I was sitting in the park at the weekend when a charity collector asked an unsuspecting woman for a donation.
She may as well have asked for a kidney and the arranged marriage of one of her daughters.
“I’ve only got a $50 note,” the woman answered, which is an odd way to shirk a donation, pleading unbreakable wealth and all. The charity collector countered swiftly. “That’s fine, we have change.”
Awkward pause. “I’d rather not.”
Charity is a quirky thing. Some of us give merrily and without discretion, others with a cynical eye. Some of us don’t give at all. Even the ones who can most afford to.
“Only six in 10 of the wealthiest Australians give money to charity and philanthropic causes, according to a 2008 report by researchers at the Australian Centre of Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies at the Queensland University of Technology.
”Given the propensity of this group to benefit from professional tax advisers and utilise the tax system, some 40 per cent are likely to be engaged in minimal – if any – giving,” the report said.
There are those who give generously, as Fairfax noted when it spoke to Simon Mordant, a multi-millionaire Sydney financier.
”I hope my last cheque bounces. I want to die with nothing.”
That’s the aim of the game for people like the mega-rich Bill and Melinda Gates (who have so far given away some $28 billion of a $61 billion fortune) and billionaire Warren Buffet who has joined the Gates’ in doling out massive cheques for global health programs.
But Aussies? Well, our wealthy are ‘morally bankrupt’ according to a former Microsoft executive. The rest of us aren’t too bad, but are we generous enough?
So, wealthy or not, what’s your take on giving? How do you do it, how often, is there anything that charities do that make you keep your change?
Have you checked out Mamamia Cares? A huge range of touching stories from Mamamia readers sharing their favourite charities and causes. Have a look.
Comments
203 Comments so far
I am becoming reluctant to donate money to any charity, working in real estate we have many tenants who take advantage of charities such as Salvos, Smith Family. Rather than paying their own rent they cry poor to these charities and get them to pay their way, while they spend their money on luxuries that I can not afford – the problem is charities dont ask questions, just give blindly to people that waste their money on smokes, artificial nails and take away. I would much rather give time or clothes/food than money.
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I regularly donate to several charities and understand that there are many deserving causes out there. However, I have become increasingly irritated by the number of calls I receive each week (probably about 12) from charities. They used to almost always occur while I was trying to cook dinner or get my young kids to bed, now they call in the day too (and I work four days so dread to think how many more calls I’d get if home everyday). I hate the fact that I either feel compelled to donate against my will, or awkward and guilty for saying no. I think these calls should be illegal and I am seriously thinking about having my landline disconnected. In my case, the calls have certainly made me less inclined to donate.
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Dear Rick,
I was just given the task to research this exact matter at work so I thought I’d share the most recent facts I could find:
Australia represents only 0.33% of the global population, coming in 54th on a global ranking of population size, while boasting the 7th highest per capita Gross Domestic Product in the world.
On a measure of our personal generosity Australia was ranked the most ‘charitable giving country’ [according to the World Giving Index 2011, published by the Charities Aid Foundation] stating that 70% of the population gives money to charities and 38% of the population had volunteered time for an organisation in the last month.
I think that these facts speak for themselves. Not only are we as Australian’s in a position to donate – we do, and we do it better and more than people from countries with substantially larger economies that our own.
So in response to your question: Are we generous enough? I would argue that yes, although there is always room for improvement, being rated the world most charitable giving country is something we can be proud of.
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I sponsor a child in Ghana through World Vision, and am a paid-up member of Animals Australia. I donate periodically to animal causes especially Oscars Law (ending factory farming of companion animals) and purchase merchandise for Daffodil Day (cancer) Purple Day (epilepsy) Bandaged Bear Day (kids hospital).
I happily bake for CupCake Day (RSPCA) and do leaflet drops for worthy causes.
What I can’t stand are the Charity Muggers (chuggers) that accost me on the street and in shopping centers. On the whole they are rude and intrusive, and I most don’t accept a one off donation, they want you to hand over bank account details for a monthly donation.
I understand that the causes they represent are in need of funds, but I don’t like the in- you- face tactics they use.
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I think that charities themselves and government generally have ruined giving. I am one of the bloated fat cats who earn over $150K. I am happy to pay tax, and am happy to pay more than people who earn less then me. I don’t even mind that, because of our progressive tax system, I pay relatively more out of ever dollar then people who earn less then me. I only take high paying jobs because I have a lot of kids and want to look after them. For me that means more stress, longer hours, etc. BUT that doesn’t seem to be enough. Every additional tax or levy that comes out seems to increase the proportional additional amount I have to pay. The $900 handouts didn’t come to me, the flood levy does. I will pay the flood levy and the carbon tax, but I won’t get any of the tax breaks. I won’t get the health fund rebates, but I pay more medicare levy then others. On and on it goes. If the progressive tax system is wrong – if people like me must pay more at every turn – why not just change the tax bands? After all of this and paying more than others at every turn, I have to admit that I don’t want to give to charities – I feel like I am already giving heaps more than everyone else. I still do if I can relate to a charity, but why doesn’t the government simply increase taxes, ban charitable fund raising, and properly fund charities on the basis of proper auditing?
