Sponsor meeeee. :(

smash · 13-07-2016 09:21AM

People always want sponsorship to do things they'll enjoy, like a once in a lifetime experience, and I just won't pay for that. Now if someone wants to look for sponsorship to be left in a barren wasteland for a week while predators hunt them for food in support of starving kids in Africa then fcuk it, I'll give them a fiver if them manage to survive.

GLaDOS · 13-07-2016 09:22AM

Candie wrote: »

By FAR the worst kind of fundraising is the supermarket bag pack. That invasion of the most private of spaces; the end of the conveyor belt. Get out of my space, and take off the stupid T-shirts.

No, the Ballygobackwards Irish Dancing School Of Camogie, Pole Dancing And Wizardry is NOT a charity.

Leave me alone, back off, and get your hands off my shopping and out of my wallet.

One benifit of shopping in Aldi, no space for that nonsense.

Winterlong · 13-07-2016 09:51AM

Ye are all a bunch of tight wads!

beach_walker · 13-07-2016 09:56AM

Fluffy Cat 88 wrote: »

One of my nieces wanted money to read books :O

Ha! Who else remembers the MS Read-a-thon? I'd forgotten all about that. Was dead chuffed on getting a certificate from them saying I'm a great lad. Was so successful that next year the school banned it and instituted their own read-a-thon for raising money... suffice to say numbers participating dropped dramatically.

maudgonner · 13-07-2016 09:59AM

When I was a child my parents would give me a few quid for sponsorship but wouldn't let me go bothering anyone else.

At the time I thought they were spoilsports and wished I was like everyone else and allowed to pester neighbours, relatives etc to look for sponsorship. Now I realise how sound it was of them.

It takes a few decades before you appreciate some of the lessons your parents teach you, or the example they set.

(ETA: I'm still annoyed with them that they wouldn't let me get a pet bear though. Spoilsports :mad:)

gramar · 13-07-2016 10:03AM

I don't mind people using a run/cycle/24 hour egg and spoon race for raising funds for a good cause but if I thought they were
using part of the money raised to pay entry fees or travel/accomodation then they can **** right off.

Lyaiera · 13-07-2016 10:09AM

Macy0161 wrote: »

It's the sponsored holidays that are the worst. Sponsor me to run, for example, the New York Marathon - feck off, plenty of marathons you could run locally for much less cost with more money to the charity, if it's genuinely about running the 26.2 miles rather the freebie weekend in New York.

Run around your garden enough times to hit 26 miles and I'll give ye a tenner. I'll give you 20 if you let me have a bbq there while you're doing it.

T-Maxx · 13-07-2016 10:13AM

Well mannered kids, yes.
The type that just stick the form in your hand while mumbling "sponsor me", eh no.

Sky King · 13-07-2016 10:15AM

Candie wrote: »

By FAR the worst kind of fundraising is the supermarket bag pack. .

Yet another reason I shop in Aldi.

RTighe · 13-07-2016 10:32AM

Fluffy Cat 88 wrote: »

In the past few months I've been approached by family, friends, and enemies looking for sponsorship for everything from "Hell and Back" to 5 kilometre strolls. One of my nieces wanted money to read books :O

I'm probably a right tight ar$ed stingebag for thinking this way but - I'm sick of it. One particular family (his feckin brother's 4 offspring) are always whipping out a card and chanting "sponsor meeeee". €5 is the expected amount - not a huge amount but it all adds up when its so frequent.

Chuggers - while annoying and a nuisance, are easy to either ignore or say no to. Extended family, not so convenient. Is there any way I can avoid being shook down for money?

Surely parents are sick of their kids constantly badgering them for sponsorship? A lot of it seems to be school related activities.

Would love to read people's opinions and experience of this nonsense.

This Does my head in, I do a lot of the mentioned like tough mudder hell and back etc, but I cannot bring myself to ask others for money directly. I cant!

I don't know their financial situation and I don't know if the even agree with the charity in question if I picked one.

What I did last month for the first time was basically say "I'm doing this for fun, but if the idea of it entertains you, then I would like it if you went to this page and if you felt like it, maybe make a donation of time materials or time (it was an animal shelter).That way no-ones asked directly and its up to them, and if they did donate, great, if not, no-one knows!)

but I agree with the OP. it is getting a bit much this year with the constant give us the cash!

