# So many charities but which one to contribute to?



## Up Rovers (26 Jun 2012)

I'm thinking of setting up a monthly direct debit and availing of the  tax relief for the charity's benefit but can't make up my mind which one  is most deserving especially as there are so many causes these days.

I've had a quick read through these previous threads but wonder if things have changed a lot as they are quite dated:

?

*Charity Donations: what is the best charity to donate to?*

Taking into account administration costs etc. has my head wrecked so  just looking for other's views?  Animal charity donation dealt with  separately.


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## Emiso (26 Jun 2012)

The SVDP also tends to be an organisation that often gets taken advantage of by those who are not in genuine need.


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## delgirl (27 Jun 2012)

Emiso said:


> The SVDP also tends to be an organisation that often gets taken advantage of by those who are not in genuine need.


Would have to agree with this. I personally know someone who worked as a volunteer for them for years and had to stop as he witnessed handouts being given and ESB bills being paid for people who he saw at the weekend getting drunk in the pub etc. or went to deliver emergency food parcels to homes with 2 cars in the driveway etc.

When he told the person in charge of all the cases he thought were not worthy of charity, he was told that SVP do not do assessments, the give when they are asked.

I was also in someone's house when they had a 'delivery' from SVP. This person had the biggest flat screen TV I have ever seen, Sky Plus with Sports and Movie package, a car on the road, enough money to go to the pub a few nights a week, was smoking weed on a daily basis, etc. etc.

Have a look at what the [broken link removed] including SVP and be aware of where some of your donation is going to.


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## Brendan Burgess (27 Jun 2012)

How about funding an arts project directly? 

Check out fundit.ie where you can help a theatre group to put on a performance; help an artist frame their work for a show or help a musician produce a new CD.

Brendan


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## Woodie (27 Jun 2012)

Barnardos and Oxfam for me plus local charities.  That said, in answer to Up_Rovers question, there are many charities out there almost all of which need support at this time.  I would look for a charity/charities which you have an affinity with their work.  Maybe a person in your family had a particular cancer type, maybe there is a community sports group, maybe it is overseas aid, the list is endless.  Pick on something that appeals to you as a donor.  You are right you could be head wrecked thinking about the options and you can;t help everyone, but make your decision and know that in making it your are doing your bit. 
BTW it is the charity that gains the taxback benefit AFAIK at least that has been the form I completed on behalf of the charities in question.  
Hope it goes well for you.


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## STEINER (27 Jun 2012)

there are many deserving charities....

Hospices do amazing work for people and are very deserving of donations.


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## Kkma (27 Jun 2012)

For me it's Barnardos, Concern and Guide Dogs. Concern give a breakdown of their spending so you've an idea of how much of your money actually goes to helping those in need - roughly I think it's 2% admin and 6-7% fundraising, the rest is for emergency aid and development. I have no idea about Barnardos but I feel as a mother myself that if some small some goes to help a child in need it's worth it. I saw Mary Robinson saying recently when asked what was the point in sending money for overseas aid when it was lining the pockets of corrupt officials/politicians and she simply said if some of it is getting through it's worth it.


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## mercman (27 Jun 2012)

In these times charity begins at home. I cannot see any point in giving money to charities that wish to send others donations overseas, esp[ecially where they are plenty of local Irish people that find it extremely difficult to feed themselves.

The point was made, check out what the main persons in some of the charities are earning. When you see the list of six figure sums been paid out for CEOs of some of the high profile charities, it will make you reconsider of where to place your money.


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## BillK (27 Jun 2012)

Don't know if you have Just Giving.com over there, but my lunatic son and his mates rowed across the English Channel to France a couple of weekends ago. His nominated charity was Marie Curie and he got sponsoship of £600 + the tax back from Inland Revenue for the cause. The company he work for has generously also matched what he raised for the same cause.


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## shesells (27 Jun 2012)

How about Charity 25? An umbrella group for 25 Irish charities, each of them a worthy cause charity25.ie


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## Hillsalt (27 Jun 2012)

www.irishprematurebabies.com 

Both my kids were born premature, one was 13 weeks early. The people who run this charity are all volunteers. 

This is definitely my charity of choice.


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## SarahMc (28 Jun 2012)

If you are on this site you are probably interested in maximising your own resources, if you are interested in charity, you are probably philanthropic. Marry them both by .

I havent had any defaults so far, and in fact am getting a better dividend than my local Credit union. 

That probably doesnt fit your criteria as it is may not be eligible for the relief.


