Do you give money to charity?

Femme_Fatale · 17-07-2013 11:30PM

greenflash wrote: »

One monthly standing order to Temple St and one to the supporters' trust of a football club. I also give to CF collectors due to a couple of friends whose kids are sufferers and I also give to the Irish Cancer Society for family reasons. Everyone else, especially those collecting for animal charities, can **** right off.

Charitable... yet extremely aggressive towards the charities you don't support. Ok...

MickFleetwood · 17-07-2013 11:31PM

Not really, no. Only to cancer research if I ever do.

BluesBerry · 17-07-2013 11:35PM

I give to animal charities when ever I see them collecting the guide dogs, paws dogs trust etc I think the main charities with the shops do well as it is I try and donate to the shops as much as I can but I have a soft spot for the animal ones

and Im sick of concern troicre and the troicre boxes every lent
I think it is a sh1tty move giving them boxes out through the schools putting pressure on families because the children would be eager to bring them back to their teachers I would rather the money went to the school itself instead of being shipped out of the country to fund the salaries of the employees of the charity

PizzamanIRL · 17-07-2013 11:40PM

I don't since I saw a report on how much of your money actually goes into executives pockets.

Yes I know that giving zero isn't going to help but I was just turned off when I saw that. They use the kids in Africa to melt your heart and then a good amount of the money you give doesn't even get near the kids on the ads.

greenflash · 17-07-2013 11:41PM

Femme_Fatale wrote: »

Charitable... yet extremely aggressive towards the charities you don't support. Ok...

Not really. Occasionally extremely hostile towards street chuggers but generally I just walk on or say 'no you're ok'. Once or twice I've explained why I support the charities I do over those opposing puppy farms or such. In my head they can all **** right off but because I'm civilised and not overly confrontational, I just smile politely and move on or close the door as appropriate.

Mr Benevolent · 18-07-2013 10:20AM

Femme_Fatale wrote: »

They do?

They're mostly information services and do very little to actively and positively help except to be a relatively ineffectual lobby group. The majority of the homeless have mental illnesses, so I consider Simon and Focus Ireland to be one of the very few who make a real contribution, if only in providing some comfort to those in dire need.

Mental health treatment in this country is appallingly bad. It's still at the sweep it under the carpet/village loony stage. The UN actually had to step in in 2011 and tell the govt to change the laws. It's a sick joke at this stage.

martinedwards · 18-07-2013 10:27AM

We sponsor a couple of kids in developing countries.
direct debits to Concern, tear fund & Christians against Poverty.
direct debit to church
As a canoeist I'll throw money into any RNLI box I ever see.

as to paying the people who run the charities?

you want the job done well you have to employ good people.

you want to employ good people, you need to pay them a reasonable salary.

the idea that a chief executive should work for E150 a week is naive and idiotic.

jimgoose · 18-07-2013 10:32AM

Yes, yes I do. I am very fortunate, and think it right and proper to make small but regular donations to certain good causes. You could argue that this has more to do with making myself feel good than genuinely helping people, but I say this to you: shi!t up a downpipe.

Give freely, Grasshopper - and it will come back ten-fold.

the groutch · 18-07-2013 10:34AM

martinedwards wrote: »

the idea that a chief executive should work for E150 a week is naive and idiotic.

so is the idea that they should get paid €150k a year

18-07-2013 11:17AM

Kiva and animal charities
Kiva goes direct AFAIK and not to CEO stuff, and I think the animal charities I pick are the same

mrmanunited · 18-07-2013 11:33AM

I understand that employee's need to get paid to make things happen for charities, but when you read that some CEO's make 6 figures, it seems crazy, how much effort goes into collecting money to pay those wages?! Its when you hear how some charities have marketing budgets in the millions to 'raise awareness' that makes me sad. If I donated £15 a month to help a charity, i'd be gutted to know, im just funding an ad to get more people to give money, rather than making a difference and helping the problem

the volunteers deserve the respect giving time is impressive!

mattjack · 18-07-2013 11:39AM

I work for a low threshold charity , I appreciate every penny and every item of food and clothing donated to where I work.

Most charity's now will gratefully accept clothing etc at their door.You don't necessarily have to give bank details etc

Where I work has suffered redundantcy's and state cutbacks to the tune of 7%.

Where I work employs doctors , nurses , dentists , counsellors and a variety of skilled project workers.It also has residential treatment and after care housing alongside homeless and day services.

Even simple things like razors, underwear , socks , hats and gloves, even sugar on the table are all hard to come by nowadays.

homemadecider · 18-07-2013 11:41AM

Mr Benevolent wrote: »

I'd recommend Focus Ireland, you'd be horrified to know how inefficient the foreign aid charities are.

