Is Bono on the take

Winty

According to the New York Post Bono's nonprofit Charity took in $14,993,873 in public donations in 2008, the latest year for which tax records are available. Of that, $184,732 was distributed to three charities, More than $8 million was spent on executive and employee salaries.


http://www.irishcentral.com/news/New-York-Post-takes-aim-at-Bonos-One-campaign-103426814.html

loike

he also sent some important people expensive gift baskets from that money. But he said the charity doesn't receive public donations it only takes money from investors

Minstrel27

How can Saint Bono defend this?

kfallon

Ireland's greatest person alright :rolleyes:

thebigbiffo

i hope this is true. then i have a rational reason for despising him

Riamfada

Almost all charities pay their running costs out of donations so only a percentage of the final take goes to the charity. Bono's costs, whatever they were, probably came to almost the same as putting the event on. But probably the executive wages are highly inflated as is the case with most of this people so .....

AnonoBoy

loike wrote: »

he also sent some important people expensive gift baskets from that money. But he said the charity doesn't receive public donations it only takes money from investors

They listed those gifts on the radio this morning. A 15 dollar notebook and a 20 dollar bottle of water.

Hardly worth getting worked up about. If they get the charity some coverage in a paper or on the news then they're worth it.

But yeah, Bono, rabble, rabble, rabble......


....awaits Degsy's arrival.

loike

Contrary to the suggestion in the New York Post yesterday, ONE does not fundraise from the general public and we are not a grant-making organization. We are funded almost entirely by a handful of philanthropists on our board of directors to raise awareness and pressure political leaders to fight extreme poverty through smart and effective policies and programs, like the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, which is saving 4,000 lives a day.

ONE has nearly 120 staff in the US, UK, Germany, Brussels, France, Nigeria and South Africa whose job it is to fight for funding for effective programs like the Fund and the US global AIDS program PEPFAR. As a result of those programs, today more than 4 million Africans have access to life-saving AIDS medication, up from only 50,000 people in 2002. Malaria deaths have been cut in half in countries across Africa in less than 2 years.

As other examples of our work, ONE helped successfully press for debt relief for Haiti after the devastating earthquake there and we recently played an important role in the passage of a law in the US requiring oil companies to report any payments to government officials – an effort to end backhanded deals between energy companies and corrupt politicians that hurt people in poor countries.

ONE has been a relentless advocate for these programs and policies and we have used the media spotlight to ensure world leaders keep their commitments. The media kits that were mentioned in the New York Post article, which were produced for far less than was cited and delivered by staff and volunteers, not a messenger service, were an effort to focus reporters on the Millennium Development Goals, a set of promises world leaders made to cut poverty, hunger and disease by 2015.

In hindsight, the kits were not the best way to gain attention for the issues and we regret that sending them distracted from the work we are trying to do and the issues we care about.

statement from ONE

IvySlayer

This thread is going to go well..

Trashbat

thebigbiffo wrote: »

i hope this is true. then i have a rational reason for despising him

Whats not rational about despising a level of perceived self importance that elevates an average pop star to political powerhouse?

Or the bands movement of business interests off shore to avoid tax?

There's rational reasons a plenty.

orourkeda

I make that less than 1.25% of donations were distributed

Dempsey

So basically his 'charity' is just a multi million dollar ego trip.

Didnt think my opinion of him could get much lower, but it has

biko

Winty wrote: »

According to the New York Post Bono's nonprofit Charity took in $14,993,873 in public donations in 2008, the latest year for which tax records are available. Of that, $184,732 was distributed to three charities, More than $8 million was spent on executive and employee salaries.

Those charities also have people to pay so probably about $53.50 made its way to Africa, to be snatched up by corrupted officials or drug lords.

Trashbat

-Seriour Response Warning-

Actually, if the organisation (be it charity or NPO) is a campaign/advocacy organisation then Wages and perceived Admin costs ARE the direct charities work. Provided they represent themselves properly as such, and don't go around claiming the money goes in directly to projects at grass roots level.

