FUNdraising fatigue

[Penguincake]

I have 3 family members who regularly fundraise for their chosen charities by taking part in their hobbies.

The events that they take part in are things they would want to do anyway and cost a fair bit in travel and accommodation e.g. running enthusiast doing the New York Marathon, Cyclist cycling from London to Bruges. I do acknowledge that these are great achievements but I cannot help feeling that these events are more about their own enjoyment than fundraising. We feel like we are subsidising their hobbies.

My DH and I always feel pressurised into contributing to their charity fundraising even though my DSIL takes part in 5-7 events a year. I feel that this is really crappy and the constant FB messages and family emails reminding us to contribute to her chosen charity are never-ending. She is the worst offender but the other two are not far behind with the frequency of their requests for sponsorship.

We have our own charities to contribute to and think that if they really cared about charity they would find a less self-serving way to fundraise.

Do not get me started on friends kids who want to dig wells in foreign climbs, even though they have no well building experience and the cost of their fight could pay for 10 local builders.

AIBU?

So don't contribute? If they are decent people they will understand that you don't have a magic money tree in your garden.

We have decided to just not fund these types of activities. Big generic fundraisers with a hobby attached.

I do occasionally give to family led fundraisers, but they are typically smaller. Things like my cousin who works in a ridiculously poor school and asks for money to provide a specific thing or activity for her students. Someone who is collecting money is to buy the ingredients for the meal they personally are going to cook for the shelter.

Mermaid we are going to continue to donate because it would cause too many problems in the family if we didn't. I just wanted to know if IABU to find it irritating.

I did manage to stop one friend asking. She started to tell me about yet another trip that was obviously going to be a fundraiser and I interrupted enthusiastically with "Oh what a LOVELY holiday that will be for you!" She got the hint after that.

@steamedbadger I love it. I think I will start using that one.

Are they using all the fundraising to pay for their holiday (flights etc) as well? If so that's bang out of order. If not and they fund that part themselves it's still annoying but at least they mean well.

People like this in now donate £5 too. DH gets carried away sticking £20 on every time but it's just too much too often!

I'm with you! It's all vanity. Where DH works a load of people went to India (I think) to build something or other. They spent months raising thousands each to go but that money could have paid for dozens of local builders rather than 10 idiots from the UK who wanted a photo op.

I just don't sponsor or donate to any of these things now. If you really care about the charity then donate to it, don't ask me to pay for you to go have a good time and pretend it's charity work.