Hard News: Where your money goes
254 Responses
First ←Older Page 1 … 4 5 6 7 8 … 11 Newer→ Last
-
Won't somebody please think of the links...
-
Perhaps the government could arrange for some support for the already existing, completely free, charitable resource website which does that, DonateNZ, link here, which allows people to find, support and donate to community organisations.
Anyway to attract donations we need to get our name, message and story out there and this can cost serious money.
Richard Aston have you met Claire Sawyers (page 2 upthread)
Perhaps there is room to not compete with the big charitable organisations. a different approach could be the answer. Change your model, try the net to get an honest message out there, ask the world for help maybe. Only suggestions :) -
Apologies if that's a bit shameless but, crikey, the things you gotta try to get funding these days.
Disclaimer: Richard Aston is my CEO so we're a tag team of link failures.
However the topic and conversation is hugely relevant for us and we thought it wouldn't hurt to add our view on things (and maybe smoke out a millionaire or two).
-
We work hard to run a lean flat organisation but unlike Kidscan we don’t distribute “stuff” or lease shiny cars we are social workers connecting volunteer men with fatherless boys so most (70%) of our costs go to paying our people to do this work. Its real social work that takes real skills so we need to pay reasonable money for our people. Yet in the minds of some funders salaries are overheads and are frowned on, go figure.
I think this is an important point, and one worth expanding on.
I wish I'd had more time to gather some good data, but this has been one of those times when I write something in my blog and suddenly turn into the go-to guy on the issue. I've already turned turned down Radio Live and Newsalk ZB today because I have work to do!
So please, carry on talking.
-
Won't somebody please think of the links...
http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/national/ntn/2009/08/12/kidscan_wheres_the_money_going
-
So please, carry on talking.
However the topic and conversation is hugely relevant for us and we thought it wouldn't hurt to add our view on things (and maybe smoke out a millionaire or two).
Go for it Michael. Up front seems to work over here.I think one message is getting through, that there is a desire for honesty. I don't think the issue is costs per se, but worthy of contribution without the cause being compromised in an unethical or abusive way. That the end does justify the means. Are you on Facebook? This seems to be popular, not that I look at it but "they" tell me I am strange. Anyhow shameless is good. (the programme on telly proves it :) best of luck on the millionaire front.
-
Are you on Facebook? This seems to be popular, not that I look at it but "they" tell me I am strange.
That's cos you iz.
-
And for the Mac-heads (for whom this link doesn't work) - you will need to download the VLC Media Player which is a jolly good bit of software for the Mac.
Then go here Nine to Noon and do the following (from the RNZ website):
How do I set up VLC on Mac OSX ?
It is not possible to get VLC to automatically launch when you click on the live stream links, but it is possible to have a file on you computer that activates the live stream. Do the following.
1. Save the live stream file onto your desktop. Do this by right clicking on the nation live stream link (or control + click if you have a one button mouse) and selecting Download linked file.
2. Click on the file you just downloaded and press command + I. this will bring up the information window.
3. In the name and extension section change the name to "RNZ National Live"
4. In the Open With section, change the dropdown to VLC.
5. Close the Information window.
You should now be able to double click on the new file and it will open VLC and play right away.
-
That's Tim's link I'm talkin' about... 4 posts up...
-
That's cos you iz.
Shouldn't you be in lil' skool girl? Whoops it's 3.30! As you are :)
-
And for the Mac-heads (for whom this link doesn't work) - you will need to download the VLC Media Player which is a jolly good bit of software for the Mac.
Actually, the Flip4Mac components for QuickTime are a better solution. WMA streams will just play as a QuickTime movie in your browser.
But choosing the MP3 file is better again ...
-
Some links
www.community.net.nz
Government-run site with all sorts of info about the community and voluntary sectorwww.angoa.org.nz
A recent report on the govt-community sector relationship by ANGOA (the Association of Non-Governmental Organisations of Aotearoa) is called Good Intentions, and is available on their site
www.ocvs.govt.nz (Office of the Community and Voluntary Sector). They were involved in the Johns Hopkins research on gathering data about the economic contribution of volunteering that someone mentioned upthread.