Think of Amnesty International. The money they have is essentially used for publicity, wages and administrative support for a large network of volunteers. So while they are an NPO dealing with human rights issues, none of the money is going into what the general public perceive as "The Grassroots"

From the article and subsequent statement, it appears that the organisation do the majority of its advocacy work directly, but in some cases, will distribute money to other Charities or NPOs who are better placed to more efficiently carry out the work. Most charities use partner organisations in this manner, for example Concern using MVF in Andra Pranesh for ground level work. Its cheaper, and generally more effective (provided the organisations concerned are properly vetted in advance.


I still dislike Bono though.

Wompa1

It means they are paying around 125,000 for each person. I'm sure not all wages but for their expenses, office space etc. Wonder what wage they are receiving?

Cookie_Monster

I remember hearing that for one of the largest charities in Ireland only 1c in every €1 actually ends up being spent on charity as such. the rest goes on admin, wages and advertising.

Wompa1

A bit fitting:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DgIRjecItw

Trashbat

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

I remember hearing that for one of the largest charities only 1c in every €1 actually ends up being spent on charity as such. the rest goes on admin, wages and advertising.

Thats just silly. The charity sector is blighted by "man-in-a-pub" rumours and out of context statement.

Charities produce annual reports, and most are easily available online. Too many people are quick to criticise the running of charities without understanding them in the slightest.

starbelgrade

And he's peelin' off those dollar bills... Slappin' 'em down

One hundred, two hundred.

pickarooney

To run a charity effectively you need to hire highly skilled people to do full-time jobs. This does not come cheap.

stovelid

Dwarfs are a deserving charity category as well. Do you think platinum stack-heels grow on trees?

Celly Smunt

pickarooney wrote: »

To run a charity effectively you need to hire highly skilled people to do full-time jobs. This does not come cheap.

and you must build/buy a big office block in a prime location of a busy city

Dardania

Wompa1 wrote: »

It means they are paying around 125,000 for each person. I'm sure not all wages but for their expenses, office space etc. Wonder what wage they are receiving?

I'd imagine there's not insignificant travel & accomodation costs, plus insurance...

ejmaztec

pickarooney wrote: »

To run a charity effectively you need to hire highly skilled people to do full-time jobs. This does not come cheap.

These people aren't being very charitable.

starbelgrade

pickarooney wrote: »

To run a charity effectively you need to hire highly skilled people to do full-time jobs. This does not come cheap.

To run any business effectively, you need highly skilled people to do full-time jobs. The problem with most charities however, is that they are run ineffectively and are essentially not answerable to anybody.. especially in Ireland where they are effectively unregulated.

Degsy

Trashbat wrote: »

Thats just silly. The charity sector is blighted by "man-in-a-pub" rumours and out of context statement.

Charities produce annual reports, and most are easily available online. Too many people are quick to criticise the running of charities without understanding them in the slightest.

Not true..i used to work for a certain Centre in Dun Laoighre that provided "care for victims of alcohol abuse".
We used to sell a "line" for a pound each..
My cut was 40%
My supervisors cut was 20%
His supervisors cut was 20%
10% went towards printing the cards etc

And no more than 10% went to the "charity" itself who also have fully-paid staff working on the premises..very expensive premises at that.

Added to this that the people who seek "refuge" in teh centre have top pay for thier time there and you've got a very lucrative money-spinner indeed..all by tapping public sympathy.

As for Bono..a man destined for the Gallows in this life and Hell in the next.

mikom

Are any of ye surprised really?

Charity begins at home.

Mr Benevolent

Only 5% of money raised by a charity is required to go to the cause itself.

Dardania

Confab wrote: »

Only 5% of money raised by a charity is required to go to the cause itself.

Isn't it money that wouldn't have gone to them at all?

Degsy

mikom wrote: »

Charity begins at home.

Bono certainly subscribes to that thesis..why in order to Save an irish cancer Hospice he weighed in with..not one million euro..not 500,000 euro..not 10,000 euro but with a pair of used sunglasses.

The horrible,money-grabbing,tax-dodging dwarf will die screaming.

Fratton Fred

Has anyone here ever actually contributed to ONE and therefore feel they have been riped off or conned? the statement states that the charity raises money from a handful of people, can anyone here say how much Bono put in himself?

Of the money that the band (Not Bono, he is an Irish resident, so would have to pay tax on his income here) saved on tax by moving to the Netherlands, how much of it goes to charity?

