Charities taught to con the elderly

[mantra]

A few of us would have seen this article yesterday and felt shock at this blatant grave robbing. Seminars are being held to teach charities how to get the elderly, frail and wealthy to change their wills to keep their money out of the clutches of greedy families and leave it to them instead.

Jokes are made at the expense of the victims while the audience laughs along with them. One piece of humour referred to was the Oxfam (English) incident where they had convinced an elderly wealthy "client" to change his will and as he left the building and crossed the road - he was run over and killed by an Oxfam truck. This actually happened.

British charity and behest expert Richard Radcliffe who ran this seminar made these comments.

During his seminar Mr Radcliffe said that in Australia "there is one death every three minutes and 42 seconds, and that is what we are about really".

He told delegates most people who gave a bequest chose three charities - frequently a combination of health, animal and water-safety organisations.

"So the best legacy strategy for you lot is to find a child with cancer, on a donkey, in a lifeboat, and you're ready to make millions," he said.

He said that the major problem with bequests was dealing with angry relatives. Another speaker, Tony de Kort of Estate Planning Solutions, said "greedy families" were becoming "one of the biggest cancers in Australia".

The only advice we need to take from this article is beware of charities. In fact I won't be making any more donations to any of those listed.

CHARITIES are pressuring vulnerable, elderly and dying Australians with highly emotive tactics, psychological profiling and deathbed visits from lawyers to bequeath their estates.

"Greedy" families must be frozen out of wills, Australia's major charitable organisations were told last week at a confidential convention.

The convention included "masterclasses" on extracting money from frail, ill and wealthy benefactors.

Hundreds of representatives from almost every prominent Australian charity - including Amnesty International, World Vision, Mission Australia, the Heart Foundation, Ronald McDonald House and ChildFund - spent up to $3000 a delegate to attend.

A Sunday Mail journalist registered as a delegate at the four-day event on Queensland's Gold Coast - hosted by the Fundraising Institute of Australia (FIA) - which focused on "death-activated" bequests and legacy giving.

And today's special investigation reveals:

* Charities are transporting the elderly to visit lawyers and paying legal fees for drafting wills;

* At least one hospital passed confidential patient records to fundraisers;

* Charities contact donors on birthdays and at Christmas to make them feel "special";

* Volunteers helping charities are being targeted to leave a bequest in their will;

* Charities direct potential donors to lawyers - known as "influencers" - who ensure that clients' wills include a donation to the cause;

* Conference delegates roared with laughter when it was suggested "pre-death parties" could be held to sell people into leaving a bequest and a "one-on-one (meeting) with a gun" might be useful;

* Delegates found it amusing when a "depressing" statistic that fewer people were dying was read out;

* People who support animal welfare charities are deemed to be "mad".

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/quee ... 6288261921

[Outlaw Yogi]

Thanks Mantra, just confirms my cynicism regarding the charity industry.

Within the last week or so I've rejected 3 requests by charity collectors in public places, and would do so even if I thought/believed they were genuine/honourable organisations, simply because small cash donations are not wanted, they want permanent links to my bank account for regular automatic/electronic transactions, and I won't do that for anyone. Not the council for my rates, not the bank when had a mortgage, nor infringement bureaus for fines/penalties. So buggered if I'm going to do it for questionable charities.

I have long known the Heart Foundation, Leukemia Foundation and Cancer Council are dodgey/bogus/untrustworthy.

Coincidentally I'll be finding out the results of a blood morphology test today to see if I have Lymphoma or Leukemia. Toes crossed I have neither.

[mantra]

Unfortunately Hoppy when we hit our forties we often have to suffer a barrage of tests for unexplained illnesses. There is often a suggested misdiagnosis when our symptoms can't be found in a textbook. Don't think the worst until you get the results.

In regard to charities - they're a business like any other, the difference being is that they don't pay tax on their income or profits. Many charities (including the religious) use their funds for investment in property or the market on the promise of ensuring a potentially brighter future for those on whose behalf they beg.

How often do we get feedback on how donations or behests are spent - rarely?

[Mattus]

How often do we get feedback on how donations or behests are spent - rarely?

How much of your donation do you want spent on providing you feedback on how it has been spent, and how much do you want spent on actual medical research?

In regard to charities - they're a business like any other, the difference being is that they don't pay tax on their income or profits.

They're not a business like any other at all. They don't make profits. Sure they can be inefficient, sure they can be ruthless in achieving their KPI (which is to provide non-commercial medical researchers with cash to do research). But what's the other alternative? Not fund medical research?

[Aussie]

What is a 'non-commercial medical researcher?' Surely, if they are non-commercial, they are Government funded?

[Mattus]

What is a 'non-commercial medical researcher?' Surely, if they are non-commercial, they are Government funded?

