GABIT attendees thread

[llp]

I used to be a regular donor until the mad cow thing came up - then I was told I couldn't donate anymore because I had a blood transfusion in 1989 Ironic really, because it was having my life saved by a donor was what promted me to start donating

I started giving decades ago when I lived in San Francisco. After that I gave regularly. But they would always call me Xmas morning and ask if I could give. Usually I was headed to my brother's house and that became a real nuisance, why couldn't they call me the day before.....but I would usually go unless I had a cold.

Then like you, I've had a few transfusions and I was told the same thing. The last one was in 2006 and they said I was taking to many meds (yeah like to keep me alive for awhile) and I should not give again in 2016. But I'll be about 70 then and they said that I'll be too old. So why did they tell me I could give again.

[Chelle DB]

I started giving decades ago when I lived in San Francisco. After that I gave regularly. But they would always call me Xmas morning and ask if I could give. Usually I was headed to my brother's house and that became a real nuisance, why couldn't they call me the day before.....but I would usually go unless I had a cold.

Then like you, I've had a few transfusions and I was told the same thing. The last one was in 2006 and they said I could give again in 2016. But I'll be about 70 then and they said that I'll be too old. So why did they tell me I could give again.

Maybe because she, like one of my nurses, didn't read your history or information correctly. I had one nurse send me back to the doctor stating there was something wrong with the blood request only to find it was her error.
Here in Australia you can give up to the age of 81.

[Skydiver]

my blood bank just wants to know if you've been in the UK in the past 3 years (really outside of the us or canada) but there's no deferment unless you had a blood transfusion over there.

We have blood drives at work so that's when I give. Much easier to just go upstairs than to have to leave the building.

antibiotics, too low of iron, a piercing will get you deferred. my mom went to india and couldn't donate for 6 months because of hte potential of malaria

[Chelle DB]

I was a bit concerned when I read that if you go to Germany & get bit or scratched by a dog or animal over there, you can't donate...just have to be careful...especially around aunties dog who is a darling who loves to play!

[Chelle DB]

56 days til AT6 ticket payments due!

360 days til AT6!!!

And just for fun -

40 days til Christmas!

Coz you all needed to know that...right??
Of course these dates depend on where you are so please don't shoot the messenger.

[llp]

Maybe because she, like one of my nurses, didn't read your history or information correctly. I had one nurse send me back to the doctor stating there was something wrong with the blood request only to find it was her error.
Here in Australia you can give up to the age of 81.

Actually the entire US should be the same but they aren't. Many states have their own rules. Since I no longer live in California, I should check out what the rules are in Washington. I actually use to feel better when I would get rid of the old and made room for the new (blood that is)!

[PengYn]

In the UK, all charitable and not-for-profit organisations are recquired, by law to publish their expenditure on administration and fundraising. On the same note, all telephone fundraising organisations hired by charities to fundraise on their behalf have to legally disclose that they are a) calling from an agency working on behalf of said charity and b) have to close each and every call by letting the potential supporter know how much the charity is hoping to raise from the campaign and how much that campaign is going to cost (thus giving that person a clear sense of what the return of investment may be.

At the end of the day, I think giving to a charity is more about "politics" than expenditure. A lot of people support Sea Shepherd's but on the same note - a lot of people don't because their politics are murky. A lot of people don't or won't give to Oxfam anymore because of one corrupt official who squandered off with a ton of money a decade ago. Some people say they won't support Unicef because it's too big and Save the Children is smaller but those same people aren't aware that Unicef actually gives StC their excess vaccinations for the areas that they're not working in but StC might be. I think it's important to do your research and know what you're giving to. As someone who works for a LOT of charities on a mostly out-sourced basis I can tell you that the Big Guns cannot function without help and without permanent staff. If you think of Cancer Research UK that has an estimated income of just over £500m - they can't operate solely off voluntary staff. They do employ people - scientists, researchers, marketing staff, fundraising organisers. These things need to be consistent in order for the charity to be successfully run. Last year they spent £70m on fundraising and £1m on admin and you look at those figures and you balk but their return of investment was that they raised £515m. With big charities, there are big costs but as long as you know exactly what's being spent where and what's being raised in return, that's the important thing. And it's not difficult to find these things online.

