Why you should question all charities before giving
Discussion
The Great British rake-off... what really happens to the billions YOU donate to charity: Fat cat pay, waste and hidden agendas
More than 195,289 charities in UK raising close to £80billion a year
Many have become 'hungry monsters' using money to feed own ambitions
David Craig's new book exposes the truth about Britain’s charity industry
Recent inquiry found there are too many charities to keep track of activities
You could donate to the £16.3 million- a-year Breakthrough Breast Cancer, the £13.4 million Breast Cancer Care or the £10.6 million Breast Cancer Campaign… and the list goes on. This duplication is hugely expensive.
For example, all charities with an income over £25,000 have to file independently-audited accounts with the Charity Commission at a cumulative cost of £252 million in accountancy fees alone. Some people are beginning to understand this.
The Prostate Cancer Research Foundation, Prostate Action and Prostate Cancer UK laudably decided to merge, with the result that money spent on charitable causes and scientific grants doubled from £8.2 million to £16.5 million, largely due to significant savings in management costs.
The figures are astonishing. There are more than 195,289 registered charities in the UK that raise and spend close to £80 billion a year. Together, they employ more than a million staff – more than our car, aerospace and chemical sectors – and make 13 billion ‘asks’ for money every year, the equivalent of 200 for each of us in the UK.
But many charities have become hungry monsters, needing ever more of our money to feed their own ambitions. And while registered charities claim that almost 90p in every pound donated is spent on ‘charitable activities’, many spend at least half their income on management, strategy development, campaigning and fundraising – not what most of us would consider ‘good causes’.
The six biggest anti-poverty charities have 142 staff being paid £60,000 a year or more and 17 with salaries of more than £100,000. In all, about 16,000 charity staff are paid more than £60,000 a year and perhaps 3,000 are getting more than £100,000.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2835947/Th...
More than 195,289 charities in UK raising close to £80billion a year
Many have become 'hungry monsters' using money to feed own ambitions
David Craig's new book exposes the truth about Britain’s charity industry
Recent inquiry found there are too many charities to keep track of activities
You could donate to the £16.3 million- a-year Breakthrough Breast Cancer, the £13.4 million Breast Cancer Care or the £10.6 million Breast Cancer Campaign… and the list goes on. This duplication is hugely expensive.
For example, all charities with an income over £25,000 have to file independently-audited accounts with the Charity Commission at a cumulative cost of £252 million in accountancy fees alone. Some people are beginning to understand this.
The Prostate Cancer Research Foundation, Prostate Action and Prostate Cancer UK laudably decided to merge, with the result that money spent on charitable causes and scientific grants doubled from £8.2 million to £16.5 million, largely due to significant savings in management costs.
The figures are astonishing. There are more than 195,289 registered charities in the UK that raise and spend close to £80 billion a year. Together, they employ more than a million staff – more than our car, aerospace and chemical sectors – and make 13 billion ‘asks’ for money every year, the equivalent of 200 for each of us in the UK.
But many charities have become hungry monsters, needing ever more of our money to feed their own ambitions. And while registered charities claim that almost 90p in every pound donated is spent on ‘charitable activities’, many spend at least half their income on management, strategy development, campaigning and fundraising – not what most of us would consider ‘good causes’.
The six biggest anti-poverty charities have 142 staff being paid £60,000 a year or more and 17 with salaries of more than £100,000. In all, about 16,000 charity staff are paid more than £60,000 a year and perhaps 3,000 are getting more than £100,000.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2835947/Th...
FredericRobinson said:
'Together, they employ more than a million staff'
One in 30 working people in the UK works for a charity? Don't believe that for a second
Depends on the definition of employ?One in 30 working people in the UK works for a charity? Don't believe that for a second
How many are effectively unpaid?
Conidering how many charity shops there are, that's a lot of staff just for starters.
I work for a charity. We spend almost all our income on servicing bank loans and on staff and contractors salaries doing what our charity was set up to do, providing affordable housing to around 6000 families. There are many different types of charitable organisations , some do what people expect charities to do, distributing donations to causes which need them but others provide services which are needed, and in providing services, most of their costs will be salaries. I don't see a problem with this.
ps like many charities, we do not accept public donations.
ps like many charities, we do not accept public donations.
I only have a problem with waste and duplication.
