sponsorship..... (for charity) - NOT seeking it!

[Lynton]

Now don't get me wrong there are many good charities, most of which are deserving, and people do all sorts of sponsorships to raise money...

However, the things people tend to do to raise money seem to get easier and easier (that is for a fully able adult....)

Want to jump out of a plane? Probably scary for the first time... yes I'll donate...

Run a marathon - kudos to you, and I will sponsor and double it if under a certain time...

Walk x Kilometres, (normally 5 or 10) ... sorry, I do that 3-4 times a week, pushing 45 lb of babies, and 40 lb of pram... that's not difficult...

 

[FlyingShrapnel]

i find this "sponsorship" thing for charity silly. "sponsorship" should go towards the cost of the doing XYZ, not for charity, which should be under a different name, ie, donations or like money raised. and I also get annoyed at events setting a bar for having to raise a hundred quid or whatever before you are allowed to do it, surely a donation can be any amount? i feel so long as you pay the cost of participating in the event (which imo should be nowhere near £100 unless in extreme cases like jumping out of a plane)then even if you only raised a fiver, they should still let you do it, for your own personal benefit

is it just me?

 

[viv1969]

i find this "sponsorship" thing for charity silly. "sponsorship" should go towards the cost of the doing XYZ, not for charity, which should be under a different name, ie, donations or like money raised. and I also get annoyed at events setting a bar for having to raise a hundred quid or whatever before you are allowed to do it, surely a donation can be any amount? i feel so long as you pay the cost of participating in the event (which imo should be nowhere near £100 unless in extreme cases like jumping out of a plane)then even if you only raised a fiver, they should still let you do it, for your own personal benefit

is it just me?

The person doing the "thing" is raising money for charity. You as an individual are doing sod all for charity (literally, it would seem here), but rather you are sponsoring the person taking part in said "event".

Either way....what a pair of miseries.

 

[darren.lewis1984]

I agree with the comment of having to raise x amount of cash. I was looking at taking part in a cycle round Ibiza for Great Ormond Street. Fair enough, it was around £550 to cover the cost of the trip, but you had to raise a minimum of £1500 otherwise you can't take part! Well, that counts me out then, as it was both myself and my mrs looking to take part, meaning raising 3k minimum! I don't get why it isn't a case of you have to guarantee covering he cost of the trip, then all monies raised over that are a bonus

 

[Yv]

Earlier this year I did race for life for the 1st time and yes, it was walking 5K's, round the same park I walk the dogs at least 3.5 of those 5k's [I should point out, while I walk 3.5 k's, the JR's probably cover at least 10]. Thanks to some very generous friends, including people I know from TP, I raised over £600 and was very proud of myself for doing it and even more proud of the people that gave of their hard earned cash to 'sponsor' me, the amount went way beyond anything I expected to raise.
In the overall scheme of things, it was an easy task, and I was accompanied nearly 4000 other women doing the same... multiply that by the number of women doing these events across the country and thats a lot of money raised. They do NOT specify an amount you have to raise, in fact, you are not obliged to raise anything at all, all entry fees go towards running the events and whatever if left goes into the charity pot. [and my only reservation about this event is that whilst I like that its women only, why not do something for men only too?] So, those doing something small and easy does have a point - its lots of small amounts creating a big overall amount, instead of the more adventurous stuff where single or small groups of people raise a huge amount but not many are doing it. Both have the net overall result of fund raising.


However, the friend that did it with me said the other day "ok, what are your plans for 2015?" I looked at her suspiciously.... "Fancy walking the great wall of china for the childrens trust?"


yeah, sure, can I take the dogs

 

[viv1969]

I agree with the comment of having to raise x amount of cash. I was looking at taking part in a cycle round Ibiza for Great Ormond Street. Fair enough, it was around £550 to cover the cost of the trip, but you had to raise a minimum of £1500 otherwise you can't take part! Well, that counts me out then, as it was both myself and my mrs looking to take part, meaning raising 3k minimum! I don't get why it isn't a case of you have to guarantee covering he cost of the trip, then all monies raised over that are a bonus

They're trying to maximise the amount of funds raised and will have no problems whatsoever filling the places with people who CAN rais the minimum amount. :shrug:

For less that GBP 550, you can arrange your own cycling holiday in Ibiza.

TBH if you couldn't raise 1500 that's a bit sad. Families and neighbours are not the only options for sponsors....far from it. (especially on one of these "expedition" type events.)

