Congrats - here's a Goat! Well, not really.

southsiderosie

How do you feel about charity gifts? By which I mean, someone for your birthday, graduation, or wedding gives you the 'gift' of making a donation in your name to a charity (one of the more popular ones is buying a goat or cow in your name for a woman in a developing country).

I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, it is the thought that counts. And I can understand if someone gave to an organization or a cause that they knew you supported (for example, my friends know that I have done fundraising for breast cancer organizations in the past). But sometimes it seems like charity gifts are more about the wants (and often, the ego) of the giver, rather than something thoughtful for the recipient. And I would rather choose where to donate money myself rather than have someone else choose for me - especially since a lot of charities spend way too much money on administration, and not enough on programming.

Am I just being grumpy here, or are charity gifts kind of obnoxious?

Gummy Panda

I prefer the gift of cake

toastedpickles

Gummy Panda wrote: »

I prefer the gift of cake

The cake is a lie

So is the goat

Back to testing

Boombastic

A goat cake, like a jumper cake. Nom, nom

I explained this concept to a friend of mine before. Her response, word for word, was "Well that's just a big 'fúck you' isn't it?"
I think people would generally prefer the money to spend for themselves rather than having it spent on a goat in their name.

IM0

as long as they dont give my name and address to the charity to look for follow up donations :rolleyes:

My name is URL

Why are we sending goats to Africa when our own homeless folk require goats of their own?

Sky King

I don't give charity gifts unless someone I know is raising money for a charity skydive or charity trip abroad, in which case I give money directly to the charity they are raising money for and just give the person collecting a copy of the receipt.

This usually makes them feel a lot better because their chosen charity has benefited directly from my generosity, without them having to go to all that trouble of doing a skydive.

lazygal

I don't appreciate smug 'gifts' like this. I chose my charities, don't impose your 'generosity' on me.

Remmy

If someone was going to do something for charity as a gift for me, I'd sure as fcuk prefer to be able to choose the cause. I'd far sooner see the money going to CF ireland or a similar irish charity than buying a feckin goat. Some might disagree but meh.

December2012

I don't mind if anybody does this for me.
I have more than enough in comparison to the beneficiaries of these charities.

southsiderosie

Sky King wrote: »

I don't give charity gifts unless someone I know is raising money for a charity skydive or charity trip abroad

OK, I don't get these either. Is this just a way to get your friends to pay for a vacation in the name of a 'good cause'? How do these actually work?

As I said on the expensive weddings thread, I don't like them. Part of the reason is that I think it's more for the giver than the recipient. It's a bit of a cop-out. 'Oh it's southsiderosie's birthday, so instead of getting her a present she might really need or want, I'll donate money to that charity I've been meaning to donate to and feel really good about myself. Win-win situation'. I would much prefer to at least be consulted in advance so I could tell them which charities I support and wish to donate to.

southsiderosie

southsiderosie wrote: »

OK, I don't get these either. Is this just a way to get your friends to pay for a vacation in the name of a 'good cause'? How do these actually work?

Yeah, basically. I had a 'friend' (now defriended, both on Facebook and real life ) who kept begging for money to do a trip to Peru to do missionary work. It really annoyed me because I don't even agree with that or consider it a good cause, yet she 'donated' to this cause rather than buy birthday or Christmas presents for her friends, kept asking us to do bag packing and other things to raise money. It just p*ssed me off so much that she expected other people to pay for what was basically a holiday she wanted to go on. I was a student, living on a pittance and she kept guilting me because I couldn't afford to contribute.

Same for anyone who does those 'build a house' programmes or whatever. Save your own bloody money, ffs. I do 10+ hours of charity work every week and I rarely mention it to anyone, let alone ask them to sponsor me. :mad:

Archeron

Are we there yet, are we there yet, are we there yet???

Fook off goatface.

Sergeant

We should remove the disgusting trade barriers and tariffs imposed on countries by the socialist drones over in Brussels. No need to feel good about ourselves as we 'decide' to be charitable handing over a Goat. Feeling good about ourselves as we slobber over righteous causes and the concept of solidarity.

I want mangetout from Kenya, tea from Southern Sudan, oil from Nigeria. I don't want some unelected and pasty-faced leftie from Poland deciding this, and imposing regulations so we can all continue to think we're liberal, whilst living a lifestyle that is derived from the worst excesses of control.

NuckingFacker

Just modify it slightly - "Happy Birthday! I bought you a coat for me, what do you think of it? Fits me well eh?"

"Yeah, great, ta very much".



