Charities - Something should be done

I agree Study. Many charities have far too much of a bloated budget that means too much money is not going directly toward the issue and/or research. Another thing that annoys me is when you stop giving to a certain charity they hound you for years after. There is one particular charity that keeps trying to get me to rejoin and wastes god knows how much on things to send to me to entice me. I think I stopped giving to them about 8 years ago

According to charity navigator, in 2014, the Scottsdale League for the Arts, a charity supporting arts and arts education in Arizona, spent 98.5% of its income on fundraising and management costs.

The stats are all out there, in the UK (on a government maintained website), and in the states on Charity Navigator. I don't think salaries should be capped, but I do think every charity should be forced to prominently display their overhead costs as well as their sector's overhead costs, on every piece of fund-raising material they issue, at all fund raising events and making it mandatory for chuggers to verbally inform their prey prior to asking for someone to fill out a direct debit form.

The goal of all charitable organisations should be about maximising the amount of donated money that reaches the cause, not about the total funds raised.

*their sector's average overhead costs

Trouble with that is that larger charities are likely to be more effective, even with greater overheads, than many small ones where everyone is working for nothing. Overheads are not the whole story.

I work for a IT company where if we pick up as requested some IT equipment for re-use or disposal the client gets costed £80 per visit. I had 6 different locations in Glasgow where I had collections.
Not one site had the said equipment ( I-Pads ) as the manager had forgot to arrange for my visit. So AFC got charged £480 for nothing now anyone fancy running a marathon for AFC ??

The Director of the RoH charity earns over £700k, and in my view is worth every penny, even though about 1/4 of RoH funding comes from Arts Council and a good portion of the rest from Gift Aid. The work his team has done bringing appreciation of the opera to schools is fantastic, and when older these children will show their appreciation back by voting for parties that endorse the continuation of these gifts from the general population.

Most charities are a con, you would think people who work for them did it for free , being in an healthy financial position and working for free. I used to give money out of my monthly wages to charity, did a bit of research and 90% went on overheads.

Every advert should tell how much out of every pound reaches the target.

Its like all these appeals to raise money for floods and drought in Africa and Asia. What the hull is foreign aid for. The money goes to the corrupt governments. I look forward to hearing how many donations are made by Bangla Desh and Ethiopia to the unfortunates in Texas suffering from the hurricane and floods!

Theres one local to me who were in the local rag requesting some free or cheap office space.

I looked at their accounts and about 80% went on staffing cost and only 20% to the reason for the charity...children something or other..

Theres one local to me who were in the local rag requesting some free or cheap office space.

I looked at their accounts and about 80% went on staffing cost and only 20% to the reason for the charity...children something or other..

Turnover £170k.  From that only £40k to the cause.

Proudly state no employee paid more than £14k (but most staff are part-time)

Scandalous.

^ Jack AFC = Action For Children my feckin arse !

Charities are also killing small traders on town high streets,operating without the same overheads many local shops bear. The sentiment is obviously good but the small towns are losing character shops that might offer clothing and toys,etc.

There was a charity shop next to one I used to own.
The charity was disbanded and taken off the list in 2009. Yet the shop still exists, as does the boot sales and ebay activity. Some of the stuff donated was amazing.
Furniture, Golf clubs, things from houses of the recently deceased as well as crap that people couldn't be bothered to chuck away.

Trading standards weren't bothered. The Charities commission said "it was outside thweir remit"!!!!!!
Yet another 'commission' or quango just providing jobs and wages for buddies of politicians.

But, for the larger charities, if you have a delve you can see their accounts online. They often make it a bit tricky but they have to state wage earners of £60k and over.

Last time I looked, cancer UK had 221 people earning over £60,000 a year.
Yet the operation's work is largely done by volunteers and the expenses are low.

Advertisers do well from charities. Bosses of charities do well from charities. Other than that they're a blight, imo.

*one I used to own = shop, not charity shop, btw.

I've donated my fair share to cancer research and a dementia charity. Nothing to be proud of but I always do it anonymously.

** I forgot to add that the reason for that is I don't want to be plagued by phone calls and texts.