As people think he is on the make, out of the $8m paid to executives, how much was paid to him, or his family?

but yeah, it mentions Bono in the article, he is famous and works hard for charity, so he must be a ****:rolleyes:

Degsy

Fratton Fred wrote: »

works hard for charity, so he must be a ****:rolleyes:

He works harder to avoid paying tax..tax that could help charities in his own country but thn why should he give a shiit about the people who put him where he is now?
He's happier shaking hands with despots and arms-dealers.

Fratton Fred

Degsy wrote: »

He works harder to avoid paying tax..tax that could help charities in his own country but thn why should he give a shiit about the people who put him where he is now?
He's happier shaking hands with despots and arms-dealers.

Do you really think Bono sits at home all day worrying about how the band (not him, the band) can reduce their tax bill?

U2 is a multi million euro business, I'm retty sure they have the odd accountant or two that does all that for them. Just like Microsoft do, which is why they use Ireland in the same way U2 use Holland.

Trashbat

Degsy wrote: »

Not true..i used to work for a certain Centre in Dun Laoighre that provided "care for victims of alcohol abuse".
We used to sell a "line" for a pound each..
My cut was 40%
My supervisors cut was 20%
His supervisors cut was 20%
10% went towards printing the cards etc

And no more than 10% went to the "charity" itself who also have fully-paid staff working on the premises..very expensive premises at that.

Added to this that the people who seek "refuge" in teh centre have top pay for thier time there and you've got a very lucrative money-spinner indeed..all by tapping public sympathy.

SO their total fundraising comes from two main sources, direct marketing and charged services, one of which has a different return rate than the other. this is not taking into account tertiary methods like legacies and sponsor events/volunteering (which have good returns, but are less reliable).

Basically the highest potential yield (selling cards being esentially uncapped in terms of potential) has the highest outgoings, but other methods are more efficient but don't necessarily bring in the same volumes. Eventually it all works as a cost effective form of running an organisation, other wise they wouldn't bother.

While the tactics of selling lines or scratchcards are not the best, and its not the nicest job in the world, the business plan of the charity is not necessarily flawed. They're operating commercially with a guaranteed return. Not something you can rely on by putting collection tins on shop counters.

Now I won't comment on that particular charity and their practices and ethos, but purely looking at the methods of collecting and using money, it is pretty sound.

allanb49

Degsy wrote: »

He works harder to avoid paying tax..tax that could help charities in his own country but thn why should he give a shiit about the people who put him where he is now?
He's happier shaking hands with despots and arms-dealers.

They're the ones that have the money

Degsy

Fratton Fred wrote: »

U2 is a multi million euro business, I'm retty sure they have the odd accountant or two that does all that for them. Just like Microsoft do, which is why they use Ireland in the same way U2 use Holland.

If he wants to "use" another country to feather his own nest he should spare the rest of the world his self-righteous prating about the need to increase taxation to spend on overseas aid.

Cookie_Monster

Degsy wrote: »

If he wants to "use" another country to feather his own nest he should spare the rest of the world his self-righteous prating about the need to increase taxation to spend on overseas aid.

+1 on this. Pay up or shut up Bono

ejmaztec

Degsy wrote: »

Bono certainly subscribes to that thesis..why in order to Save an irish cancer Hospice he weighed in with..not one million euro..not 500,000 euro..not 10,000 euro but with a pair of used sunglasses.

The horrible,money-grabbing,tax-dodging dwarf will die screaming.

It's a risky business accepting gifts or donations from some people.

I'd have to round up half a dozen lawyers, and a camera crew, to witness the hand-over document being signed and witnessed in triplicate. I wouldn't want to end up in court two years later for stealing some skid-marked souvenir boxers.:eek:

amacachi

This is how charity, government and business work unfortunately. Set up a "charity" and get as much publicity as possible, it doesn't matter how little good you actually do, then bombard and campaign for government funding, promising that you'll finally start making a difference. Then ya get the money but it's going through the same inefficient system it always did instead of getting near countries that need it.

Degsy

amacachi wrote: »

Then ya get the money but it's going through the same inefficient system it always did instead of getting near countries that need it.

It could be very efficient indeed.

Boner could simply liquidate all his assets and give them away to the causes he holds so dear.
He wont do it though,he prefers to hang onto his hundreds of millions and badger the average man to contribute.
A hypocrite of the first order.

bm365

The money was just resting in his account!