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I absolutely idolise Bill and Melinda Gates for their philanthropic work, they are an incredible inspiration.
As well as my own personal donations, I always incorporate giving in to the work I do. For example, I’m running a yoga holiday in the Daintree this August and we purchase a “Cassowary Care Package” from Rainforest Rescue for every participant (We always sight several of these magnificent birds when we run yoga holidays up there – it’s kind of a thank you to them as well as a way of protecting our amazing rainforest!)
For our Bali Paradise yoga retreat in June, we ask participants to bring vital supplies for a mother and baby clinic called Bumi Sehat (they then use the empty space in their suitcases to carry their holiday bargains home!) We also collect unused rupiah and donate it to the clinic.
This kind of giving helps people to feel involved with the people they are supporting and ignites an enthusiasm for giving that is often sustained for years to come.
http://www.adoreyoga.com/
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We donate to a major charity every month – not a large amount, but what we can afford on our single income. I’m happy that we can make a small change in someone’s life BUT I get very annoyed that this charity rings a couple of times a year asking for us to increase our donation! I patiently explain that this is all we can afford, but it makes me angry that they think they have the right to make me feel like what we give is not enough. I am seriously considering telling them to cancel our monthly donation and I’ll take it to another charity who might appreciate it more.
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I decided to support only one charity, and that charity gets a monthly direct debit from my bank account, that’s because i can’t give to every charity that’s asking for money, i couldn’t decide wich one so i put a few names in a hat and pulled one out.
There’s just too many charities out there
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I am happy to give to charity when I initiate it eg, buying a pen, red nose or whatever or a ticket in something. Don’t mind door knocking now and then.I do find phone calls intrusive and irritating and I don’t like being spoken to when I am walking past someone on my way into the supermarket.
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I used to give to a few charities, as well I still do volunteer work. Last year i had the “same ” charity ring 3 times in a month for my yearly donation. This surprised me.
Since I have retired I have also found that there are a lot of youngish people knocking on the door with a plastic label telling me that they are from such and such charity. How do I know?
Same for phone calls, how do I know that is who you are?
I have taken to donating to the actual work place if i can or I have changed my charities, I frequently suggest to them that if they set up a bank account that one could put money in then i would be happier. You can hear the confusion in the persons voice, why don’t you trust me?
Sorry I don’t.
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I don’t donate to charities but instead I donate my time and do regular volunteer work with/for them.
A good idea for anyone with the “not much money” excuse (which I’ve been guilty of using).
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Another great idea is to use the internet to find charities that can really use stuff that you don’t need rather than throwing it out. A recent one I found is called Fitted for Work and it takes immaculate condition office wear and accessories for disadvantaged women seeking work. A great way to get rid of work shoes that didn’t quite work out or suits that don’t fit anymore but feel too good to put in a regular charity bin.
http://www.fittedforwork.org/
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A friend of mine collected for green peace for a while. I know they can be a polarizing charity because of the sea shepherd and whether man has influenced climate change etc. She said she did far better in the poorest suburbs (Brisbane) than in the wealthiest, where people were openly abusive to her, she had people spit at her, or throw things at her.
In a similar vein, it was found that one of the poorest suburbs of Ipswich (Qld) regularly had the best Kmart Christmas tree donation. I wonder if it’s a case of those closer to the edge having some more empathy….
I’m a regular irregular charity giver. If that makes sense. I have given one offs to the Qld floods, various hospital charities, the red cross and st vinnies and all our older/outgrown clothes/toys etc go to lifeline. I just dont don’t do regular donations ATM. After my girls have gone through high school, I’ll be happy to commit to it again. The last time I did was to green peace. Not surprisingly, it was my friend that signed me up.
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Giving to Charity is an intensely personal decision and I think many of us – including me have lost sight of the joy involved in doing so. Yep, I said joy in the same sentence as giving away money.
There are so many ways to give, time, money resources, stuff and skills. My personal belief is that at different times in our lives, different things will be appropriate. As poor arts student I had no money but I had time so that is how I gave. As a childless married I give lots of money. As a busy mum and employee I have no time at all and a little money to give.
I don’t abide by the excuses that some give about money not going to the right place etc as an excuse not to give. We have the internet people – do your research!
I give to bring me joy and also bring joy into the lives of others. A few years ago I sat down and consciously reviewed what was important to me. What did I see as making the world a better place and what inspired me? What are my uppermost values? I also looked at how I liked spending my time and who with. All these things gave me a picture of what was important to me. Family, children, education, opportunity. Now, everyone’s list will be different because, thankfully, we are all shaped by different experiences. For example my son couldn’t care a fig about people. For him the most important thing he can do with his pocket money is to support wildlife and the environment – thank goodness for him because he will make sure that koala’s are safe!
