# Concern & Trocaire : Good Charities ?



## GOBSTOPPER (25 Sep 2008)

I currently donate twelve euro and fifty cent to each of these charities each month by DD through my bank , not alot I know, but just wondered after seeing all those adds constantly on the television  how much really gets to the problem ? Does anybody in the know (regards charities) think that my 25 euro a month could be given to a better charity ? Those adds must eat up so much cash ? Also if I upped my donation to 50 euro a month would it be more tax beneficial to me ? someone told me i can get a tax credit for donations . Any info appreciated .


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## huskerdu (25 Sep 2008)

I would suggest that you check the two charities websites and/or ask them for a breakdown of where their money goes. All charities have to advertise to get donations, but I agree, I would be concerned if I felt it was two high a percentage of their income. 

In response to your second question, you do not get a tax credit for a charity donation, but the charity can, in some circumstances. 

If you give 254 euro or more a year to a charity out of your taxed income, they can claim back the tax that you paid. 

So, if you pay tax at 41%, and give 254 to a charity, they can get another 100 euro approx from the Revenue if you sign the appropriate form.


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## rmelly (25 Sep 2008)

There was a thread on Charity direct debits a few months ago expressing concerns over how much went to the 'chuggers' (in first year) and how much actually went to the charities.


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## Ceist Beag (25 Sep 2008)

GOBSTOPPER said:


> Also if I upped my donation to 50 euro a month would it be more tax beneficial to me ? someone told me i can get a tax credit for donations . Any info appreciated .




On this specific question gobstopper, have a read of the following from the [broken link removed] website - or pasted below!

{Taken from Concern.ie}
Who can claim tax relief and how does it work?

If you are a PAYE only tax payer, and have given €250 or more to Concern in the course of a tax year, Concern can reclaim the tax paid on your donations. This only applies to personal donations you have made and not to money raised through sponsorship.

If you are self-assessed, or a corporation, you can reclaim the tax paid on your donation(s). You will need a copy of your donation history to attach to your assessment form. You can get your donation history from Concern's team. Please call ++ 353 1 417 7777. You/the company can choose to make a donation to Concern out of the money you reclaim from the Revenue Commissioners.
How much more will my donation be worth?

Concern can reclaim an extra 25% of the value of your donations if you are a standard rate tax payer of 20%. For example, if you have given €250 over the course of a year, this will be worth an extra €63 to Concern.

€250 total donation at 20% Standard Rate Tax:

    * €250 x 100/80 = €312.50
    * €312.50 - €250 = €63 


Concern can reclaim an extra 72% of the value of your donations if you are a higher rate taxpayer of 42%. For example, if you have given €250 over the course of a year, this is worth an extra €181 to Concern.

€250 total donation at 42% Higher Rate Tax:

    * €250 x 100/58 = €431.03
    * €431.03 - €250 = €181.03


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## joker538 (25 Sep 2008)

Gobstopper,
I used to donate to Concern and wondered the same myself. Did a bit of research and felt that other charities would make better use of the money, less administration etc. All this information is freely available from the different charities on their websites. From the bit of research i did i do think Trocarie and GOAL are good charities that make good use of their donations, etc. Giving more is not more tax beneficial to you it is however more tax beneficial to the charity as pointed out..


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## shesells (25 Sep 2008)

I have made once off donations to both. Trocaire sent a letter and receipt. Concern sent letter and receipt then a letter several times a year for next ten years or so looking for money. Now I prefer Unicef


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## Lollix (28 Sep 2008)

Goal or Concern for me, they really target resources to the poorest of the poor.
Its a pity, but we really have to be very careful who we give money to. Charities range from brilliant and committed on the one hand to downright chancers on the other. I noticed one charity that was involved in a high profile fundraiser recently, found out from a contact that they had been investigated and reprimanded by Irish Aid (dept of foreign affairs) for the way they had spent (or mis-spent) Irish taxpayers money in Eastern Europe. Cowboys!
No such concerns (pardon pun) abvout Concern or Goal. Great people.


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## csirl (30 Sep 2008)

I never give to charities who's modus operandi is to fill the streets of Dublin with people with bibs who pester passers by.

