Whenever one of those BIG charity events takes place I always feel like a tight wad, I never phone up and pledge. Of course often I have to dip my hand in my pocket, as someone somewhere decides to rush around in stupid clothes with a bucket asking for change. But I'll happily ignore people with collection boxes and the like.
The thing is though I do give money to charity. Ok I admit some of these charitable donations are not necessarily done for altruistic reasons.....
So here is a list of the charities I support.
National Trust - a good cause but it saves me a packet.
Essex Wildlife Trust - altruistic. Much cheaper not to join!
Norfolk Wildlife - not altrusistic. I've worked out I'll get my money back!
RSPB - sort of altruistic. I'm not sure its cost effective. but who cares
Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust - not altruistic. It saves me a packet. Good cause though.
Birdlife International - altruistic.
African Bird Club - Altruistic
Oriental Bird Club - Altruistic
OSME - Altruistic
Neotropical Bird Club* - Altruistic
British Trust for Ornithology - Altruistic
I WAS going to Trinidad & Tobago this year - WWWAAAHHHH - one day.
I reckon the above costs me £200+. Of which the National Trust saves me a fortune! To be honest it may save me the combined cost of the rest in a good year!
I'm also a member of
English Heritage - not sure this is cost efective.
Historic Houses Association - saves me a packet!
So am I a tight wad where charity is concerned? No not really a number of the above are purely altruistic.
2 comments:
If you go on the National Trust Working Break ( £35 for a weekend full board, albeit in a dorm), you get a year's membership free - saves me a fortune too and you get to meet some really interesting people, not all of whom have beards, get a different perspective on the estates and see places the general public don't get to see. I thoroughly recommend it.
Glad you're still talking to me x
I do not give to tin shakers! The ones I feel I cannot get out of are the ones who leave envelopes and come back and you feel you have to put something in them. I once did this for Barnados and when returning the "full" envelopes to the address given, found that they were being opened there and then. Now, call me a cynic but I started to wonder just how much of the money I collected actually reached the charity involved. I will never deliver envelopes ever again!
I also believe that there should be enough money in the Lottery fund's interest account to be able to eradicate the need for tin shakers, appeals through the post, television appeals etc. Maybe I am a tight wad, but I give to the charities I wish to support, if I gave to all and sundry I would be in need of some charity myself.
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