Like just about everyone who uses the Internet for keeping in touch with people, I’ve contributed money to various charitable causes through the endeavors of friends, colleagues, relatives and, occasionally, people I’m only on nodding terms with.
I don’t begrudge giving money to charity.
Actually, in my crazy little world, giving money to charitable causes is something I feel I should do, if I am able.
However I don’t like giving money to Big Issue vendors, but I will nip in to a shop or a supermarket to buy him/her a sandwich.
But that’s more about the relationship that I have with Big Issue.
Back to the point.
So I don’t mind being asked to donate to a worthy cause.
And there are many.
The British Heart Foundation are my current faves, but that isn’t an exclusive relationship.
Obv.
Like many folk I have used the major online giving portal Just Giving.
And I’m not naive, I expect Just Giving to take a slice of the donated action, to cover costs, and administrative overheads.
But when I read that Just Giving took £20 million, from his/her/their/your/my charitable donations just last year alone, I thought that was about £18 million too much.
The rest of the Just Giving facts speak for themselves in that article:
- £20 million income last year, on £440 million donations
- Average salary £60,000 per employee
- £200,000 paid to chief exec
- Just Giving takings include the tax rebate that donations attract
This, surely, is taking the Mick?
Meanwhile, BTs MyDonate doesn’t charge at all.
Just thought I’d put that last sentence out there.
I am genuinely shocked at that.
I’d never really thought about it, but I always assumed that as it was helping to raise money for charity, it would be a non-profit organisation.
On top of that, their servers glitched when I donated to someone at work doing the Movember thing, and it took two lots of money from my account. Of course, as it was for charity, I couldn’t really ask for it back.
I have to admit, the thing that sticks in my craw is that they take a slice of the extra donation that comes in from the taxman. In my little corner of the universe, this is unacceptable, and I will be telling people to stop using Just Giving
When I set MM up, we used BT MyDonate for that very reason.
Daylight robbery from Just Giving and that is before you factor in the monthly charges they charge the charities for using the site too.