MNHQ calling: Giving Week (our recent match-funding drive) - your thoughts please!

[KateHMumsnet]

Afternoon folks,

As you may remember, back in June we hosted our first ever Mumsnet Giving Week to shine a light on some brilliant causes nominated by Mumsnetters. Thanks to you, we were able to raise £11,302.43, which when we matched, rose to a whopping £22,604.86!

Woolly Hugs, Women’s Aid, Haven House, the PDA Society and Free Cakes for Kids are all overcome with warm-fuzzy feelings, as are we. This will make such a difference to all the people out there supported by these incredible charities and causes, and we hope will have a really positive impact on what they can achieve this year, so hats off to all of you!

We’ll be back with an update from the charities later in the year, so that you can hear firsthand from them about how your donations have made a difference. But in the meantime, we wanted to to ask you what you thought of our first ever Giving Week.

What do you think worked well, and what didn’t?
What compelled you to give, if you donated?
If you didn’t get involved in nominating or donating, was there anything in particular that stopped you?
What would you like to see as part of future giving weeks?

Giving back to the organisations who support Mumsnetters is important to us, and we’d like to make this a more regular feature so all feedback very welcome.

MNHQ

Sorry.

I wont do it again. Next time I will just be rude and shout. Thats more in the MN spirit these days anyway.

;sigh;

No one is saying that there are not other worthy charities out there Higgle. Of course there are. That doesn't mean you get to slag off the ones that are supported by many mumsnetters.

I read all about WH and still didn't get it. It seemed more about the feelings and wishes of those who created the blankets rather than tailoring something sepcial and tailored to the recipient. They did ask.... I did answer.

Some of my work is with people with dementia, I know all about crats and activities for older people and the benefits.

"I read all about WH and still didn't get it. It seemed more about the feelings and wishes of those who created the blankets rather than tailoring something sepcial and tailored to the recipient."

I think it would be really nice if you were to apologise for getting it totally wrong about Woolly Hugs, and for being so obtuse and dismissive.

But they are tailored And did you miss Deverethemuzzler's post?

so a charity has no merit unless someone is dying? Higgle?

that should say "unless it is helping someone who is dying"!

Must not type what I am thinking.

Everyone has different charities that appeal to them for different reasons. Higgle, you have your choices, and you may not deem the "frilly" causes worthy, but I have seen the smile on the face of a terminally ill child who received a little hug. It made a difference to that child's tragically short life.

Do you think Make a wish foundation is pointless? Because after all, they are only making children happy, not finding cures for the diseases that are slowly and painfully killing them.

My sons playgroup is a registered charity. Without fundraising it wouldn't exist. Is that pointless too? Should we all just get back in our box just because you don't agree with the cause?

Oh an I think you'll find granny chic is all the rage, so if you don't have a granny square blanket, well you are just a square.

" if you don't have a granny square blanket, well you are just a square."
You make my point very eloquently for me, everyone should have their own choice, not what other people want t otell them they should have.

I suppose it iwas my revulsion at seeing my aunt, a lady who still wore an ironed silk bolouse and a formal suit in a care home draped in what she clearly considered a hideous monstrosity without care or regard for her individuality that made me so very anti blanket! I'm not talking about people crocheting square ( good therapy if they want to ) I suppose my feelings are basically that when there are so very many really serious problems int he world for people plus all the animal ones I just can't thin how anyone would think that if they were going to devote all that energy to a cause they would chose blankets and cakes. I strongly supect that if the blankets and cakes were sold to raise funds to deal with charitable needs it mifght give a higher qualy rating.

Do you think anything that isn't actively saving lives is a waste of time?

And the blankets are sold, along with out her hand crafted items to raise funds. One was auctioned off during an auction organised for SANDS by a bereaved MNer. You clearly don't know a single thing about woolly hugs. So until you can debate from a fully informed postion any argument you pose is pointless. Just as I don't know what the charity you chair does or doesn't do, but I would never ever describe it as pointless or a waste of time. Charity is a personal thing, but you need to accept others views not dismiss them out of hand.

I think the campaign was a good idea. I've not been on Mumsnet much recently and sadly missed it, so I don't agree that anyone was pressured or guilted into donating. Not when several people have said they didn't know about it or didn't have time to donate.

I like that smaller charities were chosen - even the cake one. It might be better to ask for donations to the charities and simply split the money between all of them equally.

The idea that cakes or blankets are frivolous and not deserving of assistance/charity bemuses me. The cake one is a simply community based charity that brings joy to the lives of children whose families are struggling. While it is lovely that those who work for Higgles charity are mainly volunteers, or work unpaid, to expect everyone to do the same is unfair. Not everyone can afford to do so. Are only the financially secure able to give their time to charities?

I'm frankly appalled at your response, Higgle, particularly in the light of the touching and heartfelt post by MrsD.

Did you read that the blankets are called Woolly Hugs because of the love that goes into each stitch? That the children who've lost siblings or a parent are enveloped in a Woolly Hug, with the love of the MNetters surrounding and supporting them.

How you can equate this with the blanket that your aunt despised, I don't know.