By non-commercial medical researcher, I meant researchers who were engaged in non-commercial research. For example the sort of basic biomedical research which, while it may inform the development of commercial medicines in the longer term, does not directly produce a commercial, patentable product.

The Australian government only funds 22% of this sort of medical research taking place in Australia. Some are funded by philanthropics like Diabetes Australia, National Heart, Cancer Council, etc. Others are funded through student HECS and fees at universities, patient fees at hospitals, or by foreign governments.

[Outlaw Yogi]

How's this for a touch of synchronicity? .. Went to Doc's for blood test results. My blood is fine, slightly elevated white blood cell count, which is according to the doc normal for a smoker, so otherwise clean enough to drink.

Anyway, walk out of the doc's and here's the surf life saving crew with a table set up with donation collectors. Not the red & yellow capped club members with buckets asking for spare change as I'm used to, but more like the Red Cross or Boy Scouts type collectors selling raffle tickets.

This bloke (mid 20s) says "Need your help here mate". I replied "In what way?".
He answered "We have tickets for ..." .. I Asked "How much are the tickets?".
He got a flyer on which I noticed a 4WD and said "These are the prizes .." .. I again asked
"How much are the tickets?". He pointed to a section down the side of the flyer where I saw ticket prices for $40, $100, and don't know what else because I just switched off at that point saying "Sorry mate, that's more than I want to spend" and walked away.

I've bought $1 and $2 tickets to win Harleys and the like before, but ticket prices starting at $40 is IMO unreasonable. $5 to win O/S holidays ect I might consider, on the proviso it's to a place I can get a visa for (so USA is out), but being a tight @)$# I'm not handing over $40 for a slim chance of a motor vehicle. I'd rather put that money on Keno or a horse if I feel so inclined.

IMO they're (charity orgs) driving away many potential donators and thus financial support by expecting far too much.

[Black Orchid]

Most make a habit of on-selling your details, so I won't buy tickets from street hawkers now. I have also heard numerous stories about charities not paying the 'kids' they put out on the street to sell tickets. Excessive administration costs often mean the top people are driving BMW's and 10 cents in the dollar goes to where it is intended.

I refuse to put my name or number on a stub just to receive 1,000 calls from different organisations wanting money and or selling insurance. I donate to Vinnies and the Sallies and give to buskers and the homeless on the street

It's a shame and it's wrong, but it's life now

[Outlaw Yogi]

U
In regard to charities - they're a business like any other, the difference being is that they don't pay tax on their income or profits. Many charities (including the religious) use their funds for investment in property or the market on the promise of ensuring a potentially brighter future for those on whose behalf they beg.

How often do we get feedback on how donations or behests are spent - rarely?

They're not a business like any other at all. They don't make profits. Sure they can be inefficient, sure they can be ruthless in achieving their KPI (which is to provide non-commercial medical researchers with cash to do research). But what's the other alternative? Not fund medical research?

Yes they're not quite a business like ANY other, but still a business all the same, and with the church based one's at least, do makes profits, in a variety of ways. All tax free too BTW.

And to top it off, many of the larger more established churches got all their land given to them by govts many years ago, which they are free to sell whenever they like, and not subject to capital gains tax like the rest of us.

For example in Engadine where I grew up, the Catholic church has possession of 2 entire suburban blocks, given to them by a govt many years ago. Part of this land has schools on it, for which they charge fees and attract govt funding for, as well as numerous other structures used for money making purposes. All tax free.

[Outlaw Yogi]

Meanwhile the charity band wagon has taken a new avenue.

"Stop Kony" charity concerns
http://au.news.yahoo.com/queensland/a/- ... -concerns/

... The LRA rebels include hardened fighters infamous for mutilating civilians and abducting children to act as soldiers and sex-slaves.

Invisible Children said Kony and the LRA have abducted more than 30,000 children in northern Uganda.

But the not-for-profit has come under fire for its own support of the Ugandan military, armed to fight Kony, which itself has faced accusations of rape, murder and brazen crimes against civilians.

In October last year the US announced it would send troops to Central Africa to aid in support and in November 2011 the US Department of State stated its concerns about Uganda's military.

"In April and May (of 2011), Ugandan security forces killed at least 10 civilians, including a two-year old girl, while attempting to disrupt peaceful protests against rising prices," it said.

Some analysts have remained sceptical that the US push would succeed where others have failed.

Reuters reported in February experts also voiced concern that the United States, by joining up with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, is strengthening the hand of an African leader increasingly accused of human rights abuses and political oppression at home.

"This is a regime that is basically slowly collapsing from within," Uganda expert and senior associate in the Africa program at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, Joel Barkan, said.

"In terms of a long-term bet in respect to providing peace and security in Uganda, a country that held out such promise for a while, those days are over."

While there has been overwhelming social and broader media support for the "Stop Kony" campaign, other questions have been raised about Invisible Children’s use of fundraising and the distribution of those funds. ...