Tuesday 13 March 2012

Why should I pay for your holiday?

I got one of those emails the other day. You know the ones:

Hi!  In June I'm going to be cycling round Europe/climbing the north face of the Eiger/walking the Great Wall of China in aid of threadbare cuddly toys.  As you all know, this is a very important cause so please give generously.

And I, old cynic that I am, think just one thing:

Why?

Why should I pay for you, whoever you are, to go on holiday?  To do something that you want to do anyway?  Even if it is for a good cause.  Because that's how it (normally) works.  You raise a minimum amount for charity and the charity pays for you to go and do whatever exciting adventurous thing it is you want to do.   Out of its funds.  Funds that could be used for whatever good cause it is you claim to be supporting while having your lovely challenging time

Why don't you, instead, if you really want to help cuddly toys, or the homeless, or desperately ill children, shake a tin, or volunteer in a hospice, or just write a cheque?

And, of course, the simple answer is: Because it doesn't raise enough money.

But isn't that wrong?  Why is it that we will willingly pay for our loved ones, family members, friends, colleagues and acquaintances to run marathons, or swim lochs, or walk backwards up a mountain in a pair of false breasts and a wig, at the charity's expense, when we won't just put our hands in our pockets for one of any number of really worthy causes. 

Why is it, when I ranted at my sister about this (she wants to climb Kilimanjaro for Parkinsons UK - and in her defence she would pay for the trip herself) getting cross about the pointlessness of it, the environmental impact of the flight, the sheer stupidity of people carrying water up a mountain for her convenience, and ending, "You should just go and volunteer in an old people's home for two weeks instead and get people to sponsor you to do that" I had to admit defeat when she said, "But they wouldn't"?

Why is it, that my brother, who runs marathons for fun (we're not really related) and who has got a place in this year's London Marathon through his running club, is still going to ask people for money? 

Because he can. And because they'll give it to him.

So I know, really, why I should pay for your holiday: because that's what works.   But wouldn't it be lovely if the dull, but useful, stuff worked too?  Just think how much more money we could raise then.

9 comments:

  1. I'm with you on this. I have the same sentiment partly because I'm jealous someone is getting an exciting holiday/experience out of it too. Surely if people were really serious about raising money, they'd get sponsored to do something unpleasant? That's where the bath of baked beans comes in I guess. Another problem is that we're bombarded with so many of these requests that it's easy to get fed up and cynical about it fundraising. Maybe if the charity benefits financially and from the PR of trekking in Peru ventures and the like then we can't really complain. But I agree that giving your own time is one of the best ways to help. And for charities which aren't 'trendy' too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Don't get me started on baths of baked beans!!! It just all seems so silly and pointless, when really we should all just be able to give money to causes we believe in without a gimmick...

      But then I guess it's all about being illogical humans really isn't it? (and please no one point out how long it is since I last tithed myself, as I once declared my intention of doing).

      Delete
  2. I asked one of my ex-guides publically on Facebook (where the request for money to walk the great wall of china was) why I should pay for her holiday as I pay for my own and give to charity. She was a bit put out, so if you want to keep friends I think it's best to stay quiet! I also had a quibble with the blogging circle that went half way round the world with the UN (and pampers?) and suggested their airfare money would hsve been better spent going straight to the charity, I was wrong then too, apparently! So best to mutter under your breath and pay up to keep friends.

    ReplyDelete
  3. That may be why I got so ranty at my poor sister - she's one of very few people I can be (relatively) confident will stick around even if she doesn't like what I'm saying...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ps I'm less anti the celebrity style publicity raising stuff (which is presumably what the blogging trips are aimed at doing) especially if they do raise awareness of an issue that a charity feels is not being highlighted enough. Charities are, after all, businesses, with advertising budgets, and if that's how they want to spend it, I suppose I'm ok with that. I'm not necessarily sure how effective it is though - I'd be interested to see if there's a noticeable spike in donations after Angelina (or whomever) visits Darfur (or wherever) but maybe there is....

      Delete
  4. Don't start me on this.. I've a post brewing and I'm just waiting for the time to write it properly and not be tredding on any fundraising toes....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ooh! Looking forward to reading it. And given Kelloggsville's advice, probably best to wait until those toes are safely walking the Great Wall with no internet connection....

      Delete
  5. My sister-in-law does it well. She goes on projects, rather than holidays, so they leave something of value behind, eg she has built a couple of schools in Africa. She pays for her own travel and all expenses, and then asks friends and family if they would like to donate to the cost of building materials (locally purchased). I have no hesitation in contributing, and once I ran a coffee morning to raise funds. Seems a much better way.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I think that's a rather different beast really.... If she's not asking for funding and she is doing the work herself, I don't think you can really do anything other than support her!

    ReplyDelete

I know. I'm sorry. I hate these word recognition, are you a robot, guff things too, but having just got rid of a large number of ungrammatical and poorly spelt adverts for all sorts of things I don't want, and especially don't want on my blog, I'm hoping that this will mean that only lovely people, of the actually a person variety, will comment.

So please do. Comments are great...