A few years ago I found a charity that really resonated with me and I have mentioned many times here at MM. Room to Read. This is my thing. It brings me so much joy and happiness I smile when I write about it and it’s inspirational team. My reasons for loving this charity is that it does what I want a charity to do. It is transparent, it is accountable, it is program driven and it is a grassroots organisation. It is run as a business. That means lean overheads and measurable outcomes. It also brings joy to the lives of millions of kids through education. See? All lining up with my values and model of the world.
So how do I give when I have a huge mortgage and a family? Each year I sponsor a year of girls education ($250). I also deposit money when I can so that in 12 -18 months time I’ll have enough to fund a library in a developing country ($2,500). This is how I give money. I also give time and skills. The particular skill I donate is that I am very passionate about RtoR and it is infectious! Without a plan I have inspired quite a few companies and people to also consider Room to Read and without embarrassment I am proud to say this amount in 2 years is approximately $250,000.
I also give closer to home to local charities – usually always around education and now junior sports (you can never have enough sausage sizzles!)
Finally one of my favourite giving joys is the website Kickstarter. I love the crowdfunding of peoples dreams. It is awesome! This feeds my values around entrepreneurship and innovation. So, fellow readers, I expect some will find fault in what I do and that is great because it is my deliberate giving path and I challenge you all to find yours.
There isn’t anything like it Australia but you might like to check out Charity Navigator – it rates charities and makes them a little more transparent in the US. http://www.charitynavigator.org
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i don’t donate to any charities
i do donate to one lobby group that is trying to avoid the problems many of the charities are trying to put bandaids on
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I spent most of my teenage years volunteering for charity groups – mainly Vinnies as they had a large presence at my high school. This included Night Patrol (feeding Sydney’s homeless), Buddy Days (taking disadvantaged kids out for the day), etc etc. Every year I volunteer for the Salvo’s Red Shield Appeal and every time I walk past a Salvos guy with a bucket I will throw loose change in their.
Although I’m very much an atheist and generally don’t like the idea of giving my money to religious organisations, I’m more than happy to give my time and money to these charities. Why? Becuase when I was younger, and my parents were going through bitter custody battles over my brother, sister and I, leaving my mum pretty much broke, they stepped in and helped us out. My mum could hardly afford groceries for us, and then one Christmas our neighbours (who were Salvos officers) organised for all these gifts to be dropped off for my siblings and I. We’ve had hampers from Vinnies delivered to us when we couldn’t afford food.
These charities do so much good, and so much of it is unseen by the wider public. Even now, as a uni student they have still helped me out. I was left with no money after my last flatmate moved out leaving me to pay full rent (more than I earn) on my place. I couldn’t even afford to move out I was that poor. Then I got a massive electricity bill which I couldn’t pay. So my electricity was turned off. Vinnies and Salvos stepped in again with some energy vouchers to help me pay it and get it switched back on.
I will always be grateful for all the hard work these amazing charities do, and will give back at any opportunity I can.
I know some people (my father for e.g.) who won’t give to Salvos because some of their money goes towards housing and looking after the members “officers” in their group. But I’m happy for that, as these people have committed their lives to helping other people.
However, like so many here have mentioned, I hate that charities now ask for monthly payments, and refuse to take what little I can give at that time. It makes me feel so guilty but I literally don’t know if I will have $25 next month to give you. I might need that money to eat. And some of them have the audacity to reply “Oh sure you will, everyone has a bit of money to spare!”
You do not know my financial situation, so do not make remarks like that. Especially when you’re not willing to take the “bit of money” I’m trying to give you because you want DD payments!!
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Just wanted to add, I do donate to about four charities on a monthly basis. It’s pretty hilarious when I get called by the telefundraisers, and I find out some of them are from the same company I used to work for. I take great delight in upping my donation by $1 and then telling them to tell the boss to go f*** himself.
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Confession time… During my last year of uni I got a part time job as a telefundraiser at one of those companies that calls people on behalf of established charities and asks you to up your donation. They also organised the ‘chuggers’ that go and accost people on the street. Yeah, I’m not proud. However, I do wish to clear up some common misconceptions about the industry.
1. THEY DO NOT GET COMMISSION! I don’t care what anyone else has told you, I was never paid a cent in commission or bonuses for any ‘sales’ I made. Like everyone else, I was paid a flat rate (minimum wage). The company had a high staff turnover and were ruthless in letting go employees who didn’t make targets. Our only financial reward was not getting fired.
2. THEY ARE NOT ALL BACKPACKERS. Sure, many of my colleagues were, but many were also fresh altruistic university grads or current uni students, who admired the charities they were collecting for and had a good knowledge of the work that they did.
