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Captain Tom Foundation spent more on costs than causes

357 replies

KerryWeaver · 08/02/2022 16:06

This is a disappointing read.

"More than £240,000 of the registered charity’s expenditure went on the costs, while four grants totalling £160,000 were paid out to good causes. Of the foundation’s costs, £125,000, almost one-tenth of its income, went on fundraising consultancy fees, including to a firm run by Captain Tom’s daughter."

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/captain-tom-foundation-spent-more-on-costs-than-causes-z3b9vw0fh

OP posts:
rubyslippers · 08/02/2022 16:11

To raise over a million they spent £125k
As a charity fundraiser this really irks me
An ROI of 9:1 is pretty good
Setting up a new foundation is front loaded with costs
There is a question mark over the family being trustees and paid staff which needs to be ironed out but fundraising itself doesn’t come for free and nor should it
All charities have costs to raising funds no material how they try to spin it

FlibbertyGiblets · 08/02/2022 16:16

What is ROI please?
There were mumblings about the one daughter being a PR type, and possible conflicts/opportunities for nepotistic pocket filling but I hope this is indeed front loaded costs and subsequent years outputs will sit more comfortably with the public?

FlibbertyGiblets · 08/02/2022 16:18

Absolute horror at that mangled language, so sorry Blush

WouldIBeATwat · 08/02/2022 16:19

@FlibbertyGiblets

What is ROI please? There were mumblings about the one daughter being a PR type, and possible conflicts/opportunities for nepotistic pocket filling but I hope this is indeed front loaded costs and subsequent years outputs will sit more comfortably with the public?
Return on Investment.
WouldIBeATwat · 08/02/2022 16:20

Thanks plenty of people give via sites like JustGiving that cream off a big %. How come that’s okay but not this?

Lampshading · 08/02/2022 16:21

@rubyslippers

To raise over a million they spent £125k As a charity fundraiser this really irks me An ROI of 9:1 is pretty good Setting up a new foundation is front loaded with costs There is a question mark over the family being trustees and paid staff which needs to be ironed out but fundraising itself doesn’t come for free and nor should it All charities have costs to raising funds no material how they try to spin it
But the money he raised was largely generated for free, he was walking around his garden with a zimmerframe and it was a go fund me people donated to. The resultant publicity wouldn't have been paid by the charity, they didn't really need expertise to be brought in as his daughter is an expert in this field- but surprise she paid herself a nice fat wedge of the money donated. Outrageous.
FlibbertyGiblets · 08/02/2022 16:22

Thank you!

PermanentTemporary · 08/02/2022 16:23

Why shouldn't she be paid for her expertise?

Have you ever tried to organise a charity event without knowing how to publicise it? See how much you raise that way.

WouldIBeATwat · 08/02/2022 16:24

But the money he raised was largely generated for free, he was walking around his garden with a zimmerframe and it was a go fund me people donated to. The resultant publicity wouldn't have been paid by the charity, they didn't really need expertise to be brought in as his daughter is an expert in this field- but surprise she paid herself a nice fat wedge of the money donated.
Outrageous.

Hmmm. Didn’t the £33m raised walking the garden go to NHS Charities (who would have running costs too)?

This is different money, isn’t it?

LlamaGiles · 08/02/2022 16:29

It doesn't look great, if the daughter's PR firm was smart (or actually doing anything) they'd have realised they'd be heavily scrutinised and would have managed the release of this information better,.or even spent the money differently.

The fundraising costs, okay. The management costs though when the charity has only made 4 grants are harder to justify. Being generous, it could just be that the charity is new and they haven't had sufficient time to put processes in place for giving out grants, but to have raised over a million and only granted £160000 isn't great, they should have made more grants from that level of income.

Lampshading · 08/02/2022 16:29

@WouldIBeATwat

But the money he raised was largely generated for free, he was walking around his garden with a zimmerframe and it was a go fund me people donated to. The resultant publicity wouldn't have been paid by the charity, they didn't really need expertise to be brought in as his daughter is an expert in this field- but surprise she paid herself a nice fat wedge of the money donated. Outrageous.

Hmmm. Didn’t the £33m raised walking the garden go to NHS Charities (who would have running costs too)?

This is different money, isn’t it?

Fair point, no doubt the vast amount of publicity though was priceless in terms of getting this foundation known and piggy backing off it. And no her firm being paid £125k from people who donated in good faith is grim, making money from peoples generosity and her father, ew.
Classica · 08/02/2022 16:35

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FlibbertyGiblets · 08/02/2022 16:37

Oh dear Classica that is not a good look, perhaps we are misunderstanding?

stairway · 08/02/2022 16:43

Tbh I was not impressed with his daughter after the decision to holiday in the Caribbean was made. Though I’ve always seen Captain Tom as genuine the daughter seemed like an opportunist.

drpet49 · 08/02/2022 17:00

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Lennybenny · 08/02/2022 17:04

Why the surprise? No one knows where the money he raised went. Seriously where did all the millions go to? What did it do? Who did it help?

Wonnle · 08/02/2022 17:08

@Lennybenny

Why the surprise? No one knows where the money he raised went. Seriously where did all the millions go to? What did it do? Who did it help?
There must be a way of finding out where it went surely ?
Lampshading · 08/02/2022 17:14

Was it nhs millions he originally raised money for? Seems they are pretty transparent:

nhscharitiestogether.co.uk/grantsawarded/

StartingGrid · 08/02/2022 17:17

Reminiscent of the Azalyia Foundation, at least here a decent sum of money has been given out...

Lampshading · 08/02/2022 17:18

@StartingGrid

Reminiscent of the Azalyia Foundation, at least here a decent sum of money has been given out...
Yeah that's a whole other kettle of fish, should be interesting when they have to publish their accounts...
Mookie81 · 08/02/2022 17:24

That's why I prefer doing things like donating to food banks- they can't siphon off tins and packets of food for 'costs'. Hmm

DisforDarkChocolate · 08/02/2022 17:27

It's sounds fine to me, especially as it must include setting up costs.

WouldIBeATwat · 08/02/2022 17:37

@Lennybenny

Why the surprise? No one knows where the money he raised went. Seriously where did all the millions go to? What did it do? Who did it help?
Association of NHS Charities.

Who raised over £150 million last year and spent about £50 million.

(Details all on Charity Commission website.)

GreenClock · 08/02/2022 17:38

I don’t know whether the daughter is generating suspicion and opprobrium because she’s a grasping opportunist, or because she’s a very successful woman who doesn’t grin and simper and “know her place”. I’m genuinely unsure.

Her impressive father did the walking but the publicity success didn’t come from him. He couldn’t have achieved what he did on his own.

Whether she has been paid a fair sum, I don’t know…I’m unclear as to how it works because I’ve no experience in PR or charity fundraising. But I had a feeling that folk would turn on her at some point tbh.

I’d be interested in the facts and in the opinions from people in this line of work.