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## Up Rovers (1 Jul 2012)

Kkma said:


> For me it's Barnardos, Concern and Guide Dogs. Concern give a breakdown of their spending



Hi All,

Thanks for all the input.  I was actually thinking about Concern myself so have definite leaning towards them.  Like the sound also of providing the breakdown and I've just come across this information on their website http://www.concern.net/about/how-money-spent so I may go ahead on this basis.


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## Leo (2 Jul 2012)

Up Rovers said:


> Hi All,
> 
> Thanks for all the input. I was actually thinking about Concern myself so have definite leaning towards them. Like the sound also of providing the breakdown and I've just come across this information on their website http://www.concern.net/about/how-money-spent so I may go ahead on this basis.


 
I have an issue with their constant use of Chuggers.


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## fraggle (2 Jul 2012)

You could review the info/approach of www.kiva.com and see if you like it.


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## jay82 (5 Jul 2012)

Concern is wise choice. the way they give a break up showing where your money is being utilized is comforting . You should definitely consider. Also its important that you contribute in something that you have a personal interest in, that way your heart will be involved in the good cause as well as your money


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## Setanta12 (5 Jul 2012)

Why not try join the Board of your local Community Centre (almost probably registered as a charity), that way you can see (and control) where your money goes while making a bigger difference that your actual donation ... ...


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## Tayto (5 Jul 2012)

It's really generous of you to consider donating to a charity - there's so many and to my mind the motivator for where you put your money should be the charity who's work resonates most with you. What are you interested in? What are you mad about, or frustrated or upset by? Asides from giving a donation, you may find you want to get further involved, and that is a great addition into your life, rewarding you with a new perspective.


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## Marigold77 (17 Aug 2012)

Easy for us as we have family working in India with abandoned babies and with homeless in Dublin.. we trade at markets etc and give all we can.

There has been some difficult press re concern of late and I cannot agree with the view that as long as some gets there; it needs to be much better than that. of course I am very old and in our day we did charity work for love and not salaries,. Our family live very simply and just for their  bare keep.


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## Sue Ellen (23 Oct 2014)

This web site got a mention on evening news so might be helpful for anyone looking at making donations: http://www.goodcharity.ie/


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## SlugBreath (9 Jun 2022)

I was looking around for a charity to donate to in respect of the Ukrainian appeals.  I saw a charity with an address local enough to me here in Blackrock.  They have a "donate now" button on their website.  However I wanted to send them a cheque (use up the last of my Ulster Bank cheques). I contacted them through their Facebook page to see if they would take a cheque. No response. to my message. 
I waited a few days and then I decided to contact them through their online form on their web page.   No response to this either. I then sent them an email. No response.

I appreciate that charities may be run by voluntary staff but surely they must have someone to monitor their online prescence and contact us details?


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## Groucho (9 Jun 2022)

I'm a long-standing Trocaire supporter who is seriously considering stopping my standing order over its recent political antics (as reported in The Times on Monday).



> *The charities regulator has written to Trócaire, the overseas development agency of the Catholic Church in Ireland, to “remind” it that any future political activity must “directly advance and support [its] stated charitable purposes”.*
> _The letter was prompted by two formal complaints to the regulator about recent campaigns by Trócaire — which was set up to combat poverty and injustice in the developing world — relating to the treatment of Palestinians in Gaza.
> In one complaint, a man said he had received an unsolicited mailshot from the charity featuring a Palestinian flag on a postcard with a request to “display the flag overleaf inside your home to show solidarity with the children, women and men of Gaza and Palestine”._


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## arbitron (10 Jun 2022)

Groucho said:


> I'm a long-standing Trocaire supporter who is seriously considering stopping my standing order over its recent political antics (as reported in The Times on Monday).



Trócaire have been overtly political since the 1970s, e.g. involvement in El Salvador.

Many churches and charities are political in some shape or form.


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## Monbretia (10 Jun 2022)

SlugBreath said:


> I was looking around for a charity to donate to in respect of the Ukrainian appeals.  I saw a charity with an address local enough to me here in Blackrock.  They have a "donate now" button on their website.  However I wanted to send them a cheque (use up the last of my Ulster Bank cheques). I contacted them through their Facebook page to see if they would take a cheque. No response. to my message.
> I waited a few days and then I decided to contact them through their online form on their web page.   No response to this either. I then sent them an email. No response.
> 
> I appreciate that charities may be run by voluntary staff but surely they must have someone to monitor their online prescence and contact us details?



Probably someone trying to figure out how to answer when they don't know what a 'cheque' is lol


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