I've just made a donation for the war on Ukraine

[oldandscunnered]

The default donation was £30. I wondered how you all felt about this. I think the default donation should be lower and people should decide what they want to give. I find this all the time. Next week with Comic Relief it will be text such and such to give £20. It should just be a text number for you to donate what you want instead of making people feel inadequate if they can't afford it. AIBU?

Did you donate £30 then?

Surely you can easily change it from the default. Can you gift aid via text?

You should be able to change it. If it's the DEC site it does.

YANBU AT ALL. It is completely insensitive at a time when so many people are struggling with their bills. Can I ask what organisation this is?
I've not donated yet but I'm going to donate to the Ukranian government when I get paid, I won't donate to any of the big charities after becoming disillusioned over the years at how much they cream off in salaries for CEOs etc.

I’ve just checked you can text and donate £5 to comic relief.

www.comicrelief.com/legal/sms

I did mine via the Red Cross website. You could choose the amount you wanted to give and there didn't seem to be a minimum. Not that I remember anyway.

I donated £50, but that was my choice.

They probably did some kind of A/B testing and figured out that it encourages people to donate more.
But I understand what you mean.

I donated the £30 and they added on £5 for gift aid. I can afford this but a lot of people can't. I will donate to Comic Relief but like the previous poster I do wonder how much is creamed off and how much goes to the charity.

If they put an amount in the box, many people will default to that. Anyone can change it, but I'll bet that more people change it downwards (because they can't afford more) than change it upwards. And I'll also bet that more people who go online to donate can afford £30 than can't.

I don't know what happens if they don't put any figure in, but they've probably done the research.

Don't be embarrassed about changing it downwards. If finances are tight, it's great that you're giving at all: you're actually setting an example to others who may be able to afford more.

That title is very misleading..sounds like you're donating to the Russians lol

@Sandinmyknickers

That title is very misleading..sounds like you're donating to the Russians lol

No, it doesn't...

YABU, they do it for a reason. It works. It gets more donations.

If you don't want to donate, don't. But don't bitch and moan about a technique that works.

Do you have fundraising experience?

Fwiw I haven't donated at all. I give to other charities and while I think it's absolutely atrocious what's happening in Ukraine, I know they're getting lots of donations and support.

For me, I have other causes I like to give to.

I'm only saying this, as, no one is forcing you to donate. If you want to donate, do it in goodwill. Don't donate and then moan about it. You don't HAVE to donate to anyone or any cause. It's a choice. Same with people who don't have the funds, no one is forcing a donation and people shouldn't feel bad to have other priorities (whether that's their own bills, other causes or anything else).

Comic relief spends 90% of money made on helping people here and abroad and 10% on salaries, fundraising, expenses etc
www.charitywatch.org/charities/comic-relief#:~:text=Program%20Percentage%3A%2090%25,management%2C%20and%20general%20expenses).
Oxfam America in comparison spends 26% of their money made on salaries, fundraising, expenses etc.

I saw the tv appeal which said to text to donate £x amount; they were for lower amounts. I wanted to give more and add gift aid so I went online and changed the figure to what I could afford.
I think it’s fair for them to make a suggestion - if I recall it gave examples of what various amounts could buy and some were lower amounts.
I think you’re overthinking it.
I think it encourages those who can give more to do so rather than just stick a fiver or tenner in the pot. They expect you to change it if you can’t afford it or can afford more, hence why it easily lets you change it.

@user1471443411

YANBU AT ALL. It is completely insensitive at a time when so many people are struggling with their bills. Can I ask what organisation this is? I've not donated yet but I'm going to donate to the Ukranian government when I get paid, I won't donate to any of the big charities after becoming disillusioned over the years at how much they cream off in salaries for CEOs etc.

Not RFT but for anyone else worried about what their donation actually gets spent on, I recommend donating to Lumos.

It's a charity that focuses on helping children who are institutionalised, often in orphanages. It was set up by JK Rowling and as a result of her signing the rights to The Tales of Beedle the Bard over to them, they don't use donation money to cover ordinary running costs. Since their set up they have had £18m of money from this arrangement - that's almost twenty million pounds of money that would have had to come out of donations otherwise. They guarantee that 100% if the donation goes the the project work.

They have a specific Ukraine appeal at the moment, donations to which JK Rowling is matching herself up to £1million.

No, it doesn't...
It does!

I've made a donation towards the war in Ukraine rather than war on Ukraine.

@Sandinmyknickers

That title is very misleading..sounds like you're donating to the Russians lol

I thought that too! 😂

@User4099642

No, it doesn't... It does!

I've made a donation towards the war in Ukraine rather than war on Ukraine.

I agree. I thought it was going to be about someone donating to Russia 😂

I haven't donated at all. Don't plan too. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Yup, reads like you'd been phished by the Russians.

You can change the amount.

@Sandinmyknickers

That title is very misleading..sounds like you're donating to the Russians lol

It does look a bit like the OP wants to fund the war

@Sandinmyknickers

That title is very misleading..sounds like you're donating to the Russians lol

I thought the same!

I donated cash into a collection from out local rotary club. They were also taking items/food etc, but I'd read cash is better- no transportation costs etc. They had a huge pile of useless items in the centre of the hall they needed to sift through too. Mainly clothes and shoes.

I think there is a research on behaviour that is behind this OP. Some people will increase their donation and others reduce, but the amount won't have been plucked from thin air. It's good of you to donate whatever you can afford.

Yes I thought they were putting money into Putin's coffers for a minute!