AIBU to not "get" charity sponsoring for marathons, bike rides, walking Great Wall of China or whatever?

[shirleybasseyslovechild]

friend decides to run marathon " in aid of cancer" asks all friends on social media to donate .

???

I don't get this at all. ( I nearly always donate though)
run a marathon if you like.
give money to cancer research if you like. I'll do the same.

but why link the two ?

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

Because in the case if the great wall if China etc its quite nice to have your sponsors pay for a flash holiday for you

[LifeIsBetterInFlipFlops]

Running a marathon is hard, and I think a great idea to do it in aid of a charity.

I resent sponsoring someone to walk the Great Wall of China or jump out of a plane, these are essentially jollies.

[sausagechops101]

I too see it as a case of 'pay for me to go to the pub and I'll put the change in the charity tin'.

[GaryBaldy]

Fraid I agree with the "get others to pay for my jolly under the guise of charity" too.

If they want into be sponsored for doing something why not make it something worthwhile?

Sponsor them to clean up graffiti / clear waste ground / visit a lonely isolated person / mow lawns for someone frail / cleaning in an animal shelter.

Lots of things to benefit the aims of the charity as well as collecting sponsors along the way.

[RackofPeas]

I have got cynical of sponsorship in my old age. I'm 35!

I give to charity. I buy things in charity shops and ds1 has an obsessive attitude to collecting tins.
I actively resent the people who do the activities where you know the money is paying for the activity they are doing and the charity is only getting the change. I am also sick of the people who think that the only way to raise money is to do sonething humiliating. Why should I give money because you've sat in a bath of beans or shaved something silly into your hair? If someone says they're doing something like that my immediate response is a firm no.
I do give to charity. But just ask, don't bother with the silly crap.

[KoalaDownUnder]

YANBU.

I don't see the logic. Never have.

[RackofPeas]

GaryBaldy - good ideas! I'd sponsor those.

[CrystalCove]

My husband ran a marathon for a charity close to his heart - and raised over £500. We couldnt afford to donate £500, in fact it cost us by the time you add on transport and accomodation costs - I dont see what you dont "get"?

[CrystalCove]

And running the marathon was certainly not a "jolly".

[ladyrosy]

I ran a marathon and used it to raise money for charity. All the money went to the charity (I got a "ballot" place rather than a charity place, I didn't have to raise money plus the charity didn't pay for my place). It was not a case of someone paying for my jolly.

I see it as putting more effort in than shaking a collection tin. I see it as saying that I believe in the charity so much I am willing to run 26.2 miles for them, and hope that others will be willing to donate too when they see the lengths I would go to (pun intended).

[ImprobableBee]

Agree with PPs, with an extra pinch of 'why are you sending me on a guilt trip for donating or giving back in my own way? Sorry for not feeling the need to shout about and seek validation for philanthropy.'

[GaryBaldy]

But crystal he could have used his time spent training and worked for free in a charity shop or dug an old ladies garden or coached a youth sport team which surely is far more productive a use of his time / energy?

[CleverPlansAndSecretTricks]

YANBU I often give money to charity, and have a few monthly direct debits, but I hate being asked to sponsor people to do bike rides, runs etc. It's not really sponsorship is it? When I was a kid you got people to sponsor you 5p a mile or whatever and there was a bit of sport in it. An incentive to run further, or read more books, or whatever to get more money, and a bit of gambling fun on the side of the giver. Now it is really just asking for a donation. You don't get your money back if they stop half way do you? And I don't want to be guilted into a donation by some look at me sporty friend who enjoys running. Go and have a run and shut up about it! They never tell you anything about the charity. I'd much rather they not mention the run and just tell me why this is a great charity and what it does. Then I might actually want to donate.

[CleverPlansAndSecretTricks]

ladyrosy did you give the charity any money yourself?

[CleverPlansAndSecretTricks]

garybaldy I would love to sponsor someone to do those things. 5p per piece of litter picked up off the beach

[CloserToFiftyThanTwenty]

Because sometimes the only realistic way to run the London Marathon is to get a charity-linked entry (they let you have one of their entries, you commit to raising a certain amount of money for them). Ditto trips to walk the Great Wall of a China or skydive - you commit to giving them a minimum amount and they sort out the logistics etc

[Morgan]

I agree I feel like this now - why should i sponsor someone to do something they have chosen to do ? For example recently a friend asked us to sponsor them to cycle 300 miles between cricket grounds, as he loves cycling and cricket he'll have a great time I'm sure . Not sure why I should sponsor him to do it even though it's for a good cause .

[MrsLeighHalfpenny]

I think sponsoring someone to run in a per mile basis, IF it would encourage them to run further to get more money. But the climbing Kilamanjaro/Wall of China stuff - no.

I did the London moonlight Walk for breast cancer last year. Never again. I spent more on the getting to the event/buying the fancy dress required and the entry fee than I raised in sponsorship. Idiocy!!

[GaryBaldy]

Closer - so you think it's ok to get others to pay for your jolly to China or whatever?

[CleverPlansAndSecretTricks]

Do you know what else I feel? (Sorry am on a roll now) I always feel that the person is implying that I can't be trusted to donate to charity on my own and need to be spurred into action by their Lycra clad efforts. Which I don't. And if I ignore their request for sponsorship they will think I'm a meany who never gives to charity.

[GaryBaldy]

Oh and to add...justgiving also cream off some of the cash that people donate.

[DoughDoe]

A lot of them are scams. Like they charge £80 to join a 'Charity' bike ride, but the charity gets not a penny all the money goes to the private company.

Charity still gets money from sponsorships, so they don't give a shit that the private company is ripping off entrants.

[MackerelOfFact]

It annoys me when people say they are doing a thing 'for charity.' Charities generally couldn't give a crap that you're cycling, running, walking, trekking or whatever - what they care about are the cash they receive.

It isn't the 'fundraiser' that gives the money, it's the sponsors - ergo it's the sponsors actually doing something for charity - the fundraiser is just doing a bit of free PR and marketing.

It's like when supermarkets collect money from customers and then bill it as 'we've raised £100,000 for X charity' - but the supermarket has done naff all really, it's the shoppers who donated the money.

[MaliceInWonderland78]

I'm loathed to promote on here (not sure if you're even allowed to) but GiveAll2Charity //giveall.org don't skim - AFAIK

[ladyrosy]

cleverplans yes, I gave money to that charity on that occasion. I've given before and since, too.

I work for a charity (when I am not on maternity leave). I donate to others via direct debit. I sponsor a child. I save my change for a local animal shelter. I give many items to charity shops. I often donate a percentage of funds raised through ebay sales to charity. This type of fundraising is just another method of raising money. They need all the help they can get.