howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
the only charity i know that is well run, meaning that the majority of money is ploughed back to the people that need it, is the life boat one.
by coincidence that is the only one i support.
Ditto Howard.
With respect, it is almost impossible to know if an organisation is well run unless you are inside it. It is simply not possible to just return alll monies to the services: it matters that organisations interact with stakeholders and commissioners to attract more business if they want to reach and support more people. It is much, much more complex than just do-gooding and flinging money around. To better serve the people charities want to support the clever ones have learned to operate on a more busniness-like level, but with principles!!
Howard, I too have a lot of time for the RNLI. Years ago, being both bemused and disgusted by the amount of money I had made on various privatizations, I gave them a large lump sum.
I refuse to give money to any animal charities. Sorry, but I think we bipeds should take priority.
Shelterbox get a monthly direct debit (overseas aid at its best i.e. disaster relief rather than setting up a dependency culture) as does St Martins in the Fields Connection who I used to do voluntary work for when at University. I'm not a believer myself but see them an example of the best in Christian Charity with their work for the homeless.
There's a few quid each month to the Campaign Against the Arms Trade and the Salvation Army box rattled in front of me will always see off the lose change.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
i have many contacts with people on the accountancy side of the charity retail outlets, usually about 5% goes to help the good cause.
the rest pays for the london office and its staff.
if the volunteers ever found out they would walk out.
Alec Sheldon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 18 Aug 2008
- Posts: 1,036
Bob,
thanks for the link to the Winston Smith blog. It made me cringe, is it true or just a scam ?. I shall read it in full later and all the comments.
Alec, genuine I'm afraid! :-
The winner of the 2010 Orwell Prize was Winston Smith who blogs about his experiences "working with the underclass". He won £3,000 and a plaque bearing Orwell's ambition: 'what I have most wanted to do... is to make political writing into an art.' Here are extracts from the blog:
"There is a thin line between the cathartic relief this blog provides me with and the negative reinforcement of seamlessly dysfunctional lives and the ludicrously insane policies and initiatives that purport to act as a solution. In short, writing about these issues and recalling certain experiences frustrates me as much as it acts as a release valve."
Doesn't one wear a cathartic bag if one has bladder challenges? Perhaps that is where this **** gets his relief.
Don't know Sid.
Last time i heard of the Cathars they were down in Languedoc but i suppose gnostics are likely to pop up anywhere?
Even in Temple Ewell, gadzooks!!!
Howard - charity retail outlets are a small part of a huge industry which does a great deal of good wiuth little or no praise, within a very beurocratic system, and often does it better and with less self-congratulatory broohaha than public sector socialworkheaduparsesmugnessgonemad hugmetouchmeletsallfeelgood costafortunebutgooffsickatthedropofahat union supporters. Charity retail outlest are not only about money, they are about being a public face and pr cog - it is a complex thing, Howard!
You tell him Bern! Whatcha got to say about that Howard?
I feel a Harry Hill moment, to start the day, coming on!
Guest 674- Registered: 25 Jun 2008
- Posts: 3,391
I didnt used to like Harry Hill but have to say he is funny
after watching him a few times Can now see his warped sense of humour
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
never found harry hill funny at all.
must be good at what he does, been on the box for a long time now.
Guest 693- Registered: 12 Nov 2009
- Posts: 1,266
No, Harry Hill isn't my cup of tea at all.
There are a few charities I support, including the RNLI, but as to whether or not they are well run I haven't a clue. What I don't support are political charities or humanitarian groups - even Live Aid didn't get my support; it stems from a deep rooted mistrust that monies may be syphoned off in 'admin' costs. I have no proof of this, I should add, it's just personal paranoia.
True friends stab you in the front.
Charities are allowed to retain up to 25% of takings for admin purposes.
Decrying "admin costs" can be a bit silly. Some are extortionate, but for any business/charity/organisation to run well it needs good management and smooth admin. Clearly it has to be cost effective, but no organisation will run without good managers and some decent admin.
Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
sorry wrong thread.
Just as a by the by - my secretary is on leave for a couple of weeks and I am helpless!!!! I have had to draft in a colleagues sec.
Bern, "but no organisation will run without good managers and some decent admin."
Surely the NHS has been doing this for decades?