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

[tribpot]

I think using the MN local network would be a great way to make the charity efforts more relevant, i.e. contribution to the local food bank or whatever. I also like the idea of picking a single charity or a theme to reduce the feeling of randomness, not helped by the lack of build up and short timescales.

I would definitely like to see the question of Gift Aid/registration addressed in a second Giving Week. Not saying I think it should be mandatory but MNers may feel less confident about donating to an unregistered charity, so this needs signposting.

Overall I'm not quite sure what the week was for for MN, apart from to give away some money. I'm interested to know whether MN got what they wanted out of the event, and what improvements they've identified from the organiser's point of view.

[BIWI]

higgle - the thing is, the two types of charities aren't mutually exclusive. I think it's admirable that you do the kind of work that you do. But I also think that the Woolly Huggers are admirable. Why is one better than the other? That's the point that you seem so determined to miss.

And if you still can't see the role, value and contribution that Woolly Hugs make, then you have a seriously bypassed empathy gene

[higgle]

On the subject of registration even those charities that do not have to register on income grounds are required to have good governance in place. I would have thought that a small unregistered charity should have published accounts and the constitution available to reassure donors and provide information about good administration practices.

There is quite a lot of funding available for charities through charitble trusts and you can get lists of trusts ( wealthy individuals or families) who are looking for organisations to give to. A high profile patron - more tha one if you can find them - will also often afford access to funding opportunities.

[Deverethemuzzler]

It's also a distinctive characteristic that even when someone is misinformed or even wilfully ignorant, they get to dismiss other's objections, challenges and attempts at education as 'being hounded'

Your concerns have been addressed, the way WH works has been explained, the benefits have been illustrated by recipients and those involved, yet you are still dogged in your opinion that WH is basically a waste of time designed to keep mc ladees busy between lunches.

[higgle]

"yet you are still dogged in your opinion that WH is basically a waste of time designed to keep mc ladees busy between lunches."

That is not my opinion at all, plese see first post. I have not at anypoint said anything derogatory about the people (is not your comment a llittle sexist too?) who knit. I had rather presumed that as money was needed for knitting wool the people who do the knitting needed the money for wool and were not "ladies who lunch".

[Mintyy]

Higgle - you do not disagree, you have misunderstood, and you do not have the grace to apologise when the facts have been explained to you.

[higgle]

Oh, so you are a mindreader now as well?

[Mintyy]

A mindreader as well as what?

[MollyHooper]

I don't believe you are being hounded at all.

Your first post stated that you didn't believe that Wooly Hugs was a genuine cause and that has offended people. Of course they are going to defend it.

[LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726]

I'm starting to feel as if I'm eavesdropping on this thread because higgle, you're derailing it with your obdurate stance on what you believe. It would be better if people didn't keep responding to you at all but they are. I can see this going on for several hundred more posts and there's nothing to be gained. You think what you think and that's the end of it really.

I wouldn't normally chip in but the arguments are probably deterring posters from commenting on the OP, which was about the 'giving week' and how to improve it for future. I'm quite interested in that, having been somehow quite oblivious to it.

[higgle]

I commented in detail on the OP, and have only responded to those who have come back to me on various points. Interestingly no one has said anything about the cakes. Earlier on this thread when I went off to cook my family dinner i was accused of being ashamed and going away, it was suggested that I would now be name changing. I want to make it very clear that I stand by my views, I will continue posting on h;ere every day as I have for 10 years and unless I will not be name changing, as I don't do this. TBH I'd be perfectly happy doing all my posting under my own name if that was the convention on here as it is on other forums I'm a member of. Various strange views have been attributed to me that I have at no point put forward and comments that my mother would be ashamed of me have been made ! I see no reason to give in to a vociferous and uninformed minority who just seek to push their views forward over mine, I might have to go to bed at some point tonight but I will leave no criticism unanswered. I've alredy noticed that some of those who have made unpleasant responses have a history od doing this on other threads, so this is nothing new for them.

[Mintyy]

Well I suggested I would namechange if I'd made such an embarrassing gaff as this:

"I think if you are going to give someone something to help self esteem it should be something of their chosing, not something you just decide to create and give. Sometimes charity work is more about how those involved in the giving feel than those who receive. I expect those who received blankets would have preferred a nice item of clothing of their own choice. I had an aunt in a care home who was the victim of the crochet blanket, we had to explain that she had always been a stylish person and she didn't appreciate being made to look as if she didn't care. We replaced it with a Brora poncho type thing which raised her spirits a bit!"

After it had been explained that the recipients of a woolly hug were asked if they would like to receive one, I missed the bit where you came back and apologised for misunderstanding.

[Deverethemuzzler]

Sexist?
Don't be ridiculous.

As for the rest of your post, you still do not understand or refuse to.

You appear to have it stuck in your head that WH knits blankets for people who do not want them. WH sends them out, unsolicited, to random folk.

