Trocaire Lenten Campaign

jimd2

Just wondering how many people here will make the effort to contribute to the Trocaire Lenten campaign. It is certainly a great cause.

Myself, I am not a fan of the ashes on Ash Wednesday and usually don't go to extra masses etc for Lent but do try to encourage all the family to contribute to this cause.

In my opinion this should be beyond religion.

http://www.trocaire.org/lent

robp

jimd2 wrote: »

In my opinion this should be beyond religion.

http://www.trocaire.org/lent

This is something I try to argue with a lot of Christian practises but for whatever hangups people have it doesn't materialise as such often enough.

Graces7

there are many and more cost effective ways to support those in dire need than trocaire

i think that many are not happy with the big charities like trocaire but give to smaller private work

i am blessed tohave family at the coal face of caring, in india so it is them i give to

yes it is beyond religion; of course it is. but it is for us the command of jesus
scuse one handed typing; thank you

Manach

Beyond religion - how so. I've not heard anything about especial wrong-doings at Trocaire compared to the other charities in the news. The gentle reminders at mass in this season, to be more generous to those in need, acts a spurn to these campaigns.

GarIT

Their staff are paid way too much. I would feel sick if they much of my charity money was going to line businessmen's pockets, trocaire is not a business I could ever support.

Graces7

GarIT wrote: »

Their staff are paid way too much. I would feel sick if they much of my charity money was going to line businessmen's pockets, trocaire is not a business I could ever support.

exactly so and with recent scandals folk will naturally hold back.

it is hard for my generation as we worked and gave as volunteers. now -charity - has become big business with commensurate salaries. too much spent not enough given.

Graces7

Manach wrote: »

Beyond religion - how so. I've not heard anything about especial wrong-doings at Trocaire compared to the other charities in the news. The gentle reminders at mass in this season, to be more generous to those in need, acts a spurn to these campaigns.

the reminders i have heard at mass have not been gentle. yes to be more generous to those in need, and not just in lent.

neemish

GarIT wrote: »

Their staff are paid way too much. I would feel sick if they much of my charity money was going to line businessmen's pockets, trocaire is not a business I could ever support.

92% of Trocaire's funding goes directly to projects. It is one of the charity's which is actually not run as a business but as a charity

Compare that to a similar Aid Charity where 88% of funding goes back into fundraising!

skooterblue2

My Uncle cleared them all. He was a big hearted geneous farmer for charities. £1000 here and a £1000 there for worth causes. they kept his name on a data base and swopped it with another Catholic Charity. When he was 73 and dying from an undiagnosed illness, they rang him and as he was getting on in years they asked to be remembered in his will, they would send out the forms. That was the straw that broke the camels back.

He never gave to charity again. Trocaire are very generous with their Pension plans just like Goal. Always cribbing to the government for money money.... overseas development aid. I will never give money to Charity again. Even when I was on minimum wage I always gave a few Euro to charity.

The scandal of money from Ireland misspent ... in central africa .... funding Rwandan guns.... Overseas investigation. there is a lot to be said for tied Aid. I remember Liz O Donnell threatening to resign her seat if the Irish government didnt give more to Overseas Development aid.

Money in Africa is like money down the drain. The Irish missionaries went there with 100 year plans at the start of the century. Mid 1970's the orders were getting weaker and the nuns were gone by the mid 1980's. But the Orders had left churches, schools, Medical aid stations and seminaries. In the early 2000 they returned to find it all gone and VooDoo incorporated into the mass.

Money into Africa is money down the drain.

Manach

First and foremost, that does strike me as somewhat underhanded approach to your (skooterblue2) Uncle to target him like that. Given this seems to be a growing tactic in the charity sector is still no excuse.
Second, yes a lot of money targeted for Africa goes awry. Kleptocracies abound in that region. Saying that, our own governments have a shaky record about matching monies in to final needy recipients. I don't work in the sector myself, but have interacted both with people who worked there and people who have benefited from charity aid. For the Catholic, Protestant and Other NGOs, they have (where conditions allow) done good work that occurs in the unreported background so ensure that victims of disasters are cared for as well as promoting sustainable development in the area. As skooterblue2 mentioned, there are plenty of pitfalls, but inspite of these there are positive aspects as well.

skooterblue2

@Manach the 1996 data protection act!!! what a joke.... these agencies are sharing and swopping Data bases by the new time...