-
heh. You are so right Russell! That'll teach me to post instructions before checkin it actually works.... Clicking on the mp3 link on the Nine to Noon page works much better....
-
My apologoes for not posting a more reasonable link as Sacha did on another discussion.
-
There are so many questionable issues in here alongside undoubted need and misery.
Volunteer charities must rank right up there with the immigration service as ethical jungle and emotional quagmire.
After maybe 40 or 50 years of involvement in community issues as a reporter, community board member, political party worker, volunteer, I have very low expectations of volunteer organisations.
Others have covered many of the questions but one of my biggest problems is that too often the causes, the agendas and the political structures seem to serve the commercial, moral and political interests of the organisers rather than the clients.
As an example, just how many kids, or their families, attending poor schools would make a priority of coats and shoes that do not fit their schools' uniform requirements?
More and more, I believe a proportion of the country's revenue should be set aside for identified charitable needs, and professional transparent systems should set up to meet these identified needs.
I think this is called taxation and the services and goods are called entitlements.
I can see no good reason for gambling activities to be associated with charity, although I am happy that such activities should be returning a great deal of its revenue to the public good through taxation.
-
Question for Rick
Can you talk me through the relatoinship between Kids Can Trust and Invitation Only Events limited and how this relationship works ?
Thanks
-
Do you have any plans to work with corporate partners that work from a more sustainable basis, for example, providing fresh food rather than processed food, shoes that are manufactured in NZ etc. etc.?
I have to agree. I know some food is better than no food but some of the muesli bars I saw them handing out during the Telethon are processed crap made up of mostly sugar and flavourings - real fruit content, minimal. Surely there are better alternatives on offer.
-
Ping said a wee while back, that the kids in school who get the raincoats "they do look chuffed to have a little black raincoat with a silver fern on it"
But the police school safety advisors are telling us not to to put the children in dark coloured raincoats, as drivers (especially when raining) find it harder to see little people in dark colours. Surely the raincoats should be yellow, or fluorescent; or would that make them so uncool that they're not worn?
Must admit when the walking school bus at my local primary was suggesting we buy fluoro orange sunhats to make the kids more visible, hence safer, I thought they looked naff and didn't get one.
-
Kong,
Black is OK, so long as it has white reflective stripes. But I guess the modern way of keeping kids safe on the road is to keep them in the car.
-
-
Would love to see Jon Stewart's take on Mark Sainsbury's show tonigh. He's reporting in a slightly Fox-news ish way on KidsCan.
A touch of sourgrapes from TV One not getting the Telethon?
-
Mark Sainsbury
"Whether the charity relates to our competitors, or ourselves, makes no difference;"
-
I find it disturbing that charities operate in a *competitive* environment. Perhaps that is the whole problem - they are not charities in the traditional sense of the word, they seem more like businesses?
-
Hi everyone.
Well - best laid plans and all that!
But, unfortunately, as happened to Russell, the way in which this story was broken, with traditional media picking it up from PA before KidsCan even had a chance to comment properly, has meant that all my time has been taken up today and I have not had a chance to come back here. I think I saw a post earlier on about the way in which traditional media feeds off blogs - I can now attest to that!
I know Russell is out of Auckland tomorrow so I expect that we will not be able to get anything up as soon as we would have liked but it is still my intention to try to answer on PA the main questions that have been raised here in due course.
Like Russell, I also have my own work to attend to so hopefully you will bear with me for a little while. Thanks everyone also for the thoughtful and reasoned debate - much appreciated.
Rick Shera
Chair
KidsCan Charitable trust -
Ping,
But the police school safety advisors are telling us not to to put the children in dark coloured raincoats, as drivers (especially when raining) find it harder to see little people in dark colours
True.
I don't think the kids would really care what colour they were... although older boys might struggle with pink (unless you're making an anti-fashion fashion statement - or something).
I think it's black with a fern so it looks like All Black gear - which ADIDAS sponsor no..?
Post your response…
This topic is closed.