Ciaran_B · 13-07-2016 11:02AM

Some kids came to my door earlier this year looking for sponsors for something. But they were collecting name on an iPad!. They weren't swiping credit cards or anything, just recording names and amounts, but that's the next step for sure. I said no and closed the door.

Pawwed Rig · 13-07-2016 11:15AM

Another is sponsorship to build houses for poor people in Colombia.
Wait a second you are in college doing music and philosophy. The guy you are building the house for is much better able to take part in the construction than you.
ie we pay for her holiday and the holier than thou facebook updates.

topper75 · 13-07-2016 12:20PM

Pawwed Rig wrote: »

Another is sponsorship to build houses for poor people in Colombia.

They can't help build homes for Irish people who are less well off - because they are citizens of the world see.

In truth, these schemes are a way of rich Irish folks getting their college-going kids out of their hair in the summer months.

I see this nonsense less and less thankfully. And the Himalayan trek type thing is also pretty much history.

Now if we could only eliminate the city centre footpath botherers and the bag packers looking for me to fund THEIR sport or hobby... 'because we are a community organisation'.

Elliott S · 13-07-2016 12:40PM

T-Maxx wrote: »

Well mannered kids, yes.
The type that just stick the form in your hand while mumbling "sponsor me", eh no.

Ah I dunno, that could be a mix of shyness and mortification at looking for sponsorship. I know I always hated asking people as a childer.

rainbow kirby · 13-07-2016 12:44PM

Pile of ****e tbh. I've been running for years and I hate that people's first response when I say I'm doing a race is "Who are you doing it for?" - their expression changes drastically when I say "Me". The idea that people might participate in endurance sports because they find them fun is totally lost on people.

Elliott S · 13-07-2016 12:49PM

My friend's son is autistic and she is doing a fundraising walk in Spain to raise funds of an autism service charity. Makes her sound like one of those people just looking for people to pay for her holliers. Well, she paying for her flight and accommodation out of her own pocket and she has organised a very fun sounding garden party with games and food and prosecco in exchange for a sponsorship of €15 a head. I'm very happy to attend as it'll be good craic and she is actually giving something back to the people who give her sponsorship, rather than "Just gimme money to go abroad and save cute animals. No, there's nothing in it for you". Also, she is an incredibly generous person who does so much for her friends and family despite being a self-employed single mother, so everyone is very happy to support her. You reap what you sow and all that.

So many charity fundraisers come across as completely self-serving though.

Lyaiera · 13-07-2016 12:51PM

Misery/grief/disaster tourism are all things.

spurious · 13-07-2016 12:56PM

'Do you want to do a sponsored run with me?'
'Um...not really'
'Go on, it's for children with disabilities'.
'Oh OK then, I might have a chance'.

Ba doom tish.

Elliott S · 13-07-2016 01:01PM

Remember once driving through a town down home with my dad and some people were out with baskets collecting money from passing cars. My dad slows down to ask what it's in aid of. "The local handball club", they said. "Will ye feck off, I thought it was for something worthwhile" said father and off we drove. Gotta love that plain-spoken generation!

:D:D

Sterling Archer · 13-07-2016 01:08PM

If anyone every ask me for a donation for doing X I'll always ask them how much they are donation or fronting,
I did a skydrive for CF, you need the price of the jump x 2, paid for the jump myself and the rest was donations,
This idea of "I'm doing it for a great cause" is really annoying, some people are genuine and donate themselves or are truly doing something completely beyond there norm or capabilities others just want free stuff or to be known and seen to be "helping people" ...

The Bishop Basher · 13-07-2016 01:08PM

rainbow kirby wrote: »

Pile of ****e tbh. I've been running for years and I hate that people's first response when I say I'm doing a race is "Who are you doing it for?" - their expression changes drastically when I say "Me". The idea that people might participate in endurance sports because they find them fun is totally lost on people.

Love it..

I'm planning something for next year, possibly the year after.

Same as you though, i'm doing it for me.

Partly because I won't ask people for money for any cause and partly because I just can

Flint Fredstone · 13-07-2016 01:09PM

"An unanswered door is a happy door"

ScumLord · 13-07-2016 01:10PM

I'm involved in the organisation of some of these collections. It's always a nightmare trying to organise, the day and location is selected to minimise people's anger, we are aware that people can get fed up of donating but we wouldn't be out on the street begging if we weren't desperate.

