Are Charities still charitable or are they Big Businesses

[BusterQuin]

Re: Are Charities still charitable or are they Big Businesse

Thr RBL is a large organisation that mainly runs itself. The clubs are run by commitees, .

Slim
RBL Clubs are run as RBL Clubs Ltd and are not directly involved with the charitable work of the RBL, they are however, the main reason for the high RBL membership figures. They do pay the RBL a fee to operate as a club and must have a branch to exist,but you can exist as a branch without operating a RBL Club
St James' branch and the Riders branch are the largest of these branches

 

[BreathingOutOnTheWayUp]

Slim.

Issues with the RBL? Join a Branch (St James Central Branch) and take up your concerns direct with your rep/committe up on become a subscribing member.

IMO RR is certainly no place to either rubbish one Service charity nor tout for any others 'in lieu'.

Readers of RR probably consider that their charitable donations and activities are, like religious beliefs, private matters.

Just as we learn to become impervious to incessant bombardments of mass advertising so we become 'Charideed-out' with the increasing number of worthy causes pulling & chugging at us for our hard-earned and well-taxed residial income.

As stated elsewhere, the benefits of Gift Aid can increase a donation to a charity by 25%, it is a little sad that not all worthy charities take advantage of that facility.

Bob

I have not rubbished the work that the RBL do but questioned as to why the CEO should be paid so much.
As for touting for other charitees I merely asked if it would be better to give to a service charity where you know 100% is being given to those that the charity is meant to help or give to a large charity where only a percentage reaches the parts that the cash is meant for.

Slim, I know you have not rubbished the work the RBL does but you do seem to be rubbishing the CEOs remuneration package and I repeat that your questions about that specific issue are best answered by asking the RBL itself (though I doubt that any answer could convince you that most Head Honchos are deserving of the Head Honchos pay scales)

Whilst I am aware that there is little to be gained by bandying and throwing figures at each other please have a look at these facts at the RBL Website:

http://www.britishlegion.org.uk/about-us/media-centre/legion-facts-and-figures


<<The Poppy Appeal raised almost £31 million in 2008.

In 2008 the Legion spent over £100 million on its work. Apart from donations, funds come from legacies, sponsorship, corporate support and fundraising events.

For every pound raised 80p goes towards achieving our objectives and of that 6.6p goes towards our support costs.>>


Without making comparisons with any other Charities (Ex-Service or others) I, for one, am in no doubt that the RBL is providing excellent value for its primary, but not sole, objective: Aiding needy Ex-Service ‘Customers’.


Re: Your original question:

Are Charities still charitable or are they Big Businesses

A: Yes and Yes.


Finally, Slim, questions for you to ask yourself (which means that no reply is needed here or elsewhere):

“Are the purveyors and disseminators of ‘News Stories’ big businesses?

Or are they purely altruistic organisations; desirous of providing unbiased information for us; the great unwashed?â€

Bob

 

[pinkprincess]

Re: Are Charities still charitable or are they Big Businesse

As with any charity, the CEO of the RBL is in fact answerable to a board of trustees. These are volunteers and can in fact be held personally liable (i.e. lose their personal assets) should things go badly awry.

A company that I used to work for had a turnover of £40,000,000, much less than the income of the RBL and the directors (below the CEO in the food chain) earned £150k pa, plus benefits which included company cars, pensions, private healthcare etc. In comparison, the CEO of the RBL is earning a paltry sum for his skills and could very easily gain employment in the private sector for a much higher salary if he chose to.

People that are good at what they do, regardless of whether they are administrators, business managers, web designers or whatever, need to earn a living. You cannot expect a good CEO to work full time for free. You stated that if the money isn't good enough, he should 'move on', that is exactly the problem, don't pay him and he will and you will not be able to recruit anyone else into the role because the salary is very low for the level of responsibility.

The RBL may very well not have the lowest running costs but then, the bigger charities will have lower overheads in relation to their income, making the percentage smaller.

You plainly do not understand business at that level (inclusive of the private sector, and the three arms of the third sector, CICs, Social Enterprise and Charities). Come back and argue about this subject when you do.

 

[slim]

Re: Are Charities still charitable or are they Big Businesse

Pink Princess
The arguements that you use are very similar to those used by:
1 The BBC
2 Members of Parliament
Both these organisations try to justify high salaries by sugesting that if they are not paid then the top talent will leave.
These arguemants have recently been disproved with many stars taking pay cuts and accepting much less for their contracts.
Oh and have you noticed the rush of MPs running from parliment to take on other work?

Charity is charity, business is business, but I think that you have answered the question I asked in the headline.
Charities are indeed Big Business :twisted:

 

[finknottle]

H4H that's the only one for me, the rest can foxtrot oscar.

 

[Topstop]

Re: Are Charities still charitable or are they Big Businesse

Knew a lad from before he joined up, family all involved with the church,
scouting and raising money for charities. (Sister was divs)

Last I saw of him was when he left the mob from Dolphin, as a Killick Pinky 1885ish, to work for one of the charities he had been raising money for. Salary half as much again as he got as a Killick Pinky and a very nice company car.

Must have been a bl00dy good fund raiser to justify that lot :?

Wonder how long that lasted?

 

[NotmeChief]

Re: Are Charities still charitable or are they Big Businesse

People that are good at what they do, regardless of whether they are administrators, business managers, web designers or whatever, need to earn a living. You cannot expect a good CEO to work full time for free.

Charity is charity, business is business, but I think that you have answered the question I asked in the headline.
Charities are indeed Big Business

I can't see what big wages has to do with it. Most of the country survives on £20,000 or less so why does it cost the ceo £100,000 to live. He/She will retire when they are 50 on charitable donations.

 

[pinkprincess]

Re: Are Charities still charitable or are they Big Businesse

To think that charity is not business is plain stupid.

An organisation has to be managed and administered regardless of whether it is private or not-for-profit. Ultimately, a charity is no different to a private business in that their aim is to make money.

I agree that it is galling when you think of what the money could be used for but it is the way that the business world works.

 

[BreathingOutOnTheWayUp]

Re: Are Charities still charitable or are they Big Businesse

To think that charity is not business is plain stupid.

An organisation has to be managed and administered regardless of whether it is private or not-for-profit. Ultimately, a charity is no different to a private business in that their aim is to make money.

I agree that it is galling when you think of what the money could be used for but it is the way that the business world works.

Pinkie, your nutshell is a cracker,

Sadly the blithe acceptance of the Queens 1/- (and all that subsequently involves) does tend to insulate Jolly Jack from the harsh realities of life.

Our Service is doubtless a noble calling but it does tend to blinker some from the economics of earning/making money for whatever cause.