Give a Little ... less

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#1600944 29-Jul-2016 17:39

Rikkitic:

Maybe I just don't understand how charities work here, but I still have a problem with all the charges going to for-profit companies. I'm not picking on Spark, but we are talking about charities. So why are so many making a living off this? Why do people need to get paid to help out a good cause?

Because some claim they can no longer get people to collect for free. However when I was at school, I spent many days door knocking and collecting for various charities, including red cross, the sallies etc. We were required to by the school, but I also found it quite enjoyable, except for the houses with dogs, and the weirdos. Not sure if schools do it these days, probably isn't considered PC or a health and safety risk, or something. WE also went around houses alone, which is probably a big no-no today. It is also good fitness.

dafman

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#1600965 29-Jul-2016 18:10

MikeB4:
dafman:
MikeAqua:
BTR:

Surely the money that Spark spend on maintaining the site can be claimed back form their taxes as being a donation to a charity? Give a little is run by the Spark Foundation not Spark.

Sponsorship is a deductible cost. Spark can deduct it from their costs to reduce their taxable profit. So they save about 30% on their tax bill. That applies to almost all sponsorship.

The fact remains based on last years numbers, Spark is contributing a net amount of $600,000 pa to the running of GAL. And somehow a number of people are knocking them for that.

They are not just spending money only to keep GAL running. It's also money spent to promote the Spark brand in the community. Why do you they launched it in the first place?

I am not sure of your motives or what you would like to see happen.

I'd like to see GAL continue to give 100% of donations to recipients.

If Spark are unable to continue operating on this basis, they should look to the community, corporate and other, to work with them to achieve this. But, then, this may mean they lose sole name association with the site. Which probably they don't want ... which leads me to my second point ...

I also wanted to point out that Spark are not in this game solely because they care. They've done a great job with GAL to date, but don't ignore the fact that Spark receive corporate benefit by having their name associated with the site. In addition to getting funds to worthy recipients, GAL also benefits the Spark corporate brand. And corporate sponsorship normally costs, so it's not unreasonable to expect Spark to pay for this.

MikeB4

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#1600972 29-Jul-2016 18:38

dafman:

I'd like to see GAL continue to give 100% of donations to recipients.

If Spark are unable to continue operating on this basis, they should look to the community, corporate and other, to work with them to achieve this. But, then, this may mean they lose sole name association with the site. Which probably they don't want ... which leads me to my second point ...

I also wanted to point out that Spark are not in this game solely because they care. They've done a great job with GAL to date, but don't ignore the fact that Spark receive corporate benefit by having their name associated with the site. In addition to getting funds to worthy recipients, GAL also benefits the Spark corporate brand. And corporate sponsorship normally costs, so it's not unreasonable to expect Spark to pay for this.

I disagree

mattwnz

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#1600974 29-Jul-2016 18:39

dafman:

I'd like to see GAL continue to give 100% of donations to recipients.

If Spark are unable to continue operating on this basis, they should look to the community, corporate and other, to work with them to achieve this. But, then, this may mean they lose sole name association with the site. Which probably they don't want ... which leads me to my second point ...

I also wanted to point out that Spark are not in this game solely because they care. They've done a great job with GAL to date, but don't ignore the fact that Spark receive corporate benefit by having their name associated with the site. In addition to getting funds to worthy recipients, GAL also benefits the Spark corporate brand. And corporate sponsorship normally costs, so it's not unreasonable to expect Spark to pay for this.

Who would step in though, and it isn't cheap to setup such a site and get it out there being used. They have done a great job, and I think it has been great for the Spark brand, although they do have a lot of cash behind them being one of NZs largest companies.

I do think companies these days prefer to get involved with charities directly, rather than sponsor a charities collection website. This is so they can then also collect the tax rebate themselves.

If you now go into some retailers, they ask you if you want to also donate to a charity. I was wondering what their reason for doing this was. Isn't it actually the company who is collecting the donation that are making the donation, and they then collect the tax credits, so it helps their bottom line? If not, then who gets the tax credits. Otherwise I think you are better to donate to the charity directly, as you then get the tax credits back.

MikeB4

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#1600977 29-Jul-2016 18:44

Charities are using the likes of retail outlets to collect as it is very very very hard to get volunteers to collect

mattwnz

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#1600981 29-Jul-2016 18:52

MikeB4:

Charities are using the likes of retail outlets to collect as it is very very very hard to get volunteers to collect

They do, but who collects the tax credits? Are retailers essentially getting free money from doing it?

