sponsoring people to 'do things'

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sponsoring people to 'do things'

53 posts & 39 voices | Started 2 years ago by iDave | Latest reply from mastiles_fanylion

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ourmaninthenorth - Member

I too struggle with the idea of sponsoring people doing things they want to do anyway.

However, if money ends up in the hands of charities, irrespective of the motives of the individual participants, isn't that a good end in itself?

Also, I'm pretty sure that the "cycle costa rica" trips usually require the participants to (1) cover the cost of their doing the trip and (2) raise a minimum amount of sponsorship. In other words, if you sponsor them, you're not paying for flights, etc.

On the whole I'd rather people gave their time to charities by volunteering rather than went on "cycle costa rica"

Quite. Or, if you have no time, give cash directly. And, like TJ says, don't always choose the "cuddly" ones.

Posted 2 years ago #
enfht - Member

I have a personal dislike for people who wave a donation sheet under your nose and expect you to hand the cash over automatically. It's the assumption that everyone wants to donate money regardless of the cause which really annoys.

Posted 2 years ago #
iDave - Member

i've decided i won't be doing another event for charity. i'll make my own donations to leukaemia research and will sponsor anyone raising money for them, but that's it. this was a one off due to my GF fighting a vile disease and me feeling like a useless tw4t. and yeah i had a bloody good time while I was away (apart from the running 100km bit), but that's not why i was away and no one else had to pay for that side of it. thank you and goodnight.

Posted 2 years ago #
MrSalmon - Member

Stumpy - the point is that if you had put all that effort in fundraising without going on the holiday the charity would have got the money that you raised PLUS the cost of the holiday

Yes, but that isn't really the way it works is it? Regardless of the rights or wrongs people do make the effort for these things with the trip as a motivator, where they probably wouldn't without the carrot.

It's funny thing. I wouldn't sponsor my Tri club mates to run 5k, but I did sponsor my mum(67) to do a 5k. For me then, there's some threshold where if it's a real stretch for someone to do an event then I'm more likely to consider it.

Same here- I'd be reluctant to sponsor a healthy friend in their 20s to walk round most of a 5K run!

Posted 2 years ago #
Brownbacks - Member

for Jimmy: they are at Lee Quarry 6th/27th sept and 18th Oct

Posted 2 years ago #
windowshopper - Member

I recently did a charity ride and, like iDave, was disappointed at the response of some well-to-do friends, particularly as others who I know less well or only via the web made a small donation (which is all I was asking people to consider). No-one's obliged to donate and most of us have regular donations and lots of requests for more, but it was still a bit surprising to me.

And the charity has told me that despite particpation in the event being about three times what they expected, the fundraising has been a big disappointment.

Posted 2 years ago #
stumpy01 - Member

TJ...I see what you mean. But if Mencap hadn't organised the trip, then I doubt they would have got those 120 people to raise at least £2000 each.

I definitely wouldn't have put in all the time & effort I did, had I not been doing the event itself - whether that is morally bad or not, it's the truth.
Carrot on a stick to get people to raise loads of money.

You could argue a similar thing about all charity events, not just 'holidays'. How much must the Race for Life cost to organise?! It is now a massive event & must cost a fortune to put on, but it must be worth doing for the charity on a money raised basis.
You can argue that these same people should put their efforts into just raising the money, rather than doing a 5 or 10km walk or run and perhaps training for weeks/months beforehand.

Posted 2 years ago #
Pieface - Member

I wouldn't be surprised if alot of the companies involved in providing flights / accomodation / food for these fundraising 'holidays' may donate their services as either free or at a discounted rate as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility.

Posted 2 years ago #
stevemcnalls - Member

Of course you don't need to get people to sponsor you. That seems like money for nothing. We recently set up a charity bike workshop at work (We got management buy in) Over two days including gift aid we raised 2 grand for Edinburgh Sick Kids.

All we did was give bikes an "MOT", any real work we told them to go a local bike shop and get it sorted. People seemed to be more interested if they were getting something out of it.

