Once in a lifetime trip disguised as fundraising for Charities

[staveleymum]

Don't get me wrong - I'm all for people raising money for Charity. People asking for sponsorship for things like Marathons, 1000 miles walked in a year, midnight walks, etc. I'm also on board with Red Nose Day, Children in Need, PTA fundraising, kids clubs fundraising and everything else that seems to constantly need money to run.

BUT I just don't get fundraising for things like hiking up Kilimanjaro or funding a trip to Borneo (for a 16 year old) to build a school or some such similar. Both these events need to raise £4,000 so they are on facebook, justgiving, etc trying to raise the money. My issue is that of the £4,000 needed how much will actually go to charity. This covers flights, accommodation, food, guides, etc - surely this is just something that they want to do as a personal thing and wrapping it up in Charity and getting others to pay for it?

I'd love to walk over Sydney Harbour Bridge but I wouldnt dream of masking it in Charity and hoping others will pay for it with perhaps 5-10% of the money raised actually going to the Charity?

I know I don't have to sponsor but I'd rather just give the donation directly to the Charity. AIBU?

I am very anti all this self-indulgent charity business but have a question. I have a birth defect I was born with and a consultant operated on it and continued to perform operations on me throughout my childhood and adolescence. Said consultant is now retired but regularly visits third world countries to perform the simple 'from birth' operation. It's a quick procedure and many can be performed a day, he will also teach surgeons in these places how to perform the operation. He is world renowned and respected in his field.

I'm coming up to qualifying in surgical skills, it has been my life long ambition to give back and to attend him on some of his charity trips, which he is very excited for. I am planning to fund the trips myself but I may need some assistance. Maybe less than £300. Is this still seen as self-indulgent? I really do not want to ask people for help but at the same time I would love to promote his charity efforts.

Alyosha I'd referred to that link, which was already posted earlier in the thread, in my earlier comment. Many of its assertions are misleading or simply don't reflect the reality of the situation. These children are already in orphanages and they need help. Governments of many countries are so corrupt that direct contributions to them never reach those that need it. Over time better systems need to be out in place, yes. But in the meantime discouraging people from helping and disparaging the great work of people on the ground working to improve the conditions and prospects of these children is counterproductive.

Stealingyourwifi, asking people to donate for you to go and help operate on children is anything but self indulgent. If you were my friend I wouldn't hesitate to donate to any fundraising you were doing, you will be changing children's lives.

which of the assertions are misleading?

And I completely disagree with you. The children are in institutions now, but the best possible thing for them is not to have waves of different volunteers descending for a few weeks every year. That kind of volunteering perpetuates the system of orphanages, and makes it viable for these countries to continue to run orphanages.

If you want to help those children you should be working to stop institutionalisation world wide, by donating to charities like Lumos that are agitating to end orphanage care.

Do you think the best thing for children is to be in an orphanage or to be in foster care?

they had to pay a sizeable deposit and within a week (or so) of the presentation...before they had chance to discover that it might not be quite so easy to raise enough money. Then the parents would either have to find 90% of the money or lose a few hundred pounds...

Call me a lousy rotten cynic, but I imagine the charity factored all that in; if folk raised the lot they got multiple 1000's, and if they pulled out there were still several 100's in the pot - a definite win win

There's a reason why charity is sometimes called an industry, and it isn't always pretty

Alyosha there are children in orphanages/ children's homes just about every country including the UK. There are never enough fostering/ adoption places. To suggest that the children in those homes should receive no medical assistance, education or other help because the system isn't ideal is unrealistic and cruel. By that logic we should also give no benefits to families that have children they cannot afford to support because it encourages others to do the same. In reality it's important to provide help to those who need it while also trying to solve the long term systemic problems.

Stealing, what your surgeon is doing (and you would like to do)is a wonderful thing. You have real skills to offer and if you need some help to finance it, Im sure many people would be happy to help. It is very different from teenagers who have never even put up a shelf going abroad to 'build houses'.

Stealing, good luck with what you're doing. It's incredible.

Phew I've just seen that Emirates support and offer lots of free flights to the team each year but doubt someone of my lowly status will get offered a freebie!

Stealing what you are planning to do is fantastic. You should be incredibly proud and if I knew you I would sponsor you too!

there are children in orphanages/ children's homes just about every country including the UK.

