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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Manager asks to volunteer for a charity they are connected to

169 replies

thezoz · 19/03/2019 07:43

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?

OP posts:
Original poster
thezoz · 19/03/2019 08:01

I get the feeling that you don’t really agree with this charity’s aims or think it’s a particularly good cause.
There is a little bit of that, I guess it shows. Grin

OP posts:
LL83 · 19/03/2019 08:01

Has the manager organised this to advance family members career?

Or because they have a link to the charity so it us easy for them to organise a volunteering opportunity?

I think the second is more likely.

PengAly · 19/03/2019 08:02

YABVU OP and actually quite selfish. You only want to help the big charities? Are you aware of how much local charities struggle? Id prefer to support the smaller ones. Of course your manager would use a connection- who wouldnt?!
If you have an issue with what the charity supports than be honest and dont volunteer. But you do sound pretty uncharitable to me

GottenGottenGotten · 19/03/2019 08:03

I do charity stuff in my work, for a charity that I am a trustee of.

Of course people put forward charities they have a personal connection with, that's normal. If you don't want to do that, just say you had already arranged something and don't want to let them down.

anniehm · 19/03/2019 08:03

As long as they are a registered charity then yabu - it's quite reasonable to suggest a cause you are passionate about because you have a personal connection. One persons worthy cause isn't another's you could just say no.

IrenetheQuaint · 19/03/2019 08:03

It does sound a bit dodgy and would annoy me too. Can you go back to whoever leads on the volunteering policy and ask for clarification on a) whether a charity with controversial aims is suitable and b) whether your manager's connection with them is a conflict of interest?

Applesbananaspears · 19/03/2019 08:04

It’s almost impossible to arrange volunteering at a charity. Much as you like to think that they really want the help actually in reality it’s a right pain in the bum to have a load of people turn up and want to “help” on a particular day, at a particular time with a certain number of people and with health and safety etc etc. It’s often of little value. Therefore to volunteer at a charity he has a connection to, who know him and who would value the help is ideal and much more beneficial to help a small local charity than a big national one

Original poster
thezoz · 19/03/2019 08:07

I think you need to say what the charity supports to get better advice on her.
It really does not matter that much. They support immigrants from a particular overseas country (the manager is originally from) with an equivalent of Citizens Advice (in their own language) and English courses.

OP posts:
MorningsEleven · 19/03/2019 08:08

StereophonicallyChallenged

I bet it is.

C'mon OP what's the charity?

boringlyboring · 19/03/2019 08:08

I have an inkling on what it is and feel if you said what the charity is, the replies would be different (I don’t want to say in case I’m wrong though Grin)

Regardless of what it is though, I’d find it difficult to volunteer for a charity I disagreed with. Do you have the option to choose your own charity?

ZippyBungleandGeorge · 19/03/2019 08:08

That sounds like a perfectly decent charity

bigbluebus · 19/03/2019 08:08

It is quite difficult for small charities to get volunteers - my DH is the Chief Exec of one! He has, in the past, got volunteers from various aspects of his/our personal life. For example; our DS's music teacher's wife, our DD's carers, neighbours, my friends and some of their work colleagues, me. I will add that none of these people felt under pressure to do it - they did it because they wanted to and in some cases, because their employers allow time to do this.

Small charities are under ever increasing pressures and lots are going under at the moment due to cuts in available funding. Unless you have serious misgivings about the activities of the charity versus your personal beliefs then I don't see any harm in you and your colleagues taking part in this voluntary work. The family connection just makes it easier for your boss to organise.

eco1636 · 19/03/2019 08:09

What does that have to do with abortion?

ZippyBungleandGeorge · 19/03/2019 08:09

So you're anti immigration OP?

GnomeDePlume · 19/03/2019 08:09

Is it a case that you have been asked to volunteer or that you feel you have been volunteered?

If the former then YABU if it is okay to say no

If the latter then YANBU

anniehm · 19/03/2019 08:09

I work for a registered charity and we have actually refused "volunteers" from a call centre of an international company - we don't need a bunch of people on their day off badly painting the hall and causing us to have to clear up after them, they demanded we provide paint, refreshments and couldn't guarantee their work (we didn't ask them, they requested to volunteer because head office told them they had to do it by 31March!).

Sirzy · 19/03/2019 08:10

So a charity that can really help people! Fantastic.

I would actually wonder about the thought process of anyone who doesn’t think that sort of charity is worth supporting.

PlainSpeakingStraightTalking · 19/03/2019 08:10

@PengAly - and this is why I hate charity muggers, those who persistently ram their chosen charity down my throat, and I dare say the Op feels the same way. Oddly, this is a democracy, where people have freedom of choice, the choice to choose whether to support a charity that appeals to them and not get involved with one that doesn't appeal to them.

Eg. Currently on my Fb there are several poorly children doing the rounds with parents who want to lug them off to the USA for whacky treatment because the NHS doesn't provide it. Why doesn't it provide it ? because its snake oil treatment. Ad no way would I get involved with or donate to such bollox.

You only want to help the big charities? - well of course ABC Syndrome National Charity that invests in research is so utterly pointless isn't it >sarcasm

TedAndLola · 19/03/2019 08:10

I did raise an eyebrow when one colleague nominated a charity that consisted of English men going to Africa to play football with underprivileged kids there. But I'm sure others disapproved when I chose an animal charity.

I think the manager's links to the charity should have been disclosed before you went. The fact that it wasn't makes this feel shady.

GuineaPiglet345 · 19/03/2019 08:10

I work for a company that pushes this volunteering crap and lets be ho eat 2 days volunteering is probably not much use to most charities unless you’re standing in the street shaking a collection tin, for my company it’s all about the photo opportunity and making sure people know what a worthy company they are Hmm so I imagine the op doesn’t see much money making opportunity in this charity and would rather he was photographed next to a cute donkey or an old veteran.

SileneOliveira · 19/03/2019 08:10

I don't think a charity to support and educate immigrants is in any way as controversial as the other political examples the OP gave.

Now if she was trying to fundraise for Mermaids...

BluebadgenPIP · 19/03/2019 08:10

So it’s a charity helping refugees and you object to this?

Just say “I have my own charities I support i prefer to do something with them.”

PengAly · 19/03/2019 08:11

Ahh so you're anti immigration then, OP? Well...that explains your attitude. Still YABU but for multiple reasons now

AJPTaylor · 19/03/2019 08:12

Gosh that is a bit tricky and why every company I have worked for has nominated charities that provide a service all can access/get behind. The local hospice or the air ambulance. Yet to find anyone objecting.
In your shoes I would just say that you have a charity you are planning to give tone to.

ChrisPrattsFace · 19/03/2019 08:13

It is very niche, but as others have said you would often support a charity that you have involvement or connection with.
My and DH support a very very niche charity, because they have helped us and friends - I don’t think if I asked colleagues to help me with a volunteer day any of them would complain!?
YABU.