December 1, 2012 at 4:31 pm
Plenty of children would like a puppy for Christmas – but, of course, we know that a dog is not only for Christmas. Guide Dogs is trying to cash in on this – by suggesting to parents that they should sponsor a guide dog puppy.
Referring to the children, the appeal says: “Just think how excited [...]
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November 29, 2012 at 4:09 pm
Blind Veterans UK needs to get a grip on its database. It has sent me two, identical, mailings asking for a donation – plus another, sent to an address which I left nearly nine years ago. Bearing in mind that, on average, people move house every seven years, using such an out-of-date list must be [...]
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November 1, 2012 at 5:50 pm
It’s rather like a shop saying: “This is your very last chance to buy….” It’s a charity saying that without immediate support, potentially groundbreaking Alzheimer’s research will stop. I know this may bring in some cash, but I am not impressed by Alzheimer’s Research UK adopting such tactics. To me, it feels that either it [...]
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October 1, 2012 at 4:12 pm
I believe that the source of any letter asking for funds is important. Sometimes, it is the charity’s chairman or chief executive – which is fine if the person, already, is well known and is seen as a ‘hands-on’ figure.
Often,however, it is better for the ‘ask’ to come from somebody much nearer the action: somebody [...]
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September 13, 2012 at 4:41 pm
How important is a charity’s expense ratio – ie the percentage of its funds not spent on charitable activities? I know views differ, but I stick to the simple point that such expenses represent funds which have come into the charity – but which have not been spent directly to meet its charitable objectives.
I sat [...]
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August 1, 2012 at 3:35 pm
Friends of the Earth is not my favourite charity – but they have produced what I consider to be an excellent flyer, drawing attention to the serious plight of bees.
This is not a ‘hug a tree’ message. It concerns all of us. Bees pollinate 75 per cent of our most important crops. Bee numbers have [...]
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July 9, 2012 at 11:32 am
Most fundraising events are for a specific charity – and that is made very clear. An individual fundraiser, based in Hampshire, had a different idea. She set up Name a Charity – which arranges various types of fundraising events. Those who attend have the opportunity to nominate a registered charity of their choice to benefit from the [...]
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June 2, 2012 at 2:59 pm
I was broadly in favour of the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s proposal to cap Gift Aid tax relief at one quarter of income for those with seriously high incomes. It seemed to strike a fair balance between general taxation and charities – bearing in mind that it would have no practical effect for the great [...]
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May 1, 2012 at 5:18 pm
I liked a letter on behalf of SSAFA. It started off by telling us that the writer was Pippa Dannatt, and that she is a volunteer for SSAFA. Not until we had turned over the page were we told in passing (if we had not already guessed) that her husband had been head of the Army, and [...]
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April 2, 2012 at 3:05 pm
Exbury Gardens, coupled with a passenger-carrying steam railway, in south Hampshire (well worth a visit), have been slow to take up the idea of Gift Aid on entrance charges. For this season, however, the charity is tackling the subject with zeal. The most prominent prices are those with Gift Aid, and visitors are expected to say if [...]
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