3. THERE IS A REASON FOR IT. Charities prefer to receive set monthly donations simply because it allows them to budget better and plan their projects knowing that there will be funds to cover them. This is a lot easier to do when you have a guaranteed monthly income rather than waiting on spontaneous giving. Sorry.
Those two points made, the work was often demoralizing at times. Let’s face it, the nature of the work is pretty crappy and manages to annoy just about everyone. I have no idea why the hell many of the major charities signed up for it, given the damage it’s done to their reputations. I can only surmise that the telefundraising company is making them just enough money to justify their continued existence. Also, whilst many of my former colleagues were awesome, the two guys running the place were complete and utter tools. I was never so glad to put my waiters apron back on in my life!
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One has to wonder what percentage of money collected by these sort of companies gets passed on to the charities and how much is kept by themselves? And then, when a charity publishes their financial figures and says that say, 30% of all money donated goes to running costs are they calculating that 30% after they’ve received their cut from the collection companies? Or does that 30% take into account that someone gave $50 to one of these collectors and the company employing them kept maybe $25 of it? All figures are hypothetical.
I don’t know the answers to these questions and I’m not sure anyone outside the industry does. And this is partly why I refuse to give to such collectors.
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We support our children’s school and our sporting clubs in their fundraising efforts. We buy raffle tickets, chocolate drives, mother’s day stall presents. I am vice president of the P&C. We will always cook sausages, bake cakes, set up or pack up an event. We can’t always give cash, but we will always volunteer to help.
When I have a clean out, I post our donations on the Givit website givit.org.au. They have charities who will often take items that St Vincent de Paul turn away – cots, prams, matresses, etc.
A couple of times a year we send money to Street Swags @ streetswags.org. $60 is all it costs to make a waterproof swag for a homeless person.
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I have a very low income so I don’t donate on a monthly basis. I’m unemployed and had to move back in with my parents to save $$. I’ll admit that I feel ashamed of this so I’m looking for a charity to donate to right now. I do give to individual causes in small lump sums throughout the year, and I purchase a lot from the Oxfam shop.
I’ll never respond to people on the street, like the huge groups who gather outside train stations, because they’re so aggressive. They also now require you to sign up for a monthly direct debit for two years, and I don’t trust them to cancel my payments at the end of the period.
I guess I’m suspicious of charities and their financial governance. Not only from articles like the ones posted below, but I used to work for a now-defunct non-profit, and the experience really soured me on charities. The non-profit I worked for had a shocking lack of financial accountability, abusive working culture, and it was eye-opening to see how people’s donations were used.
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If you have little money, it is completely understandable to not give it away, but give your time… there are heaps of ways… Find an organisation that you believe in and give them some of your time… even if it is just stuffing envelopes, that helps!!!
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My mums group all put in cash each week. Sometimes just the cost of a coffee and we take it in turns to pick a charity to donate to. When we go out for dinner we put in more cash. We all figure we are very fortunate and have beautiful healthy children.
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This is an article an undercover journalist from the courier-mail wrote after attending a conference in Brisbane, where all the major charities were given marketing advice.
I’ve always given to charities, but reading this article shocked and horrified me. I haven’t worked out what I think now, or if I’ll review my giving.
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/charities-target-the-dying-dollar/story-e6freoof-1226288261921
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My dad used to work for a very wealthy businessman who lives in Europe, and he gives and does a lot for charity, but what my dad really admires about him is that he is very quiet about what he does. Unlike many businesses or well known people, where donations to charity are a big part of publicity, he declines to be publicly acknowledged for his donations.
A controversial thing he does for ‘charity’ is to pay off one young persons debt each year. These people are usually from a developed country, but he had a conversation with my dad once about being heavily in debt throughout his 20s, with student loans, business loans, car loans etc and remembers the stress and burden it caused. He selects a person who works for him in one of his various companies based on their performance. Many people would argue that debt is a first world problem and while this is true, it’s amazing and life changing for the person he selects. His only condition is that they make a regular contribution of 2.5% of their salary for the next 5 years to a charity of his choice. For most people, an excellent trade off for escaping debts with heavy interest rates.
Controversial, but overall I think it’s a fantastic idea and he told my dad recently that he now has several employees who have worked past the 5 year mark and all have continued their contributions to charity, some have even increased the amount they donate.
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I don’t have spare time, but I do have a job and I was brought up to tithe. Not that my maths is good enough to work out what that means with the tax deductions … however, it’s a reasonable whack of my pre-tax salary. I work out about how much I’ll give for the year, and divide it into 5. Two parts go to two charities whose work I believe in, whose governance arrangements are sound, and who respect my preferences for contact (using monthly donations). The third part goes in one payment to one charity every year, but not the same one every year. A fourth part goes to charity sponsoirships (my bloke does a lot of those runs), and the last goes to random donations – cultural rather than humanitarian, one-off natural disasters, etc.
