Australian Red Cross Lifeblood

JayDee · Guru

Please give to Red Cross Charity..I do not think so!!!!

Possum3 · Guru

They did the same thing for donations collected for the people of Aceh after tsunami devastated Indonesia. To me that is tantamount to Fraud.

Santa · Guru

Suggest reading through this link before making unsubstantiated accusations.

https://www.redcross.org.au/news-and-media/news/australian-bushfires-how-we-are-using-funds

Whenarewethere · Guru

An interesting interview on ABC Radio National the other day (Sorry no link) about the complexities of so many organisations trying to get money out to the people needing it without doubling up or tripling up or worse, & avoid a lot of people missing out.

Data bases need to be shared between all these organisations. No easy task, basically an impossibility.

The conclusion was best organisation would be Centrelink to handle funding as they have the largest data base in the country.

One of the complexities is ATO tax rulings. Charities have different tax rulings so they have to be extremely careful how they dish out the money.

Getting money out there is a tax ruling nightmare. Australian bureaucracy at its best!

Mike Harding · Guru

I stopped giving money to the Red Cross a couple of years ago when I heard ABC radio interviewing one of their Australian senior managers who, at the time, was in Paris as an observer at the climate talks. I don't give money to charities so they can send people half way around the world (Business Class and an inner city hotel no doubt) to talk-fests which have nothing to do with them.

If the RC thinks climate is an issue it can lobby the UN and individual governments - it does *not* need an "observer" at talks in which it has no part.

JayDee · Guru

No good them coming knocking on my front door in future.

I would rather give to a company like the Flying Doctors who cover a lot of problems in the bush.

Jay&Dee

bgt · Guru

I think you would find that most large charities are just black holes into which donors tip money. It's very rare for a donation, of any size, to be allocated to a specific caurse. Twiggy Forrest is a wake up to how it all works. He is running his own charities so that he knows where his money is being spent. I was recently an executor of an estate where the deceased left large sums of money to two of Australia's best know health organizations. Her will nominated specific research. Both charities notified us that they would happily accept the money but would only do so on the understanding that the money had no strings attached. Donate by all means. But be aware that your donation could well go overseas or to a political campaign.

the rocket · Guru

bgt wrote:
I think you would find that most large charities are just black holes into which donors tip money. It's very rare for a donation, of any size, to be allocated to a specific caurse. Twiggy Forrest is a wake up to how it all works. He is running his own charities so that he knows where his money is being spent. I was recently an executor of an estate where the deceased left large sums of money to two of Australia's best know health organizations. Her will nominated specific research. Both charities notified us that they would happily accept the money but would only do so on the understanding that the money had no strings attached. Donate by all means. But be aware that your donation could well go overseas or to a political campaign.

R u serious. Charities would not accept with strings attached? I am gobsmacked. Shocked. i never give to charity anymore. I will find a cause i want to donate to n go straight to that person ie. volunteer koala carer, lost their home in fire, etc.

The Belmont Bear · Guru

More and more charities and organisations are setting themselves up in shopping centres and carrying out large scale door knocking campaigns in order to get people to sign up to monthly contributions. Personally I refuse to give money to any organisation that won't accept a no strings attached one off donation or have a politcal agenda.

Cheers

BB

Relax-n · Guru

The Belmont Bear wrote:
More and more charities and organisations are setting themselves up in shopping centres and carrying out large scale door knocking campaigns in order to get people to sign up to monthly contributions. Personally I refuse to give money to any organisation that won't accept a no strings attached one off donation or have a politcal agenda.
Cheers
BB

Its not just charities doing this, volunteer groups too.

We also support life saving, but last time we wanted to put a few bucks in a tin we were told that we could donate with packs starting at $10

No thanks, a donation is anything useful you wish to put forward.

DMaxer · Guru

These charities and volunteer groups are really big business in disguise. I recall a few months back I received a knock on the door and two young women were there raising money for a hospital in Sydney. I am on the far north coast of NSW. When I enquired as to why would I donate to a hospital in Sydney when I lived most of the time on the far north coast I just received a blank look.

The other classic was a visit from a male wearing white shorts and a life saving cap. He was looking for donations for the surf life saving. No one off donation but a monthly deduction from the bank account. When I quizzed him a bit further it turned out that he was not a life saver, just doing this for a commission on the subscriptions he received.

Talk about red hot.

I see where the charity involved in helping the poor people who lost everything in the bushfires has announced that they should be able to keep administrative costs down to ten per cent. Given that donations have exceeded one hundred million and they have a vast workforce of volunteers, one may ask, where is the ten per cent going?

