«1

Comments

  • WilkieWilkie ✭✭✭

    I see Make a Wish get another mention!

  • Another good reason not to run for a charity Golden Bond place. They are asking too much money in my opinion. image
  • The idea of raising money for charity is raising money for a good cause, if you try hard to raise money and if someone does not pay the sponsorship money agreed to you then I think it is not appropiate for you to be punished by the charity.
    I see it as nothing more than a charge, stealth tax to enter the VLM under the pretence that it is ethical and for a good cause.

    It makes no difference, if you raise £100 or £2000 the intention to contribute to a cause is still the same.. I think its wrong and will not even donate to charitys which do this any more.

    Im totally offended by it.

  • If you take a gold bond place - then you agree to pay the charity XXXX for the place.  Its up to you to sort the sponsorship - and if people hadnt paid me what they'd said they would - I'd pay up myself.

     (and wreak terrible vengeance on them at a later date)

    Its not a stealth tax at all - its pretty up front ?  And the pretence that its for a good cause ? Well it is ??

     Seems to be a perfectly sensible way of charities raising funds myself ?

  • I thought that it was a given that you had to make up any shortfall once you had signed up for a GB place?  I'm running for a specific charity in London this year (the only time I will be doing a marathon for charity, the next one will be for me!) and assumed that I would make up the difference if I had not raised the stated amount.  I considered whether the target was attainable before signing up and the burden now lies on me.  Surely, aside from unforeseen broken legs etc,  it's not THAT unreasonable for a charity to ask someone to fulfill what they have pledged to do? 

  • WilkieWilkie ✭✭✭

    There was another thread started on this a couple of weeks ago - Make a Wish were expecting that the runner come up with the £1800 even though she could not run due to injury. 

    If you can't run, you can't expect people to "sponsor" you, so it will have to come from your own pocket.

    I see from that article in the OP, that they are quite candid about that.

    Always read, very, very carefully, anything you sign!

  • I have run for the same charity for 5 years (though not doing so this year as I have a 5 times rejected place)  In the first year they asked how much I thought I could raise and said £1500.  I actually managed to raise more than that.  After that first year the charity asked me to run again and never asked me how much I could/would raise. 
  •  cougie wrote (see)

    Its not a stealth tax at all - its pretty up front ?  And the pretence that its for a good cause ? Well it is ??

    I personally view it as a tax to run the for a charity, as your efforts to raise what you can may not be enough no matter how hard you try, and then you suffer for your good intentions.

    If a person wished to run for a given Charity and can only raise £800 that is still a substantial amount of money which could be put to good causes, by demanding a specific feels inappropiate to me.

    If I went to purchase a 'Poppy' on remberance and the person said to me my two pound was not suitable as they needed a fiver to reach their target I would be offended, I give to charity what I can afford, and I feel this behaviour is disrespectful and mugging off the person who intends to raise money for the charity and their good deed.

    If you give £1 to charity your should feel content if it is all you can afford and the charity should be thankful, rather than saying common you got another tenner in there !! - People try their best to raise what they can, and others give what they can.

  • I am running in a GB place this year.  I had to sign a very clear commitment to raise the minimum amount by the end of August - by any means appropriate.  Therefore if I was to get injured, I would have to get imaginative.

    The charities are investing in a GB place - the cost of those is discussed endlessly elsewhere.  As there is still competition for places, I see no problem with them asking for a commitment to a minimum amount

  • Squeakz wrote (see)

     cougie wrote (see)

    Its not a stealth tax at all - its pretty up front ?  And the pretence that its for a good cause ? Well it is ??

    I personally view it as a tax to run the for a charity, as your efforts to raise what you can may not be enough no matter how hard you try, and then you suffer for your good intentions.

    If a person wished to run for a given Charity and can only raise £800 that is still a substantial amount of money which could be put to good causes, by demanding a specific feels inappropiate to me.

    If I went to purchase a 'Poppy' on remberance and the person said to me my two pound was not suitable as they needed a fiver to reach their target I would be offended, I give to charity what I can afford, and I feel this behaviour is disrespectful and mugging off the person who intends to raise money for the charity and their good deed.

    If you give £1 to charity your should feel content if it is all you can afford and the charity should be thankful, rather than saying common you got another tenner in there !! - People try their best to raise what they can, and others give what they can.

    Again it's economics though. Charities are as aware as the rest of us that the number of people who want to run far outnumber places available. Faced with that, how can they not try and attract runners who will raise the most? I may be wrong, but I imagine no charity has problems filling their places for London so they've got no incentive to encourage more people to apply. They have, however, got an incentive in attracting people who look like they can raise the most and setting a barrier does that.
  • MrsK8MrsK8 ✭✭✭

    Ok, I know what a golden bond place is but I've also heard about silver bond places. I have an idea what they are but can someone just clarify?

