Charities wanting increasingly large donations?
Discussion
I know it's always been a thing that once you donate to many charities there's a steady stream of post or emails asking you to consider donating more but I've noticed (or think I've noticed) an increasing number of charities with TV adverts that seem to want a starting donation of £15 or £30 or what seem like considerable amounts rather than "whatever you can spare".
I can't help but think that right now given we're in a cost of living crisis that approach may be limiting the donations they get but equally I'd expect they've done their sums and think it's the right approach.
Does anyone know what's behind it?
I can't help but think that right now given we're in a cost of living crisis that approach may be limiting the donations they get but equally I'd expect they've done their sums and think it's the right approach.
Does anyone know what's behind it?
There was a knock at the door the other evening and beyond my better judgement I answered it before checking the cameras to see who it was ... anyway it was a children's charity collector wanting to sign me up to a DD for them.
She said in her naivety that they weren't asking for a huge amount like £20 as they know money is tight for everyone and then proceeded to say they only are asking for people to donate the equivalent of £0.90/day.
I looked at her a little bemused and then pointed out thats more than £20 and she suggested it wasn't. I declined her proposal at this point.
I actually have the conversation on camera as well and played it back as I thought id heard incorrectly!
She said in her naivety that they weren't asking for a huge amount like £20 as they know money is tight for everyone and then proceeded to say they only are asking for people to donate the equivalent of £0.90/day.
I looked at her a little bemused and then pointed out thats more than £20 and she suggested it wasn't. I declined her proposal at this point.
I actually have the conversation on camera as well and played it back as I thought id heard incorrectly!
Scarletpimpofnel said:
They have CEO's salaries, cars and multiple houses to pay for you know?!
And expensive London head offices that frequently need renovating.Don't get me started on Charity Muggers and the percentage of the monthly debits that goes to the company that employs them.
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hstewie said:
hstewie said: I know it's always been a thing that once you donate to many charities there's a steady stream of post or emails asking you to consider donating more but I've noticed (or think I've noticed) an increasing number of charities with TV adverts that seem to want a starting donation of £15 or £30 or what seem like considerable amounts rather than "whatever you can spare".
I can't help but think that right now given we're in a cost of living crisis that approach may be limiting the donations they get but equally I'd expect they've done their sums and think it's the right approach.
Does anyone know what's behind it?
To be honest I just thought it was a "normal" negotiating tactic (i.e. ask for loads and hopefully get 50% of what you ask for).I can't help but think that right now given we're in a cost of living crisis that approach may be limiting the donations they get but equally I'd expect they've done their sums and think it's the right approach.
Does anyone know what's behind it?
My wife and i donate to 5 charities each month. I don't know why but they also send us letters asking for extra donations, which is annoying but I guess from their point of view it must work.
Scarletpimpofnel said:
They have CEO's salaries, cars and multiple houses to pay for you know?!
This was done to death a few months back - the consensus supported by those who actually know about such things was the high salaries earned by leading charity managers is entirely appropriate and affords better value all round.To the topic in hand...
It's reflective of the general cost of things including the interventions that the money being raised is used to pay for.
The amounts quoted are equivalencies. They don't physically take your £20, go and buy a tap and send someone to Africa to install it. The money you donate goes into a pot from which all operations are funding included staff, overheads, heating .... Stands to reason that if the cost of all that has gone up then the amount they seek needs to rise accordingly.
StevieBee said:
Scarletpimpofnel said:
They have CEO's salaries, cars and multiple houses to pay for you know?!
This was done to death a few months back - the consensus supported by those who actually know about such things was the high salaries earned by leading charity managers is entirely appropriate and affords better value all round.ZedLeg said:
Yeah, Shelter just asked if I can bump my monthly dd to them up a bit. Currently giving them a tenner, not decided whether I'm going to up it yet.
I commend your generosity but I wouldn't give them a penny if they got on the floor and begged - awful awful awful organisationzedstar said:
ZedLeg said:
Yeah, Shelter just asked if I can bump my monthly dd to them up a bit. Currently giving them a tenner, not decided whether I'm going to up it yet.
I commend your generosity but I wouldn't give them a penny if they got on the floor and begged - awful awful awful organisationbhstewie said:
hstewie said: I wasn't intending on laying into the charities.
Maybe they've been asking for decent sized amounts for a while but it just seems really prominent at the moment.
I think understanding why the amounts they're asking for is increasing will inevitably lead to criticism. I've stopped donating to several larger charities (RNLI, RBL, Shelter and Oxfam) as they've either strayed from their mission path, or have excessively high wage bills for the CEO's etc.Maybe they've been asking for decent sized amounts for a while but it just seems really prominent at the moment.
Alorotom said:
There was a knock at the door the other evening and beyond my better judgement I answered it before checking the cameras to see who it was ... anyway it was a children's charity collector wanting to sign me up to a DD for them.
She said in her naivety that they weren't asking for a huge amount like £20 as they know money is tight for everyone and then proceeded to say they only are asking for people to donate the equivalent of £0.90/day.
I looked at her a little bemused and then pointed out thats more than £20 and she suggested it wasn't. I declined her proposal at this point.
I actually have the conversation on camera as well and played it back as I thought id heard incorrectly!
We had exactly the same, but they said "£5 a week" She said in her naivety that they weren't asking for a huge amount like £20 as they know money is tight for everyone and then proceeded to say they only are asking for people to donate the equivalent of £0.90/day.
I looked at her a little bemused and then pointed out thats more than £20 and she suggested it wasn't. I declined her proposal at this point.
I actually have the conversation on camera as well and played it back as I thought id heard incorrectly!
Nurses, teachers, train drivers, chancellors, Tesco etc
Staffing is likely the largest single cost for most fundraising charities, so wage inflation eats significantly into financial viability. Anyone with large property costs is getting hammered with utility cost rises. Many charities have "survived" COVID better than they might have thought with reduced costs and a variety of grant schemes they have benefitted from. Those without large reserves are starting to feel the pain more now so they are inevitably going to be asking for more.
I can't see public fundraising generating a big increase given the other pressures folk are facing, but if you don't ask you don't get. Those who can easily afford to will probably dip their hand deeper into their pocket if they see a real need - whether that is enough to offset the reductions from folk that can't afford to I guess we will see.
Staffing is likely the largest single cost for most fundraising charities, so wage inflation eats significantly into financial viability. Anyone with large property costs is getting hammered with utility cost rises. Many charities have "survived" COVID better than they might have thought with reduced costs and a variety of grant schemes they have benefitted from. Those without large reserves are starting to feel the pain more now so they are inevitably going to be asking for more.
I can't see public fundraising generating a big increase given the other pressures folk are facing, but if you don't ask you don't get. Those who can easily afford to will probably dip their hand deeper into their pocket if they see a real need - whether that is enough to offset the reductions from folk that can't afford to I guess we will see.
If you want to give to charity - please give directly.
With the chugging companies, some 12-18-24 months of donations go as initial commission. So let's say you sign a direct debit for £50 per month. That's a lot of money going to the chuggington companies. Google some of the chugging company accounts and the directors who drive Bentleys out of your donations - they love your altruism.
With the chugging companies, some 12-18-24 months of donations go as initial commission. So let's say you sign a direct debit for £50 per month. That's a lot of money going to the chuggington companies. Google some of the chugging company accounts and the directors who drive Bentleys out of your donations - they love your altruism.
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