Are some charities a scam?

I don't donate, i have €1 a week going directly out of my wages for Cancer Research i think. Other than that, i never give money to collectors, i never ring the helpline to donate "just €7 a month" to some child in Godknowswhere, or any other places. The ads make me not want to donate. I hate them with a passion. And i'm begining to get rude to street collectors, especially the fookin Trocaire ones (I think), who all look like hippies and would nearly walk 10 blocks with you to get a donation. Hate them.

It's not because i don't have a heart, it's because if i want to donate i'll do it myself, i don't need no self-righteous twat telling me why i should. Pish off and leave me alone.

As for those fookin clothes collection leaflets that fill half my bin... If i ever catch someone putting them in the letter box, i'll puck the head off 'em. I don't care if they have no grasp of the English language, or even know what they're distributing, not my problem. Majority of them are definitely scams.

Also heard from a very good source, that St. Vincent de Paul supplies all our lovely travelling families with a full xmas dinner every xmas (possible hearsay), and supplies cigarettes to prisoners (fact)... Pricks.

Some are scams. Some are a bit less serious about what they do. Others are brilliant.

There was a website that did investigations into how much of your donation actually went on direct help. There can be a huge range from the Bono type case, all the way down to sub 10% (which is pretty respectable.)


And I've heard of a few of the bigger charities spending money on audits by the likes of PWC and Deloitte so they can show how much goes on administration and things like that.


Another interesting question is would you be happy for some of your donated money to be used as bribe money? Some charities outline that they refuse to play bribe money, as they see it as a bigger detriment than simply not getting access to areas or being left get aid through. So inferring from that, some charities probably do use some of your money to bribe people.

LighterGuy wrote: »

heck, lets be honest, are the big ones not too? just they are more 'legit' :rolleyes:

Eh no, generally they're not. You can't infer from the specific to the general, and claim that, because you got ripped off by two skangers, all charities are involved in fraud. There are rules in place regarding what a charity can, and cannot do, and if a charity breaches said rules, it loses its status. On top of that, many charities have their books independently audited to reassure people about the monies they donate. Furthermore, the damage done to the reputation of any charity found to be involved in fraud or scam-like behaviour would be massive, and certainly not worth the risk.

Of course, there'll always be excpetions to the rule, but they very much prove that rule. And to claim that the wrongdoing of one charity shows that all charities are corrupt, is as unfair and inaccurate as claiming that all Dubliners are druggie scum because of the antics of a few people on the boardwalk.

LighterGuy wrote: »

the words 'some' / 'small' / 'certain' mean a minority. I used the word some. Please take your 'go against everything' opinion to another thread. The vast majority of your replies are you broadcasting your opinion rather than inputing or discussing your disagreement.

Are you for real? You asked are all charities a scam, inferred in your own response that all charities are somehow fraudulent-

small scale charity is 100% a scam...heck, lets be honest, are the big ones not too? just they are more 'legit'

- and then take issue when I disagree in a polite and reasoned manner? If you don't like people having a difference of opinion with you, then I'd advise you not to post!!

Money wise there really is nothing stopping a person from either creating a fake but legit looking charity or just cloning another

And there's nothing to stop people who might donate to such fake chaities from asking for identification and certification. And calling the police if they are not forthcoming.

LighterGuy wrote: »

heres my bucket.
heres my (fake) id.
I say 'spare change please?"

i. "You know, I've never heard of your charity before. I'm a tad suspicious about your legitimacy. I won't therefore give you money today, but I'll find out about your credentials, and if they are legit, I'll pop some change in your bucket the next day"

ii. "Sorry, I don't give to charities I've never heard of."

iii. "Hold on a mo while I ring the guards and verify whether you are a legitimate collector. Hey, why are you running away?!"

Any one of the above would suffice.

.... or better yet!!!!!!!
I create a legit charity. but only give 40% of the money to the actual charity.

heres my bucket.
heres my (legit) id.
I say 'spare change please?"

i. "I know nothing about your orgainisation so, until I know more about you, I won't be giving you any money, Sorry."


There are risks in any venture, from getting your car fixed, to getting your roof re-tiled. So too, there's a risk in giving to charities. The key though, is not to stop giving because of fear, but to educate yourself on some of the charities around. As I said, most of the bigger ones regularly subject themselves to indpendent audits, and publish their details in order to increase transparency. As I also said, the risk to the larger charities of defrauding the public would be so immense as to make any such attempt suicidal.

There are moves afoot to introduce a charity regulator like they do in the UK, which should help. Until then, you can find reassurance perhaps in the fact that the larger UK charities operating here are subject to regulation.

Yes.

Charities are a way to take money from old people, women and the gullible to give it to dictators and genocidal maniacs in Africa for them to buy guns.

Or else a way to send rich kids who have no construction experience to developing countries to build shabby housing and thus undercutting the local builders through their cheap (free) labour and meanwhile most of the money goes into being completely ripped off for building supplies and airlines tickets.

Or, the money goes into the celebrity research. This is the research which is fashionable at the time. whether it be breast cancer, CP, MS, or the celebrity #1 disease AIDS. Instead of money getting the most bang for the book by tackling the large casualty easily curable diseases, it goes into expensive research for low benefit/cost ratio causes. I hate this shit.

I've yet to meet a good charity. I wonder if they can exist.

I'd rather organise a whole group of folks to raise money together then head out to feicin Africa and buy whatever supplies/food/stuff a wee town/couple of families needed. Than give to charity anymore.

What I hate is those ones out on the street(feicin concern etc) trying to get bank account details of some wee 15yr old who knows no better or some old granny into donating!

I had one lad cheeky enough to say to me "Well we had an old woman who already gives to 14 charities sign up with us today".....aye probably cause the poor old mare is too feicin soft to tell ye to feic off.
Or the farts try to flirt with you/whore themselves out! Duuuuurty :eek::pac:

Meh. I'm all for animal charities/shelters these days.
Least you can buy alot of the things they need (food,bedding etc) and drop them at the door and see them being feicin used. Happy days.

Wanna give a tenner to a homeless charity? How about ye pop into pennys and buy a bloody jumper and get a sandwich somewhere for that tenner and hand them to the homeless person instead. Would be far better -.-

http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/Opinion/2011/0124/Tax-breaks-for-wealthy-donors-Schools-struggle-while-the-rich-fund-golf-tourneys

Tax breaks for wealthy donors: Schools struggle, while the rich fund golf tourneys
Tax deductions for charitable giving mean the rich can fund their pet causes while the government loses vital tax revenue. This loophole effectively takes the public good out of the hands of voter-elected representatives and subjects it to the whims of wealthy donors.

In the US it's often just a way for rich people to subsidise their social life - organising 'events' and getting the eduction. Similar happens here too