I have decided to stop shaving and to seek sponsorship to raise money for a men's health charity.
The thing is, which one do I go for - Movember or Prostate Cancer?
The Movember website seems to be more American orientated with lots of pictures of old blokes wearing sweat bands. The Prostate site seems to be more down to earth.
Neither of them seem to say what percentage of the money raised actually goes to the good cause in question.
Has anybody got any idea?
|
That's not a simple question. Problem is that large charities become little industries and lots of people can be employed - what proportion of their salary cost really benefits the objects is usually unfathomable from the returns.
You can find accounts on the charity commission website, e.g.
goo.gl/163swf (Prostate Cancer UK overview).
The difficulty is that "charitable activities" is where the wages are.
Drilling down into the accounts, of the 26.6m spent in the last year to March 2015, £22m was on charitable activities. Of that, about £9m was wages. There is some breakdown of that but it doesn't help much. The main obvious charitable application is research grants, about £17m awarded in the last 2 years, average about £8.5m a year. Grant awards tend to be a bit lumpy so you should probably look across several years to get a trend.
apps.charitycommission.gov.uk/Accounts/Ends41/0001005541_AC_20150331_E_C.pdf
I take the view that the best places for my charitable donations are the local hospices.
Last edited by: Manatee on Tue 3 Nov 15 at 23:09
|
I take the view that the best places for my charitable donations are the local hospices.
Spot on.
|
|
I was "chugged" by two Mancunians door-stepping for UNICEF - highly persuasive to the point of bullying. To get rid of them I gave them a dormant account details and cancelled the DD as soon as it appeared on my online BA. They would have been here for hours otherwise. I won't ever give to UNICEF now. My wife donated to Oxfam after a TV appeal for one of the recent disasters. We were plagued with phone calls from them for some time. When will they learn that people give from their hearts and this actually stops that emotion stone dead. I would never contribute to national charity now. I have given (cash) to the Legion. Local for me every time now.
|
I have DDs for charities. November is the Red Cross and they get the annual £50 - every few months they would call and ask for it to be monthly, say £5.00.
This repeated calling went on and on and I finally got them to stop. If you pester me any more then I am sure ANOther Charity will accept my November £50 and appreciate it!
I still give them £50 but the pestering has stopped.
|
>>To get rid of them I gave them a dormant account details and cancelled the DD as soon as it appeared on my online BA
That must have been some level of bullying. I hope you put in pretty strong complaints.
|
I find it remarkably easy to get rid of unwanted doorstep callers. There is a small cc sized sign on the front door. If they cannot understand English I teach them a few words. Simply 'go away' suffices. No need to be rude.
With religious groups, adult/s with child, as happened last Saturday AM whilst overseas, I invite them in to join our whisky tasting sessions. That does the trick.
|
>> I find it remarkably easy to get rid of unwanted doorstep callers. There is a
>> small cc sized sign on the front door. If they cannot understand English I teach
>> them a few words. Simply 'go away' suffices. No need to be rude.
>> With religious groups, adult/s with child, as happened last Saturday AM whilst overseas, I invite
>> them in to join our whisky tasting sessions. That does the trick.
>>
>>
I find "sorry I am not interested" works on phone and doorstep.. Followed by putting phone down/closing door.
Never had any problems at all..
I donate to various charities . If chugged "sorry my charity budget is already committed" works..perfectly.
I have never been persistently pestered. I suspect my reaction would be rude.
|
I regularly donate to three charities.
Our regional air ambulance
www.kssairambulance.org.uk/
I grew up close to Richmond so the Poppy factory and the Star and Garter home were both local and well known to me. The home has now relocated to Surbiton so once again local to me.
starandgarter.org/our-homes/surbiton-home/
gbr.orbis.org/
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orbis_International
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8242799.stm
So many very skilled people donating their time and expertise to support the project.
Not just chucking funds into a local situation.
It is now a flying teaching hospital.
Soon a newer (donated) aircraft will be online.
I have seen several 90 min presentations by Orbis and the complication of equipping and operating the aircraft (on the ground) are staggering.
Unlike other aircraft, imagine securing all the operating theater equipment each flight.
I try to gift aid all contributions to other charities rather than cash in a box.
|
"I try to gift aid all contributions"
As far as I can see, the problem with 'gift-aiding' a donation is that you give your details away and any hopes of anonymity - thus laying yourself open to future pestering.
|
>> I grew up close to Richmond so the Poppy factory and the Star and Garter
>> home were both local and well known to me. The home has now relocated to
>> Surbiton so once again local to me.
>> starandgarter.org/our-homes/surbiton-home/
They also have plans to build homes in other parts of the country, not just the South East.
starandgarter.org/our-homes/
|
Local hospices are wonderful at treating the symptoms. But the big national charities that fund research are more about preventing the symptoms from happening in the first place. Both have their places.
But yes, 'charity' is a rather nasty industry.
|
>>
>> But yes, 'charity' is a rather nasty industry.
Rather tarring all charities with the same brush. Most charities do a good job and it would be a worse country and indeed world without them. All charities except the very smallest, need full time professional staff to run efficiently. Raising funds is a constant challenge. Some do overstep the mark from time to time but I have never found it difficult to just say "sorry, not interested " whether on the phone or face to face.
|
November - Manatee
