It seems that the public generally now have less faith in charities. The reputation of several charities has plummeted, and people are much more selective about who they give money to.
It's sobering to sum up all the recent misconduct:
- Oxfam staff sexually exploiting victims of the Haiti earthquake in 2010
- Women in Syrian refugee camps forced into sex by UN aid workers
- The suicide of 92-year-old poppy seller Olive Cooke, after being deluged with begging letters from charities
- Chuggers (charity muggers) asking people for donations in the street
- Huge financial irregularities at Kids Company, which had to close down
- Direct debit "donations" taken from Alzheimer's sufferer Joseph Frost
- Excessive spending on administration
- Chief Executive salaries as high as £140,000
When I worked at Diabetes UK I was aware money was sometimes being wasted, for example on London staff meetings for employees across the UK, whose hotels and transport (including flights from Northern Ireland) were paid for by the charity. I found the meetings almost entirely unproductive, but attendance was compulsory.
Charities have become big business, and it seems that some of them are adopting the behaviour of big business and doing whatever they can get away with.
Baroness Stowell, Chair of the Charity Commission, says the public no longer trust charities any more than a stranger in the street. Well, a bit exaggerated perhaps, but there's some truth in that. And once lost, trust isn't easily regained.
Pic: Olive Cooke with begging letters
PS: One organisation I regularly donate to is Wikipedia. I use it virtually every day and I want to make sure it keeps going.