  • WilkieWilkie ✭✭✭
    Squeakz wrote (see)

     cougie wrote (see)

    Its not a stealth tax at all - its pretty up front ?  And the pretence that its for a good cause ? Well it is ??

    I personally view it as a tax to run the for a charity, as your efforts to raise what you can may not be enough no matter how hard you try, and then you suffer for your good intentions.

    If a person wished to run for a given Charity and can only raise £800 that is still a substantial amount of money which could be put to good causes, by demanding a specific feels inappropiate to me.

    If I went to purchase a 'Poppy' on remberance and the person said to me my two pound was not suitable as they needed a fiver to reach their target I would be offended, I give to charity what I can afford, and I feel this behaviour is disrespectful and mugging off the person who intends to raise money for the charity and their good deed.

    If you give £1 to charity your should feel content if it is all you can afford and the charity should be thankful, rather than saying common you got another tenner in there !! - People try their best to raise what they can, and others give what they can.

    Charities are obliged to try to maximise their income, and while there are people willing and able to raise large sums for them, it would be pointless, and in fact irresponsible, for the charity to do anything else.

    If you wish to give a charity, you can do so at any time you want.  If you want to run a marathon, you can do that any time you want (and raise money if you choose to) - there are many around the country.

    If you want to run the LONDON marathon, then you have to either get lucky in the ballot, join a club and go for their place(s), or work hard and get a GFA - or take on a Gold Bond place and stump up. 

  • K8, 

    Golden bond = 5 places per year on renewable/rolling 'contract'
    Silver bond = 1 place every five years

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2007/aug/28/voluntarysector

  • The whole golden bond places does make me slightly concerned that this will extend to other large running events leaving less that you can just enter without raising money for charity.  I am running my first marathon this year and raising money for charity, but had the place anyway and only later decided that i would also try to raise funds for a charity I volunteer for.  I would not have entered if I had to raise a set amount.   It seems that the London marathon has become more a fund raising event than a running event.
  • just want to agree with those that if you want to raise money for a charity without any pressure then chose a marthon get your place and raise money....the charity will be greatful for youe eforts however small they are........

    If you take a gold place and then do not raise the amount then you should put the money from your own pocket......................unless you are injured and actually can't run...............otherwise you are effectively stealing from the charity by not making up the money............

    you promised to pay the xxxx amount...............if you didn't then someone lese could have had your place and raised the money..............so by not sticking to your side of the ba#rgain then you are takling the money from those who need and rely on it........

    the bottom line is if you aren't prepared to make up the shortfall.then don't take the golden bond in the first place...................

  • If you get injured you can defer to the next year so its no loss to the charity. They shouldn't need to ask you to pay up this year - that's what's wrong - and see the post from Nick Bitel who works for LM that says pretty much the same thing. I think its a disgrace.
  • Remember when the London marathon was a race?
  • Its always a race to me ?

  • Raising money for charity is bloody hard in this current climate! I for one have been chasing people constantly for sponsorship, its never ending but it has been slow and I have only raised £700 so far, I have another £700 to raise!! Hopefully I will reach this amount but my question is that how can you foresee that people are not going to sponsor you?

    I prob wouldn't do this again as on top of training for the marathon (which is stress in itself), the worry of fundraising plays on your mind too!!

  • Hi Maisiemay

    I've had a similar problem and I think it's only a question you can answer. If we're talking about individual donations - it may come down to what kind of a friend are they to you? what kind of relationship do you have with that person? their personal circumstances? list is endless.

    Certain close friend's and family I knew I could rely on and for some people, I knew asking for donations was highly speculative. I have sent reminders on a few occasions and I know with some people this is a good thing because they do generally forget and if they haven't done something for me in 5 minutes it will be forgotten about and they need a reminder, others, I could ask 10 times and I know they wouldn't cough up a penny (apart from the paper sponsorship below perhaps) - sometimes this pXsses me off and other times I know there's nothing personal to it and it doesn't make them a bad person (I know some of these non-donators are minted also and £10 would make not much of a difference to themimage). Some 'targets' in all honesty they are more of an acquaintence than a friend. 

    On a related note, the website/emailing approach to fundraising probably hasn't helped in my case - if I put the traditional paper sponsorship form in front of 140 friends/colleagues say, i'm sure i'd get 100+ names down supporting me and I would have made my target by miles, yet with the internet approach the number is far far less. As another internet issue, one mate only has internet access at work and he said he couldn't get to my donation page through the firewall at work.

    Also a lot of fundraisers generate large sums through bagpacking in supermarkets and organising fundraising events, but I chose not to go down this route for various reasons, so maybe my fundraising amounts are a reflection of this. There were collections for Sport Relief at my local shopping centre a week or so ago also - 3 people with buckets and they were doing really well - every other passer-by giving a few pence or a pound.

    Know what you mean with all this, I entered the London Marathon, more for London as an event and as my home marathon but once i've experienced it, I think if I want to run a marathon again or am more concerned with the race as an athletic event perhaps I might go elsewhere and perhaps combine it with a holiday.