 

[darren.lewis1984]

They're trying to maximise the amount of funds raised and will have no problems whatsoever filling the places with people who CAN rais the minimum amount. :shrug:

For less that GBP 550, you can arrange your own cycling holiday in Ibiza.

TBH if you couldn't raise 1500 that's a bit sad. Families and neighbours are not the only options for sponsors....far from it. (especially on one of these "expedition" type events.)

Myself and my mrs do quite a lot to raise money for charity, in work and in our own time. So to raise another 3k on top of what we have already raised, would actually be quite a struggle, rather than 'a bit sad' to be honest

 

[MWHCVT]

I often sponsor friends but only if its a charity I don't mind supporting....I'll nearly always support cancer fighting ones...most children's ones....only local animal ones where I've a good idea just where those funds will be used...I got into a bit of a rant the other day on Facebook when the local RSPCA were appealing for blankets because their washing machine had broken down and they were running out of clean bedding...they only have about 165 million pounds in the bank as a charity sorry but you can do one get some of your several employees that work at that centre to take a bag home each

 

[viv1969]

Myself and my mrs do quite a lot to raise money for charity, in work and in our own time. So to raise another 3k on top of what we have already raised, would actually be quite a struggle, rather than 'a bit sad' to be honest

Fair do's, but my initial comment still stands. They will have no trouble filling the places with people who can raise above and beyond the minimum, and fair play to them for doing so.

 

[Yv]

Myself and my mrs do quite a lot to raise money for charity, in work and in our own time. So to raise another 3k on top of what we have already raised, would actually be quite a struggle, rather than 'a bit sad' to be honest

I think Viv is about right, as galling as it feels and I understand that, it is about maximising the opportunity, especially if places for each event are limited.

Matt - all the big charities, or certainly most of them, are very well funded and have a massive payroll of staff, and I agree, sometimes it feels just a wee bit like they take people for mugs - they are ostensibly massive corporate business that happen to be 'non-profit making'. One of the nicest things I heard a while back was that the Chief of the Salvation Army in New York takes home about the average British wage - now I am not remotely religious but I am far more likely to support that kind of ethos... as you know, my main charity is local animal charity I see regularly where the money is going, what its doing and how it is helping and that works for me.

 

[MWHCVT]

Matt - all the big charities, or certainly most of them, are very well funded and have a massive payroll of staff, and I agree, sometimes it feels just a wee bit like they take people for mugs - they are ostensibly massive corporate business that happen to be 'non-profit making'. One of the nicest things I heard a while back was that the Chief of the Salvation Army in New York takes home about the average British wage - now I am not remotely religious but I am far more likely to support that kind of ethos... as you know, my main charity is local animal charity I see regularly where the money is going, what its doing and how it is helping and that works for me.

Indeed Yvonne, and many animal charities to a sterling job, again also some charities are also very rich even some that I still donate to...I do like that one about the SA Boss in NY, I think more should follow his lead indeed I do know well about your local animal charity, and I'm confident they do a great job, I've just heard and seen too many RSPCA horror stories

 

[boyfalldown]

I've just heard and seen too many RSPCA horror stories

When my grandmother died a couple of years ago she left a relatively small amount to them. I'm sure they spent more then the £500 on lawyers fees demanding they were allowed to examine the will

 

[MWHCVT]

When my grandmother died a couple of years ago she left a relatively small amount to them. I'm sure they spent more then the £500 on lawyers fees demanding they were allowed to examine the will

Yeah I can believe that it's stories just like that, that puts me right off them..

 

[FlyingShrapnel]

The person doing the "thing" is raising money for charity. You as an individual are doing sod all for charity (literally, it would seem here), but rather you are sponsoring the person taking part in said "event".

Either way....what a pair of miseries.

I have been on both the giving and receiving end of "sponsorship" i raised about £400 for charity last year (I hitch-hiked from Durham to Paris and also completed ToughGuy) They were brilliant fun, but what annoyed me was that I had to collect "sponsorship" and raise a "minimum" amount before I could take part, which to me felt like I was asking everyone I knew for money so I can go and do a certain thing

The way I think it should be is that providing the actual costs of the event is covered, anyone should be allowed to take part, apart from extreme circumstances like climbing the Everest or something

 

[Yv]

almost 30 years ago [holy crap I realise how old I am saying that], I started work experience with a vet, 3 nights a week, as that was what I wanted to be when I grew up - yes, still haven't grown up - even back then, he refused to have an RSPCA box on the counter, loathed everything about them, though back then, I didn't fully grasp why. Always had a guide dogs for the blind box and another for a local rescue place. :shrug:

YG's thing he always quotes from a year or two ago when the recession really kicked in, was one of the big kids charities, can't remember which one, but their spokesperson was on a news item bemoaning they had had to lay off 200 people from their marketing & pr department.... TWO HUNDRED people presumably meant they still had a significant number left to do that work... seriously?!?! :nuts:

However as you say Matt, as long as we are aware of the fact that a significant proportion of what we donate, especially to the larger more well known charities, goes into actually running the business, then we are at least donating with eyes open and can still chose to do so.