I do really get angry when a so called celebrity exhorts me to give.
First I think, are they getting paid, and how much is the advert costing to screen. Then I think, you are worth an awful lot more than me and most people watching this. If you think its such a good idea, why not just give a big donation yourself.
I do really get angry when a so called celebrity exhorts me to give.
First I think, are they getting paid, and how much is the advert costing to screen. Then I think, you are worth an awful lot more than me and most people watching this. If you think its such a good idea, why not just give a big donation yourself.
It is easy to be glibly cynical about charities, but not all are big businesses. I was a director of a small educational charity for several years. We ran on a very limited budget and just about managed to carry on from year to year providing a service to children with reading difficulties. No waste, no splurge.
In the world of the big charities, a superficial analysis of expenditure may be misleading. A few years ago I did the Oxfam Trailwalker event (this involves walking 100 Km over the South Downs in about a day). Oxfam invited me to a party afterwards for an awards ceremony. I rang up and expressed concern at the expense of this, but the person I spoke to made a reasoned and detailed case for the event encouraging higher giving, in particular from corporate teams, who like to have such rewards for taking part in sponsored events.
Why assume that schlebs don't donate? Many do.
In the world of the big charities, a superficial analysis of expenditure may be misleading. A few years ago I did the Oxfam Trailwalker event (this involves walking 100 Km over the South Downs in about a day). Oxfam invited me to a party afterwards for an awards ceremony. I rang up and expressed concern at the expense of this, but the person I spoke to made a reasoned and detailed case for the event encouraging higher giving, in particular from corporate teams, who like to have such rewards for taking part in sponsored events.
Why assume that schlebs don't donate? Many do.
Going back many years (middle 1980s IIRC) there was a scandal where the chairman of the International Red Cross had paid a £2000 restaurant bill with his official IRC credit card. The dinner was for him & his friends, nothing to do with IRC business.
His explanation was that he'd accidentally handed over the wrong cards without thinking. If I paid the equivalent of a £5k dinner bill now I think I'd notice which card I was using.
Even if his explanation were true, though, one has to wonder why the chairman of a charity is paid so much that 1) he can afford a £2k dinner bill & 2) he doesn't even notice how he pays it.
I notice that management salaries are high 'to recruit the right people' but doctors & engineers going out to actually do the work are expected to do it for 'local salary' plus a warm glow of satisfaction from helping others.
His explanation was that he'd accidentally handed over the wrong cards without thinking. If I paid the equivalent of a £5k dinner bill now I think I'd notice which card I was using.
Even if his explanation were true, though, one has to wonder why the chairman of a charity is paid so much that 1) he can afford a £2k dinner bill & 2) he doesn't even notice how he pays it.
I notice that management salaries are high 'to recruit the right people' but doctors & engineers going out to actually do the work are expected to do it for 'local salary' plus a warm glow of satisfaction from helping others.
Scuffers said:
FredericRobinson said:
'Together, they employ more than a million staff'
One in 30 working people in the UK works for a charity? Don't believe that for a second
Depends on the definition of employ?One in 30 working people in the UK works for a charity? Don't believe that for a second
How many are effectively unpaid?
Conidering how many charity shops there are, that's a lot of staff just for starters.
some are also employed as trainers/assessors/ casualty simulators for commercial or community first aid training and/or work for the commercial ambulance operation ( on substantive or bank contracts) - i've done both of those at various times as well as the other paid staff that provide admin , logistics and facilities management back up
there are also things like the VRT and GpB TA Military SNCOs and Officers who are paid for at least some of their work with the cadet forces ...
I never give money to charity. Of course I get the disapproving looks and comments as ITS CHARITY INIT!
In have given my time and labour to several charities and I have made a difference to people's lives. Its quite telling when a charity will take your money but are not interested in your time.
In have given my time and labour to several charities and I have made a difference to people's lives. Its quite telling when a charity will take your money but are not interested in your time.
It is partly why we donate only to local charities now.
I also get really cheesed off with the larger charities which we used to donate, sending us an almost constant stream of requests for more donations. They must have spent more than the tenner a month we donated to them on sending us letters.....
I also get really cheesed off with the larger charities which we used to donate, sending us an almost constant stream of requests for more donations. They must have spent more than the tenner a month we donated to them on sending us letters.....
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