madcomments

I think it is important for charities to think about what they say in their advertising and on the streets in light of the recession, but to remind them of the recession is not the best plan in my opinion as that urge some have to say yes, or put money into an envelope will surely be held back even more than usual. Giving to charity is a tradition that most of us follow, and to hold back now just because we may be feeling a pinch is not in the English nature. Evidence to support this is the Children in Need donation of 20m. Perhaps people will think more wisely about which charities they care most about, and as we all support for different reasons, the decline should not be too dramatic. If anything, we may see a rise in physical volunteering, which costs nothing.

I believe that when everyones feeling the pinch it both increases the awareness of the the needs of others but also diminishes the inclination (not desire) to help. I think that if giving has become a tradition then its in danger of missing the point. Without sounding too old fashioned if you give without thinking then its no longer charity its something else: guilt, fashion, obligation etc. As wonderful as the Children in Need event is I fear that it may become a charitable ‘purge’ , a once a year push that allows a cathartic form of giving. There are so many charities out there that could do with 0.01% of the funds raised by CIN, and people should possibly look at the smaller charities that do not have the budget to attract the fundraising of the big boys. The activity and benefits of these smaller (regional) charities are no less important and are more likely to affect the average person. If anyone is interested in supporting smaller charities then please visit www.socks-suck.co.uk and nominate a charity to receive more than thoughtless giving in 2009.