No matter whether you give to a charity directly or through the telephone, a portion of your donation will always be spent on fundraising and admin. In the UK - for every £1 it's normally 1-2p on admin, 17-18p on fundraising. Telephone fundraising agencies fall under a charity's fundraising budget - so they aren't used all the time, only when a charity has a new campaign they need running. It is unfortunately true that less people give out of their own desires to. People often needed to be reminded of what charities do and how they can help - it doesn't mean that you have to love their mailings though (because that is a HUGE issue). It is really only money left in wills that beats money raised over the telephone. If the latter didn't happen, their income would be cut significantly and - like I said - charities are bound legally to disclose their costs. If you're unhappy with it then that's a personal choice.

Every person, if they give, has a way they like to give and I think that's cool. I don't think it's wrong to want to support a bigger charity - they often have access to places that smaller charities don't (think Unicef in war zones, think of the Red Cross being the only organisation allowed inside Gitmo) but smaller/local charities need our support too, so yeah, personal choice. You gotta go with your heart and use your head a bit in the process. Like for me, I donate directly to Asha Nepal (after hearing AT talk about it) because it's here in the UK, rather than donating through S4K. I love S4K, of course, but by the time I've donated from my card in GBP to US currency and then possibly CAN there's always going to be a % of my donation that Visa took because I donated internationally. It made sense for me to find a way to help that didn't involve all this hopping around.

I'm not really sure where this post was going. I guess when you work for a number of charities, you just want to make sure that people are aware that nothing is ever simple or clear, cut and dry.

Peace Out.

[MidwifeOnBoard]

I love local charities, have volunteered with a number around here over the years. I like being able to trust local charities, partly because of being able to see the results of their work, but also for being able to know exactly where money is going.

I'm in a position where I can volunteer more time and money at the moment, so time is what I do. I'm on call most Friday nights and Saturday mornings and do helpline shifts every so often to. It's a lot of fun and I get a lot of out of it myself.

I refuse to be guilted into giving money, usually by larger charities. I get flagged down a lot by the charity muggers on the street (because I'm on my own, youngish and female and they're mostly University students) and it doesn't matter who you are, it doesn't matter how worthy your cause, I am not signing up with my bank details in the middle of fargate for anything. If I did want to do something I would go home, research it and then do it.

They do that everywhere it seems! In June they sprout up along the streets of NY and make me want to run. "College Kids with a Cause" I call them.

At the moment, I have 2 orgs that I give to, S4K and and Planned Parenthood. I don't care if half my money goes to administration with PP because, at this point in American history, we need those administrators and lobbyists fighting for us in every way possible.

[rderoch]

Hey Neep, does it make you wonder if the money you're giving them is actually going to the people who need it or to more promotions for the charity? Coz I get the same stuff from the deaf society, the blind society and the heart foundation. I get free cards & pens in the mail...things I didnt want or need. I get hounded by them to keep donating coz I gave once so they think it means I want to keep giving.
We even registered our number on the do not call register but guess what...charities are exempt from that so they can still chase you.
I'm not allowed to give blood coz I've been to the UK...yeah, apparently that's not a good thing.
Well at least my family all know that should something befall me I want to donate my organs...if anyone should want them.

The American Cancer Society and Habitat for Humanity are bad about that too. And I find it very disheartening. I want to give again, but then I have that niggling feeling that it will all just be spent on sending me greeting cards and address labels. And I don't want to donate to get a magazine, or a tshirt or a tote bag. Just knock it off with the silly gifts already. It doesn't encourage me to give, it makes me not want to give.

I used to be a regular donor until the mad cow thing came up - then I was told I couldn't donate anymore because I had a blood transfusion in 1989 Ironic really, because it was having my life saved by a donor was that promted me to start donating

I give a few times a year. I'm also on the bone marrow registry. Got called in for second level testing once, but apparently was not a match.

They do that everywhere it seems! In June they sprout up along the streets of NY and make me want to run. "College Kids with a Cause" I call them.

At the moment, I have 2 orgs that I give to, S4K and and Planned Parenthood. I don't care if half my money goes to administration with PP because, at this point in American history, we need those administrators and lobbyists fighting for us in every way possible.

We get them going door to door. I really need to get one of those "No solicitors" signs. Of course, with the state of education, none of them would know what it meant.

