Aibu to not want to donate money but instead donate things?

[12yearsinazkaban]

Just thinking about how food banks get food donations. People are actually putting food into a box.
Charity shops get donations of items.
But the school fund for example, asks for monetary donations.
HOWEVER they just had a party and one class teacher asked for food rather than £2 for the party food. We were chatting and she said she gets more 'donations' for food rather than money.
it reminded me of my children's old nursery) and they asked for seasonal items to be donated for activities (conkers collected for free, but also Easter chick's and stickers for crafts, mini pumpkins for Halloween activities, Xmas bits and bobs for Xmas crafts etc) and they always got loads of donations. Whereas their school now always ask for 1 or 2 pounds and sometimes the activity is cancelled due to lack of donations.

I think it goes further too where people find it easier to buy a homeless person food rather than give them money

I'm just wondering if people find it easier to donate items rather than money? I think the feeling of giving something is more powerful than giving money. i wouldn't ever donate money,I just don't have it spare, however while I'm shopping I do have space in my shopping trolley for bits and bobs asked for. I don't know why it feels different but handing over a bag of party food or craft items feels more helpful, more tangible, rather than sending in a pound.

Does any one else feel this way? I know it seems stupid but if a food bank or the school ask for money it feels sort of cheeky, but asking for donations of xyz seems different somehow.
perhaps its related to the 'you don't ask for money for a wedding or birthday' thing people do.

So if someone donates a bag of food to the food bank, they walk away feeling good about themselves and the food bank has food. So 2 good things.

As long as the food bank is requesting food, then there’s nothing wrong.

But say for example the food bank says ‘we do not need pasta or rice, thank you’. Food banks have limited storage, so if everyone continues to gives them pasta and rice, so that they feel they have done a good deed, that actually pretty shitty as it has consequences for the food bank. Continuing to give them pasta and rice just says they should be grateful for anything they get, which isn’t a nice attitude. They try to ensure people get a balanced diet from what they have in stock and if their storage is full of things they already have enough of, they won’t be able to store and provide people with other foods.

I really struggle morally donating to food banks. In that I hate the things and think is shames every single one of us (especially x a million those in positions of power in the country) that there is such extreme poverty in the country. If I donate, i worry that that perpetuates and condones the need for them instead of addressing the root cause.

I remember about ten years ago my local supermarket had a collection bin for the local animal shelter, I used to happily put stuff in there. Sometimes I'd buy milk drops or some other treat for them. So yes op, donating 'stuff' did make me a lot happier in that case than donating money. It was replaced with a food bank donation bin. Donating to a food bank just makes me angry, no warm fuzzy feeling in that.

” i wouldn't ever donate money,I just don't have it spare, however while I'm shopping I do have space in my shopping trolley for bits and bobs asked for.”

You’re contradicting yourself. If you have 50p for an extra packet of pasta, you have 50p in money. You just get more of a kick from giving A Thing.

I'd be delighted to ping the school a fiber on the app,rather than send in endless bloody milk bottle lids, conkers, things that a yellow, and other random shit they want.
Some people value time over money, some don't need the warm fuzzy glow of actually putting a box of cornflakes in the foodbank basket. I'm happy to take the path of least resistance, which is usually money.

It strikes me as being a bit like when people don't want to give cash or gift cards as gifts to other people and would rather spend the same amount or more buying something that ultimately they want to buy, that leaves them feeling in some way good or more thoughtful or they enjoy that experience of choosing and buying or whatever it is it does for people when the recipient would much rather the cash or gift card (teen DNiece and Nephew as prime examples!).

When I realised this and realised it was only about what was being asked for and what was needed was not mine to judge and it wasn'y an opportunity to indulge my own need, I just stopped. I'd just provide whatever was being requested by the school/food bank/whatever and assume those running it were best able to judge which resources and what format would be of most practical use, and what they currently have the staff to handle and deal with.

I dont mind money or giving it as a present. If I'm going to give, then it's about what's most needed/wanted by the recipient, not about my warm and fuzzies.

I'm a teacher and tbh we lean more and more towards asking for money. Our parents can donate online though.
I asked for items to refill our school play costume box recently (list of items eg hats and made it clear nothing was expected and just anything you might donate to charity anyway) and it was mostly stuff not good enough to donate to chariry that I had to throw away (like dad's old work t-shirt with car oil on it). Even if I'd had £100 donated (600 children at the school) I could have been to the charity shops myself and got a good selection of bits.
We also asked for food for a jubilee party and despite suggesting specific things for each year group (eg. savoury ks1, sweet ks2) we just ended up with hundreds of packets of chocolate bourbons which say 'May contain nuts' so we can't use them (whole other thread needed for that rule!) so in that case money for us to buy a picnic may have nene better.
I do understand that times are very hard for our families though so hate asking for money. It's such a shame there's no budget for these kind of things anymore, especially in schools in deprived areas.
It's not that I want be 'controlling charity'. I'm just trying to be more cost efficient to get the best for our children.

