Do you give to charity?
Do you give to charity?

Poll: Do you give to charity?

Total Members Polled: 299

Yes - anything I see fit: 43%
Yes - but only in the UK: 19%
Yes - but only major events / charity pushes: 7%
Would do but can't afford it: 6%
No: 24%
Author
Discussion

theboyfold

Original Poster:

11,479 posts

257 months

Friday 20th August 2010
quotequote all
Having a discussion on Facebook at the moment about people who aren't giving enough money to the flood efforts in Pakistan, something I'm not giving any money to as I will only give to charities based in the UK, something I do on a albeit small but monthly basis.

However, it seems my views have rubbed a few people up the wrong way and they see my views as narrow minded and one quote that's come about is "As soon as we allow ourselves to rationalise our way out of someone elses shoes, then I think it's a very short journey from not wanting to go to the aid of someone dying in an African drought to steping over someone dying in your street."

Which to me is a tad radical, I can't help everybody therefore I help those I believe in. Yes the floods in Pakistan are horrific, yes the same could be said about Haiti, but that doesn't make me feel like I should donate to them.

So at what point do you draw the line?

Please don't turn this into a thread about if we should give to Pakistan or not, it's more about giving to charity as a whole

kambites

71,666 posts

252 months

Friday 20th August 2010
quotequote all
I have a regular GAYE (unfortunately abbreviation hehe ) set up but wont give money other than that. I don't like being approached in the street or asked to give money just because someone has decided to run a marathon.

DavesFlaps

683 posts

222 months

Friday 20th August 2010
quotequote all
I occasionally give to charities through my own volition.

Although only ones that have a personal significance to me.

I refuse to give anything to these ubiquitous charity wes who stop you in the street and think it's reasonable to ask for your bank details. s.

WorAl

10,877 posts

219 months

Friday 20th August 2010
quotequote all
I donate to cancer research charities and the like, based in the UK.

I'm sorry for the horrific things that have effected peoples lives but it just seems that every time something bad happens to a country now th first thing that happens is they look for handouts, no, people will donate if they see fit, don't just ask, ask, ask, try to sort the problem yourselves first.

What did you do 50-100 years ago before people could apparently afford to hand out money left, right and centre?

TuxRacer

13,966 posts

222 months

Friday 20th August 2010
quotequote all
Charity starts at home I'm afraid, we'll have a family at some point around the corner and we haven't even got a roof of our own yet.

mike13

796 posts

213 months

Friday 20th August 2010
quotequote all
Two direct debits monthly to animal charities,one national and one local.

Don

28,378 posts

315 months

Friday 20th August 2010
quotequote all
I prefer to volunteer and give some of my time. I do this for a road safety charity that I believe in. People die on the roads who needn't and I hope what I do makes a small but positive contribution towards reducing the numbers.

Kindersley

329 posts

196 months

Friday 20th August 2010
quotequote all
Never . And certainly o would refuse to give to Pakistan. They are big enough and do not need money.

When you see how some of these charities spend money its like they are having a great life style from it all. First class hotels and plane tickets etc .

It makes me laugh when some old git is stood outside a supermarket asking for money so a school can buy a new computer etc !!!!!!!!!!!!! what the hell are our taxes for ?? what should we have to bail out hospitals ?

no way. it stays in my rocket

V8mate

45,899 posts

220 months

Friday 20th August 2010
quotequote all
I'll hand over a generous handful to a homeless person if they make me laugh.

I'm not paying towards the inflated salary and central London offices of some la-di-dah 'Communications Director'.

Petrolhead_Rich

4,659 posts

223 months

Friday 20th August 2010
quotequote all
I give to a selected few charities, generally not these foreign aid ones, not because I Don't think they need help, or I don't like them but because far too much foreign aid donations go into transport and charity bosses pocket.

IIRC, boss of oxfam earns well into 6 figures - Tosser!

I do donate Alot to charities that I think help people who truely need & deserve our help e.g.

Help for Heroes
RAFA
RAFBF
Guide Dogs
RNLI
Air Ambulance

I have also done a couple of sponsored events for Childrens homes and similar that we work with.

parakitaMol.

11,876 posts

282 months

Friday 20th August 2010
quotequote all
Yep, I support 2 animal charities with regular giving and I give some of my time to a disability organisation by working on their website. All of them I've got strong reasons why I want to support what they do.

I think it's really sad that there is such a wave of donor fatigue right now, but whilst I truly empathise with foreign disaster appeals I still feel more motivated towards UK organisations.

rich1231

17,340 posts

291 months

Friday 20th August 2010
quotequote all
How about a "none of your fking business" option?

Eddh

4,656 posts

223 months

Friday 20th August 2010
quotequote all
I do things to raise money and sometimes donate to people in the office if they are doing something to raise money.

WorAl

10,877 posts

219 months

Friday 20th August 2010
quotequote all
rich1231 said:
How about a "none of your fking business" option?
That's just a get out option for miserable bds....oh hello rich. biggrin

RegMolehusband

4,116 posts

288 months

Friday 20th August 2010
quotequote all
I give a small amount to two charities every month by DD. However I've never really understood why charities need to exist in one of the richest countries in the world. The County Air Ambulance Trust for example receives no help at all from the government or the lottery.

Robatr0n

12,362 posts

247 months

Friday 20th August 2010
quotequote all
kambites said:
I don't like being approached in the street or asked to give money just because someone has decided to run a marathon.
I agree with you, I hate being approached by the bucket shakers outside supermarkets especially when you have one of them tell you that you're a bad person for not giving any money. Pretty stupid of them to assume that considering they know nothing about me or what I've done for charity.


rich1231

17,340 posts

291 months

Friday 20th August 2010
quotequote all
WorAl said:
rich1231 said:
How about a "none of your fking business" option?
That's just a get out option for miserable bds....oh hello rich. biggrin
No, its an option for those that think its the height of vulgarity to talk about how much someone gives to charity.

V8mate

45,899 posts

220 months

Friday 20th August 2010
quotequote all
RegMolehusband said:
I give a small amount to two charities every month by DD.
Oh yeah. I give generously to the DDs charity on the last Thursday of each month too hehe

WorAl

10,877 posts

219 months

Friday 20th August 2010
quotequote all
rich1231 said:
WorAl said:
rich1231 said:
How about a "none of your fking business" option?
That's just a get out option for miserable bds....oh hello rich. biggrin
No, its an option for those that think its the height of vulgarity to talk about how much someone gives to charity.
He didn't ask how much you give, he was just asking if you give...

No need to get uptight about it, just say no if you're a tight bd hehe

Edited by WorAl on Friday 20th August 09:56

JungleJim

2,430 posts

243 months

Friday 20th August 2010
quotequote all
people that fulfil ambitions (parachute jumps, climb kilimanjaro etc) 'for charity' piss me off.