I never give to people in the street. I work in Sydney and get begged by anywhere from 2 to 5 people every single day on my way to and from work. Over it, guys.
I used to work next door to a firm that employed backpackers to stand on street corners in charity shirts and accost people. The amount that goes to the charities is very small – and the chuggers were very irritating. Never give to them (the Big Issue is not in this category).
And I also don’t give to charities who: send too much junk mail (you listening, IFAW?); who won’t take you off their mailing list (despite repeated requests, and the NSW legislation – Anglicare); who send sob stories with photos of kids trying to look sad (anything to do with cancer and/or children); who don’t publish/won’t answer questions about how their funds are spent; and who waste donations giving themselves full-page pats on the back in newspapers (Red Cross – I know Sept 11 was a long time ago, but I have a good memory).
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You sound like my dad, he hates the organisations who continually call to “up” his donation, or send him so much mail that his original donation might as well have been for postage!
So many organisations have lost his help for this kind of behaviour… and when he says it to the tele people they are quite taken aback.
He likes to give, but doesn’t want it to be wasted…
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We give 10% of our income every week. We also have 2 children we sponsor through Compassion and 3 dogs we sponsor in Thailand through Soi Dog (check them out!). For our wedding last year the guests we able to give to Charity:Water- our fav charity. And that’s just the stuff I remember. We don’t even miss it when being generous. It’s sort of magical.
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I like to donate via sponsorships. When my friends go to some effort on behalf of a charity, like shave heir head, ride their bike, grow a mo or sleep out like the homeless over night, then I donate to the charity.
A while ago a young man backed into my car. I decided not to fix the hole in my bumper (approx cost $800), but asked him instead to mke a donation in my name (so I got the receipt & knew he’d done it) to a charity I chose. I left the amount up to him. I was pleased when he donated $250.
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For those interested in giving to a charity on a regular basis, ask your employer to set up Workplace Giving as part of the payroll.
You choose the amount you wish to give each pay period ($2 and up) and the donation is deducted from your pre-tax earnings. It’s a win-win for charities and donors – the charity receives your full donation, but because your donation is pre-tax, you are actually out of pocket for a lesser amount. You receive a receipt annually for tax purposes, also saving the charity money by not having to provide fortnightly receipts.
Great system, I’m surprised more workplaces don’t have it in place.
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Thanks for the heads up! I wasn’t aware of this program but just emailed my direct manager asking if I can arrange for our workplace!
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I think charities, to a certain extent, are becoming greedy. It used to be about giving what you can afford at any given time. Now though, they expect a certain amount.
I work in aged care and I was at a clients house last year and they got a call from an organisation (a very well known one) who wanted them to donate money. This couple are elderly, have a fixed income and donate regularly to their own church, they do not have a lot of but they still said yes to this request for a donation via the phone and offered the organisation a $20 donation. Doesn’t sound like a lot to a big organisation but every little counts – or so I thought!
The man on the other end of the telephone, told my client repeatedly that the MINIMUM she could donate was $30 and tried for 15 minutes to get her to bring her donation up by an extra $10 to meet their minimum donation requirement.
In the end, she apologised, said she couldn’t afford $30 and ended the conversation.
The guy had just talked his way out of a $20 donation. It got my blood boiling! ANY amount should be gratefully received, especially in today’s economic climate where a lot of people can’t afford to donate to a charity.
So bloody ungrateful they were and my client felt really bad because the amount she wanted to donate, the amount she really couldn’t afford to donate but was willing to do anyway, wasn’t enough or good enough for them.
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I have a similar story.. I was recently sitting having my lunch and close by was a charity stand (a well known one as well!) asking for donations and in return they were giving food and drink vouchers. An elderly man walked past and the young girl approached the man, told him a little about the charity, and said he could buy a $30 booklet. He said he didn’t have that much money to give but he would love to give a donation. She said that they ‘don’t accept donations’ and you have to buy a booklet. I could see him pondering on it and hesitating, then the girl said he could buy a $20 booklet. After further hesitation, he agreed to that and bought his booklet and went on his way. Then I turned my attention to the other lady at the charity stand and he had just sold a $10 booklet to another man. That poor elderly man was obviously willing, and wanting, to give a donation, but she squirmed him into giving more than he probably could afford, even though he could have given any amount. It was a letdown for me, it doesn’t seem so much like charity if they’re ‘selling’ it.
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We give, but I don’t think we give enough. I’m not really sure why…
maybe we haven’t yet found a charity that hits close to home.
If a friend is running / walking / climbing Kili or whatnot we’ll sponsor them. If there’s a natural disaster calling for aid, we do what we can. I think we could give more and regularly, however I don’t like being pressured on the street to “think of the children!”. Nothing worse than the chuggers…
Thanks MM – this post has definitely been food for thought.