You do know that Concern and Trocaire have annual audited public reports published on their websites? Anyone can go and read about their spending. They are far from inefficient.

whitewave · 18-07-2013 11:42AM

I have one or two causes that are close to me (ABII and Headway), and support them regularly, and do some volunteering/fundraising with them from time to time. After that, I'd give friends money if they're doing a fundraiser or whatever, but that's about it. Always feel that little bit guilty when I avoid chuggers on the street...but they annoy me so they guilt doesn't last long!

jimgoose · 18-07-2013 11:43AM

whitewave wrote: »

...Always feel that little bit guilty when I avoid chuggers on the street...but they annoy me so they guilt doesn't last long!

I am utterly remorseless in the matter of completely ignoring those people. Also, people who harass you via telephone/email/snail-mail almost every day looking for "donations" for this, that and the other can furk straight off.

18-07-2013 11:46AM

I watched a programme on BBC last night about three people/families who could barely afford food. I was so saddened by it. They had celebrity chefs go in an try to eat on the same budget as these folk.

The first guy was an old irish man, he ate almost nothing and lived in a little bedsit. He could only afford really cheap tins of soup and would make them last two days.

another was a single mother who worked full time, she had a teenage daughter and made sure her daughter ate the food which they got from the food bank, while she drank 20 cups of sugary tea a day just to keep going. She had lost 3.5 stone in 6 months, was anaemic, and at risk of bowel cancer.

I wondered about these food banks, I know we have St. Vincent de Paul and the likes, but have we anything like this? It's something I would be very interested in trying to set up here.

Mr Benevolent · 18-07-2013 11:50AM

homemadecider wrote: »

You do know that Concern and Trocaire have annual audited public reports published on their websites? Anyone can go and read about their spending. They are far from inefficient.

Yes, they can read about their spending, but that's a quarter of the story. The majority of countries that need aid don't have the administrative capacity to handle and distribute the money, so the NGOs give it to the government. The government takes it and spends it on military equipment and luxuries. A small % of the money is turned into aid supplies to show willing and rest is dumped into numbered bank accounts in Luxembourg - Switzerland is not as popular anymore due to the removal of certain privacy laws.

The NGOs know this but literally can't do a thing about it. That's the stark reality, and it's why I don't donate to foreign aid NGOs or charities that don't make an active, measurable and real difference to people's lives in Ireland.

18-07-2013 12:05PM

Deleted User wrote: »

I watched a programme on BBC last night about three people/families who could barely afford food. I was so saddened by it. They had celebrity chefs go in an try to eat on the same budget as these folk.

The first guy was an old irish man, he ate almost nothing and lived in a little bedsit. He could only afford really cheap tins of soup and would make them last two days.

another was a single mother who worked full time, she had a teenage daughter and made sure her daughter ate the food which they got from the food bank, while she drank 20 cups of sugary tea a day just to keep going. She had lost 3.5 stone in 6 months, was anaemic, and at risk of bowel cancer.

I wondered about these food banks, I know we have St. Vincent de Paul and the likes, but have we anything like this? It's something I would be very interested in trying to set up here.

There seems to be only one
http://www.crosscare.ie/crosscarefoodbank.ie/

homer911 · 18-07-2013 12:09PM

Mr Benevolent wrote: »

Yes, they can read about their spending, but that's a quarter of the story. The majority of countries that need aid don't have the administrative capacity to handle and distribute the money, so the NGOs give it to the government. The government takes it and spends it on military equipment and luxuries. A small % of the money is turned into aid supplies to show willing and rest is dumped into numbered bank accounts in Luxembourg - Switzerland is not as popular anymore due to the removal of certain privacy laws.

The NGOs know this but literally can't do a thing about it. That's the stark reality, and it's why I don't donate to foreign aid NGOs or charities that don't make an active, measurable and real difference to people's lives in Ireland.

The irony with a name like that...
I hope you sleep well at night

jimgoose · 18-07-2013 12:10PM

homer911 wrote: »

The irony with a name like that...
I hope you sleep well at night

He's right. That's why God invented Bono - he sorts all that stuff out and he may as well, he doesn't contribute much around here. And I sleep just fine.

Mr Benevolent · 18-07-2013 12:17PM

homer911 wrote: »

The irony with a name like that...

You've obviously never heard of the BBC radio comedy 'Bleak Expectations'.

Aside from that, all of what I've said is true, and refusing to believe it doesn't make it go away.

mattjack · 18-07-2013 12:23PM

Deleted User wrote: »

I watched a programme on BBC last night about three people/families who could barely afford food. I was so saddened by it. They had celebrity chefs go in an try to eat on the same budget as these folk.

The first guy was an old irish man, he ate almost nothing and lived in a little bedsit. He could only afford really cheap tins of soup and would make them last two days.

another was a single mother who worked full time, she had a teenage daughter and made sure her daughter ate the food which they got from the food bank, while she drank 20 cups of sugary tea a day just to keep going. She had lost 3.5 stone in 6 months, was anaemic, and at risk of bowel cancer.

I wondered about these food banks, I know we have St. Vincent de Paul and the likes, but have we anything like this? It's something I would be very interested in trying to set up here.

We do , Brother Lukes give out groceries once a week.

mattjack · 18-07-2013 12:30PM

Mr Benevolent wrote: »

You've obviously never heard of the BBC radio comedy 'Bleak Expectations'.