Graces7

neemish wrote: »

92% of Trocaire's funding goes directly to projects. It is one of the charity's which is actually not run as a business but as a charity

Compare that to a similar Aid Charity where 88% of funding goes back into fundraising!

your figures are woefully inaccurate. where did you get them from..

trocaire is the same as the others.salaries, advertising...admin

Benny_Cake

Graces7 wrote: »

your figures are woefully inaccurate. where did you get them from..

trocaire is the same as the others.salaries, advertising...admin

The most recent available annual report from Trocaire shows that 92% of expenditure is on charitable activities.

http://www.trocaire.org/whatwedo/annual-report

Of the bigger charities operating in this country, it seems to me that Trocaire is one of the better ones.

robp

skooterblue2 wrote: »

My Uncle cleared them all. He was a big hearted geneous farmer for charities. £1000 here and a £1000 there for worth causes. they kept his name on a data base and swopped it with another Catholic Charity. When he was 73 and dying from an undiagnosed illness, they rang him and as he was getting on in years they asked to be remembered in his will, they would send out the forms. That was the straw that broke the camels back.

He never gave to charity again. Trocaire are very generous with their Pension plans just like Goal. Always cribbing to the government for money money.... overseas development aid. I will never give money to Charity again. Even when I was on minimum wage I always gave a few Euro to charity.

The scandal of money from Ireland misspent ... in central africa .... funding Rwandan guns.... Overseas investigation. there is a lot to be said for tied Aid. I remember Liz O Donnell threatening to resign her seat if the Irish government didnt give more to Overseas Development aid.

Money in Africa is like money down the drain. The Irish missionaries went there with 100 year plans at the start of the century. Mid 1970's the orders were getting weaker and the nuns were gone by the mid 1980's. But the Orders had left churches, schools, Medical aid stations and seminaries. In the early 2000 they returned to find it all gone and VooDoo incorporated into the mass.

Money into Africa is money down the drain.

If people are enthusiastic about something enough its common that people can become obnoxious in their approach. I don't think that reflects on the outcomes of the organisation. Trocaire do brilliant work. That been said I 'd preferentially donate to smaller organisations which I know better like the MMMs for example. At the end of the day there is a difference between frugal missionaries who take vows etc and a more business run NGOs but both can do their bit.

skooterblue2

I think the last three months has revealed so much about charities. I always remember the government upping their donations to Goal and other organisations. I couldnt working it out. Instead of saying "thank you, with this money we are going to use it to fund this project X over X years, the out come will benefit X in such a way". This would encourage me to donate instead of whinging .... "... government has been ignoring this for years, we need more funding and its not enough". Dont bite the hand that feeds you.

All I see over the last few years since the set up of National Lottery is Charity becoming a little industry of it own.

Want to give to charity? Give to your local SVP, helping Irish people locally. Give it where you see it. Give 4 hours a week at the homeless shelter for 6 months (trust me its mentally hard work and not for everyone and a high burn out rate).

I think people are getting sick of UNHCR salaries, Irish Red Cross (seriously alarming history as opposed to International Red Cross), using charity funds to prop up directors bonuses ..... It has become something like the end of George Orwells Animal farm. We need to redefine and draw lines about what is overseas aid/development and what is Charity.

Then there is a whole issue about tax relief on charity donated .....

Dublin Red Devil

Keep in mind that the money you give to these charities is probably lining the pockets of their executives. Any money that actually does get to Africa probably to the same corrupt governments who keep their people in poverty. So you are not helping these people, You are further contributing to their problems