I, of course, have no objections to giving money to charity. One of the saddest days I spent last spring when I was unemployed was to go thru my bank account cancelling all of the money direct debits that were going to various charities. Now I’m starting to to get back on my feet financially speaking I need to think about setting those up again.
I’ll probably give some careful thought to exactly which groups I choose to help. Previously it was international groups like Amnesty International, Greenpeace and Action Aid together with organisations that have helped me or my family like Battersea Dogs Home and the Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths. I’m sure that it’ll be a similar set of charities that I’ll be supporting this time round, but if anyone has any ideas of other groups who could use my support then I’d be interested in hearing them.
But the important point is that I make rational decisions about the charities that I support. And having decided which charities to support and how much money to give them, I don’t give any more. I never give money to people shaking tins on the street[1] and I actually find it really offensive when people come round collecting for charities when I’m sitting with a group of friends in the pub as it attempts to use peer pressure to get you to give money. I often come off looking like the bad guy, but I don’t mind that as I’m sure in my mind that I’m doing the right thing.
But the thing that has triggered this journal entry is something new that I’ve noticed on the streets of London recently. This recession is obviously hitting the charities badly. They have teams of people on the streets who stop people and ask them to set up for monthly direct debits to benefit the charity. They obviously have it all planned out as they take it in turns. It’s a different one every day but there is always one charity out in force on Holborn as I walk from the tube station to the office. They are always very polite, but it’s just annoying to have to politely turn them down every day.
This has got to be a sign of desparation on the part of the charities. This must be an expensive operation and the conversion rate must be extremely low. So if you’re thinking of supporting a charity then please do it today and help to keep these “charity ninjas” off our streets.
[1] But I do buy the occasional copy of the Big Issue.
Shelter. http://www.shelter.org.uk/
Working in the same area, I see the same teams as you. I’m sure they are the same people too, just with different labels on each day.
Anyway, we’ve coined the term “chuggers” to describe these charity muggers and the other day, in a fit of pique I accosted one who chirpily enquired if I could “spare a minute for children|old people|orphan squirrels” or whatever it was that day.
The conversation went something like this:
“Can you spare a moment ?”
“This involves you asking me for money doesn’t it ?”
“Well, yes”
“Why are you always here ? There’s a different one every day. Do you know how fed up we get with you lot accosting us all the time round here ?”
“Sorry you feel that way but at the end of the day we’re here because a lot of people *do* sign up to help”
There wasn’t much I could say to that. Now I just smile politely and shake my head when they accost me. I guess it is all for charridy mate.