Yes i am dubious too. However in the case of Thermomix, they are chipping in on top of what is raised. So thats a good thing. So the charities are getting double than if i chipped in directly. Not sure if thermomix meant it to go public either - i think it was originally meant for consultants.
it might be no more scary than giving it to World Vision for working their missionary magic there might be an advantage in fund raising by someone who has a public profile, that people connect with - like Celeste Barber to some people a charitable org might just look like another self-serving bureaucracy
Long story short, my wife has been in the corporate philanthropic space for ~15 years and has been busy since NYE ‘guiding’ all the executive team (whom all want to do something for bushfire relief) that the best donation is just money. So at the risk of egg-sucking - will repeat here. Donations of stuff does not help. It creates a large and costly logistics strain and more than half ends up in landfill. Donate money to organisations that; - Were legitimate and capable prior to the disaster. - Speak to what you care about. - Work directly at a local level - or - have a state or national structure that effectively distributes at the local level. This ABC article reiterates the ‘donate money’ message and what prompted me to post here. ——— Unsolicited donations spark 'second disaster' in bushfire-ravaged towns http://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-...-problems-in-nsw-fire-affected-areas/11848180
good advice @Richard to illustrate why.. a colleague went yesterday to one of the south coast towns, with materials donated by/from his town (food, water). he said it's a debacle at Town X - residents arguing, the poor bugger who put his hand up to be a staging place for donations overwhelmed in terms of space and mental effort (every surface covered,, unable to move in the home, etc), no local coordination as council and area overwhelmed, very eye-opening description.
For fans of The Weed.... \../ Edit: I'm going, happy to be designated driver for anyone from Windang north to the 'burgh.
Yep. You should see the stuff that people are even trying to donate to brigades in Sydney. It's nice sentiment, but really not needed. One org reached out to us the other day trying to get stuff to the affected areas for affected people which was close to a good thing, but asked us to take it on our fire trucks. We provided some helpful redirection for their enquiry but just another example of some things that people just through.
I was thinking about this today. An alpine area-specific trust that is a deductible gift recipient is exactly what many of us are looking for. It misses the boat for this event but there will be more, and there are always ongoing things worthy of assistance. DGR status will guide what you could or couldn’t do. Governance would be critical, and you’d want it to be enduring (eg to fund ongoing projects). An environmental and historical bent is what I was thinking of - habitat, huts, etc. Most of the activity would be within national parks so I’m not sure if that complicates matters. I have relevant experience from the financial management side, but none in terms of grant making, etc. But my hand is up for this.
I reckon at this point initially supporting the Huts Associations in Vic and NSW and local RFS and CFA branches is the go while waiting for the first flush of activism to play out. Once the resort management boards and residents’ associations in resorts and alpine towns determine the nature of their longer term strategies it’s going to be easier to determine what will be the best approach to something like this.
https://www.news.com.au/national/bu...p/news-story/88f1d4fbe4798191d6d317ec9f4088cc $100 million raised by a wide variety of groups.
not really the place for it but this link was circulated today if anyone knows someone who might benefit
Hi everyone, I’m a longtime reader of the forum but a somewhat lazy poster. But being from Sale in Gippsland originally and still having family down there I felt somewhat finally obliged to finally type a post! I personally think that one of the best ways to help the people of Gippsland is donating via the Gippsland Emergency Relief Fund GERF. It’s an entirely voluntary charitable organisation that’s provided disaster relief through Gippsland for over 40 years. Just my 2c. But no matter where you chose to donate thank you regardless, every little bit helps someone somewhere. Dylan. https://www.gerf.org.au/about-gippsland-emergency-relief-fund/history/ Their webpage is a little antiquated but Facebook is updated quite regularly, worth a look https://m.facebook.com/gippslandemergencyrelieffund/
It could also be worth checking (at least in Victoria) with local the Community Health Centre in the area’s that are affected to see who they are suggesting to donate to. They will be (or should be) assisting with organisations to help those in need. I am dubious about some of the Go Fund Me pages as well. I don’t mean to be cynical, but I can’t help but think that some people (wanna be no bodies) are jumping on board to boost their own profiles (urgh, I hate myself for thinking that way).
