Charity Runners

I completely agree and I think that it probably depends on why people choose to run. For me it is to raise the money for the charity - £2500 is less money than it costs PER DAY for my boys when they were in intensive care - that is reason enough to raise it and being that they were in for 6 weeks and 7 weeks respectively means that that amount of money suddenly seems very small.....

However - I would have prefered to have had longer to raise that amount of money but these things are sent to try us :)

I've always found this an interesting debate over the years. I'd also like to know some figures on the average amount a charity makes partly because I'm intested in it from a business model point of view - i.e. how well does it work but also partly because they're so secretive about it.

The charities have been doing this for many years. They know how much they have to ask for per runner to make the maximum amount. They might have a good haul one year and try to hedge it a bit the next year but overall they know what they're doing. They have what we don't - the statistics.

They also know that some people are losers and will take a place without any intention of trying to meet the target. They are prepared to take the hit on this because at the other end of the scale there are people who will go all out and raise tons more than they need to and make up for that. It's sad but it's part of the model. There are losers who drive around without insurance and the insured drivers pay more to make up for that. Some people in your office won't work as hard as you and you have to work harder to make up for them. It's a fact of life that will manifest everywhere. You either accept it and be part of the game or you don't. If you do then it's up to you and your morals how much you decide to do. 

I think there are more good guys out there than bad guys. I think that most people will try to make their pledge, the charities can see that and they bank on it. I can't see this model working for the charities if very much more than 50% of their runners don't make the minimum target. The further you get away from that, the more people are needed at the other end of the scale to make up the shortfall and the bigger the risk for the charity if they're unlucky one year and don't get them. It's a risk they'd want to minimise as much as possible while still looking to receive as much money as possible. There will be a figure that stikes the balance and in most cases I'd guess that's the pledge a charity will ask for.

One other point - they can't demand money from you. In this country anyway, I don't know about the US. They can't sell you the place, otherwise why wouldn't they do that and always get all of the money they asked for? There's probably other disadvantages to them doing that but one is they'd be handing over a large proportion of it to the Inland Revenue - more I'd guess than they lose out on from people falling short of their pledge. If they're taking credit card details with the intention of charging you then there must be some very cleverly written small print. 

This is all just based on my own logic - it's something I occasionally try to figure out when I'm on the treadmill - and I might be totally wrong. I'd love for someone from a charity to come on here and give us some hard figures and definitive reasons. But they won't.

i remember the head of Oxfam a few years ago stating that they didn't want to get involved in the marathon business because they thought it was essentially gambling with their donors' money, speculating that they would make a return.  He said there was a chance that one year the bubble would burst and the charities involved would lose their shirt.

It's worth bearing in mind as Oxfam are not a small clueless charity...

Also, someone above mentioned an average £ 480.00 raised per person.  This is sailing very close to the wind if you consider how much they have to pay the London Marathon Company for a place.

Laurent

Oxfam have lots of Gold Bond places - they are hook line and sinker into the whole GB thing. the only major charity that I am aware of that dont do Gold Bonds is Help for Heros. they don't as a) they were formed too late to get any and (b) they claim not to believe in it.

I am dubious of the £480 figure quotes above - not that Rachel wasn't told that but that someone was mistaken for teh resons Shinny sets out above.

This is  abusiness for the charities - they can choose each year to do it or not. Last time I heard there were over 100 charities on the waiting list for Gold Bond places. They must think its good business.

Keith 

Yup true, the only firm figures given. But I just can't believe that's typical. That's barely over the cost of the GB place. If I was part of the fundraising team on that charity I'd be asking myself what the hell went wrong last year.

Well, I stand corrected.  My memory is not what it was clearly, it must be another one, but at the time I remember it being widely reported as it was going against trend.

As to abusiveness, I did not think I was being abusive, but I apologise if I caused offence.

I know they all think it is good business, and they may be right, but lots of people thinking it doesn't make it so.  The banks thought mortgage backed securities were a great money maker.

That said, I have nothing against charities, and good luck to them.

I think Keith just missed out the space between "a" and "business"!

Taxi for me!

Sorry Laurent - no offence meant - just my bad typing skills!

Stoopit Iriot.........

.......................~

LOL that picture amuses me!

I just had a phone call from my charity, am a ballot place runner they just wanted to basically check how things were going and if I was fundraising and getting people to gift aid :P was quite nice though a bit annoying that she was clearly reading from a piece of paper or screen... :\ 

I have started bribing people with cupcakes, will trade a cupcake for a sponsor! :D seems to be working so far, though I was cheeky in offering the cup cake to my team leader on FB then saying you can have one if you sponsor me :D it worked though so woo!

It's amazing how bribery works!  One guy based in the UK office wanted me to help him with something and I said that first he had to sponsor me and he did!!!

Well I'm hoping it'll persuade others in my office to sponsor me too, might take a cake in for the two people who have already sponsored me... then again one of them always winds me up saying if I was a horse he'd have shot me by now... and at times calls me "go slow" tis amusing banter :P but think the cakes would persuade others to sponsor me... time will tell!

I'm looking at producing dodgy photos from old parties and saying pay up or else, lol!!!!  I know that my company will sponsor me, but I have to do the marathon first, its like they don't trust me (actually, I don't blame them, I don't trust myself at times!!!)