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The large private hospital close to us has a foundation that helps third world countries by performing heart operations etc. We donate a small amount each year to help support the medical teams that volunteer their time in places around the world, plus our Royal Flying Doctor Service and the Fred Hollows Foundation. We are now retired and we just never know when we may have to call on this service in rural areas we travel to, or for someone else to benefit if in an emergency
situation. We hope these organizations see that donations are wisely used.
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I give to a few charities on a monthly basis, plus some other one-offs.
Something that very nearly put me off one of my regular charities was their habit of trying to ‘up-sell’ – where you get to the last minute of your credit card donation over the phone, when they try to get another $10 or $20. Really peeves me – makes it seem like the perfectly reasonable donation isn’t good enough. Once I agreed to give provided the caller didn’t try this trick. He agreed but then at the last moment, pulled it. I got upset and told him off. His response: “I had to… its for the children”.
Now I do regular deductions so I don’t have to talk to them!
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I mostly give to local charities in my town and my kids are forever putting coins in the mission box at school. We do what we can, when we can.
As I have had food parcels given to me in the drought. Was very appreciated, and I felt the love that people had gone to so much trouble to make things a bit better in some shitful times.
I went to a charity auction and dinner for a mother of 2 who has terminal cancer last week. It restored my faith in humanity seeing a tiny community get together and give what they could to make things a bit easier for the family. People are generous when things are so close to home.
I sometimes donate in my niece’s name to the stillbirth foundation. I would never of thought to donate to them before which I feel terrible about. It is something I would not of thought about beforehand.
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I understand this post is asking what charities you donate to and its a discussion but one thing that gets to me with donating and volunteering is when people feel the need to broadcast it to everyone. I’ve been brought up to think that you should be humble when donating. Perhaps it can encourage others to donate but a lot of the time it seems like they announce it for their benefit.
I noticed this when Brisbane was hit with the terrible floods last year. So many people needed to get on Facebook and update their status with how they’d helped instead of just doing it. It’s as though they need to validate themselves.
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My Husband and I donate to Mission Australia once a month and then randomly anytime we see collectors around. Someone from a cancer charity rang him the other day and wanted $20 for 10 raffle tickets. Being low on money my Husband offered to buy one and the guy swore at him and hung up.
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Ok, unfortunately this is a very touchy topic for me. I’m probably going to come across bitter and cynical (which I could possibly be a touch of both
) but I was involved in a very nasty experience with a reasonably well known charity (which shall remain nameless) while living in south-east Asia several years ago. To cut a very long story short, after questioning some major discrepancies I was ‘no longer required’ for my volunteer position, and I don’t mean to sound full of my own importance, but I had qualifications very useful to this organisation and find it very questionable when a charity no longer requires the service of qualified volunteers when they are so few and far between, particularly in third world countries.
I could go on and on (and on and on) but this experience was extremely upsetting for me, as I devoted so much time, energy and money to this organisation, really believed in it’s cause and became very attached to a lot of the people involved with it. It’s hard not to get a bitter taste in my mouth when I talk about it.
These days, I’m extremely cautious of where my money goes. I’m definitely not suggesting that a lot of charities are like this, I believe the majority have the absolute best of intentions, but after being burnt so badly I can’t help but be careful. We don’t have much to spare at all with 3 kids of our own, and while there are so many I would love to help, it’s just not possible for us. Most of my husbands family are living in a third world country so what little spare cash we have goes towards helping them with the costs of healthcare and education. We are helping younger members of his family get a better education so in turn they can become qualified to help the many, many less fortunate people in their country in some way.
I really dislike pushy charities and think it goes against all the values of giving and appreciation.
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I currently donate to Unicef, Animals Australia, Doggie Rescue, and sponsor a child.
Unfortunately, due to unforseen circumstances, I am going to have to drop at least one, maybe two of these charities, however intend to recommence my donations once I recover financially.
The big drama I have with charities is when they start thinking they dictate how much you donate; my mum actually offered to donate $50 over the phone to a particular charity, however could not give the $70 they were asking. They told her it was $70 or more, nothing less. They lost out on $50. How is that productive?!
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I am currently vice president and regional coordinator of a voluntary branch for a children’s charity. I have had various roles starting as a regular volunteer, then fundraising coordinator, then secretary and now I hold my two current positions. Each role requires time, money and effort all of which is voluntary, on top of being a wife, mother and full time employee at a finance company. I still donate money to the charity i volunteer with as well as the cancer council because of the history of various cancers in my family. I firmly believe that the work I do as a volunteer has a crucial impact in my organization and I’m so proud to be a part of it.
I understand it is hard to choose one charity to volunteer with or donate to as there are so many worthwhile ones out there. My suggestion is to do some research on several different charities, find out how much of your donation goes directly to cures etc (alot of charities use upwards of 70 percent in admin costs alone) and also find one that may resonate with you personally and one that you know is actually making a difference.