Unfortunately, for many charities, things rather than money can be worse than useless. As pp have mentioned, things cost money to store and move, and whatever it is that you want to donate often isn't what is actually needed.

No, I get what the pp means. If they donated cash they'd probably have to donate £5 minimum depending on the context. But if you donate a couple of tins, it has only cost say £1. It's much less money.

I’d rather donate cash to school, preferably on parent pay as I don’t often have cash in my purse.

The food bank is different- I’m at the shops
anyway so I can grab some stuff while I’m there. Charity shop is again not the same- we’re doing each other a favour. I have stuff to get rid of, they want stuff to sell. Win win.

I think you have a valid point and sometimes I feel the same

Another thing, the food banks asking for individual packets to distribute easily. I know it makes sense but a big bag of pasta from farm foods is £2.50, you would have to pay 10x that amount to buy the same amount of food in 500g packets. so I don't trust their judgement. surely I could donate 10kg of pasta and it could he distributed in jars people bring or plastic takeaway boxes. but that's a health and safety risk so instead just donate 2x 500g bags instead. I just couldn't give away my money for so little value.

Also as others have said, asking for non value items (this is personal to me) in an area where most people are on the bread line anyway is extremely tone deaf. If people are hungry (and some aren't we are allowed to mention that, my own family members and some friends included in that) they won't mind having a crappy tin of beans. in fact I prefer the aldi ones to hienz.

some nasty comments about people changing their minds after asking for help, they probably borrowed some money off their mates instead. it's shameful asking strangers for food, it's absolutely embarrassing as hell. use your brain for a second please. what did you want them to do, dampen your toes with their tears of joy?

I don't like giving money to large charities full stop....it mainly lines fat cats pockets and I am dubious as to how much filters down to those that need it.
On a smaller local scale like schools or local food banks I would be happy to give what they asked for.

Another thing, the food banks asking for individual packets to distribute easily. I know it makes sense but a big bag of pasta from farm foods is £2.50, you would have to pay 10x that amount to buy the same amount of food in 500g packets. so I don't trust their judgement. surely I could donate 10kg of pasta and it could he distributed in jars people bring or plastic takeaway boxes. but that's a health and safety risk so instead just donate 2x 500g bags instead. I just couldn't give away my money for so little value.

Completely impractical. If you give a giant bag of pasta to a food bank to distribute to users, you are in effect asking them to source, purchase and store large takeaway containers or jars. They are expensive!

You are asking them to create legally compliant labels With the knowledge of what that entails plus labelling equipment. You’re probably also looking at an elastic band around each one to avoid it falling open…a cost and admin burden on the food bank.

I think you should just not donate if you're that bothered 🙄@12yearsinazkaban.

I prefer to donate money. Properly with gift aid. So they get even more of the donation

Surely if it is a charity or cause that you want to support and they ask for money you give money. If they ask for stuff you give stuff. It is the opposite of helpful to do what you want to do rather than what they ask. Charitable giving shouldn't be about making you look good or satisfying your desires it is about supporting the charity.

How it the name of Christ is a food bank asking for money cheeky?

Obviously donating (most) food is helpful, but money if you have it is better as they can control their stock, and the same is true for most charities.

If you have unwanted stuff that someone else could use, great. But giving isn’t primarily to make you feel good.

I would much rather give money. We got some stuff for our local food bank while we were at the supermarket last week, and there was so much to think about… what might they want/not want? Is it better to get more of a cheaper product, or get less of something higher quality? Larger bags to be decanted, or smaller packs? Plus our local place uses gift aid, so they’ll get more from a monetary donation, and they might be able to get more goods for their money than we can.

So for me, giving money is my strong preference, but there’s no right/wrong way to give; people do what’s right for them, and I wouldn’t presume to tell anyone how to do it.

I prefer stuff. I never carry cash so if they asked for £1 I would have to go out of my way (and remember to) draw out a tenner and spend some to get the change. Whereas add it to the shopping list and it’s easy, it’s not about the amount it’s about the convenience of it for me. Same for the food bank if it’s part of something I’m already doing then it’s easier for me to do.

Agree with this.

I like to give money because then the person or organisation receiving can spend it as they see best, and they know better than me.

you remind me of those people on Facebook who film themselves giving a homeless person a sandwich

The amount of charity Ceos on 6 figure sums make me not want to give physically money to charity.

Shelter doesn't provide housing to people, and is single handedly ruining the rental sector so housing will be in even more of a crisis. They deserve no funds whatsoever.

i often see bake sale items priced lower than the cost of the ingredients, let alone cooking costs

This.