    With this fundraising thing, you can only do your best within your own circumstances. 

  • Thanks Lamkjo

    You are totally right with your informative answer.

    What really annoys me though is people that keep saying that they will and making excuses and they still do not sponsor me!! These are people that have a computer at home and it will take them 5 minutes to sponsor me!

    I was lying in bed last night (the thinking and plotting never ends with this marathon malarky) and I am def getting my sponsorship form out next week and taking it to work. I am going to spend every lunch hour walking floor to floor and asking people for sponsorship!! =0)

    Prime example of it working is my Mum has a form and she takes it to work (she works for the Police) and every person has said yes to her so far! She has raised over £100 for me....bless her!!

    Hope you reach your target hun!!

    x
  • smg2975smg2975 ✭✭✭
    I also set up a fundraising page but to be honest I always make more from the traditional form.  People will forget to go online to sponsor you, but if you stand in front of them and ask them to sign a piece of paper they will do it - partly because they feel pressured with everyone watching - but it works so who cares!!!!
  • Yeah defo blackcat....lets show them who's boss!! ha ha!!

    Have got £30 sponsorship today by paper and not even left the flat!
  • smg2975smg2975 ✭✭✭

    I'm getting the post ladies in my building to go round with a form, they are really good at getting everyone to put their hand in their pocket!!

    I'm also thinking about doing a load of baking and charging 50p per bun etc - there's lots of greedy so and so's that won't be able to resist!

    I'm also thinking about asking everyone to donate unwanted small gifts that I can then raffle off.

  • ShivaShiva ✭✭✭

    My first London marathon was a GB place, and I had to raise £1500.  I got up to £1250 plus an offer to match the amount from a large corporation, making it £2500.  The charity had to sign a form to say they had recieved the 1250 before the company would match it, but they had the written confirmation that they would gift match.  I then got a horrible letter telling me I had not reached my total and I was effectively killing people by not doing so.  I was annoyed to say the least especially after all the effort I had gone to to get people to cough up. I would have made up the shortfall if there had been one anyway, I just resented the letter they had sent out.  I won't run on a GB place again, but I just run other races to fundraise instead.

  • That is bloody disgusting....what was the name of the charity? Name and shame!

    I am running for Mental Health Foundation, I hope they don't treat me that way!

    How bloody rude, I think they forget what a favour we are doing for them!!

    x
  • ShivaShiva ✭✭✭
    I won't name and shame.  They do a lot of good work for a cause close to my heart, which was why i run for them in the first place.  They did apologise and don't worry it's not the same charity you are running for image
  • Thanks Lamkjo

    You are totally right with your informative answer.

    What really annoys me though is people that keep saying that they will and making excuses and they still do not sponsor me!! These are people that have a computer at home and it will take them 5 minutes to sponsor me!

    I was lying in bed last night (the thinking and plotting never ends with this marathon malarky) and I am def getting my sponsorship form out next week and taking it to work. I am going to spend every lunch hour walking floor to floor and asking people for sponsorship!! =0)

    Prime example of it working is my Mum has a form and she takes it to work (she works for the Police) and every person has said yes to her so far! She has raised over £100 for me....bless her!!

    Hope you reach your target hun!!

    x
  • ... duplication of a previous post for some reason Maisiemay.

    Yeah a lot has been said about these GB places - a whole thread going on elsewhere about someone injured having to cough up for Make a Wish. First time i've fundraised on a grand scale, in general and for a marathon actually and a little dubious about it -  will think seriously about what i'm doing in future. No general complaints about my charity, believe in what their doing, however all this minimum amount to put your name to is something I have an issue with...  because (and this is something i've seen with other charities also) they mention about providing professional coaching advice and days, massage after the race and lunches at certain events (such as the, 'Meet the experts day'). I'd rather they get rid of all these 'fringe' benefits and lower the amount required.  I appreciate they need to get their money back but they should have faith that you'll raise as much money as you can - after all it's charity, you're doing it off your own back giving up your own free time for them.

    In future, i'd be happy to run for charity but perhaps on my own terms i.e if I get a place for VLM on time/ballot or in another race.

    Oh and btw, doesn't really apply to me as I'm not really a big Easter person but just like Christmas, something that worked well for me was... telling friends you won't be handing out any Easter eggs/presents and will instead donate the funds to charity and likewise ask for cash gifts that you'll donate. (can get your own back on all the non-donators then - they're not getting a present because you're giving it to charity!)

    As blackcat said unwanted gifts is good - can raffle them off or what i'm doing is having a 2nd car boot sale (1st went well) and i'll sell them there.

    ps fundraisings going ok, not reached my £1400 target yet but not far off, with help from family 'canvassing' on my behalf, will be around abouts what I need when all is said and done.

    Good luck!

Sign In or Register to comment.