Seriously though, anyone with any bit of common sense can see that those figure are the norm for a Charity. There isnt really anything questionable about it.

This thread just seems like another excuse for certain 'Keyboard Warriors' to have a go at Bono.

Dr Strange

Degsy wrote: »

Boner could simply liquidate all his assets and give them away to the causes he holds so dear...

Ha, reminded me of this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbrpbLZMNmw

gizmo

While I dislike Bono as much as the next guy, ONE seems to be more of a lobbyist group who do advocacy work rather than actual direct charity work. The idea being that the work they do helps raise more money than they actually have themselves. Surely groups like that are pretty important too?

Degsy

gizmo wrote: »

Surely groups like that are pretty important too?

Important in that they bolster the ego of the people fronting them...and as has been proven,line a fair few pockets on the way.

Bono has demonstarted time and again that the only thing he actually cares about is making money for himself.

siscri

I've been on the mailing list for One since 2008 and having a quick look through the 11 e-mails I've received in that time (all archived in g-mail) not one of them is looking for a donation, nor is there even a button to click if I wanted a donation. It's all petitions, awareness, etc.

In addition, if you go to one.org you'll see there is no donation button, or at least I can't see one at first glance.

They've never asked me for money and as a result I've never donated to them so I'm not too bothered how they spend their money.

Would these reports stop me from donating to them in the future if they asked? Maybe...I'd at least look at what they're going to use my donation for, as every donor should ask. Still, I understand that all their work is admin and awareness, so to be honest I'm surprised that any money made it to any charity. Shouldn't it all go on wages and running costs if that's the point of the organisation?

Has anyone ever donated to them?

Biggins

A representative for Bono's Aids charity has spoken out after the organisation came under fire for spending more money on wages than on good causes.

The U2 rocker has thrown himself into humanitarian work over the last few years and set up the ONE campaign to help fight the Aids epidemic and combat global poverty.

But the organisation hit the headlines for the wrong reasons this week after it was revealed the non-profit group took nearly £9.6 million in public donations in 2008, but only £123,155 was distributed between three charities, according to documents obtained by the New York Post.

The group's wage bill amounted to more than £5 million and the organisation was also criticised for sending out expensive gift boxes to media organisations.

ONE spokesman Oliver Buston has now defended the way the organisation is run, insisting the money is used for promoting its campaign and raising awareness rather than being handed straight to those who need help.

He says, "We don't provide programs on the ground. We're an advocacy and campaigning organisation."

http://uk.news.launch.yahoo.com/dyna/article.html?a=/23092010/364/bono-s-charity-rep-defends-wage-bill.html&e=l_news_dm

He's not running a charity, its a political lobbying organisation - and he should call it that!
It's not a friggin' charity in my mind.

I won't be giving a cent to it.

siscri

Biggins wrote: »

He's not running a charity, its a political lobbying organisation - and he should call it that!
It's not a friggin' charity in my mind.

I won't be giving a cent to it.

Lobbying people in political power is sometimes the most effective way to provide 'charity' - you could either give someone who lives in poverty a bit of cash (your idea of charity) or you can convince people in power to change the legislation that causes these people to live in poverty (Bono's idea of charity).

Both are accurate ideas of charity.

And see my last post...they're not looking for you to give a cent to it. So everyone's happy.

Fratton Fred

siscri wrote: »

And see my last post...they're not looking for you to give a cent to it. So everyone's happy.

Seeing as one of the Director's father has pledged to give away nearly all of his $2.6Bn fortune to charity, i doubt if they need a few bob from people like us.

johnn

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1pzgrHY5FA

PeterIanStaker

Dempsey wrote: »

So basically his 'charity' is just a multi million dollar ego trip.

Didnt think my opinion of him could get much lower, but it has

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/19/opinion/19iht-edtheroux.html

Article about him (and other people) doing the charity ego trip.

phasers

AnonoBoy wrote: »

They listed those gifts on the radio this morning. A 15 dollar notebook and a 20 dollar bottle of water.

20 dollars for a bottle of water? You can get 6 for €1.70 in lidl. That's about 70 bottles he could have bought for the price of his one.

Someone should tell Bono, he could buy a load of them and send them to Africa