[Tittamiire]

Charity muggers! I use the same tactics as I do with the aggressive street evangelists telling me I'm going to hell... suddenly become engrossed in my phone/bag/nails and fail to see them.

I usually stop and say hi because they have a thankless job and they're always perfectly pleasant, but it depends on if they're the third one to stop me within twenty minutes or not. I never object to them per se, just the number of them and the way they bee line for me because I look unthreatening. I understand why they do it. It's still annoying though.

Maybe I should start wearing a scary mask.

Hey Neep, does it make you wonder if the money you're giving them is actually going to the people who need it or to more promotions for the charity? Coz I get the same stuff from the deaf society, the blind society and the heart foundation. I get free cards & pens in the mail...things I didnt want or need. I get hounded by them to keep donating coz I gave once so they think it means I want to keep giving.
We even registered our number on the do not call register but guess what...charities are exempt from that so they can still chase you.

Well money has to go on things other than 'the people who need it' because otherwise the charity wouldn't function. All charities also need to pay the rent on their offices, someone to do the cleaning. A lot of charities get a fair bit of funding directly from grants and pots of money they can apply for, but they're for specific pieces of work.

Like the charity I support. An organisation outside the charity is paying for a 'street to schools' worker for a year to get young runaways and homeless young people into education, but they're just paying for the worker. They're not paying for a manager for the worker, they're not paying anything towards the office admin.

Money from fundraising is so important that money from fundraising has to be plowed back into generating more.

I do a lot of it through work. We had tonnes of promotional merchandise. Magnets, key rings, pens, etc...because of the drip drip effect and because when someone leaves one of our pens somewhere, it's free advertising. I know from experience that if you're not doing the equivalent of shouting from the rooftops 'we need people!' (in my case) then people assume you don't need any more. Literally. People have said to me 'I didn't see your posters for a while so I thought you had enough.' Fundraising is similar.

And that went on longer than I intended to.

[2Shy]

Wow, this is really interesting to read. Getting to hear about all these views and insights of charities in general, for someone like me that hasn't been involved in anything really until S4K came along, it's very informative.

And as Meg said, it's never simple or clear, cut and dry, is it? But one thing that can be said for all the people in this thread, you all have the heart in the right place. Even though your views may differ a bit on certain points, it's still small points considering there's still people out there that couldn't care less about giving or helping.

[Celandine]

Wow, this is really interesting to read. Getting to hear about all these views and insights of charities in general, for someone like me that hasn't been involved in anything really until S4K came along, it's very informative.

And as Meg said, it's never simple or clear, cut and dry, is it? But one thing that can be said for all the people in this thread, you all have the heart in the right place. Even though your views may differ a bit on certain points, it's still small points considering there's still people out there that couldn't care less about giving or helping.

Very true. I'm reminded everyday when I work on the rig and see people who have afflictions and illnesses that they deal with day in and day out. Whenever I'm feeling particularly short-sighted, it's always a breath of fresh air that cleans all the gunk away. Makes me very thankful and more than willing to help out charities and organizations whenever I'm in the spot to do so.

One of my goals is to get my certifications in the next few weeks so I can be part of the Homeland Security Team for my region. In the past they've gone down to the Gulf for Katrina and just recently to the East Coast for Irene. I know I'll never have an unlimited disposable income, but imagining the help and care I can give to those who need it so badly makes me feel so amazing inside. Giving of yourself to help others really puts who you are as a person on this planet into perspective.

[EH-T]

Not meaning to stand on anyones toes but I don't particularly agree with that statement that we should be "obliged" to give. Not everyone is in that position...which doesn't mean that they are also in a position to give up time either. Life isn't so simple for all. My brothers are truck drivers and work primarily to support their families & pay the HUGE debts they mount with owning a rig. They barely scrape by financially. My youngest is in the process of a divorce which sees him currently paying his mortgage as well as rent so he can live somewhere else. (he will have to eventually sell his house as it's just not financially viable for him to keep anymore) He also has 3 small children he has to support. Though his partner works, they are struggling to make ends meet with childcare costs taking almost 60% of their income....which together they earn almost 3 times that which my hubby & I earn combined. My older brother is only home on the weekends so gives that time to his family. My younger brother works 14 hours a day and only sees his children on the weekends. How do I tell them they are "obliged" to give if not financially then with their time?
I know I can give some of my time...I'm volunteering at work every second Thursday to help with the Day Center guests. I have the luxury and really the privilege to do that. I also give every month to S4K plus more when the opportunities arise. And as a family we regularly donate goods to the local Lions Club to help support the community.
I could continue to give more examples of how as much as we would like to give and give in any way be it monetary or time, it's not always possible.
I do think that in times of hardship or times of need, communities do rally together & people do help each other. But not because they feel obliged to do so but rather because they want to do it...because that is the spirit I believe exist in all of us.

