to stop sponsoring people unless they are doing it to actually raise money for a relevant cause?

[amidaiwish]

I am getting so fed up with the constant requests for sponsorship.
Most people are approaching 40, putting on weight they can't shift so sign up for the latest fun run to motivate them to lose a bit of weight.
So they decide/have to raise money to do it.
So they set up a sponsorship page and hound people for money.

Why don't they just pay themselves... or do some activities to raise money and donate it.

Don't get me wrong, for relevant causes to the person doing it or real challenges i am more than happy to sponsor. when i know they are doing it to actually raise needed funds.

the latest is a group of friends walking through london together one night. i mean, what kind of a challenge is that?

so, AIBU?

[Nancy66]

YANBU in my opinion. I'm also pissed off with the number of requests for sponsorship.

I suppose you can argue that it's about boosint a charities funds and not an endurance competition. But I'm far more likely to put my hand in my pocket for somebody that's done the marathon - trained for six months, run hundreds of miles and had to make a bit commitment over somebody doing Race For Life.

[FAQtothefuture]

yes but it's not as easy to get a place to run in the Marathon - so if someone misses out on a place then Race for Life could be the next best option.

[amidaiwish]

i know and i do give to charity but it is just endless at the moment and the "challenges" are becoming pathetic.

if they would just say "look we're walking around Oxford wearing t-shirts to raise money for such and such" then i would actually be more likely to donate. It's the "ooh, we're all walking at midnight, and we'll be sober" oh BIG DEAL, what a nice evening amongst friends actually?!

[bronze]

I get annoyed by these people trekking peru who need to raise sponsership so they can do a trek raising money for the people of peru. Lot cheaper to cut out the nmiddleman and give the money straight tochairty. I don't really want to fund peoples gap years

[amidaiwish]

race for life is 5k,
there are loads of half marathons/fun runs/triathlons etc. to do.

i don't mind race for life so much as the essence of the event is pretty powerful.

but the "walks"??? wtf?

[policywonk]

The thing with all of these sponsorship things is that they don't increase the amount of money going to charities overall, they just redistribute it (I reckon, I have no evidence for this). I tend to sponsor friends when they ask (and you're right, they are mostly people who want to lose weight), but then I tend to think that I've done my 'bit' for charity and don't put much money in collection boxes outside supermarkets and so on.

Also, it means that I end up passively supporting charities - particularly breast cancer charities - that I wouldn't otherwise choose to support.

It's hard to say 'no' to a friend though - makes you look tight.

[amidaiwish]

oh i know bronze, "i have to raise £3k to get a trip worth about £5k but i don't want to pay so am doing it for charideee"

[amidaiwish]

i have def given more to charity this year, at least £200, through all this sponsorship so it does work. i'm just getting fed up with it now and starting to resent it!

[Nancy66]

anyone that's done race for life will have to have paid £30 just to do it - the events are very luctrative for Cancer Research. I'm glad - was a brilliant idea.

But I'd rather give my money to a lesser known charity that doesn't have the clout, celebrity endorsement or PR machine behind it.

[bronze]

I want to walk the coast of britain when I get to 40. I'll do it anyway (just save up) but would that be serious enough for people?

[amidaiwish]

well that is a challenge bronze so yes, it's not a leisurely stroll around a park. BUT interesting you say "I want to do it"

not

" x charity needs £, so i have agreed to do this to help them"

it's the wrong way round.

but if you are clear/honest this is something you want to do for yourself, and you are fundraising for x at the same time, then i wouldn't have a problem. might even sponsor you if a good friend!!

[Nancy66]

Bronze - i think you need a 'comedy' element in there. Dressed as a gorilla in a bikini perhaps?

[TrillianAstra]

I do sometimes judge based on how hard it is. That's not an absolute measure, it depends on who the person is and how difficult it is for them personally.