I did donate through Gofundme for the centre on Kangaroo Island doing Wildlife rehabilitation. I live in Adelaide so wanted my money to go somewhere local and I'm passionate about animals and conservation so that's where I wanted my money to go. We don't really have WIRES or something similar here (that I know of) so this seemed the best place. Before I donated I did do some research to make sure they were legit. I do have some concerns with the Gofundme pages for individual families as it can turn into a bit of a popularity / sob story contest.
I suppose it is also the tax agent in me. Quite often I have seen a client with a donation receipt to a charity, that I know they have held a fundraiser for, collected the funds and donated. I am happy that they have donated, but to then claim the whole amount on their individual tax return...rude!
I have this feeling whenever I see things like "x% donated to charity" or, worse, "$x donation requested for entry". Unless the charity reps are right there to collect the funds for entry, I am skeptical.
I decided to donate via mycause to the NSW rural fire services. I feel NSW/Kosciuszko region has provided my so much enjoyment that I could give a little something back. The better news is that my employer has agreed to match my donation
Really?? Compare the pair. NSW RFS website - direct payment via Westpac. No fees mycause - user pays 6%
It’s fantastic to read so many people, worldwide, want to assist and donate, but often hard to know how and who with to ensure the assistance gets where it’s needed. What a difference a decade of social media makes (sometimes it’s even for good!) as massive donations have come in from all around the globe!. I know there are groups even from the UK now making koala mittens, let alone the huge donations from various celebrities, sports people and the like. Black Saturday could certainly have done with that worldwide recognition at the time. I recall volunteering at a local relief centre during BS and being inundated with donated clothing, much of it unwearable, and trying to sort and bag it all, when money would have been the best option for those who’d lost everything. I’m feeling so much appreciation in human nature seeing the world’s generosity with these fires. I receive Zoo Victoria emails and they are receiving donations with 100% going to wildlife rescue and rehab, including rehab of their environment. initial reports were that half a billion animals had been lost in the fires, now I’m reading revised estimates that it’s more like 1.25 billion. It’s completely heart breaking. The scale is phenomenal, the suffering that these animals experienced, dying like this, is incomprehensible. I suspect the indigenous animals from many fire affected areas may never return, and may be lost forever. I’m deeply saddened at this thought. Our native animals have such a special place in my heart, so I’ve donated directly to wildlife recovery and rehab and will continue to do so every chance I can.
The wildlife centre on Kangaroo Island that I donated to now has over $1million donated. It won't bring back the animals or their habitat but it's great that so many of us care.
I’m so glad Zoos Vic have started a bushfire fund. Their mission statement, in a nutshell, is to “fight extinction”. They will be very much focused on helping to save endangered species impacted by the fires.
Andrew Forrest did a huge amount after Black Saturday. Set up the temporary village in Marysville with dongas and relocatable houses that he'd dragged from all over the country. Contributed in many other ways too.
Jumped on the Twiggy Forrest announcement. Interesting split. $10M in association with Red Cross and Salvos. $10M working with 1250 ag/mining people on recovery effort. And $50M on some future blueprint
Gah, people at work wanted to set up a donation fundraising thing to collect donations to pass on to an organisation. Just provide a list of existing charities on the intranet, promote it and let people choose. So much easier to deal with, and no need for umpteen levels of approvals.
I never donate to those, it often seems quite dodgy. I'll go straight to the actual charity and donate there.
Maccas had a staff donation thing after BS (quite separate from the one for the public to give donations). They didn't give it to any established fund. They looked for a project where their $500k donation could make a real difference. They found the Narbethong Community Hall No one else was going to make a significant difference to it being built or not. At the turning of the sod ceremony, I asked them what was in it for them. Were they wanting golden arches over the hall etc. Nope, purely philanthropic, and this whole region is too small for a Maccas anyway. Kudos to them (Their contribution is acknowledged on a notice board inside)
This pisses me right off: https://10daily.com.au/news/a191112...imals-to-safety-amid-bushfire-crisis-20191112 The RSPCA has massive corporate resources that could easily evacuate this shelter, but they want to put the guilt onto the public. (They also of course, want the public to fall in love the animals so they keep them) If it was a small independent shelter, it would be totally different.
AFL/AFLPA chipping in $2.5M plus all proceeds from double header AFLW game and state of origin men’s game at end of Feb
This is very sad and heart-warming at the same time. Poverty stricken people raising funds for bushfire victims. But they justify it. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01...nuatu-funds-for-australian-bushfires/11860388