I agree. Being guilted into donating turns me off donating rather than on.
The best reward is that feeling you get in your heart that you've done something of your own volition to help others and not because someone said you had to do it.

Mumsey - my S4K hoodie came in today...it's a bit on the large side but I knew that would be the case...Niki thinks I should wear it as a dress next year with my Furling boots! My arms disappear in it...I think I can fly if I try!!!
Thank you.

We'll have to agree to disagree. I believe it is our obligation, not because of feelings of guilt but simply because it is the right thing to do. Again, it does not have to involve a lot of money. It is like Gabit events, those who can afford to participate in the auction do so and those who can't, they help out tremendously through buying a raffle ticket or tossing coins in the bucket. Here we have a campaign called "Pennies from Heaven" which helps raise money for the Christmas Cheer Board. Most people can afford to unload their pennies. The point is not how much an individual can give but that as a community we can help by all contributing a small amount. Ripples, right?

As for time, sorry, but I think we can all give some of our time. Again, I am not talking every week but who can't give one day a year to help at the food bank or wrap toys for kids at Christmas? IMHO it is pretty good quality time with your kids to do something together to help others in your community.

I once bought a goat for someone with Oxfam. It was a complete one off, because I don't know much about them and I give to local charaties normally. That was Christmas 2 years ago and I'm still getting emails and information packs posted to me. I have asked them to stop- who knows how much money they spend on contacting people who aren't interested?

Same for giving blood. I used to go in every 3 months only to be turned away for being under weight, anemic, less than 6 months since a piercing- whatever. I have only been able to give blood twice in the 7 years I have been eligible, yet they keep ringing and asking me to make an appointment. I would love to give, and have told them *I* will ring *them* when I'm healthy. Nope. Sigh.

First, get healthy! That is not a good record young lady.

I also give blood. At one point I was being rejected at intake more than I was passed due to low iron levels. Got that straighted out and back to giving regularly. Heck, it is worth it just for the entertaining questions they ask!

In the UK, all charitable and not-for-profit organisations are recquired, by law to publish their expenditure on administration and fundraising. On the same note, all telephone fundraising organisations hired by charities to fundraise on their behalf have to legally disclose that they are a) calling from an agency working on behalf of said charity and b) have to close each and every call by letting the potential supporter know how much the charity is hoping to raise from the campaign and how much that campaign is going to cost (thus giving that person a clear sense of what the return of investment may be.

At the end of the day, I think giving to a charity is more about "politics" than expenditure. A lot of people support Sea Shepherd's but on the same note - a lot of people don't because their politics are murky. A lot of people don't or won't give to Oxfam anymore because of one corrupt official who squandered off with a ton of money a decade ago. Some people say they won't support Unicef because it's too big and Save the Children is smaller but those same people aren't aware that Unicef actually gives StC their excess vaccinations for the areas that they're not working in but StC might be. I think it's important to do your research and know what you're giving to. As someone who works for a LOT of charities on a mostly out-sourced basis I can tell you that the Big Guns cannot function without help and without permanent staff. If you think of Cancer Research UK that has an estimated income of just over £500m - they can't operate solely off voluntary staff. They do employ people - scientists, researchers, marketing staff, fundraising organisers. These things need to be consistent in order for the charity to be successfully run. Last year they spent £70m on fundraising and £1m on admin and you look at those figures and you balk but their return of investment was that they raised £515m. With big charities, there are big costs but as long as you know exactly what's being spent where and what's being raised in return, that's the important thing. And it's not difficult to find these things online.