Whatever happened to school kids / college kids collecting, as that was 100% free, and gets them out of the house.

MikeB4

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#1600988 29-Jul-2016 19:01

mattwnz:

MikeB4:

Charities are using the likes of retail outlets to collect as it is very very very hard to get volunteers to collect

They do, but who collects the tax credits? Are retailers essentially getting free money from doing it?

Whatever happened to school kids / college kids collecting, as that was 100% free, and gets them out of the house.

As for the tax credits I am not sure I would guess the collecting company could claim expenses related to the collecting which is reasonable.

As for kids collecting safety is a real issue. I have been abused collecting and so has my wife. I have been involved with had collectors mugged and the money taken.

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surfisup1000

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#1601053 29-Jul-2016 21:02

In my view spark should either run it for free, or spin it off into a separate not-for-profit entity.

Otherwise, it would seem to me that spark are ruthlessly profiteering from other peoples misery. Worse than charity muggers if you ask me.

Handle9

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#1601054 29-Jul-2016 21:10

I don't get it. Spark have contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars. Its grown to the point where thay cant fully fund it themselves and suddenly they are the bad guys. Sometimes I don't get what people think that companies should do.

mattwnz

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#1601105 29-Jul-2016 22:32

MikeB4:
mattwnz:

MikeB4:

Charities are using the likes of retail outlets to collect as it is very very very hard to get volunteers to collect

They do, but who collects the tax credits? Are retailers essentially getting free money from doing it?

Whatever happened to school kids / college kids collecting, as that was 100% free, and gets them out of the house.

As for the tax credits I am not sure I would guess the collecting company could claim expenses related to the collecting which is reasonable.

As for kids collecting safety is a real issue. I have been abused collecting and so has my wife. I have been involved with had collectors mugged and the money taken.

I guess NZ has changed a lot in the last 15 years. It is not the country it once was, as I never had a problem collecting when I did it. Someone mugging a charity collector should be locked up and have the key thrown away.

tangerz

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#1601195 30-Jul-2016 08:37

surfisup1000:

In my view spark should either run it for free, or spin it off into a separate not-for-profit entity.

Otherwise, it would seem to me that spark are ruthlessly profiteering from other peoples misery. Worse than charity muggers if you ask me.

WTF !?!?! Where does that come from? It already functions as 'not-for-profit' (perhaps not officially but for all intents and purposes) as Spark have paid millions of dollars to have this platform here for people to use for free. Now that they are trying to recover a portion of the rapidly increasing costs in doing so they are suddenly 'ruthless profiteers'?

Jeeez.....

gzt

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#1601245 30-Jul-2016 10:42

Rikkitic:
Maybe I just don't understand how charities work here, but I still have a problem with all the charges going to for-profit companies. I'm not picking on Spark, but we are talking about charities. So why are so many making a living off this? Why do people need to get paid to help out a good cause?

I'm thinking you will find most charities have a paid staff answering phones, reconciling donations, marketing campaigns, etc.

frednz

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#1601328 30-Jul-2016 13:02

gzt:
Rikkitic:

Maybe I just don't understand how charities work here, but I still have a problem with all the charges going to for-profit companies. I'm not picking on Spark, but we are talking about charities. So why are so many making a living off this? Why do people need to get paid to help out a good cause?

I'm thinking you will find most charities have a paid staff answering phones, reconciling donations, marketing campaigns, etc.

Well there's the problem, the charities need to recruit people who are prepared to give their time for free, and there are heaps of retired people, for example, who would probably be pleased to do just that!

And what about all those people who are collecting, for example, an unemployment benefit? Why can't we get more of these into helping the community and doing something useful? Perhaps the Government should make it a condition of collecting the unemployment benefit that a certain number of hours per week has to be put into community / voluntary projects.

Fred

gzt

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#1601350 30-Jul-2016 13:51

Many do. It depends on the nature of the operations. Don't forget you also need to have volunteers, to train and retain the volunteers. At some point having professional management starts to make a bit of sense. Even so, at this end of the world I think you'll find many are taking pay cuts and reduced career horizons for the opportunity to contribute.

Kyanar

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#1601831 31-Jul-2016 19:37

surfisup1000:

In my view spark should either run it for free, or spin it off into a separate not-for-profit entity.

Otherwise, it would seem to me that spark are ruthlessly profiteering from other peoples misery. Worse than charity muggers if you ask me.

Ruthlessly profiteering by only taking a 70% loss on Give a Little operations? You need to grab a dictionary and look up the word profit.

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