Anyone Donated ?

[Friend or faux]

To Turkish earthquake appeals. I feel very sorry for them. But charities have a bad reputation with me. I look at what happened at Haiti. Also I could donate to some local charities that are after clothing, towels duvets etc. But would the stuff get to where it is supposed to go? What do you guys reckon?

[Dunners]

www.dec.org.uk/appeal/turkey-syria-earthquake-appeal

[Neptune's Spear]

To Turkish earthquake appeals. I feel very sorry for them. But charities have a bad reputation with me. I look at what happened at Haiti. Also I could donate to some local charities that are after clothing, towels duvets etc. But would the stuff get to where it is supposed to go? What do you guys reckon?

Having worked for a charity, I can confidently say that rhe bulk of all donations go towards paying towards the salaries of the employees of the organisation

[LittleMate]

Don't charities have to publish the % of the donations that actually reach their cause?

[Tent Keague]

I work indirectly for a charity that has launched an appeal for this Emergency. They are also part of the DEC.

There is far too much waste and inefficiencies in the entire sector. I wouldn't donate to the charity I work with nor any others.

The best course of action is direct assistance but I appreciate that being in London and trying to affect things in Turkey is difficult.

The whole thing depends on your viewpoint. If you donate your £10, ultimately it will go to a good cause and if you end up just helping one person with one little thing then you could argue that it is a job well done. But don't believe that 94% in the £ or whatever they are currently quoting is going directly to the cause.

[Proposition Joe]

There's collections going on here by the local Turkish community and they're literally driving stuff there. Have to take that in good faith and assume that all the clothes and equipment loaded into the vans ends up where it should. No reason to believe otherwise at the mo.

[Tent Keague]

There's collections going on here by the local Turkish community and they're literally driving stuff there. Have to take that in good faith and assume that all the clothes and equipment loaded into the vans ends up where it should. No reason to believe otherwise at the mo.

Just had a text from the school and they are doing the same. Donate any clothes, blankets, etc. We will give some stuff over but for all the goodwill, trucks full of goods will cause problems at borders and block entry points.

Also what we're donating now isn't what is needed tomorrow. The dynamic is changing and cash is king in disaster situations.

It just comes down the last 4 paragraphs here.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-64554165

[Proposition Joe]

Yeah, have read another article saying that money is more useful than 'stuff' atm but our nursery is doing a collection so will drop off a few things. It's difficult. And of course all rather focussed on Turkey rather than Syria, although that might be natural based on which local community is running the collection.

[Tent Keague]

Yeah, have read another article saying that money is more useful than 'stuff' atm but our nursery is doing a collection so will drop off a few things. It's difficult.

It really is. I've seen some horrific stuff, most recently in Ukraine where we have deployed and continue to do so. And also Afghanistan, Myanmar, to name a few.

It's a rewarding career but frustrating to see the amount of waste.

Like you I'll donate some blankets and clothes to the school collection in good faith.

For the direct action I usually buy sandwiches or lunches every so often for local homeless or hand out some clothes.

[Dunners]

The DEC (linked to above) allocate cash donations across a number of partner charities, and any donations through them will be matched pound for pound by Government up to £5million. Yeah, it's not much, and there's always wastage within charity organisations, but it's one of the better options for anyone who just wants to put some money up.

[Tent Keague]

Trying to get anything into Syria is difficult and why it's easier to use local partners than outsiders coming in.

Use of the Hawala system is relied upon in some instances.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawala

[BoniO]

To Turkish earthquake appeals. I feel very sorry for them. But charities have a bad reputation with me. I look at what happened at Haiti. Also I could donate to some local charities that are after clothing, towels duvets etc. But would the stuff get to where it is supposed to go? What do you guys reckon?

Having worked for a charity, I can confidently say that rhe bulk of all donations go towards paying towards the salaries of the employees of the organisation

Sorry, don't buy that. Any proof for that statement?

[Proposition Joe]

Trying to get anything into Syria is difficult and why it's easier to use local partners than outsiders coming in.

Use of the Hawala system is relied upon in some instances.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawala

I did figure Syria would be a whole different kettle of challenging fish but just feel bad that they might well end up being overlooked because of their current situation.

Really interesting link that, btw. Learned something, ta.

[Tent Keague]

Hawala. It's like a 13th century decentralised currency. Who said Crypto was a new thing!

There are loads and loads of NGOs in and around Syria, Afghanistan and Turkey that will be able to provide assistance.

Reading that BBC article they mentioned the Organisation Doctor's without Borders. I'd like to work with them one day.

In my old World I worked for a US Listed major firm and travelled to your usual Hong Kong, New York, Paris, Geneva, etc. Thought it was great as a young man. But it wasn't rewarding. Financially yes but soul destroying making rich people richer.

At this place of work I've learnt some pretty cool stuff (how to board a helicopter correctly in an evacuation scenario, how to bribe a captor if you've been taken hostage, how to secure a hotel room) and been asked to visit some very far flung places.

[George M]

To Turkish earthquake appeals. I feel very sorry for them. But charities have a bad reputation with me. I look at what happened at Haiti. Also I could donate to some local charities that are after clothing, towels duvets etc. But would the stuff get to where it is supposed to go? What do you guys reckon?

Having worked for a charity, I can confidently say that rhe bulk of all donations go towards paying towards the salaries of the employees of the organisation

Sorry, don't buy that. Any proof for that statement?