No matter whether you give to a charity directly or through the telephone, a portion of your donation will always be spent on fundraising and admin. In the UK - for every £1 it's normally 1-2p on admin, 17-18p on fundraising. Telephone fundraising agencies fall under a charity's fundraising budget - so they aren't used all the time, only when a charity has a new campaign they need running. It is unfortunately true that less people give out of their own desires to. People often needed to be reminded of what charities do and how they can help - it doesn't mean that you have to love their mailings though (because that is a HUGE issue). It is really only money left in wills that beats money raised over the telephone. If the latter didn't happen, their income would be cut significantly and - like I said - charities are bound legally to disclose their costs. If you're unhappy with it then that's a personal choice.

Every person, if they give, has a way they like to give and I think that's cool. I don't think it's wrong to want to support a bigger charity - they often have access to places that smaller charities don't (think Unicef in war zones, think of the Red Cross being the only organisation allowed inside Gitmo) but smaller/local charities need our support too, so yeah, personal choice. You gotta go with your heart and use your head a bit in the process. Like for me, I donate directly to Asha Nepal (after hearing AT talk about it) because it's here in the UK, rather than donating through S4K. I love S4K, of course, but by the time I've donated from my card in GBP to US currency and then possibly CAN there's always going to be a % of my donation that Visa took because I donated internationally. It made sense for me to find a way to help that didn't involve all this hopping around.

I'm not really sure where this post was going. I guess when you work for a number of charities, you just want to make sure that people are aware that nothing is ever simple or clear, cut and dry.

Peace Out.

Good points. Sometimes it takes money to make money. I am part of a dragon boat team that raises money for cancer research. We have had a lot of discussions regarding this because the group that organises the races is paid a fee. That comes out of our own pockets so the money we raise goes to CancerCare. At the end of the day we decided it was better to do this than not raise any money.

The American Cancer Society and Habitat for Humanity are bad about that too. And I find it very disheartening. I want to give again, but then I have that niggling feeling that it will all just be spent on sending me greeting cards and address labels. And I don't want to donate to get a magazine, or a tshirt or a tote bag. Just knock it off with the silly gifts already. It doesn't encourage me to give, it makes me not want to give.



I give a few times a year. I'm also on the bone marrow registry. Got called in for second level testing once, but apparently was not a match.



We get them going door to door. I really need to get one of those "No solicitors" signs. Of course, with the state of education, none of them would know what it meant.

Perish the thought!

EH-T
(whose degree says "barrister & solicitor")


Enjoying all the discussion regarding charities.

[rderoch]

We'll have to agree to disagree. I believe it is our obligation, not because of feelings of guilt but simply because it is the right thing to do. Again, it does not have to involve a lot of money. It is like Gabit events, those who can afford to participate in the auction do so and those who can't, they help out tremendously through buying a raffle ticket or tossing coins in the bucket. Here we have a campaign called "Pennies from Heaven" which helps raise money for the Christmas Cheer Board. Most people can afford to unload their pennies. The point is not how much an individual can give but that as a community we can help by all contributing a small amount. Ripples, right?

As for time, sorry, but I think we can all give some of our time. Again, I am not talking every week but who can't give one day a year to help at the food bank or wrap toys for kids at Christmas? IMHO it is pretty good quality time with your kids to do something together to help others in your community.



First, get healthy! That is not a good record young lady.

I also give blood. At one point I was being rejected at intake more than I was passed due to low iron levels. Got that straighted out and back to giving regularly. Heck, it is worth it just for the entertaining questions they ask!




Good points. Sometimes it takes money to make money. I am part of a dragon boat team that raises money for cancer research. We have had a lot of discussions regarding this because the group that organises the races is paid a fee. That comes out of our own pockets so the money we raise goes to CancerCare. At the end of the day we decided it was better to do this than not raise any money.



Perish the thought!

EH-T
(whose degree says "barrister & solicitor")


Enjoying all the discussion regarding charities.

Hadn't even thought of that! Here it refers to the folks that go door to door peddling products and seeking donations (and who knows if half of them are legit). I would NEVER discourage you from my door.

[EH-T]

Hadn't even thought of that! Here it refers to the folks that go door to door peddling products and seeking donations (and who knows if half of them are legit). I would NEVER discourage you from my door.

Good to know.