It doesn't matter that you have been told over and over that all donations are either asked for by agencies or offered and accepted by families and that WH also raises MONEY for diverse (and often little known causes).

Do you genuinely not understand this or do you think we are all lying to you so we can continue with our selfish little hobby?

[minniebar]

Higgle, you say 'Sometimes charity work is more about how those involved in the giving feel than those who receive.'

So, bearing that in mind - and in my opinion, actually there's nothing wrong with feeling good about doing something for charity/someone else in general - why do you choose to work in the charity sector?

[cozietoesie]

This discussion is becoming circular and advantages no one. You might, higgle, want to start a thread of your own if you need to discuss the issues you perceive to be relevant to you.

On the matter of any future Giving Weeks (including a lead time), I'm not clear in my own mind what the best timing would be given the school holidays and the already planned work - which many locally may be involved with - for the big annual Macmillan's drive. Perhaps, in future years, around the time of what has previously been the Secret Santa?

[tribpot]

cozietoesie, I'm assuming Secret Santa is done in the weeks leading up to Christmas? If yes, this isn't a great time to be tapping people up for donations (likewise January). The start of a holiday period not helpful either (although I think Giving Week was at the start of May rather than half-term week at the end, unless holidays elsewhere in the UK are earlier).

I guess no time is going to be completely convenient, so MN probably just needs to put a stake in the ground and choose a week, remembering to advertise it well!

[tribpot]

cozietoesie, I'm assuming Secret Santa is done in the weeks leading up to Christmas? If yes, this isn't a great time to be tapping people up for donations (likewise January). The start of a holiday period not helpful either (although I think Giving Week was at the start of May rather than half-term week at the end, unless holidays elsewhere in the UK are earlier).

I guess no time is going to be completely convenient, so MN probably just needs to put a stake in the ground and choose a week, remembering to advertise it well!

[LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726]

Well said, cozietoesie.

I wouldn't mind whichever week was selected but would definitely like some notice and, would really appreciate some kind of 'banner' across the top of the screen - a countdown would be excellent but I don't know if this is possible? If not, just a strip banner.

I'd also quite like to see a real-time 'barometer', showing the level of donations with what can be achieved with say, £10 buys this, £20 buys that.

I'll give this more thought...

[AndHarry]

I'm glad that MN chose small charities where relatively small amounts make a big difference.

I didn't personally give because I was having an unexpected financial crisis at the time. If I had been able to then I would have given to Haven House, which is nowhere near me. It might be totally irrational but I felt that the money there would have been spent on people rather than admin. I've already participated in a few WH projects, I publicized the cake one on FB, PDA was too controversial and I'd prefer to give to a local shelter than the national WA organization. Other people will of course think differently.

[higgle]

Minniebar - So, bearing that in mind - and in my opinion, actually there's nothing wrong with feeling good about doing something for charity/someone else in general - why do you choose to work in the charity sector?

I work in the charity sector because the organisation I work for delivers excellence to the people who use its services. We ( and I am only part of this) go above and beyond in supporting people with a highy personalised service. My employers also pay the front line staff far more than a living wage and proper expenses in a sector where minimum wage is almost universal. I can't imagine a private sector organisation with profits as the main motivator being so committed to excellence, In my work the fact that it is a charity is not a prime motivator, being best at what we do is the driver.

The group of people we suport in the other charity ( where I am chair)
are a specific group of older people. who are, like this minority in the general population, generally on the receiving end of a raw deal. One of my passions is supporting the underdog, and in my previous legal career I did criminal defence work and applications against adjudications for prisoners. I get great satisfaction from doing my bit to see older people (who are begining to be on the receiving end of even more prejudice due to the economy and how the cuts are imposed) get practical help and support through care homes that cater for their specialist nutritional needs and ensuring they have proper kitchens to cook in, mobililty scooters and all theother things local authorities and other charities can't supply. In both organisations I like working with a group of very like minded individuals who regard professionalism as being of extreme importance.

[tribpot]

Lying - I think you have the good old Blue Peter totaliser in mind?

[LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726]

I think I must have, tribpot...

I think we could dispense with the flares though?

I was wondering about MNHQ's charity selection and pondered the viability of say putting a list of 100 up, letting people donate to them at will and then picking a 'top ten' of high performers from that list to really target for some serious funds?

I have no idea if that's possible, it was just something that I was thinking of whilst washing my hair.

[MollyHooper]

I think we would all pay to see HQ dress like that.

[springbabydays]

andHarry your point about wanting your donation going to people rather than admin saddened me a little, as I'm sure many people feel the same. All charities have to spend funds on admin. For every pound you donate, a percentage will go towards admin. Charities cannot exist without it so please try not to view it as a bad thing.

[MrsTeee]

Some admin is essential.

Such as having proper accounts, properly audited. Having a constitution. Having clear aims. Having checks and balances.

Even the smallest of small charities should have proper systems, because that's the only way to avoid abuse of trust.