I am also suspicious of the relationship between some charities and the despotic countries they operate in. I do not agree with paying for access to these countries. I also have a problem with paying to feed the populus of any country where the local despots have sold the countries food supplies in order to line their own pockets or buy weapons - in such cases, the charities are effectively funding the deposts.


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## bamboozle (30 Sep 2008)

csirl said:


> I never give to charities who's modus operandi is to fill the streets of Dublin with people with bibs who pester passers by.
> 
> 
> much as i dont like being stopped during my lunchbreak I wouldn't hold that against them, they do need to raise money somehow,
> ...


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## Lauren (30 Sep 2008)

csirl said:


> I never give to charities who's modus operandi is to fill the streets of Dublin with people with bibs who pester passers by.


 
Having worked and travelled to some of the poorest countries in the world, I would see this as a minor and insignificant inconvenience....
Its one of the many ways that these organisations raise funds and awareness for their work and the people they help ..... I would have no hesitation in giving my money to Concern.


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## csirl (30 Sep 2008)

Are you aware that these people are not well meaning volunteers, but professional money collectors who get paid a cut of the proceeds?

Also see my second point - some Irish charities are guilty of this. I am aware through previous work of the identities of some of these charities - not all Irish charities are like this, but there are some that have a bad reputation in this regard. My advice is to check them out carefully before donating.



> Having worked and travelled to some of the poorest countries in the world, I would see this as a minor and insignificant inconvenience....


 
If some of these despotic regimes did not receive funding, they would not be in power for long.


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## bacchus (30 Sep 2008)

I prefer to donate to local charities for some of the reasons expressed by previous posters.


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## Lollix (30 Sep 2008)

Being local doesn't make them all squeaky clean, believe me. One of the worst offenders I know is based in Dublin, but their charitable efforts consist of keeping a well-paid head office team in jobs and travel. Their effectiveness on the ground is about nil.
Like other posters said, Simon, Focus Ireland, and my own favourites Goal and Concern are the ones to give to. Avoid the cowboys.


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## BoscoTalking (1 Oct 2008)

shesells said:


> I have made once off donations to both. Trocaire sent a letter and receipt. *Concern sent letter and receipt then a letter several times a year for next ten years or so looking for money.* Now I prefer Unicef


 ditto
and the number of pages and frequency of letters negated my donation so i stopped and would disuade anyone from sending to them. 
I think trocaire is good and contribute to them via the lenten campaign only. 
Now i have to say i domate to charity through work - someone started doing a lot of Simon community work and so i switched my thinking from "blackbabies" to the downtrodden on my own doorstep. She puts a poster up on the canteen notice board with a photocopy of the receipt and thats good enough for me.


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## oldtimer (1 Oct 2008)

I donated to five charities last christmas. In January I received letters from most of them looking for more money and the letters are coming regularly since. I have decided not to subscribe to them anymore as I do not want to be pestered on an ongoing basis. I now subscribe directly i.e. if a local priest or social worker is here on holiday I meet them and give donation personally. This christmas I will meet the local carol singers from the various schools who sing on the streets for charity and give to them. I will be anonymous and will have a greater sense of satisfaction.


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## bamboozle (1 Oct 2008)

csirl said:


> Are you aware that these people are not well meaning volunteers, but professional money collectors who get paid a cut of the proceeds?
> 
> 
> 2 points, Charities to be succesful have to be run as businesses, to raise money they need to consider paying folk to do so.
> ...


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## micmclo (1 Oct 2008)

csirl said:


> ever popular charity walk to Nepal or the great wall of china etc et .


 
Also known as sponsored holidays


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## lemeister (10 Oct 2008)

A girl I know was doing interviews for a job after finishing her degree in college - Trocaire came up trumps with the best salary of all the interviews she went for.  It certainly made my mind up for where my charitable donations would not be going.


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## bamboozle (10 Oct 2008)

lemeister said:


> A girl I know was doing interviews for a job after finishing her degree in college - Trocaire came up trumps with the best salary of all the interviews she went for. It certainly made my mind up for where my charitable donations would not be going.


 

You gotta spend money to make money.....if you pay peanuts you'll get monkeys etc etc


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