Manager asks to volunteer for a charity they are connected to

[thezoz]

I work for a large employer and one of the priorities for 2019 for staff development was to encourage volunteering - everyone got a couple of extra days off, people are encouraged to share their charitable activities and stories on the intranet etc.
My manager organised a group volunteering opportunity for the team with a small charity. The choice was surprising for some people (not a pet / family / sports / health organisation, but rather supporting a very niche cause, not close to everyone's heart, and some even may say controversial). After some social media research, it turned out that the manager's close family member is involved in managing this charity (this was not disclosed to us), and it is very likely that another family member is a user of the charity's services.
AIBU to raise an official concern about this situation? I am all pro volunteering (and do volunteer and fundraise myself), but it does feel like we are just being used as free labour to someone else's benefit, and this does not sit right with me. Shouldn't there be a transparent selection process in such cases?

Are they an actual registered charity? If so YABU, of course it's easier to organise group activity with a charity where you already have a link, unless you specified it had to be in a certain category I don't see what the concern would be

we are just being used as free labour to someone else's benefit,

Assuming it is a properly set-up charity, run according to the Charity Commission guidelines, what's your problem? Would you have a problem with someone volunteering for Alzheimer's UK because their mum has dementia? Or the RSPCA because they like kittens?

Your whole attitude is really uncharitable.

Also volunteering is by its nature free labour for someone else's benefit

All volunteering is work for someone else's benefit

What charity is it? How is it controversial? is it mermaids

we are just being used as free labour to someone else's benefit,

Which part of charity don't you understand? 🤔

Presumably you can choose not to do this activity and use your days off to choose a charity of your choice to volunteer for?

I don’t see an issue with a charity being chosen which is close to someone’s heart. Isn’t that normally how they are chosen?

Yes, it is a registered charity, but a small one (not RSPCA or Alzheimer's UK). I guess my issue is that the manager's family will get a tangible benefit from it (either in terms of career / promotion or directly in service), so in a way it is using the position for personal gain. Maybe I am BU and need to review my attitude.

DP uses his charity days to help with the PTA stuff!

Is it political or religious?

Where I work we're not allowed to volunteer for those charities

Presumably you can choose not to do this activity and use your days off to choose a charity of your choice to volunteer for?
Well, technically yes, but I am not sure how it would look in practice given everyone else is going.

Surely most people choose to support a charity which is close to their heart. I am not sure what the issue is? Were the group from your organisation who helped with this event happy to do it? If they didn't agree with the aims of the charity could they opt out?

But why wouldn’t the manager put forward to volunteer at a charity they have connections with?

If you’re uneasy with it, surely you can go off and volunteer for something that is similarly close to your heart?

Is it political or religious?
No, but linked to a topic that often causes conflicting opinions (think abortions, sex ed, same sex marriage - not one of those, but you get the idea).

Depends on the charity doesn't it - eg if it were one of those Love in a Box Christmas type charities, a large proportion of MN would having the screaming abdabs about forcing religion down the throats of starving third world children.

People often support/volunteer/fundraise for a charity with thich they have a personal connection, that's human nature

If the charity's aims are at odds with your personal beliefs then YANBU to choose your own charity instead

If I had to suggest a charity to help it would be the small local one that ds gets benefit from. Like most small local charities they are struggling so why wouldn’t I suggest them??

YABVU.

It's a lot of hard work organising a group volunteering opportunity and whilst most people will go, hardly any will take the initiative to sort it out.

As long it's a registered charity, there's no reason why the volunteering leave should not be approved.

Hmm it does feel a bit off

Are there any restrictions on who you can volunteer for in the policy (e.g. excluding political organisations)?

Did the people volunteering know the purpose of the charity?

Did they feel under pressure to volunteer for this charity because the boss wanted them to?

If the answer to all those is "no" them I don't think it would break any rules just because his/her family are involved but I don't know

DP uses his charity days to help with the PTA stuff!
Excellent example. Would it be OK if the manager arranged for everyone to volunteer in their children's school as a corporate effort?
I am actually not 100% sure about my own feelings on the topic, thus asking everyone.

If my work asked for suggestions if charities, I would suggest the one that has helped my DD, the one I have a connection with.

Surely that’s how these things work?

It's much easier to arrange this kind of thing if you have a contact. However, if it causes people issues ethically in terms of what the charity does, then that is worth raising.

I get the feeling that you don’t really agree with this charity’s aims or think it’s a particularly good cause. Lots of people prefer to support small organisations than large big-brand charities.

Yes if that school needed things doing then of course. Helping the local community isn’t a bad thing surely?

I think you need to say what the charity supports to get better advice on her. If I was your manager reading this I would recognise that it's me that you're referring to and so I don't think naming the type of charity would be any more outing.