I wonder what the salaries of the non volunteers are.

-- Edited by DMaxer on Monday 27th of January 2020 10:11:45 AM

Mike Harding · Guru

Some interesting information here:

https://www.acnc.gov.au/

The site is not the easiest to navigate but here's a couple of links:

Hmmmmm... 55% of expenditure on staff expenses for the large charities.

https://www.acnc.gov.au/node/4542106

Search for a charity

https://www.acnc.gov.au/charity

https://www.acnc.gov.au/charitydata

JayDee · Guru

Mike Harding wrote:
Some interesting information here:
https://www.acnc.gov.au/
The site is not the easiest to navigate but here's a couple of links:

Hmmmmm... 55% of expenditure on staff expenses for the large charities.
https://www.acnc.gov.au/node/4542106

Search for a charity
https://www.acnc.gov.au/charity

https://www.acnc.gov.au/charitydata

But you know what!!!

Red Cross could certainly help by giving yes giving all the clothes in their shops in the fire raged areas so people could be dressed in more than what was on their backs.

The Red Cross received the donations of clothes for FREE. But they probably do not like to hear that work FREE.

Jay&Dee

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

There is always someone who will tend to think the WORST of others as a default. They are sad, narrow minded people.
We take care of a neighbour who lives alone and suffers from dementia.
When we are away, who rings to check on him during extreme weather? RED CROSS.
What is the charge for that ongoing service? ZERO, NIL, ZILCH.
Cheers,
Peter

Santa · Guru

Unlike other so called charitable organizations, The Red Cross has certainly done more good than harm, troops during the First and Second World wars, most certainly appreciated their efforts.

Also lets not forget the thousands of lives saved every year by Red Cross along with its network of blood donors.

The Red Cross has a long and proud history, I suspect it can handle a couple of back hander's from few disgruntled types who probably missed out on a handout somewhere along the line.

Big thumbs up for the Red Cross.

Australian Red Cross Lifeblood

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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The Australian Red Cross Lifeblood is a branch of the Australian Red Cross. It is the body primarily responsible for blood donation and related services in Australia. Australian Red Cross Blood Service employs around 3,700 employees across scientific, medical and support services, processing over half a million non-remunerated blood donors each year.

The Blood Service is funded by the state and federal governments of Australia and is a division of Australian Red Cross.

"The Australian Red Cross in two world wars

The International Committee of the Red Cross was formed in 1862. Initially its purpose was to try and find ways of overcoming the inadequacy of army medical services so as to alleviate the suffering of those wounded in armed conflict. Over time it has extended its work to include many forms of humanitarian aid in times of peace and war.

The Australian Red Cross Society (ARCS) was formed just after the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914, originally as a branch of the the British Red Cross. It is especially remembered in the the provision of "comforts" for soldiers overseas. Enormous sums of money were raised, and thousands of women volunteers contributed their time by making vast quantities of clothing: socks, vests, mittens, mufflers, pyjamas and a variety of linen. Items were sent to headquarters located in the state capitals, often using government houses as depots, where, after being sorted and packed by yet more volunteers, they were sent to Britain or the front. The effect of this work for the recipients was to bring comfort in its truest sense, for a seemingly trivial gift of a bar of chocolate of a pair of dry socks could bring the most profound relief for a soldier on the Western Front. From the date of its inception until the armistice the ARCS dispatched 395,695 food parcels and 36,339 clothing parcels

Between 1914 and 1918 more than £3,500,00 was collected and spent on Red Cross services to the Australian Forces and Empire Forces. Dame Nellie Melba raised more than £90,000 for the sick, wounded and prisoners of war by her Red Cross charity concerts and grand opera in Melbourne."

aussie_paul · Guru

Santa wrote:
Unlike other so called charitable organizations, The Red Cross has certainly done more good than harm, troops during the First and Second World wars, most certainly appreciated their efforts.
Also lets not forget the thousands of lives saved every year by Red Cross along with its network of blood donors.
The Red Cross has a long and proud history, I suspect it can handle a couple of back hander's from few disgruntled types who probably missed out on a handout somewhere along the line.
Big thumbs up for the Red Cross.

Australian Red Cross Lifeblood

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search
The Australian Red Cross Lifeblood is a branch of the Australian Red Cross. It is the body primarily responsible for blood donation and related services in Australia. Australian Red Cross Blood Service employs around 3,700 employees across scientific, medical and support services, processing over half a million non-remunerated blood donors each year.
The Blood Service is funded by the state and federal governments of Australia and is a division of Australian Red Cross.
"The Australian Red Cross in two world wars

The International Committee of the Red Cross was formed in 1862. Initially its purpose was to try and find ways of overcoming the inadequacy of army medical services so as to alleviate the suffering of those wounded in armed conflict. Over time it has extended its work to include many forms of humanitarian aid in times of peace and war.