The joy I get from volunteering is indescribeable. I cant recommend it enough. Go out and get involved, you will never regret it!
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I am currently vice president and regional coordinator of a voluntary branch for a children’s charity. I have had various roles starting as a regular volunteer, then fundraising coordinator, then secretary and now I hold my two current positions. Each role requires time, money and effort all of which is voluntary, on top of being a wife, mother and full time employee at a finance company. I still donate money to the charity i volunteer with as well as the cancer council because of the history of various cancers in my family. I firmly believe that the work I do as a volunteer has a crucial impact in my organization and I’m so proud to be a part of it.
I understand it is hard to choose one charity to volunteer with or donate to as there are so many worthwhile ones out there. My suggestion is to do some research on several different charities, find out how much of your donation goes directly to cures etc (alot of charities use upwards of 70% in admin costs alone) and also find one that may resonate with you personally and one that you know is actually making a difference.
The joy I get from volunteering is indescribeable. I cant recommend it enough. Go out and get involved, you will never regret it!
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I don’t have set rules but I do give regularly (money or time or other). For instance, today I won a copy of Pet Tails – Rough Draft Publishing’s book which has already raised over $35,000 for the RSPCA. I am donating this copy to my local vet’s where many animal lovers will see it and hopefully that will help raise awareness and inspire others to purchase a copy. I then got online and purchased a copy – I will give this copy to my friend who dedicates her spare time to saving dogs from the RSPCA. I know this is such a small thing on my part but it still felt good to do it rather than keep the book for myself . Heart problems, cancer, lupus and muscular spinal atrophy have touched my family so these are charities which receive money from me annually.
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I give regularly to Oxfam and often buy presents from Oxfam shops. Plus I do volunteer work and donate pretty regularly to that organisation too. I like donating to charities that have meaning for me. I love one of the earlier posts about donating in memory of a loved one on their birthday.
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We give regularly to Wesley Mission. They seem to do a good job. I get angry when the media talks about religous charities or compares how much charities spend on admin. The Salvos & Wesley Missions have been around for a couple of hundred years helping people. Im sure theyve helped someone in my family well before i was born. I think lifeline was started by someone at Wesley Mission. More people die in Oz each year from suicide than on our roads but govt isnt doing anything about that.
- i trust the older church type charities more than the govt or newspapers to do the right thing.
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Honestly, the Salvos are like the little engine that could. I’m not christian, but I always give to the Salvos because I am so inspired by the way they do so much with so little.
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It doesn’t have to be dollars, I give time and energy. At least I know it goes to the charity I choose to contribute to. Some of the management fund raising companies, and admin take obscene percentages of donations. It’s basically dishonest.
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I am vice president and wish granting coordinator of a voluntary branch for a children’s charity. I have had various roles starting as a regular volunteer, then fundraising coordinator, then secretary and now I hold my two current positions. Each role requires time, money and effort all of which is voluntary. I still donate $ to the charity i volunteer with as well as the cancer council because of the history of various cancers in my family.
It is so hard to choose one charity to volunteer with or donate to as there are so many worthwhile ones out there. My suggestion is to do some research on several different charities, find out how much of your donation goes directly to cures etc (alot of charities use upwards of 70% in admin costs alone) and also find one that may resonate with you personally and one that you know is actually making a difference.
The joy I get from volunteering is indescribeable. I cant recommend it enough. Go out and get involved – you will never regret it!
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I was diagnosed with MS about 18 months ago and since then MS Australia have been completely amazing, so they are my charity of choice. I think it makes sense to support organisations whose work you can relate to
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I have a charity policy. I give monthly donations continuously to one charity, which is currently the Fred Hollows Foundation. I will contribute to events throughout the year in the form of cash donations and raffle tickets. I give blood every 3 months.
I do think that if some charities were more willing to accept one-off cash donations, they would appeal a bit more to the passerby. A lot of people wouldn’t be able to do monthly donations for multiple charities. I remember being told by a charity rep that the Fred Hollow’s Foundation wasn’t as worthy as their charity. Put me off a bit, I must say.
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I have two World Vision sponsor children, a monthly Fred Hollows Foundation donation and I always buy The Big Issues sometimes two or three of the same one from different sellers because I like the fact that people are trying to help themselves.
I politely refuse most other requests for donations so I can continue to make these three regular donations which are important to me.
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I recently read a book by Peter Singer ( I can’t recall the title) which made a great impression on me. It deals with global inequities and evokes a sense of responsibility in us all to share our wealth. As an ethicist he talks about our moral responsibility to help our fellow man. The focus is on saving human lives thereby highlighting that not all charities are equal. An insightful and motivational read.
If you google Peter Singer you will find many interesting articles that he has authored both in peer review and popular publications.
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“How To Save A Life”. Definitely a worthwhile read.
