p15 Outdoor Baz:SGBGolf_NEW_template 24/03/2009 09:39 Page 15
SGB Outdoor
Charitable giving:
a national disgrace?
E
arly in the morning of March 7th in “biting winds” and yield an excellent return on investment. I accept that charities have to (and
temperatures down to minus 15 degrees C., motor mouth Radio should) operate “commercially” and need to spend money to make money.
One DJ Chris Moyles, actress Denise Van Outen, boy band singer In stark contrast, Discover Adventure Ltd. is a company running Kilimanjaro
Ronan Keating and other celebs topped out on the summit of charity climbs and claims to be “the only tour operator to price Open
Kilimanjaro. It was a great effort to raise funds for Comic Relief but it Challenges so that a high 60% remains with your charity”. It is difficult to
is hardly an original idea. Hundreds of Brits climb Kili every year to see how 60% could be considered a high percentage in a charitable
raise money for charity and thousands undertake similar trips and context. Does that mean all other trek companies revert less than 60% to
adventures. I bet that every reader of this article has sponsored charity?
someone to participate in a charity fund raising event whether it be
to run, trek, cycle, climb, ride or jump (from an aircraft). Google Discover Adventure charge £3699 for the expedition of which £1950
charity trek and you get 287,000 hits. The first three listings I found goes to charity – that’s not quite 53%. In their calculations they
were sponsored links (Oxfam, Christianaid, conveniently discount the £449 registration fee
DoitforCharity) which is indicative of the
"7000 participants
payable to them up front. Who would donate a
competition to get people signed up. It is quid to an RNLI collection boat in a pub if they
big business, but for whom?
raised £12 million out of
thought the pub was going to keep 47 pence of
which £10.5 million was
it? Comic Relief wouldn’t dare try to justify that
The list of holidays and adventures on offer 53% or even 60% of monies raised were going
knows no bounds, geographically and
spent on “event costs”;
to charity with the balance funding the Moyles’
otherwise. And why should it? The attraction is climb. But 60% seems positively generous
clear; find an adventure you always wanted to
that’s 12.5% to charity -
compared to the findings of a 2001 study of 200
do and get your friends, neighbours, family and
£214 per person."
events on which 7000 participants raised £12
colleagues to pay for it under the guise of million out of which £10.5 million was spent on
charitable giving. “event costs”; that’s 12.5% to charity - £214
per person.
There is a huge difference between raising
sponsorship for a charity by running the London It is disgraceful that charities continue to seek
marathon and trekking the Great Wall of China. these diminishing returns by endorsing charity
It all rests on the balance between pleasure v. treks. By so doing they are also ignoring the
pain and the relative split between the operating cultural impact of sending large groups to invade
costs and the net funds to charity. Marathons foreign lands and peoples, the environmental
take commitment and training and, although I impact of large groups camping, using firewood
have never run one, I’m sure it can’t be etc., and the carbon footprint of flying. There
described as fun in any conventional sense. are also safety concerns. The medical incident
Marathon entry fees are nominal compared to rate on charity expeditions is 4.4 times greater
the cost of travelling to the other side of the than that of expeditions approved by the Royal
globe. And, both undertakings are different Geographical Society.
again to funding young Rupert or Sophie on
their gap year adventure with charities like the With so little of the funds raised by charity
reputable Raleigh International whose clear aim treks actually going to charity, it is the event
is the personal development of the participant organisers – commercial, profit driven companies
being sponsored rather than saving whales, - so called “outside suppliers” as one website
curing cancer or helping old people. puts it, which must be cashing in. Remember
this the next time you are emotionally
At the time of writing, we don’t know how blackmailed into funding someone’s extreme
much money was pledged to Comic Relief for dream holiday. If you are inclined to support the
Moyles’ summit success but I expect it will be nominated charity, give your cash directly to it
substantial and, proportionally, will be vastly (having signed up for Gift Aid too). Your pal will
greater than the cost of the climb and thus it will be miffed but the whales will thank you.
MARCH 2009 SGB OUTDOOR 15
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