 

[Lynton]

Hmm... maybe I should clarify a few things to my original moan......

As pointed out above, many "non-profit" charities have a CEO earning well into 6 figures (quick google for charity ceo's will show you who) and I think my £5 will be 10% into his/her pay pack...

Race for life is a great event and some run some walk, and yes millions are raised each and every year.. however, if it were a corporate world , many of these need to merge and unite, to make massive savings, allowing more funds for research, but whilst they are p***ing up each others walls... we'll be where we were a while back...

I am not a moaning minny, and I would love to trek up Kilimanjaro, but would feel guilt at asking people for donations / sponsorship etc, knowing that the first £x, is covering my "holiday"

I personally prefer to support local charities to which I have an affinity... East Anglian Children's Hospice.. thanks to them, I have a 4ft Wile E. Coyote strapped into the back of the car!!!

 

[neil_g]

I am not a moaning minny,

Aww man I just spat my drink all over my iPad..

Anyway, who cares as long as there is a chance that even some of the money does some good for someone that needs it.

Also 6 figures is about standard for a CEO salary, even for a small/medium company. You want someone with the right level of experience running things don't you..

 

[Dale_tem]

I hate the sponsor me to bungee jump or sponsor me to jump out of a plane.


That sounds fun and I want to do it, it will raise money, but what would I actually be doing for charity? Nothing hard, mostly falling which is rather easy. Lol

Walking, running, cycling etc. does at least involve physical exertion and some effort by the person taking part.

Ian doing a 10 mile walk for NSPCC in September, I personally don't do much walking and it will be a challenge for me and I will be upping it next year to the full 20miles.


The thing that does annoy me is I know a fair few people who have jumped out of a plane or bungee jumped and I have sponsored them/funded their jolly. When I am doing something for charity, do they give any money? They take the fun paid for by other people,but don't give to charity themselves.

Two people asked me if we could do a company skydive for charity etc. I agreed to do it if they did something that would challenge them first, ie a half marathon, bike ride etc.

 

[viv1969]

The simple option is the one we took when my mother died.

We asked for money to donate to the Macmillan Cancer unit which took care of her.

When all the money was in, (a great deal), we simply asked the unit what equipment they were in need of.

They told us and we bought the equipment direct from the manufacturer and gave that to the unit.

It wasn't rocket science.

 

[Blue Moon 7]

Sponsorship is a funny issue. I try to support anything kids are doing because it helps create a sense of doing something good and worthwhile. I work with kids (less and less nowadays it seems) and see the sense of pride it gives some of them. Interestingly usually the ones who haven't got anything themselves.

I have also been a paid employee at one of the UK's biggest and well regarded children's charities that is meant to protect children as the ads on the TV imply. It's corporate department was huge and would put most businesses to shame. It also handed over all child protection referrals immediately to the Local Authority for them to sort out. Never mentioned that on the TV ads! My job was working with children that had raped which was good work. It wasn't a money earner though in terms of publicity so when sent on fundraisers I could only talk about rescuing poor abused children. That got the cash flowing. Those wealthy folk always wanted to see one of those poor waifs dressed in rags in person and were hugely disappointed when we didn't pull one out of the car boot........

Anyway, getting back to the original point I think anything anyone does to help others is a good thing. Lots of people do all kinds of weird and wonderful things to raise money and if people want to sponsor them great. Lots of people do individual things to help charities and I often feel that to do something yourself is better than to sponsor someone else. Having said that I do feel that there is a growing trend for people to do exotic expensive activities in far flung corers of the globe (I would still sponsor my nephew Darren above on his cycling trip around Ibiza.......his mum would harm me otherwise!). Maybe in general though it would seem a bit more charity like to just do something simpler and more local and less for the huge charities. Little things add up for community charities, lots of which have had their funding pulled recently.

Chris

 

[Suvv]

Some people at work did a charity bungee jump, my mate sponsored them per metre. Just in case they gave up half-way down or the elastic broke