ACTIN is concerned with animal welfare and making changes. We also understand that for us to continue and get campaigns off the ground we will need to ask for sponsors and donations, for some of our very important and active campaigns that we are preparing.
It is hard because there are many animals and important causes needing donations, so it must be so difficult for you donators to decide where you send your hard earnt money, when you have decided you want to do something to help.
We are often asked for advice on this and we think it is an important issue. Now with Facebook and other social networks it allows us and others to ask for donations more publicly. However, this is open to abuse and so we ask you to be very wary about where you send donations to.
For ACTIN, want to make sure all of you are confident about what happens to your donations and we are very happy to provide evidence of how your donations will help ACTIN to make changes in the future. This will be the same for any organisation that you donate to – they will have a website, a charity/Association number and you will feel sure that you are helping. Always look for clarity and transparency. Beware of scams on social networking, as there are one’s, of course, it is open to abuse and very hard to probe, so we would like to offer some advice.
Please use common sense, firstly think carefully, don’t act hastily because your heart strings have been pulled. Beware of continuous unusual requests of groups/individuals repeatedly asking for money for extreme cases. If you feel suddenly compelled to donate, it might be a little warning that you are about to act hastily and perhaps make a mistake….
Many people have been expressing concerns about paying donations and wondering if the cause is genuine, and that all funds reach the cause. Some of you follow and regularly donate to charities and I am sure you know that your donations go to a good cause. If you can follow a charities work and they are transparent, it will make you feel safe and it is good to see how you are helping. It is your money after all and you should be able to ask questions about what it is used for.
For those of you that may see something on social networking that moves you and you feel compelled to help – act with some caution. Facebook is open to abuse and anyone can set up a page and ask for donations. So ask yourself a few questions for your own satisfaction and if still not sure, enquire and find out more. My recommendation is not to act quickly unless you know the people well.
Here is some advice if you have any doubts….
- Is it a registered charity?
- If not, are they a small group of people you know and follow, perhaps raising for a charity? Keep familiar with who you are donating to and if you are not sure ask questions. Many small groups and individuals ask for donations to help those that they support, there is no wrong in that. It will be clear and your friends no doubt can tell you too. Just make sure you feel happy about it.
- Does the size of the group/groups outweigh the cause? : -for example if thousands of people are sending donations for one animal? Or are there other parts to the cause? i.e a campaign, or many animals involved? Look at the balance of it and decide. If one animal needs donations for veterinary treatment for example, usually it wont take thousands of people’s donations to cover it. If it does then the donators should be able to see veterinary bills and costs. Most charities will provide bills for their donators to see. Always look for transparency in the way the donations are received and conducted.
- Are you able to ask questions and receive answers? If you are donating then you are entitled to ask questions about your donation. Be polite though and objective, that way you should get answers back that will be polite and informative.
- Are you donating to a private persons name? If so then check this out and make sure you are happy with that. As mentioned above there are those that raise money for their own rescues, or for a rescue/charity that they support, so you may expect their PayPal to have a personal name. A large organisation will usually have 2 options :- to PayPal in the organisations name and a Bank account. This is an important point, so do check.
- If you are sending to a cause, you can ask for updates and the organisation will happily supply you with those.
- If in doubt dont do it. Just because there are many donating to one group does not mean it must be ok, many people can be duped and led to believe things by a clever scammer.
- A few more things to question :- Are you consistently seeing extreme cases that shock and upset and compel you to donate? Are these extreme cases rescued by the group themselves? Are the cases truly genuine – in that your donation can save this animal? Are all the facts surrounding the animals illness, injury completely true? Are they hyped up and dramatised to deliver more impact? Or could you find similar cases all over Facebook that are with any charity/rescue, that quietly tell you about what has happened and ask for your help?
Think before you donate, don’t take the chance you may line someone else’s pockets when you could be helping more animals…think with your head as well as your heart.
Source: Actin-Spain
