactics....

**Timbuk2**

€25!! Chancers.

Mayoegian

Nobody's making ya pay €25. You can pay €1 if ya want.

granadaghia

would love to see what all the admin staff in these places get , how much of your 100 euros would actually go to the intended >?
charity begins at home especially at this time of year.

They are asking for it because they can get double back from the tax man and the time of year.
Im pretty sure you can put it as a tax write off once its over 25.

Wertz

Cicero wrote: »

I recieved an unsolicited letter/parcel from a charity in cork 'giving' me a stack of christmas cards...about 5, complete with envelopes....then having the audacity to ask for money (8.95)for them, while not including an opt out or an envelope to return the cards if not required..have no idea how they got my name and address...this is a cruel nasty marketing trick, relying on the assumption that once somone receives something (regardless of whether they have asked for it or not) they feel instantly obliged to respond in kind...needless to say I didn't..!!

I think charities have got too 'clever' with their marketing campaigns in recent times-

Got one of these myself...effectively trying to guilt you in to sending them the 9 quid since they don't ask for the cards back. Only thing I signed up to this year that needed my N&A was littlewoods, so I'm pretty sure that's who sold them on the address. It was all handwritten too, probably for added effect. No effect on me though.

As for the Simon? Very worthy cause...Marian Finucane asking me to donate 25 notes is counterproductive though...

BluesBerry

Cicero wrote: »

I recieved an unsolicited letter/parcel from a charity in cork 'giving' me a stack of christmas cards...about 5, complete with envelopes....then having the audacity to ask for money (8.95)for them, while not including an opt out or an envelope to return the cards if not required..have no idea how they got my name and address...this is a cruel nasty marketing trick, relying on the assumption that once somone receives something (regardless of whether they have asked for it or not) they feel instantly obliged to respond in kind...needless to say I didn't..!!

I think charities have got too 'clever' with their marketing campaigns in recent times-

I have recieved these cards for years now Ive never sent them back and they have never followed it up I think its from the blind artists of cork

they come in handy when ive run out of christmas cards

stovelid

BluesBerry wrote: »

I have recieved these cards for years now Ive never sent them back and they have never followed it up I think its from the blind artists of cork

Is the greeting written in a straight line?

Fair play to them, in fairness.

Eoin

granadaghia wrote: »

would love to see what all the admin staff in these places get , how much of your 100 euros would actually go to the intended >?
charity begins at home especially at this time of year.

The Simon community does do charity work in Ireland.

A lot of the charities have their annual reports available on their website, if you want to find out the breakdown. I just had a quick look at Concern's website, and their figures show that 1% is governance, and 11% is fund-raising. Trocaire's figures are .7% and 8.8% respectively - so €85 or more of your €100 will go to the intended, if I have understood their figures.

Hells Belle

On Concern I'd be interested to know how much their ads cost, they are always on at lunch time on RTE and dinner time on TV3, that can't be cheap, I timed one the other day and it was nearly 3 mins long. I used to have a direct debit with them but they sent me so much junk and requests for more money I stopped, I'd rather they fed the kids than spamming me.

Simon are a great charity though, I always send them something at Christmas, I know the people that run our local branch and they definately don't turn their noses up at any donation.

--Kaiser--

CrazyRabbit wrote: »

Concern were SPENDING about €25 a month spamming me with letters asking for donations!

I recently signed up for a direct debit of 7 euro or whatever to be given to Oxfam. Three days later I received about 15 euros worth of Oxfam 'literature' in my mailbox exhorting me to donate money, after which I instantly canceled the direct debit, what a waste of Fvcking money

Hells Belle

I had a quick gander at the RTE website and they are doing a deal for €8,000 for 30 X 30 sec ads - that works out €266 per ad, if their ads are 3 mins that just €800 for each ad.......at least twice a day.......imagine all the hungry that could feed, its indecent.

Eoin

Hells Belle wrote: »

I had a quick gander at the RTE website and they are doing a deal for €8,000 for 30 X 30 sec ads - that works out €266 per ad, if their ads are 3 mins that just €800 for each ad.......at least twice a day.......imagine all the hungry that could feed, its indecent.

You'd have to imagine that they know how expensive it is, but they are sure that they will generate more funding by paying these advertising costs.

antodeco

MizzLolly wrote: »

I do remember receiving a letter from one of them looking for €40 to send cows and the likes to a family.

I can see the delivery now