The Telegraph reports that the late Olive Cooke was "struggling to manage her finances after being besieged with begging letters from dozens of charities".
It has been noticeable for many years that many charities (despite sitting on billions of pounds of undistributed cash reserves) have turned themselves into ruthless revenue raising machines, which bombard people either in the street or in their own homes with eg chuggers, letters, TV adverts and cold calls.
Our area is regularly blighted by door knockers from various charities who (apparently) have the "right" to confront you on your own doorstep up to 21:00 on a working day.
It should be noted that some cold callers (door knockers and phone callers) are paid a commission by the charities for the money they raise.
I think it is high time that these charities start to disburse the vast piles of cash that they are sitting on, and reflect on the fact that harassing people and trying to make them feel guilty is in the long term counterproductive.
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I recently had a doorstep confrontation with a rather odious gentleman(sic) who was collecting on behalf of the RSPCA. He wanted people to set up a direct debit in favour of the aforementioned "charity."
ReplyDeleteI told him I no longer supported the RSPCA because they have, in my opinion, moved to far away from their original purpose and have become a kind of state backed animal police/prosecutor/cash collector machine.
He became rather abusive and suggested that, because I wouldn't back the RSPCA, I wanted to abuse animals. I told the scroat that I backed real animal welfare charities but I could not support the RSPCA as it is now. I suggested that, i8n my opinion, it should lose it's Royal tag.
After a rather heated full and frank exchange of views, it turned out that this gentleman's company would receive Sixteen percent of monies collected in commision. At this point I explained that when I give to my local animal welfare group, who don't sit on huge reserves of cash, don't spend a fortune on propaganda nor have a very well paid CEO and board, every penny I give goes straight to them for the benefit of the animals.
Eventually he cleared off with a flea in his ear. I remember when the Icelandic bank collapse occured and how many charities had millions of pounds sat in accounts in Icelandic banks.
Unfortunately, charities have become big business and I think we all lose out as a result.
And in the U.S., they go one step further now - they have contracts with large retailers and grocery supermarket chains. When you go to pay for your purchases at the ATM card swipe at the checkout counter, either the cashier asks for a donation for so and so charity, whoever is paying to have it collected on their behalf - or else the ATM has a question pop up, "yes/no", "do you wish to donate to" and lists whatever charity is paying to be mentioned. So when you go to pay for anything nowadays in the U.S., Western U.S., I don't know about back east yet, but you are also bombarded for charity donations at check-out and that's all going to them, after the store chain gets their cut for promoting them. It's a racket, more about money, less about "charity".
ReplyDeleteI've noticed, this Anon, at a garage I use where the card machine asks the question. It doesn't say which charity so it could go - err- anywhere.
DeleteI remember a friend telling me of a time she was travelling by train and got talking to a fellow passenger who boasted that he was an exec of a well-known international charity, travelled first class and stayed in 5 star hotels. My friend (and I) decided that the charity would never get another penny from us.
Jay
The death of Olive Cooke was a tragedy, which need not have happened. The way some "charities" (and those collecting on their behalf) behave today is appalling. I do support charities, those of MY choosing. I am fortunate in having the strength of personality to say "No" if I cannot afford or do not wish to support any given charity. Another way of dealing with these people is to say "I already support several charities, thank you." If they persist, I either walk away or put the phone down.
ReplyDeleteI certainly don't like that idea, Anonymous! If that is what is happening in the U.S.A I bet it won't be long before it happens here too! We seem to import most of their bad practices!