Aside from that, all of what I've said is true, and refusing to believe it doesn't make it go away.

You made one very good a relevant point a few posts back where you comment on the failings of our state mental health services , but I'll add to it for you ... guess where people with severe mental ill heath end up ?

In the arms of the homeless low threshold services.
I've seen five sections since Christmas.

homemadecider · 18-07-2013 12:35PM

Mr Benevolent wrote: »

Yes, they can read about their spending, but that's a quarter of the story. The majority of countries that need aid don't have the administrative capacity to handle and distribute the money, so the NGOs give it to the government. The government takes it and spends it on military equipment and luxuries. A small % of the money is turned into aid supplies to show willing and rest is dumped into numbered bank accounts in Luxembourg - Switzerland is not as popular anymore due to the removal of certain privacy laws.

The NGOs know this but literally can't do a thing about it. That's the stark reality, and it's why I don't donate to foreign aid NGOs or charities that don't make an active, measurable and real difference to people's lives in Ireland.

Rubbish. Do you think the NGOs just collect money and hand it over to governments? Trocaire work in partnership with local community-based organisations and non-profit groups. Concern are direct implementers, which basically means they are directly involved (via their staff and partners) in building wells, drilling boreholes, training people, assisting farmers with new techniques, etc.

If you were bothered to read any of their literature then you would know this. As I said, it's all readily available. Concern's website is particularly full of information.

Sleepy · 18-07-2013 12:48PM

Not in any organised fashion. I'd never pass an RNLI collection tin if I have change in my pocket but that's about it these days.

I'm skeptical as to where most of the cash ends up with many charities, dubious as to the long-term benefits of aid to the developing world and don't have much in the way of spare cash anyway as my salary is fleeced by the government every month which is supposed to pay to provide health and social services.

I'd also question the inherent inefficiency of the charity sector: when 20 charities are competing to help the same causes, the duplication of effort is ridiculous.

Mr Benevolent · 18-07-2013 12:49PM

homemadecider wrote: »

Rubbish. Do you think the NGOs just collect money and hand it over to governments? Trocaire work in partnership with local community-based organisations and non-profit groups. Concern are direct implementers, which basically means they are directly involved (via their staff and partners) in building wells, drilling boreholes, training people, assisting farmers with new techniques, etc.

If you were bothered to read any of their literature then you would know this. As I said, it's all readily available. Concern's website is particularly full of information.

If you want to believe the feelgood version that an NGO pretties up on its website, then that's your prerogative. I prefer to hear this stuff from the source. No doubt some aid gets through, but when Irish law states that a minimum of 5% of donations must go to the cause itself... well, you get the idea.

And don't get me started on fluffy animal charities... Jesus, more people are conned into giving money to those than anything else. The UK's biggest charity earner is a donkey sanctuary.

You made one very good a relevant point a few posts back where you comment on the failings of our state mental health services , but I'll add to it for you ... guess where people with severe mental ill heath end up ?

In the arms of the homeless low threshold services.
I've seen five sections since Christmas.

And that's why I donate only to those charities.

mawk · 18-07-2013 01:49PM

Here is a talk that I like. It puts a different spin on the idea about charities doing things with money that are not direct aid to the poor.

<iframe src="http://embed.ted.com/talks/dan_pallotta_the_way_we_think_about_charity_is_dead_wrong.html" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe>

In case embedding is disabled:
http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pallotta_the_way_we_think_about_charity_is_dead_wrong.html

Personally I give money to Kiva. I think bottom up charity beats top down. And I got a repayment yesterday from a loan I gave to a man in Georgia who bought a milking cow which was nice. Now I can think about who to give the money to next.
Keep the one investment rolling over and helping more than one person.

Sir Humphrey Appleby · 18-07-2013 01:53PM

whirlpool wrote: »

Do you give money to charity and if so, do you believe your donation is going to make much of a difference?

If you don't give money to charity, is there any particular reason(s)?

Yes I do, and like most people if I didn't think it would make much of a difference I wouldn't be giving it.

fishy fishy · 18-07-2013 03:25PM

ted1 wrote: »

The government give it for me. A huge % of the tax I pay is given to people without jobs, sick people and foreign countries.

A lot if charities are used to make up the shortfall in government funding, such as Crumlin Hispital. There should be tax benefits for making donations to state run organisations

what's a hispital?

mrmanunited · 18-07-2013 03:38PM

mawk wrote: »

Personally I give money to Kiva. I think bottom up charity beats top down. And I got a repayment yesterday from a loan I gave to a man in Georgia who bought a milking cow which was nice. Now I can think about who to give the money to next.
Keep the one investment rolling over and helping more than one person.

Kiva is fantastic and shows how charities have evolved with the digital world. im waiting to see the first company to setup a kickstarter style charity... eg, please help fund a well in africa. £10 buys 100 bricks, £100 buys a pump etc. then shows all the costs behind, like admin, travel whatever... once the funding is complete, then it takes the money. and they update the donators etc!

Do you give money to charity?

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