It's not all teenagers that want to go skydiving, they're a huge minority. Charities and clubs do try everything to find novel ways of asking for money, sponsoring a local to do something pulls on two heart strings but also creates an event for people to go to. For the most part collections are for local groups like GAA or soccer, they pay for the services people think they're getting for free.

Necessary evil I'm afraid.

topper75 · 13-07-2016 01:41PM

A necessary evil?

That I pay for other peoples' hobbies and sports.

Run that rationale by me again in different words. I didn't get it the first time.

ScumLord · 13-07-2016 01:48PM

topper75 wrote: »

A necessary evil?

That I pay for other peoples' hobbies and sports.

Run that rationale by me again in different words. I didn't get it the first time.

You're not paying for other people's hobbies and sports, you're paying for community amenities like GAA grounds and their maintenance, soccer grounds and there maintenance, playgrounds, OAP amenities. These are all things that the government doesn't actually buy for us, someone has to gather people together and organise a way of paying for it.

If you don't want to pay for these things, don't. Just walk on by. Maybe you like the old style of Irish town that had feck all in it other than pubs, a church and a funeral home.

But generally the majority in any town is parents and if they want to widen their children's possibilities then they'll see the value in supporting these kinds of projects.

All you have to do is say no. I don't see why people allow themselves to get so upset over stuff that simply isn't a big deal.

Winterlong · 13-07-2016 01:51PM

ScumLord wrote: »

You're not paying for other people's hobbies and sports, you're paying for community amenities like GAA grounds and their maintenance, soccer grounds and there maintenance, playgrounds, OAP amenities. These are all things that the government doesn't actually buy for us, someone has to gather people together and organise a way of paying for it.

If you don't want to pay for these things, don't. Just walk on by. Maybe you like the old style of Irish town that had feck all in it other than pubs, a church and a funeral home.

But generally the majority in any town is parents and if they want to widen their children's possibilities then they'll see the value in supporting these kinds of projects.

All you have to do is say no. I don't see why people allow themselves to get so upset over stuff that simply isn't a big deal.

Completely agree. People allow themselves to be confused between those fund raising for local community causes and others who want to go on a vanity trip to build sheds in some sunny climate.

I definetly support the former, not the latter.

Fluffy Cat 88 · 13-07-2016 01:51PM

Great points from both sides on here.

I suppose I have charity fatigue at this stage though. When the sponsorship card comes out my heart just falls. I don't like refusing, especially when it's family but it really irks me.

Maybe I need to be more selective. Ask them what the money is going towards, then decide myself whether or not its worth the fiver donation (fiver seems to be the expected amount and it's usually what the others on the list have given).

Or the "oh no I have no cash on me", and be the meany aunt.

smash · 13-07-2016 01:51PM

ScumLord wrote: »

You're not paying for other people's hobbies and sports, you're paying for community amenities like GAA grounds and their maintenance, soccer grounds and there maintenance, playgrounds, OAP amenities. These are all things that the government doesn't actually buy for us, someone has to gather people together and organise a way of paying for it.

playgrounds and OAP amenities (whatever OAP amenities are) are paid for by the council. GAA and Soccer Clubs aren't local amenities, they're private clubs with paid membership!

ScumLord · 13-07-2016 02:01PM

smash wrote: »

playgrounds and OAP amenities (whatever OAP amenities are) are paid for by the council.

They didn't pay for ours. We collected for it. We also collected for OAP social clubs, I'm not involved in that side so I don't know what get's paid for, but we have a nice part of town with housing for OAPs that's kept tidy for them. Councils don't pay for things if they can help it. The smaller towns around the country have had to pay for their towns amenities themselves. If you go through a small town and see a playground it was probably bought by the locals, it's also not just enough to pay for the amenities, you also have to cover ongoing maintenance.

The Bishop Basher · 13-07-2016 02:11PM

ScumLord wrote: »

Councils don't pay for things if they can help it. The smaller towns around the country have had to pay for their towns amenities themselves... ..it's also not just enough to pay for the amenities, you also have to cover ongoing maintenance.

Makes you wonder why we pay tax at all but that's another debate for another day.

I agree that if a town wants to have decent amenities, the locals are going to have to organise and make it happen.

Pretty obvious as you drive across the country which ones make the effort and which ones don't or can't.

Sponsor meeeee. :(

Comments