Shove your Goat. I wants me gift and I wants it now. No gift, then you dead to me Cockerroach.

somefeen

Its a load of bollocks, why don't you just buy your own fecking goat in your name, instead of giving me a goat that I then have to send to africa.
Or just give me the goat with no proviso's attached to it? I'd much prefer that, I like goats.

NuckingFacker

somefeen wrote: »

Its a load of bollocks, why don't you just buy your own fecking goat in your name, instead of giving me a goat that I then have to send to africa.
Or just give me the goat with no proviso's attached to it? I'd much prefer that, I like goats.

If anyone who knows you reads this, you gettin a goat for your next B.day! Yeeaaahhhh.

somefeen

NuckingFacker wrote: »

If anyone who knows you reads this, you gettin a goat for your next B.day! Yeeaaahhhh.

I'd love a goat, I could spend my evening by the fire rubbing its chin.

EoghanIRL

Thread dissapoints , where's my goat?

Sauve

somefeen wrote: »

I'd love a goat, I could spend my evening by the fire rubbing its chin.

Goats don't really have chins though, they're more of a chinny-chin-chin scratchy beardy thing....
Dammit now I want a goat.

Sky King

EoghanIRL wrote: »

Thread dissapoints , where's my goat?

Here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLI4EuDckgM

Banjo String

Here's a goat that sounds like a dude.

what do you think that goat is saying lol?

NuckingFacker

Sauve wrote: »

Goats don't really have chins though, they're more of a chinny-chin-chin scratchy beardy thing....
Dammit now I want a goat.

Cool. I got you one. It's on it's way to Rwanda as we speak.

EoghanIRL

Sky King wrote: »

Here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLI4EuDckgM

* gives cookie *

Schnitzel Muncher

I accept cash only, thanks.

Anyone who got me one of these type 'presents' as a serious present (ie because they believed in the cause rather than as a joke) would never hear the end of it, and would be repaid in kind.

somefeen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1WuXo3e-xA

somefeen

Sauve wrote: »

Goats don't really have chins though, they're more of a chinny-chin-chin scratchy beardy thing....
Dammit now I want a goat.

I don't care what it is I want to rub it!

Irish Guitarist

I like goats. I'd be pissed off if one of them was donated to someone to slaughter them for meat, or even if the goat was donated to a family who couldn't afford to feed her properly.

NuckingFacker

Irish Guitarist wrote: »

I like goats. I'd be pissed off if one of them was donated to someone to slaughter them for meat, or even if the goat was donated to a family who couldn't afford to feed her properly.

Would it get on your Goat?




I'll get me goat, sorry, coat.

southsiderosie

Irish Guitarist wrote: »

I like goats. I'd be pissed off if one of them was donated to someone to slaughter them for meat, or even if the goat was donated to a family who couldn't afford to feed her properly.

I think the livestock are purchased for women to raise and make extra money from selling the milk or eggs.

Itwasntme.

Man. AH is full of the weirdest people. Anyway, I laughed. A lot. And then I cried. Happy tears of course. Goat cheese is yum.

April O Neill

southsiderosie wrote: »

OK, I don't get these either. Is this just a way to get your friends to pay for a vacation in the name of a 'good cause'? How do these actually work?

George Stocky Bellboy wrote: »

Yeah, basically. I had a 'friend' (now defriended, both on Facebook and real life ) who kept begging for money to do a trip to Peru to do missionary work. It really annoyed me because I don't even agree with that or consider it a good cause, yet she 'donated' to this cause rather than buy birthday or Christmas presents for her friends, kept asking us to do bag packing and other things to raise money. It just p*ssed me off so much that she expected other people to pay for what was basically a holiday she wanted to go on. I was a student, living on a pittance and she kept guilting me because I couldn't afford to contribute.

Same for anyone who does those 'build a house' programmes or whatever. Save your own bloody money, ffs. I do 10+ hours of charity work every week and I rarely mention it to anyone, let alone ask them to sponsor me. :mad:

Read this interesting opinion piece on the BBC News website recently - food for thought!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22294205

Sky King

southsiderosie wrote: »

OK, I don't get these either. Is this just a way to get your friends to pay for a vacation in the name of a 'good cause'? How do these actually work?

They work by making you feel better about yourself because you are 'helping' people in poor countries while getting someone else to pay for your trip.

pablohoney87

Karl Pilkington's genius view on this.

"I've donated a goat to a family in africa in your name"

Me: I'm stuck with this Sh1t Gift
Goat: I was in a nice farm and now turfed off to Africa
African Family: Great! Another mouth to feed


NOBODY WINS!