To refuse to support charity in work?

[emphetic]

I work for a big international company. It’s very keen on getting its name publicised for supporting charitable ventures.

It has partnered with a particular big name charity. This also means that the company cannot and will not allow staff to fundraise for other charitable causes. Any charity has to be for the benefit of this special partner charity.

There’s constant fund raising in work. £25 a strip raffle tickets. £5 a slice of cake for charity. Sponsored walk 100km in a month etc. There’s always pressure to donate.

AIBU to refuse to support the charity through work? In my personal view, there are far better charities to support and it’s better for money to be split up rather than hoarded by one big charity. Historically the charity have been quite shitty to people from my religion so I don’t want to support them when there are many alternatives.

I also take issue with “my money” being claimed by the firm as “firm donation”.

I'd probably go for the cake, but wouldn't contribute beyond that.

When asked for money reply "I already donate a lot of money to (insert charity name here) as it's cause is close to my heart."

You should not be forced to support something that doesn't align with your beliefs and principles. It could be considered discrimination against your religion.

I agree! I hate ‘company donated’ sooo much.

i just say, thank you I have ‘charity near and dear to my heart’ that I support. And get the tax credit for.

sometimes you get ‘well it’s just 5$’ or whatever. Then I like to bring up the corrupt or as you said discrimination against your religion aspects of the charity.

Yeap,
office work mehh...

Absolutely no way!! I support charities of MY choosing…. I wouldn’t donate to a charity I don’t personally support… I’d rather put that money to my own charity!

In future when asked to donate state very clearly that this charity discriminated against your religion/culture etc and ask not to be asked again!….. people asking for money is a form of harassment and I really disagree with it in the workplace!
An email with a link asking if anyone would like to donate is fine, but asking you in person is embarrassing and not ok!!

No way I pay enough to support the kids school in fees. I don't need any other charities at the moment.

My work does this. I personally think it’s a bit cheeky especially as many of the staff are on £11.50 an hour. Bake a cake and buy a slice. No thanks.

Apparently a hollow laugh and a I’m not paid enough for this sort of thing is not being a team player.

Where I work nominate a new charity every year, there’s always some sort of charity event going on. Tbf they do match whatever we raise over the year and it usually totals £100k-£115k

I don’t donate to everything but usually get involved with some of it…even just the small amounts adds up!

We had a charity knock our front door asking for money.. I told them I already donate to a couple of charities and simply can’t afford more. End of conversation!

Remind them that charity begins at home and if they don’t get thay, say you support charities privately

@PrincessTeaSet

Your colleagues are not outraged about someone collecting money and then charging for his time?

I agree with this. OP, how much does the company give from its own funds?

The charity sector does so much desperately needed work in our society and is hugely underfunded.

We may all have a loved one who requires the services of a hospice one day. We might have a child who needs extra help from volunteers at school. We might know someone who needs to escape domestic abuse. 1 in 2 of us will get cancer and need support. We all know someone with mental health issues who needs support.

This doesn't all happen for free. Charities need money to exist and provide essential services that make an incredible difference to the lives of normal people like you and your family.

I think it is absolutely appropriate for corporates to support them. Yes there are a few bad apples. But the majority of the sector is playing the most amazing life changing important role.

What happens to the money the corporate sector makes? It's generating funds to line shareholders pockets.

I know who I'd rather support.

Frankly I would expect the company to contribute the bulk of the donation through their profits, not by guilt-trip employees.

It should be completely optional and there is no need for you to get involved.

I have worked in the third sector for decades and the only charities I donated to recently is my local RNLI because I can see the good work that they do (I live by the sea) every day and a local animal charity/shelter, again because I know that they are doing some great work.

I only support causes that I am passionate about and do it of my own initiative.

I would never support some random charity through work, especially because having worked in the sector for a long time I know that you have to do your own research about the organisation before you support them.

I have seen too much money wasted on consultants, vanity projects and CEO salaries...

I'm not anti-charity, but it gets out of hand when you're continually pressured / embarrassed into giving - 20 years in corporate IT and it only got worse, even involving name checklists & emailed list of 'givers'.

The charity champion task needs assigning and it's a certain type of individual that volunteers, invariably in an attempt to raise their profile while managers heave a sigh of relief that they off-loaded the task - the company are happy because they get free advertising.

The "charity champion" ends up rubbing shoulders higher up the food chain, dodging real work and strutting around the office with their checklist while invariably reporting the misers.

You have to wonder at which point it becomes harassment, but can you imagine taking this to HR, reporting such a giving person - what's wrong with you ?

Just say no. Or maybe offer an annual donation of £x and refuse to join in any other activities.

No, I can't.
Sorry, I already support other charities close to me.
I have no problem with the company supporting this charity, but they cannot force staff to contribute.
No thanks.
I have just donated to my friends {insert name of charity thing}.
I don't support that charity.

All of those are appropriate responses.

OP I would wonder if the company is getting tax relief on all the donations including those from the staff.

As someone who works in a medium sized charity, every donation we receive ensures we can do the work that we do and help people through our work. Even big charities need money to continue the work they do and unfortunately that means they need more money than a small local charity to do that.

BUT
nobody should be pressured into donating to charity

nobody should have their right to choose who to donate money to removed from them simply because of where they work

nobody should have to sacrifice their moral issue with charities that have done the wrong thing whether in the past or present towards certain communities

It’s not a donation off the company though. They won’t be claiming it as such as that would be fraud. They may charity match the amount raised and claim off that which is fine.

Also they still lose the money. The tax relief they can claim doesn’t make up for it. If they didn’t send any money to charity they’d have more money overall.

This.

The constant pressure would annoy me.

YANBU. Charitable giving is a very personal thing for individuals to support those which are important to them - usually because of a personal experience.

Perfectly acceptable for you not to take part. However I tend to agree with the “ban” on others doing fund raising in work for other causes - used to drive me insane as people I didn’t know would send out weekly department / business area wide e mails pushing for money because their DC were doing a sponsored something. I just used to support the causes important to me outside work and occasionally support someone I knew n work doing individual fund raising

Not unless the company is committing fraud ! They can’t include the staff donations as company donations - they are treated separately.