Steve

Posted 2 years ago #
WorldClassAccident - Member

I decided to put on a great big party with bikes, bands and beer. Someone sneered I was doing it to line my pockets so all money made is going to charity. Not because I had too, not because I wanted to polish my halo. It simply seemed the right thing to do.

Made buggerall difference to ticket sales from what I can see though

Posted 2 years ago #
mrsflash - Member

And, like TJ says, don't always choose the "cuddly" ones.
I'd agree with that. My monthly dd goes to these people it's a great charity, people like this kept my grandmother living at home until she died, which is what she wanted, independence is a real gift.

Posted 2 years ago #
barca - Member

I did a Manchester To Sheffield on road and back again off road for our local (and UK's largest) hospice that my wife works for so I had a vested interest. She comes home with some pretty heart breaking stories and I'm an emotional cripple (apparently). I only approached companies for sponsorship as they would get some advertising benefit via radio, tv and newspapers.
I didn't ask nor expect individuals to contribute and if it came up in conversation and they wanted to donate, I told them to make a payment direct to the hospice if they wanted to.
I hate people trying to make me feel guilted into contributing and I wasn't going to do it to somebody else.

Posted 2 years ago #
traildog - Member

Haven't read all the above, but as a rule I don't give to such endeavours. I see it more as a subsidies holiday/activity with the excess going to charity. I would rather give money directly to charity, then paying for someone to have a jolly up a mountain in Africa or jumping out of an plane or whatever.
If people don't want to give you anything then that's up to them and has nothing to do with whether they have a bob or two or not.

Posted 2 years ago #
iDave - Member

traildog, no one paid for any part of my trip - it wasn't a charity jolly - i paid for it by selling a load of my possessions. all the donations went to the charity direct, none of it passed through my hands

Posted 2 years ago #
DaveGr - Member

I did a trip back in 2005 but it was organised by the charity and we paid for all the costs ourselves. All sponsorship money went direct to the charity. But having looked into the "charity tourism industry" I wouldn't sponsor someone on the type where you pay X amount for the trip and some money goes to charity. Some of the trips are just adventure holidays - one of the reasons we went on ours was because it wasn't. I saw someone in the local paper two years ago asking for sponsorship for her trip to pay for her gel saddle FFS !!!!

The trip we made was for our enjoyment but also to raise awareness / money. Some people on low wages were more than generous whilst some contractors on £400+ a day didn't give a penny. We were lucky in a lot of friends sponsored us and one of the contractors company gave £500 !!!

Nowadays TBH I'm fed up with people wanting money to do things which aren't challenging. I would rather give to the charities I want to and claim back the tax efficiently - I'm not sure this is always the case.

More info on our trip if you're interested on ......

Madagascar trip

Posted 2 years ago #
Grimy - Member

Totally agree with you traildog. Why would I sponsor you to do something that you enjoy and would probably do for fun anyway. Parachute jumps are the worst offenders, with most of the money paying for you to enjoy the jump, wtf is that all about?

If you want sponsoring, do something productive! something for the comunity or work for the charity itself if posible. If you asked me to sponsor you in a race, id tell you to get off, but if you came and asked me to sponsor you to plant trees to help prevent land errosion on your local trails, or to clean up the local rec area, or perhaps paint the youth club or comunity building, i dunno, just anything of benefit to others, Id put my hand straight in my pocket.

Parachute jumps....honestly??

Posted 2 years ago #
Midnighthour - Member

I give to charity when the mood strikes but almost never give to sponsored events as usually they achieve nothing of benefit to anyone other than the participant. If someone did 2 hours of litter picking for charity then I would sponsor them but as someone said above, no sponsoring for holidays etc.

I would also never knowingly sponsor any event that involves research on animals as they feel distress and pain just the same as us.

Posted 2 years ago #
mastiles_fanylion - Member

I don't like that Just Giving lot - you are just giving them 5% commission!

Posted 2 years ago #

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