But this can be reduced (although not eliminated) if authorities focus on supporting children to remain with their families and recruiting and supporting foster carers and adopters - rather than perpetuating the orphanage system. Some families put their children into care because they can't afford to keep them which could be better tackled by providing financial support to communities and families rather than paying thousands per volunteer to send British teenagers over to look after the kids. Even if children have to be in care, it is more beneficial for them to have continuity of care (preferably from people with specialist training) rather than a constantly changing stream of volunteers.

If any adults in the UK are keen to help children in care, but aren't able to foster/adopt, you could consider becoming an Independent Visitor which gives children in care a more stable, ongoing adult "friend" in their life.

It isn't just a question of money and it isn't always better to keep children with their families. It can be incredibly damaging. Many unfortunately have abusive parents, like I did. Even if parents aren't deliberately abusive, many have drug or alcohol problems and cannot provide their children a decent life and children's homes are a better environment despite all their drawbacks, when fostering/ adoption isn't available. I have also done work with children in the UK and mentoring in schools but I don't think there's any justification for disparaging the great work many voluntary organisations do to support unfortunate children abroad, particularly in countries like those that I was referring to where there is no state support at all for children's services. If it wasn't for the orphanages staffed by volunteers the children would have been living on the street.

YANBU - so embarrassing to find this acceptable IMO. I have never and will never support this type of "charity" fundraising.

Stealingyourwifi - fantastic that you are doing this but if I were you I'd fund it all myself as a sign of appreciation after all the ops you have had. For a relatively small sum of £300 it's better to remain dignified rather than ask for money IMO.

Puzzled There's a reason why charity is sometimes called an industry, and it isn't always pretty.

YY. I would love to know the breakdown of where the money goes from the £4000 for a 3/4 week voluntourism trip. They make out its the work the person is doing that is valuable!

I would love to know the breakdown of where the money goes from the £4000 for a 3/4 week voluntourism trip

You and me both I did actually ask this of someone who was pestering for sponsorship and of course they hadn't a clue, so I sent a polite letter to the organization asking the same thing

Needless to say I never got a reply ...

I did cycling around Australia even. I saved up to cover my cost and it took me almost 3 years to do that. Then once that was paid I collected sponsors and all the money went to the charity. I hate peoples who use the sponsorship money to fund the trip.

Can anyone explain more about how marathon places work? My colleague is doing it this year (she's a keen runner anyway) and has been talking about fundraising. I hadn't really thought about the ins and outs of it

It's amazing how many of the large charities get so little of every pound one donates. :(

I wouldn't give a bean to any of these poncy trips as they do not benefit the people they lie about helping, rarely have any educational value, and rarely offer sustainable, long-term benefits. I am very selective with any donations I choose to make, and tend to support small local charities that I know something about, know roughly how the money is spent or am aware of the real voluntary nature of the work they do. If anyone wants to go jaunting round the world or to experience other cultures etc I expect them to finance it themselves. Teenagers these days often can't even cook, some are semi-literate when they leave school..they are not teachers, builders, engineers etc and I fail to see how their limited life experience would be that helpful to others! Similarly I think these building projects would be better off employing, for instance, a qualified (local if possible) carpenter to teach local communities the skills they need to build so that they can avoid needing do-gooders turning up time and again, probably expecting locals to house, feed & entertain them etc - bloody cheek...and all so the holidayers-disguised-as-charity people can get a free holiday, nice tan, and good photos for their Facebook/Instagram etc.

Special - JustGiving only take 5% off from any gift aid - nothing is taken from your initial donation.

two parents in our office were discussing their (privately educated kids) doing something like the borneo trip and amazing it was for the kids ......but they were both very clear it was to put stuff on their university application forms - as you will not get into a 'good/posh' uni to be a doctor/dentist/city banker etc without stuff like this on your university form

That's simply not true. There's not a medical or dental course in the country that requires applicants to have been on expensive overseas trips.

Sorry I disagree - yes the charity doesn't get all of the money - but it's extra they are getting because the person is raising money. Besides I think for teenagers building schools etc - it's a wonderful experience for the teen and a wonderful opportunity for the community who is getting the school. Plus once that teenager had seen real poverty firsthand - it will hopefully change them in a positive way and they might be more likely to help charitable causes again in the future. Vote with your pocket - if you don't agree with it don't sponsor them.