When you set up a charity, and my son has , there is a percentage of money collected that must go to the organisation that the charity is set up to support. It is less than 50% from memory. The rest stays in the charity for salaries, business premises, and everything else needed to run a business.

[tuffers#1]

Having worked for a charity, I can confidently say that rhe bulk of all donations go towards paying towards the salaries of the employees of the organisation

Sorry, don't buy that. Any proof for that statement?

When you set up a charity, and my son has , there is a percentage of money collected that must go to the organisation that the charity is set up to support. It is less than 50% from memory. The rest stays in the charity for salaries, business premises, and everything else needed to run a business.

But there is no ceiling to how high the %ceiling is right ?

[Max B Gold]

I work indirectly for a charity that has launched an appeal for this Emergency. They are also part of the DEC.

There is far too much waste and inefficiencies in the entire sector. I wouldn't donate to the charity I work with nor any others.

The best course of action is direct assistance but I appreciate that being in London and trying to affect things in Turkey is difficult.

The whole thing depends on your viewpoint. If you donate your £10, ultimately it will go to a good cause and if you end up just helping one person with one little thing then you could argue that it is a job well done. But don't believe that 94% in the £ or whatever they are currently quoting is going directly to the cause.

Surely the amount going directly to the cause has to account for the overheads of the charity. This is a bit like those who bleat about "wasted" expenditure on admin in the NHS amid calls to free it up for the "front Line" and those at the "coal face" but there's nobody to answer the phones to arrange appointments.

Don't get me wrong charities are an industry much like any other with their bloated overpaid CEO's, Directors of this and that, corruption etc.

But that shouldnt be used as an excuse not to make a donation to organisations like DEC. Please also remember to use Giftaid - the tax efficient way to enhance a donation.

[George M]

Sorry, don't buy that. Any proof for that statement?

When you set up a charity, and my son has , there is a percentage of money collected that must go to the organisation that the charity is set up to support. It is less than 50% from memory. The rest stays in the charity for salaries, business premises, and everything else needed to run a business.

But there is no ceiling to how high the %ceiling is right ?

Correct. I am sure there are good charities out there but there are no salary limits for the directors

[Wally Banter]

To Turkish earthquake appeals. I feel very sorry for them. But charities have a bad reputation with me. I look at what happened at Haiti. Also I could donate to some local charities that are after clothing, towels duvets etc. But would the stuff get to where it is supposed to go? What do you guys reckon?

Having worked for a charity, I can confidently say that rhe bulk of all donations go towards paying towards the salaries of the employees of the organisation

That seems an absurdly blanket statement to make, particularly if you’re basing it on your experience of one charity. A “pass on the vast majority / all donations straight on to beneficiaries” wouldn’t be an achievable or suitable model for all charities. Many charity employees provide direct (non-financial) services to beneficiaries - e.g. emotional and practical support, advocacy, information, education, community groups.

[Tent Keague]

It's an interesting area that I could really bore everyone to death about.

Believe it or not there's a lot of people (Premier League footballers for example) and companies with deep pockets that want to do a lot of good. For many reasons, mainly philanthropic but also publicity, guilt and tax purposes I'm sure.

The problem area is restricted funding though. Nobody who donates to an Earthquake Appeal wants any percentage of their donation going towards the upkeep of an empty office block in Victoria or a new laptop or phone for an employee working in Stratford.

So when a company plucked out of thin air like Blockbuster Video say you can have a million pound it comes with caveats. 90% to the cause, 10% to the charity. And the few charities that I've worked for are increasingly having to turn these funds down as they can't get by on the 10% margin.

And this is my frustration. Some caveats that are in place are unworkable. But some that I've seen turned down are more than achievable if the organisation hadn't become so bloated and taken it's eye off the ball of their actual aim.

It's a difficult but interesting sector to work in. For relatively scant reward compared to what could be earned commercially.

[Max B Gold]

It's an interesting area that I could really bore everyone to death about.

Believe it or not there's a lot of people (Premier League footballers for example) and companies with deep pockets that want to do a lot of good. For many reasons, mainly philanthropic but also publicity, guilt and tax purposes I'm sure.

The problem area is restricted funding though. Nobody who donates to an Earthquake Appeal wants any percentage of their donation going towards the upkeep of an empty office block in Victoria or a new laptop or phone for an employee working in Stratford.

So when a company plucked out of thin air like Blockbuster Video say you can have a million pound it comes with caveats. 90% to the cause, 10% to the charity. And the few charities that I've worked for are increasingly having to turn these funds down as they can't get by on the 10% margin.

And this is my frustration. Some caveats that are in place are unworkable. But some that I've seen turned down are more than achievable if the organisation hadn't become so bloated and taken it's eye off the ball of their actual aim.

It's a difficult but interesting sector to work in. For relatively scant reward compared to what could be earned commercially.

Charity is a cold grey loveless thing. If a rich man wants to help the poor, he should pay his taxes gladly, not dole out money at a whim.

[faith1234]

Look I am all for helping people but this country helps others but not this country I lives on the streets and no f*cker helped me we need to think of this place but I personally if people still want to send money then I am all for it

[Proposition Joe]

Have reread that three times and still not sure what your position is.

[StillSpike]

I read it twice and gave up cos I thought I was having a stroke or something.

[Proposition Joe]

Just take my word for it that round three doesn't help.