to get fed up with constant charity sponsorship requests?

[sergeantmajor]

Everyone is doing bleedin' triathalons to raise money for worthy causes.
Possibly it's a mid life thing.
Possibly they are all more virtuous than me.
But to me it smacks of self indulgence, rather than altruism.
I don't have the time (or a minute to myself) to do this sort of thing.
And I don't have the money to keep sponsoring them.
And there is big social pressure to keep handing over the twenties.
And as soon as they've done the half marathon, next they're onto the mountain challenge or whatever.
I know this marks me out as evil, but I am starting to resent it.
AIBU?

[OwlinaTree]

Humm dontcallmesteven i sort of agree, but then different people support different things and if they care enough to raise the profile of their charity by doing an event, it makes us give iyswim.

Bag packers are the easiest to ask about what the collection is for beals692, you are stood right next to them! I always ask and admittedly do give according to how worthy i think the event is, but don't think i could not give anything, so i agree you do feel under pressure.

[OwlinaTree]

See rule 2!!

[FirstStopCafe]

This thread makes me quite sad. I do a lot of fundraising in memory of my dd through a mixture of organised ticket events and sponsored events. We've raised around £20000 for a number of charities. I do find asking for money hard but I don't think I pressure people into it. If you don't want to sponsor someone then don't. I certainly understand that not everyone can afford it and that not everyone would want to give to my chosen charities, but I can promise you that I appreciate every single penny.

YABU

[ApocalypseThen]

FirstStopCafe, your post is the reason why these collections are so annoying. It's all about your feelings, your priorities and a subtle attempt to manipulate other people. Ok, so you believe in what you do. Fine, good for you. But that doesn't oblige anyone to feel differently just so you don't feel sad.

[TimeofChange]

Personally I donate to various charities.
I run a business and absolutely hate clients asking us to sponser their adventures in Borneo or somewhere exotic. Funny how they don't choose to clear footpaths with the National Trust or do a stint tidying up an inner city shit hole!
But on the grounds of good relationships I have to sponsor them, even if the cashflow is poor.

[mameulah]

Lessons

First off, I don't know what you mean by 'circular' and 'specious'

Secondly, I am finding this thread both interesting and informative and, so far, I am enjoying that many are people thinking different things and challenging each other on the variety of perspectives.

Thirdly, the 1,2,3 and 3 points you listed are pretty much exactly what I think.

I find what you did with your charity exceptional. You are obviously a dedicated person with important knowledge and a variety of skills. Thank you for your contribution to our society, I am sure that your community is a better person for your efforts.

However, I am saddened that you had to rely on people selling tray bakes, sponsored cycling events or some poor soul sitting in a bath of baked beans to generate the cash that you need to achieve your outcome.

I am sure if you and I sat together and did an audit on the government (our tax 'donation') spending at the BBC we could have doubled what your group had the capacity to achieve. And you could have had more possibilities and comfort on the road you took to meeting your goals.

Genuinely looking forward to hearing from you.

[LillyGrinter]

FirstStopCafe - I'm really sorry about your daughhter and well done for raising all that money in her memory

[OwlinaTree]

firststopcafe that's very admirable, well done! i mentioned this reason for raising money earlier, i think it does help some 'good' come from a bad situation.

Don't do the same thing twice tho! (rule 1)

[Lavenderloves]

Yes it's annoying. Most annoying are my millionaire relatives who do the charity trips ( wall of china, walk to the moon) type events and need to raise 5k.
We now say no. pay for your own fucking holiday although they stopped asking when i quizzed them on how much went to the charity, who paid for the flights etc.

[lisbethsopposite]

Agree totally re the sponsored exotic holidays - cycling the Great Wall of china is a dream holiday, not a sacrifice.
The economics of that is (I've asked people who have done it).
Say the trip costs 3K, you have to raise 6. 3 goes to the charity.
My problem with this;
I know people who raise more than the 6K, and put the surplus aside so they have a head start on next years collection!!! I kid you not.
If your collection is shy of the 6K, the charity still let you travel. This means for every quid you collect less than half is for the charity.
Your friends/colleagues/acquaintances are funding your LAVISH holiday!!!

The last one of these I sponsored was for an acquaintance who was cycling the Great Wall of China for a charity for the blind- a charity I support. She explained that she was funding her own travel, all her collection would be for the charity. She wanted to do the trip and this was her way.

I have collected for charity in the past and been told no very forcefully so my policy now is to give (except for the junkets). Charities need donations, and as I haven't collected in years I'm happy to give.

Oh yes, before I go. If I don't regard it as charity, I have no bother saying no - and school trips would be in that category. What are they teaching children, if you want something you can't afford, go out and pester strangers for the money

[lisbethsopposite]

X posts lavender

[CloudsAndTrees]

I don't mind sponsoring people for charity if its a charity I care about, or if it's a charity that has special meaning for someone.

I don't sponsor people who choose an event to take part in rather than choosing a charity to sponsor. I know a few people that will ride the London to Brighton or who will do the midnight walk or whatever because they like the idea of doing the event itself, when it wouldn't make any difference to them which charity has organised it.

