Charity giving and Conscience

Doug · 25-10-2005, 10:38

I would appreciate the views of others on the following subject. I know we’ve had some discussion already on the subject of the Asian Earthquake and donating funds but I’m still struggling with my own conscience. When the tsunami struck East Asia I made a donation as soon as the lines to Dec opened, I give a fiver for Vincent House for the Harvest Festival collection last week and Last night I stuck a Ten Pound note in to a bottle in aid of Donna’s Dream House, a Hospice Charity for kid’s.

These actions where automatic without much thought of the money or my own needs, with the Pakistani and Indian Earthquake I haven’t given. It’s not that I don’t want to or can’t afford it, I can. I just struggle doing it, I don’t believe that may reluctance is racial, political or anything to do with the bombings earlier this year, I’m gutted when I see people on the news suffering but I wonder if the cash would ever get to them or if it would make a difference…….how do you feel on the subject?

garinda · 25-10-2005, 11:06

It is always a worry about how much of a cash donation gets to the intended target. If asked most charities will provide information about what percentage of donations goes towards administration costs.

Don't beat yourself up Doug, but was is the difference between the tsunami and this earth quake, both are natural disasters?

You could always find a charity that is accepting donations of blankets, clothing etc.

accymel · 25-10-2005, 11:18

Aww Doug you are very charitable

thing is you dont have to stick your hand in your wallet everytime, you can donate things like Garinda said, i gave 7 bags of clothes to the heart foundation & felt good for doing so because they sell it on to raise money & if they couldnt sell it or as i gave quite a lot, it would also be circulated around other charity shops - therefore potential of helping raise money to help a host of people improving their life chances.

I do worry about a lot of charities that it doesn't go to the right places & find it best to donate monatry to recognised charities direct. Im not sure about the earthquake & tsunami set up donations but even at a local level kids had a funday & raised funds would go to these events, so even still it all helps.

garinda · 25-10-2005, 11:23

There is a tupperware box on the counter in my local shop, which is run by some very nice Pakistani brothers, asking for donations for the earthquake victims.

Call my cynical, but when I asked them they said the collected money would be sent from their mosque.

Doug · 25-10-2005, 11:28

I'm not so much beating myself up, I'm quite capable of turning the other cheek when it suites me, and I’m not being insensitive when I say that. I was taking to a fireman the other night who said that most of the lads hadn’t given because of the attitudes of some governments, groups and individuals relating to the bombings, others felt that they had already give widely over the past years are so. I was just wondering if others felt the same or had been as indecisive.

garinda · 25-10-2005, 11:29

Suffering is suffering in my book, regardless of geography or politics.

accymel · 25-10-2005, 11:31

I'd say trust your own instinct Doug if you believe it doesn't feel right then it doesn't & it wont make you damned or burn in inferno for not, personally call me cynical im dodgey about the pakistan one because with all thats gone on i dont trust them at all how do you know if its going to the right place & not to a bomb making factory

?? Even if it got to the right place would their gov send it to right place of need cos they have done naff all for their own needy people.

Doug · 25-10-2005, 11:34

Thank you Accymal, I don’t mind when I have it really and I do send stuff to the collections when I have a clear out I sent ten videos up to the Cancer Research shop this morning in fact. I just wonder sometimes if there’s a better way so that indifference or selective giving doesn’t perhaps leave a sense of guilt or neglect.

accymel · 25-10-2005, 11:35

Live Aid ????? x2....x3 do they know its xmas...do i say more

Trouble with it is that its a continuous charitable circulation

Doug · 25-10-2005, 11:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by garinda

Suffering is suffering in my book, regardless of geography or politics.

Deep down I agree...........

slinky · 25-10-2005, 11:35

Yes I feel the same as the firemen. They would probably use the money to make bombs to kill us with in a couple of years anyway.

Another question!! If it happened here, do you think they would be rallying around trying to give us support???

NO! they would probably say " it's gods way of punishing you for your sins".

Like you said Doug, when I see it on T.V or in the papers, it too breaks my heart that these people are suffering, but then like I have just pointed out, you start to get hardened to it.

accymel · 25-10-2005, 11:41

Unless you is mega rich & have loads to give away then there will be charity you cant give it to, sorry you cant save them all Doug, besides as been discussed so far you want your donated money to go to the right place unfortunately there are so many charitable scams about who steal effectively off backs of charity so its wise to be very careful specially with links off net sites in sigs or mails.

Gayle · 25-10-2005, 11:43

I am always very wary of charity collections that are that spontaneous. I donate to a number of charities direct from my bank account and whilst I know that some of the money goes to admin etc, I do know that at least some of the money goes to the right place. When you have a natural disaster and people start out with collection boxes I'm never sure the money goes further than that.

Having said I do participate in school collections by supporting cake days and non uniform days, but that's partly so the kids don't feel left out rather than supporting a cause as such.

garinda · 25-10-2005, 11:43

We musn't forget that the war against terror isn't against any political country, it's against Islamic extremists throughout the world.

Three of the London suicide bombers came from Dewsbury. If a natural disaster happened there, should we not be charitable because some aid might go towards British Muslims?

accymel · 25-10-2005, 11:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by garinda

We musn't forget that the war against terror isn't against any political country, it's against Islamic extremist throughout the world.

Three of the London suicide bombers came from Dewsbury. If a natural disaster happened there, should we not be charitable because some aid might go towards British Moslems?

Its not that Rindy its the fact im making is if it was here money would go to the right place but im not giving to fund a bomb racket so to cause more mass destruction to the innocent - that would make me feel suicidal myself.