To wonder idly if people ever "just" donate £1 to these justgiving requests?

[littleshirleybeans]

You know, the ones that say, oh even if it's just £1, please donate.
I've just seen another one on my newsfeed.
I'd probably be happy enough to put £1 in a collecting tin or a tub that was left in the staffroom at work, but I wouldn't want to put my name down with £1 next to it when other idiots are all putting in £20 each just because the first person on the sponsor form did
And I know you can donate anonymously on justgiving but I always find it a rigmarole.
Disclaimer: I'm not mean, by any means
I just don't have the "required" amount that seems to be expected these days my bank card has just been declined and I only got paid on the 27th
I give to the charities that I want to, when I want to. Tbh, I prefer to give a homeless person a fiver now and again, if I've got it on me. I don't care what they spend it on.
So, does anyone donate the £1, or do you feel that you "should" give more? Or do you not bother as it seems like a "meagre" amount, yet it's not. (There are times when I literally don't have a £1)
Just idly wondering as I sit in the sunshine, intended to be lighthearted and I don't think anyone is mean if they don't donate at all, or if they "just" donate a £1 on one of these online things.
(Remembering the horror dh felt when his cousin's boyfriend passed round his sponsor sheet to climb Kilimanjaro, everyone else had put down £50!!!!! We really struggled to donate £20 and now I wish we had just put down a fiver. By everyone else, I mean other very well-off older relatives)

I don't.
I give £5 a month to two charities and have done for 30 years.

One is NSPCC the other is Great Ormond St.

It's what I can afford, I don't think twice about anything else.

Thanks for replying,
beetroot2
That's exactly what I'd like to do and will do when I'm in a better position financially
I do understand where the "askers" are coming from, saying oh just give £1, every bit helps. But I still kinda think that people would "judge" me for only giving £1 without knowing my circumstances i.e. I might already have d/d set up.

osmiornica
Thanks for replying. I know I shouldn't feel judged but I do
I think that because I'm a teacher, my colleagues must think that I have the same amount of money as them. I don't. I work part time and have a lot of debt

I know it's daft. I also don't like feeling "obliged" to put in the same as everyone else eg £20 so I don't.
I suppose there have been lots of threads about sponsor forms and charity-giving here.
Anyway, thank you for replying. I do say ODFOD in my head when I see sponsor forms lying around, I decide which charity to give to and how much.

Well, you really shouldn't be giving homeless people money. But if your card is being declined it's fine to just forgo charity giving for a bit.

katemiddletonsnudeheels
Thanks for replying. Can I politely ask you why you say you shouldn't be giving homeless people money? That's a genuine question.

I am trustee of a charity which is based abroad and gets no funding from anywhere but donations
They have over 5000 fb followers and regularly ask for £1. If everyone gave it once a month it would give them enough to keep going. I give 10 a month and also occasionally send £1. It really can be worth it!

Shirley [[http://www.thamesreach.org.uk/news-and-views/campaigns/giving-to-beggars/faq/ hope this link works]]

mollyonthemove
Thanks for replying. That's a fair point.

It didn't!

What's the charity molly ?

I quite like sponsoring people but only if I would give the money to that charity anyway and /or they are doing something genuinely impressive

I am doing a fun run later in the year and will ask for sponsors but won't have any expectation people will. Plannjng to mainly stick my own money in the pot when it comes to the day!

Like you I am happy to stick a quid in a tin but I swerve just giving on the basis that the charity will only get 78p once they have taken their share.

katemiddleton
The link did work. Thank you, that was very enlightening, actually. I hadn't thought of it in that way.
I've always taken the view that if they spend it on drugs or alcohol, well maybe that is what they need to get through their day. But now I can see the other side of that.
I usually try to stick to the Big Issue sellers and one lady in particular that I've got to know a wee bit.
I'll think twice to giving to random people though, but I have in the past offered to buy them food eg a sandwich or McDonalds

I try not to donate through Just giving anyway - they are a business and charge charities for the privilege of using the site (last time I looked £15.99 + VAT a month) and then take a % of your donation and a card processing fee.
If you look at the way they word it if you are eligible for gift aid that will cover their share and your donation will still be worth more than without gift aid. But it doesn't cost anything (apart from admin and it is quite straightforward) for charities to claim gift aid - so your £10 could still be worth £12.50 ....not £11 or whatever. And the charities need to do the most difficult bit - get registered with HMRC for Gift Aid themselves and then nominated Just giving as an agent. And of course if you aren't eligible for Gift aid your donation is just for less as they still take their fee.

There are cheaper similar sites out there - BT My Donate -just deduct a small card processing fee, something by Virgin charge a one off joining fee of about £100 and processing fees ...and others. There was a thing on Moneysaving Expert about the best value sites for charities to use.

It's Le Sanctuaire de la faune de tanger in Morocco. Amazing place. I was there in April and was half sobbing half incredulous at the amazing work they do on a shoestring