I never feel pressured to donate though because I have my direct debits to charities I choose to support and I know how much voluntary work I do, so there's no way I would feel guilty for not sponsoring someone.

[lisbethsopposite]

BIWI 8 months of training for a 5KM race?

[AintNobodyHereButUsKittens]

People whose actions are primarily motivated by the desire to raise money for a charity that is close to their heart: sure, have a tenner, have twenty
Runners who want to do a 10K this month and have found that the most convenient one is run by the sunshine home for blind donkeys so that's their cause this month: really annoying
People who fancy a fortnight trekking in Peru at my expense: fuck off

[treaclesoda]

on the flip side of this, a group of my friends recently decided to climb Ben Nevis. For no other reason than because they fancied it. So many people started insisting on sponsoring them that they ended up choosing a charity and setting up a Just Giving page and they ended up with a few hundred pounds for charity, all without actually asking for anything. People seemed to feel that they were selfish for proposing climbing a mountain without doing it for charity. So, once again, whatever you do Will be wrong in some people's eyes.

[Justforlaughs]

I don't really see why people don't get sponsored to do something "useful", like pick up litter, and I definitely would never sponsor anyone to walk along the Great Wall of China or similar. I would sponsor someone to cycle from Lands End to John'O Groats if they were paying their own way and it was a cause I believed in, even if I knew they were doing it for pleasure rather than a penance. Now, me doing the Race for Life this year - that's a penance and a half! I am SO unfit it's unbelievable, and yes I've got a Just giving page, and no I haven't had any response, so I now need to decide whether to approach people directly or just leave it (and put in £40 myself)

[Eyesunderarock]

I limit myself.
I only sponsor certain charities, whoever is asking.
I prefer the activity to be something worthwhile or constructive, and don't pay for 'Walking the Great Wall' of 'Climbing Kilimanjaro' stunts.
I give what I'm comfortable with.

I also think that it is essential that large charities are run and organised by people who know what they are doing, rather that everyone being an enthusiastic, clueless volunteer.
I never criticise anyone for supporting and fundraising for a charity I don't, it's their choice and not my business.

[lessonsintightropes]

Mameulah thanks for your response - I think I had misread some of your earlier posts.

We personally do not do community/individual fundraising of this kind as actually it is the least efficient for a charity of our size. The money we would spend on donor care would be a high proportion of what would be raised.

Some other charities we speak to lose money on events such as sponsored sleep outs but do them anyway in order to 'raise awareness'. I think most people are reasonably aware of homelessness, especially as rough sleeping is quite prevalent in our area, and if they'd like to donate to us it's very easy for them to do so.

I laud the thinking behind events etc - a dear friend of mine ran the marathon in aid of Ovarian Cancer Awareness since he lost his Mum to it, and raised over £2500. That's significant for both him and the charity. But from my perspective it's easier to create relationships with a smaller number of trusts and foundations and companies who regularly give us larger sums of money and do not cost as much to look after as their expectations are different.

[Eyesunderarock]

Oh, and Justfor?
My friend did a half marathon because she was so unfit, she gave up cigs and a lot of the junk food that she used to eat when she was in training. Set the money aside and added it to her very small sponsorship pile.
Many of her contributions were in the form of a bet rather than a sponsorship, we bet that she'd not make it.
She did.

[Ragwort]

The Guides/scouts need a central fund form which to give burseries to deserving DCs (and no way would they have funded ourit) - they do;

I have no problem with Guides and Scouts doing proper old fashioned fund raising - ie: car boot sales, car wash, jumble sales whatever. I think it is much better for the youngsters to go out and earn the money rather than just sending out sponsorship requests - and I speak as a Leader. My DS hopes to go to the next Jamboree and has to raise £3000 - (actually we could use our own savings to pay) but it is good for him to learn how to fund raise rather than just asking for handouts for what is, in essence, a glorified holiday. We might ask grandparents for a small handout but no way would I let him ask other family and friends.

[beals692]

Re: the Race for Life, 10k runs etc - Is there an entrance fee and does this come out of the charity donations or are participants expected to pay it themselves?

[ageofgrandillusion]

YANBU. I say a firm no to everybody.

[BIWI]

lisbeth - not sure why the humphy face?

I started then because I didn't know how long it would take me.

I have, in fact, already reached the 5K mark, which was both surprising and amazing (to me). So I'm keeping my training going (having had to take some time out because I was injured) until October, when I will do the race.

Do you have a problem with that?

[Justforlaughs]

Beals Race for Life has £15 entry fee, paid by the entrant.

[vladthedisorganised]

AintNobodyHereButUsKittens puts it perfectly.
DH and I went on a trek thing just because we fancied going. So we paid for it. No big deal.

Conversely, when I do a half-marathon later in the year I'll certainly be alerting my friends and family to my justgiving page as I'll have worked bloody hard for it, and chose it specifically for the charity that helped my family out this year. If none of them donate I'll feel a little put out, but it's their choice. And I'm paying the entrance fee.

I also have a grid system: family and close friends- of course, no question (unless they're raising money for the EDL or whatever). Colleagues and acquaintances - if I want to give some extra to the charity, sure thing. Random person knocking at my door for sponsorship - I think not.