The Australian Red Cross Society (ARCS) was formed just after the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914, originally as a branch of the the British Red Cross. It is especially remembered in the the provision of "comforts" for soldiers overseas. Enormous sums of money were raised, and thousands of women volunteers contributed their time by making vast quantities of clothing: socks, vests, mittens, mufflers, pyjamas and a variety of linen. Items were sent to headquarters located in the state capitals, often using government houses as depots, where, after being sorted and packed by yet more volunteers, they were sent to Britain or the front. The effect of this work for the recipients was to bring comfort in its truest sense, for a seemingly trivial gift of a bar of chocolate of a pair of dry socks could bring the most profound relief for a soldier on the Western Front. From the date of its inception until the armistice the ARCS dispatched 395,695 food parcels and 36,339 clothing parcels

Between 1914 and 1918 more than £3,500,00 was collected and spent on Red Cross services to the Australian Forces and Empire Forces. Dame Nellie Melba raised more than £90,000 for the sick, wounded and prisoners of war by her Red Cross charity concerts and grand opera in Melbourne."

Yes. smile

Aussie Paul. smile

TheHeaths · Guru

As per the last 3 posters, I think that a great deal of good is done by the Red Cross, and generally the other large organisational charities.

I would still like to see them up front with the costs involved with operating (as there must be), but lets not throw the baby out with the bath water by writing off the good they do.

As for them sending clothes to the front line, I too saw where physical donations had already stretched the volunteers to the limit and were requested to cease. Perhaps a quick check of facts before making comments would be a good idea sometimes.

Hewy54 · Senior Member

For anyone wanting to donate, money and is worried about where it goes, give the money to Blazeaid.
With 30 camps set up or being set up across Australia, we are in desperate need of donations.
Blazeaid is a volunteer group with 100% of the money being used where it is needed - the farmers.
We have one part time employee across the organisation and that is for a book keeper.
All camp coordinators, team leaders and even the founder and president do it for free.
Give all you can and feel assured the money will be well spent.
As an example, I have just come back from my first month on Kangaroo Island before I return for the next few months.
Volunteers need to pay for the ferry and their own fuel to get there and travel to farms- we all do so gladly.
The fire there was 210,000 ha with over 200 farmers affected.
We have 103 registered with Blazeaid so far.
Most farmers have lost between 50 and 100 km of fencing each.
In the first 2 weeks we have cleared nearly 400 km of fences and erected 2.2 km

The Eastern states are even worse off.

Give freely as much as you can or give time by going to help

littledick · Senior Member

Relax-n wrote:
The Belmont Bear wrote:
More and more charities and organisations are setting themselves up in shopping centres and carrying out large scale door knocking campaigns in order to get people to sign up to monthly contributions. Personally I refuse to give money to any organisation that won't accept a no strings attached one off donation or have a politcal agenda.
Cheers
BB
Its not just charities doing this, volunteer groups too.
We also support life saving, but last time we wanted to put a few bucks in a tin we were told that we could donate with packs starting at $10
No thanks, a donation is anything useful you wish to put forward.

Charity collectors at a shopping centre wouldn't take cash, only cards. Think it was life saving, outside of a Dan Murphy's. Yeah, right!!
Dick.

Mike Harding · Guru

Peter/Santa/Aussie_Paul/TheHeaths:

Are you really happy to see 55% of donations to these large charities going to staff costs?

aussie_paul · Guru

Mike Harding wrote:
Peter/Santa/Aussie_Paul/TheHeaths:
Are you really happy to see 55% of donations to these large charities going to staff costs?

Not at all Mike, and bringing it up regularly will help keep the topic in the populations minds.

Aussie Paul. smile

TheHeaths · Guru

You make a valid point Mike, and I would certainly prefer that all the donation made was spent on those it is made towards.

That said, a case can also be made that we could say all donations are in fact spent on the causes supported, and it is the Government grants that these charities receive together with their investment and other income, that cover the employee costs. An idealistic thought I know, but one that I prefer to hold on to. Certainly I would say that on the information you have shown, the larger the organisation is, the higher the proportion of employee expense is covered by Government grant income as a percentage.

As I say, not perfect, but when one considers the position without their work, I still wouldn't like to think where we would be without their efforts.

roker · Veteran Member

Hi JayDee I Agree 100pc ,only give to R.F.D.C regular.

Every man and his dog after money cheers roker.