Charities & Causes

Monthly income turns to charity greed

Charities & Causes

Posted by: mermaid

22nd Oct 2009 11:50pm

Some time ago I volunteered for a local charity believing my support of those in need were met. In our weekly meeting the manager shared an email from upper level management for all stores to increase monthly sales targets yes targets, from $2,000 to $3,500.00.

This was met with much distaste amongst the large pool of volunteers, who questioned why? The manager shared the same view and set off to identify the need vs greed syndrome and this is what we learned.......

more than $210 billion of institutionalised ''charity'' is now part of Australia's society and is embedded in the economy rather than being an optional extra. Old-fashioned charity is just $9 billion, 4 per cent of the total or less than 3 per cent if we acknowledge governments' financial support to charities.

There are approximately 10,400 charities in Australia with almost 12,000 outlets or branches.
120,000 staff are employees vs tens of thousands of volunteers; this figure does not include volunteers who work for schools, clubs and associations. Total wages are about $3.9 billion.

Salvation Army (eastern and southern divisions only) revenue approx $650 million, smaller average less than $800,000 per year (a extraordinary figure).
Compare these figures to an average business employing staff, with a revenue of $3.8 million - or approx five times the average charity.

Reality is charities are a business and these figures are Australian, given the number of charity organisations in Australia also exist worldwide the math just does not add up.

When presenting these figures to senior management, the manager was told rising inflation restricted the charity from performing.

The result, the manager and 3/4's of the pooled volunteers left and within 2 years the charity have employed 4 managers. The days of charity truly have gone!

What are your thoughts?

Anonymous
  • 31st Jan 2012 12:42am

When we moved to Australia we had 20 or so 60L tubs filled with kids clothes and toys, linens and blankets, stationery, knick knacks, kitchenware, electrical goods etc that were all in excellent condition.

Eventually we decided not to bring them over as it was cheaper to replace much of it here brand new than ship them over.

I asked my Mum to call the Salvos or Sammies or even a Womens Refuge to see if they wanted it and noone wanted to know but a couple of them had the audacity to suggest that she could list it all on ebay, collect the money and donate it to them!! Another lot asked her to bring it in so they could get what they wanted out of it.

In the end, she heard about a couple of families that had just moved into the area and were doing it tough so she contacted them and they came and took it all. Since then, any unwanted items go to local smaller charities as do our annual donations - if charities can afford to pick and choose (litigious items not included) then they don't really need support as there are other support groups that will take it gladly.


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