Anyone else irritated by all the adverts asking for £3 a month to help………

^^BlueBelle

I think it Crisis that asks for some obscure amount like £29.06
Which does my head in first how dare you say how much we give and second what’s the 6 pence for ? Just seems so weird

That’s the one that irritates me the most too. Why do they work it out to the nearest pence? If they have to ask for a specific amount what’s wrong with £30? Not that I donate to any charity on a regular basis.

I used to audit a couple of solicitors. If the (mostly the famous) charity had been left a bequest they would constantly harass the solicitor as to when they would receive it. This made me determined to never leave a charity anything in my will. It just felt money-grubbing!

I get a bit irritated with charities who try and dictate what we should be giving; I appreciate that they are all struggling but I have seen some asking for up to £10 a month, and it's almost as if any lesser amount isn't even worth consideration (although I do realise that some lesser amounts might cost more in admin than the donation itself)
I support about 4 charities with a small monthly sum and have to be realistic that I can't support every last charity out there

MayBeMaw

Christmas spirit alive and well I see.

Reading through most of the posts and speaking for myself, I do think the spirit of Christmas is alive and well. Most of us are giving, but resent the hard line tactics employed by a lot of these charities. We’re not bottomless pits and the list is endless.

People always seem to think that charities pay huge wages. My DD works for a local homeless charity. She is low paid, as are the handful of other workers. Their wages come from grants, not from public donations. They work long hours dealing with people who, in many cases, the rest of society wouldn't touch with a barge pole.

Their only regular donations come from local businesses but they have some wonderful supporters who never fail to rally round if they have to ask on Facebook for extra donations, often when they have an entire family to support through a crisis. Without their support, the charity would fold.

As for TV appeals, I don't feel irritated. I feel pity and a sense of guilt because I can't afford to give to many of them. Years ago, I did have to tell the NSPCC that I had to cancel my direct debit to them because I had been made redundant. They wrote me a nice letter, thanking me for my past support, and never hassled me. I know that some charities phone people about their donations but the NSPCC never did.

We do a monthly donation to the RNLI and that is it. We did the same for the RSPCA until we kept getting mailshots asking for more. You should check the Charities Commision website and look at the accounts, some of the CEOs are earning the salaries we can only dream of. !!

Imagine if your pension didn’t come every month but was saved up and just given to you every now and again- you wouldn’t know when the money was going to arrive so couldn’t invest it, or budget to cover your household bills. For charities, money given each month means they know what is coming each month for workers’ salaries, investment and to budget for capital projects (eg premises).
Money given monthly is worth more to them than occasional donations. Also they are more likely to get gift aid on it.

I give to the Red Cross each month and every few years they ring and ask if I want to increase the amount- sometimes I say yes but if I can’t afford it I say no.

I did get pestered once by a different charity and I complained to the charity and they apologised profusely and it never happened again.

The advertising has become a necessity for the charities who have suffered losses during the lockdowns. Some ads must bring in money or they wouldn't use them, so if you don't like them, go and put the kettle on or go to the loo. I subscribe to a number of charities and refuse to feel guilty if I ignore appeals from others or receive stacks of mail from them.

well, not really. If we can survive the endless bombardment by supermarkets to buy mountains of processed Xmas food, I feel we can bear, and possibly donate, the cost of a coffee to help truly desperate people.

We give to RNLI. I really like the advert in which we are led to believe that it is the man of the house who is to respond to the pager alert but it soon becomes clear that it is the daughter who is the crew member; hoorah!

Yes and that’s never all that they want, they hound you!

I think that the reason why specific amounts are given in the adverts is that certain tasks have been costed. If you just want to make a one off donation the websites allow you to chose the amount that you want to give.

I occasionally listen to the appeal after Sunday on R4 and am sympathetic until they get to the point where they say "a regular donation of £30 a month" (say) will provide.....

I'm stunned that they're asking people for that rather than "anything you can afford". Surely a little x lots of people is worth receiving?

Always check the Charity number of these, and other charities in the street, also those plastic bags which come through your door for collecting clothes. The Charity Commission website is easy to use - and you can find out some disturbing things. One of the clothes collection sites has the same 'Trustees' as several others going by different names and their accounts (if any have been disclosed) show that there is a lot of money going in - and a little going out if any at all. And the amount going out goes to another Charity - and guess who are the Trustees of that!! Will be reporting to the Charity Commission.

No, because I never watch anything on channels with adverts in real time so never see them. We pay £3.99 per month to All 4 for the same reason as it’s common to show the first episode of a series on Channel 4 and then shunt the rest to All 4.

Not irritated but guilty. The overdone pathos is a bit of a turn off, but I see the need and wish I could do more. Have to settle for what is possible.
Once, in the street I was approached by a young chap working for a charity who got verbally aggressive. I told him to back off and then walked away.
For myself I do what I can do.

Gosh Sandelf...........!

I too am fed up with the constant request for D/D for this that and the other charity. I give regularly to our local hospice where my husband spent his last weeks and McMillan nurses who looked after him. They are close to my heart. I give to the Poppy fund and help for heroes. Other than that I refuse to help finance some CEOs Merc.

Tickingbird, I remember the case of the woman who committed suicide after being hounded by charities too. I thought that after that, charities were supposed to be more careful about raising funds. It’s very difficult for charities at the moment, but I too find it a pain to be continually pressed for regular donations. Like lots of others, I have a number of charities that I regularly support. However, I get really put off by aggressive or persistent attempts either to increase or make regular payments. It’s a sad state of affairs where there is increasing need for charitable help and everyone is feeling the pinch. Call me an old fashioned socialist, but I feel like the state should do more to support the poor and vulnerable in society.

I also give by direct debit to chosen charities, then other chosen charities at Christmas as one-off donations. I don't give their recommended ridiculous amounts. I give what I feel that I can afford. At other times their post goes directly into the bin. I have in the past had phone calls asking me to increase the direct debit amount and I explain why I can't and I am perhaps lucky that I have not been hassled.
I usually watch recorded television programs and fast forward through the adverts, so don't see any charity ones

In Belgium we don't get hassled by charities in that way, thankfully.
We donate goods to charity shops and buy from them sometimes. We support a local cat charity regularly. Also the fire service. So that's our lot.

I give by direct debit to great north air ambulance and I do Christmas raffles for BHF and NSPCC and thats my lot, you are right its never ending and some situations are no better year on year despite donations

Forsythia
It was TV advertising that brought to me the large scale of suffering experienced by both human and animal life in to days world . We have a choice where we wish our contributions to go , in what ever way. of most importance..

Ktsmum
No matter how small every little helps.

I also get annoyed, I don’t want to see starving donkey emaciated dogs and cats whilst I am eating my dinner. Also I give to the charities I want to. Also why be so specific and ask for £29.06 for a room for homeless.

I avoid chuggers - never have forgiven them for getting my daughter to sign up to a direct debit. She was 16 at the time and had a bank account but she couldn't afford the payments and had to cancel. She felt so upset at having to do so. Those people have no scruples as they work on commission.