My father has advanced Alzeheimers. I know that he would get far more benefit from a blanket (not that WH is for older people like him) than he has ever got from the either social services or the charities that claim to support people like him and carers like my mother who have precious little help. 'Proper' charities, especially large ones, don't have a monopoly on caring, if in fact, they care for individuals at all which I don't see much evidence of. I would go as far as to say that I won't be giving to charities who claim to support the elderly, only those who research the illnesses associated with old age.

But Higgle, you keep digging you hole with every post you make - we can see you don't have a clue about Woolly Hugs. You don't have to keep reminding us.

This thread is the first I've heard of it so more publicity would definitely help. Love the idea of a 'pitch' for each charity, maybe a Q&A about what they do etc.

Clears throat loudly

There are other charities. I completely understand the meaning & appeal of Woolly Hugs & birthday cakes. But I was disappointed to see Women's Aid trailing in the donation tables. Mumsnet's practically the only mainstream forum with a realistic take on domestic abuse and, quite rightly, advises posters to ring the Women's Aid helpline for expert guidance. Mumsnet has literally saved many lives, and even more childhoods, by doing this. When you donate to the WA federation, you are funding this helpline.

It's a truism that women are great at giving love, but maybe not so great at hard-nosed support when needed. Mumsnet disproves that to a useful extent. I'd like to see us disproving it still further by taking our eyes off the comforting gesture now & then, and assisting for women at the critical moment when they find the courage to escape with their children.

higgle I understand your feelings about your aunt, I would feel the same way if a loved one of mine was draped in a really gaudy blanket, I would want it changed for something that they would actually like. But I think you're mistaken in projecting those feelings onto the woolly hugs charity.

The blankets are collaborative and they are beautiful. To give one example. when gnitting passed away due to complications during the birth of her first baby, her DH accepted the offer of a blanket and gave us some pointers (gheckos to remind him of their time abroad, umbrellas, gothic etc etc). I crocheted a couple of squares and thought about the blanket that would end up in their home. I hoped it will be another talking point for her son when he's old enough to start asking questions about his mum. She was part of the MN community and people wanted to give him something to remind him of that too. To say that you can't understand how blankets can mean anything to anyone is rude. Knotty and Pistey dedicate so much time to the cause and you are saying it's worthless! Hence the outpouring of rage!

I don't donate money to charities working with animals. The limited funds I have for charity donations go to charities working with women and children. I don't identify with animal welfare causes as much as I do others but I would never dream of maligning those charities and the people who devote their time to them.

I didn't donate bc I can do so far more efficiently through my company - where we have matches funding AND I can do gaye to further maximise the impact. It did inspire me to contact WA and make a substantial donation (> than the total amount raised directly by MNers) which I had been meaning to do for ages.

Have you asked the charities what the total impact was?/whether they saw a bump outside of giving week? I bet there are other like me - particularly top rate taxpayers - who did end up giving but outside the MN framework.

And I have to admit that I though the cakes & blankets were slightly odd choices too. Am trying to unpick why I think that - but my gut reaction is that there should be only 1 "lighter" charity like that. The meeting thing with the cakes was also very uninspiring - that is a huge amount of money that is being spent on what is effectively admin.

I'm most chuffed to read your post, angel!

higgle I can understand where you are coming from and why you hold the views you do. Are you aware that Woolly Hugs aren't forced upon anyone? The family are contacted and asked if they would like one. They are totally free to say no thanks. As a pp said, they are a tangible expression of community support and love.

I don't have a WH, but another thing they do is to provide Little Hugs to the DCs of Mumsnetters who are unwell. My DS received one shortly after being diagnosed with cancer. That blanket has been with him on every step of his journey. He slept under it when he couldn't get comfy under the hospital sheets. It kept him warm in the car on midnight hospital dashes. On one memorable occasion it served as a vomit bowl when the new out- patient receptionist just sat there blankly while DS was screaming he felt sick.

That blanket is not "just" a blanket. It has brought so much comfort to my DS and the rest of my family. I would never get rid of it.

Yes, they don't save lives but they certainly alleviate suffering. And that's a good thing.

I'm sorry that your Aunt had something foisted on her but that is not what the WH people do.

"might be better to ask for donations to the charities and simply split the money between all of them equally"

I thin

"might be better to ask for donations to the charities and simply split the money between all of them equally"

I think that might make giftaid problematic, mmeL,

It comes down to this idea that some charities are more deserving than others, and that to donate to a more 'frivolous' cause is taking money from one that more directly saves lives.

I hear this a lot when talking about causes such as Let Toys Be Toys. 'Why aren't you demonstrating against FGM and domestic violence', as if it's impossible to care and support more than one cause at a time.

Yes, there are worse things in the world than not being able to give your child a fancy birthday cake, but just for one moment imagine the joy of a child receiving a proper birthday cake for the first time ever.

If I donate to that cause (and I'm going to because of all the mealy mouthed holier than thou comments on this thread), it doesn't stop me donating and supporting Women's Aid.

And yes, fundraising to help with admin of a charity doesn't make one feel all warm and fluffy, but they need money to continue. They already give a substantial amount of time (I'm presuming, I don't know them personally), so being able to pay travelling expenses for their volunteers to attend a meeting is fine. Redesigning a website costs money. Why should everyone involved in a charity work for nothing?