I particularly liked the end part which helped you come to a conclusion about what was the right amount for you as an individual/family to give. It’s so hard to know what is “enough”, but with this reasoning we were able to come to a figure that we could live with.
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Monthly donations to Fred Hollows Foundation, blood when they accept me and my crappy iron levels, The Red Cross Disaster Relief ones and any Australian Bushfire / Flood etc ones. Other donations when I can ie, Ribbon days etc.
My issue with charities though is the sheer number of charities! I know they all profess to do good work, but how do you choose which one?!
Sponsor child
Generic cancer
Specific cancer ones
Hospitals
AIDS
Animals
Poverty
Indigenous Australians
Blindness
Deafness
Autism
Economic Development
Mental illnesses
Arts
Human Rights
Children’s
Women’s
Global Education
Local Schools
Guides
Salvos
Religious
Domestic Violence
Farming projects
and so on. .
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My favourite charities are the ones where I’ve been indirectly affected, such as MS (the awful disease that took my mother aged 33), Cancer (two grandfathers lost and a father survivor – yay Dad!! ), and an aged care charity when we lost my grandmother to old age.
It’s a very personal thing. I say pick one that touches you or your loved ones. I think you’re doing pretty well, though!
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I volunteer for a charity called http://www.givit.org.au which has been mentioned here on MM by the lovely Bec Sparrow.
We are an online donations match making service and ask subscribers for items that charities tell us they need for their clients. So people can donate things that they might not use anymore, but they sure make a difference to the people who receive them!
We work with over 530 of the smaller (or boutique as we like to call them!) charity groups who deal with aged care, mental health issues, homelessness, flood affected folks – you name it.
People ARE tired of being asked for money, and all charities are noticing donor fatigue. They like that they can give items (good quality) to help people in need, rather than having to put their hands in their pockets.
I have also purchased a couple of KIVA loans (mentioned below) and its a wonderful idea. I’ve had two updates from the lady who I loaned my $25 to on her progress.
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Just checked out the website. I like the concept!
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I like to give when I can, sponsering friends in fun runs, shave for a cure, movember (and oh how I hate the mo!, love the cause though, particularly since my dad has prostate cancer). We are curently on a single income with three tiny boys at home (oldest is 3) so our budget is tight. Despite that I know we are lucky, we have everything we need! i try to live generously, donating my time and effort to things I feel are good causes, whether it be an organised charity or a sick friend (meals), clothing donations etc.
Something that really bothers me though… I am currently a SAHM and I get several calls from charities each week asking for donations (usually ongoing direct debits). I feel so awful saying no and like I need to justify myself. Alot of the callers are pushy and rude. A couple of days ago I got the second charity call for the day and I said “I’m sorry, I get calls from charities often, in fact this is the second today and I simply can’t support them all. I am going to have to say no” and the caller hung up on me. I hate feeling harrassed in my own home!
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I know how you feel. I’ve always hated having to explain myself to a stranger who, while working for a charity, seems to be somewhat lacking in compassion for regular Australians who just can’t afford such things as donations. Because believe it or not, when some people say ‘I’m sorry, I’m not in a position to help right now’, they actually mean it. And because of the responses I’ve had from some of these groups over the phone, I will be a little more picky with donations when we are in a position to help others financially.
For the moment though, we give what we can, when we can (usually in other ways, like time, blood, clothes and toys) and we’re content with that.
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I have been a member of Amnesty for many, many years and donate money to them every month, as well as during special appeals. I have also volunteered my time and done pro bono work for them, as well as for other humanitarian organisations and charities. I’ve also done a fair amount of pro bono work for various arts organisations over the years.
My partner and I also donate money every month to Medecins Sans Frontiers, Greenpeace and the Cancer Council, and have made other recent donations to Unicef and the Leukaemia Foundation, amongst others.
I am also a member of Kiva, and regularly loan money to people starting small businesses around the world. I would highly recommend Kiva as a great way of helping others help themselves, and a much better alternative to a lot of aid programs.
Before I started having children, I used to donate blood every three months through the Red Cross, but as I’ve been either pregnant or breastfeeding for most of the past four years, I haven’t been able to donate blood in recent times. I’m looking forward to being able to donate blood again in future though, and wish more people would do the same.
As I’ve always produced a lot of breast milk with both my children, I’ve also looked into donating breast milk to mothers who are struggling to produce milk themselves or who have premature babies etc., but last time I looked into it, there were no milk bank programs operating in NSW, and only a handful in the whole of Australia. It’s something I really wish there was more support for, as I think it’s a brilliant idea.
I have found through my own life that those with less money tend to be more generous financially (not just in terms of giving money to charity), and those with more money tend to be stingier. I think it’s pretty disgraceful that some of our wealthiest citizens give very little to charity, or choose to use their money to do things like build casinos – not mentioning any names, James Packer…
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