@MediocreOmens;
To the contrary, I don’t need to `assess why I am giving at all’. How incredibly patronising. As an animal welfare campaigner who is now in the fortunate position of being able to donate large sums and improve animals lives it is a huge privilege to work with some amazing and selfless people with our combined efforts making a huge difference.
Knowing the appalling animal abuse going on in the world, I would have no peace if I didn’t try to make a difference, drop in the pond though it may be in the scheme of things.
As explained in subsequent posts, I currently have a great working relationship with a handful of people abroad, and we stay in touch via FB, as they do with all their supporters, interspersed with the odd private message. This is a quick and cheap way to share their appeals and how they are spending donations. Obviously much larger charities may do things in a more official, time-consuming way.
For someone like me who likes to be involved, obviously it makes sense to work with smaller groups, none of which are registered as charities.My OP was partly precipitated by endless requests for funding from charities with no information about governance. I had a request for 10k to build 4 kennels but when I asked for the costings they were unable to provide them. Putting a few quid in a collection tin is one thing but when you are investing large sums it is only right to do as much DD as you can.
Charities need to be as businesslike and transparent as they possibly can, specially if they are not registered and there is no info online. You obviously find this an outrageous supposition, and that we should spray money munificently into the ether, but when there is a finite source of money, you need to use it as effectively as possible.
Yes, I offered a large sum to a charity – it was their suggestion for me to come in to the office and discuss this and subsequent funding for other campaigns but they didn’t follow up. While I found this bemusing, it really is of no consequence as there is hardly a world shortage of animal causes to support. I have no wish to change their policy or force them to develop my pet projects. This is really offensive. Obviously it makes far more sense for them to say, `we don’t need it for this but we need it for that’. They are the ones at the sharp end, after all.
And when I have donated over a third of one small charity’s funding for a few years, I really don’t expect the bank which transferred the money mentioned in their annual report and my Trust ignored. And no, this bank did not make a donation. It would be nice to receive some communication which wasn’t just about asking for more money and have it addressed to me with my name spelt correctly. You just end up killing the golden goose. While giving is its own reward I don’t actually expect to feel dismissed. Newsletters complained about donations being down, a shortage of volunteers and trustees not turning up for meetings, but given my treatment I wasn’t surprised that others voted with their feet.
There have been many occasions when I’ve donated large sums but not even known if the sum has even reached them. Obviously I wouldn’t then donate again.
Philanthropy is a business, whether you like it or not, and good charities work hard to raise funds and make sure they are using them effectively.
It is just good business practice to say thank you, in the same why you say thanks (or perhaps you don’t) if someone holds open a door. When I look after a friend’s dog, she might buy a bunch of flowers. When a friend takes me out to lunch I try to remember to text later to say thanks. A friend stopped buying her godchildren presents when they never acknowledged them. No doubt you would tell her off for `looking for an ego massage'. But if you are too busy to say thank you, don’t be surprised if people stop giving to you.
As for all these charities you mention that have so many donations of 5k and 10k that they don't have time to acknowledge or even thank them, well good for them. They are not the ones in need of my money.