[Lizzylou]

I did a Swimathon this year for Marie Curie, it was 2.5km, 106 lengths, which was a massive challenge for me. I paid my own entrance in think it was £20 or thereabouts.
I did it to raise money, a challenge and also as I am lardy.
I was annoyed that I was sent a T-Shirt by Swimathon yesterday via registered mail because I raised over £250, I won't ever wear it, so why bother sending it to me? Waste of money, imo

[TheOldestCat]

Have done 11 Races for Life (or Race for Lives?) and I really hope I haven't annoyed people since it's only 3 miles. I do make cakes for people at work and ask them to donate if they enjoy them.

But then lots of people agree with me that Cancer Research is a 'relevant cause' I suppose.

[amidaiwish]

ah, now i feel bad...
i think it is just the quantity of sponsorship requests that has got to me this year.

the last one, this walk of a group of friends, i have been asked to sponsor them 6 times - i just ignore the e-mails but they keep sending again and again and again. will see her this week, will just tell her no if she brings it up.

[Lizzylou]

No need to feel bad, I do understand what you mean though, we've had loads of sponsorship requests this year.
I think people knew that me swimming 106 lengths was a massive personal challenge, so were happy to sponsor me.
I also ran a 5km run a few years ago in aid of the CF trust again, a big challenge for me at that time and for a very good cause (a friend's DC has CF).
I want to do something next year but am wary of asking for sponsorship again as don't want to annoy people......

DH cancelled his Oxfam direct debit after they'd rang us for the 5th time in less that 2months to either inform us about what they were doing/ask us for more money etc, he saw it as a massive waste of money (we were hardly paying a lot, only what we could afford) so he now contributes to other charities.
That is why I was annoyed about the Swimathon T-shirt, it was so unnecessary and a waste of money imo, esp registered post.

[BelleWatling]

I strongly agree with the posters here who are reluctant here to support a hobby or adventure holiday in the name of charity. I read an article a few years ago about the negative impacts (environmental / cultural) on mass 'adventure' treks on the host country especially when the funds tend to stay in Britain - look at the environmental issues on the Inca trail for example.

Also agree that sponsorship is a redistribution rather additional funds for charity.

And a lot of the charities are ones that I wouldn't normally choose to support (don't flame me, my mother and aunt have had breast cancer and I am at high risk but it is a very well funded, high profile cause) and indeed ones that have loads of advertising budget and a big infrastructure.

BUT...I always give when asked. Don't know what else to do without being an arsehole.

YANBU

[weegiemum]

We just don't sponsor full stop.

We worked out charity giving as a % of our income in advance (do this every year), choose who we will support and give by direct debit.

We tell people who ask for sponsorship this. In many ways, people asking for sponsorship is a bit like 'chuggers' - I don't like it and would never ask for it myself.

We give - on our own terms, to charities we want to support.

[roulade]

I'm actually very proud of myself for doing Race for Life for the first time this year.The total raised for Cancer Research at Hyde Park in one day was over 1.3 MILLION pounds.It may only be a 5k run/walk but alot of people put themselves out to do it to raise money and i will certainly be doing it again next year.
Btw the entrance fee to cover the costs of the race is £12.95.

[cornflakegirl]

I don't like sponsorship for the same reason as weegiemum. But I recognise that other people don't give like that, and so sponsorship is an easy way for them to give. So if I get a sponsorship form waved at me, I do tend to give a token amount. But not if it funds an adventure holiday!

[EyeballsintheSky]

If the money is going to charity then the decision is yours to give or not give. I don't see what the method of fund raising has to do with it. If they're doing anything to raise money for a charity then good on them and if you don't want to donate then just say so and stop being so picky.

[cornflakegirl]

I fundamentally don't get the point of sponsorship. Why should I want to give people money because they are doing something hard or embarrassing or whatever? It doesn't benefit me. So I make the token donation, because raising money for charity is a Good Thing Which Should Be Encouraged. But frankly I'd prefer that they just said "I think this charity is a good cause, please donate a couple of quid." Or sold me homemade chocolate cake - now that I see the point of!