LFGSS Donations Tithe... 10% of all donations to cycling causes

Further to discussions here

Velocio is happy to donate a % of forum funds to charity, perhaps 10% of all forum donations.

What do people think re the idea and the percentage?

Also what should be the balance between fixed donations and spontaneous ones?

and how do we decide which charities? A poll perhaps?

It is good to know that forum member donations go to such causes. Could there be a set amount (say a tithe -10%) of all donations to this forum that go to worthy causes?

Maybe, rather than a tithe of donations; a tithe of money remaining afer operational costs are deducted?

But regarding the proposal; I'm indifferent.

This interests me.
I donate to the forum, but If I knew that a percentage was going to charitable causes I would up my donation.

i admire people who donate % from their wages to charities, but it somehow appeals to me that we could donate together, and in donating I would be a part of something, like a Rotary club or a Lions club.

LCEF, Sustrans, me. No particular order.

Logo looks like with a bit of work it'd be fine Luci :)

Well as said, I'm up for it.

10% of all donations is fine by me. I actually prefer it to 10% of all money left after costs as to some extent it incentivises me to spend on hair-brained ideas like the cycle show, whereas fixing it to donations forces me to think about ensuring some is always set aside.

LCEF would definitely be the biggest winner. I'd be keen to try and do stuff specific to London and individual cyclists, be this helping victims of accidents, encouraging kids in the city to ride or even sponsoring young talent down at Herne Hill.

A list is needed... who we should donate to, and why. We can start a rule of 10% of donations from 1st Jan 2011, and every 6 months if nothing urgent has called upon the funds the money would be given to some of the entities on the list.

Can we have a rotating donation list? We could suggest a charity, pop it in the hat, pick one each month or something?

I'd rather do it less frequently then every month. Partly because it would be a chore, and partly because I'd rather build up a little reserve and have that available in case of emergency causes like the one that inspired this thread.

I'd rather do it less frequently then every month. Partly because it would be a chore, and partly because I'd rather build up a little reserve and have that available in case of emergency causes like the one that inspired this thread.

This.

Sometimes a charity deserves a 'big hit', as it were, such as this girl who has been blinded. A good few hundred pounds can really make a difference, and hopefully create a bit of a snowball effect.

LCEF and Alzheimers society for personal reasons.

A list is needed... who we should donate to, and why. We can start a rule of 10% of donations from 1st Jan 2011, and every 6 months if nothing urgent has called upon the funds the money would be given to some of the entities on the list.

If we start with a list and then perhaps vote on, say, 5 charities from the list for 2011. We could do this each year at this time. Here are the charities already mentioned on this thread, (plus my own personal one) please feel free to add:

I suggest we set the poll up on 20th Jan voting to end on 31st.

1. LCEF
   
2. http://www.emiliegossiaux.com/
   
3. Sustrans
   
4. Herne Hill: sponsoring a young cyclist
   
5. Alzheimers society
   
6. MacMillan cancer support
   

If we start with a list and then perhaps vote on, say, 5 charities from the list for 2011. We could do this each year at this time. Here are the charities already mentioned on this thread, (plus my own personal one) please feel free to add:

I suggest we set the poll up on 20th Jan voting to end on 31st.

1. LCEF
   
2. http://www.emiliegossiaux.com/
   
3. Sustrans
   
4. Herne Hill: sponsoring a young cyclist
   
5. Alzheimers society
   
6. MacMillan cancer support
   
   

1. LCEF
   
2. http://www.emiliegossiaux.com/
   
3. Sustrans
   
4. Herne Hill: sponsoring a young cyclist
   
5. Alzheimers society
   
6. MacMillan cancer support
   
7. Cancer Research
   

1. LCEF
   
2. http://www.emiliegossiaux.com/
   
3. Sustrans
   
4. Herne Hill: sponsoring a young cyclist
   
5. Alzheimers society
   
6. MacMillan cancer support
   
7. Cancer Research
   
8. Medecins Sans Frontieres
   
   

and a massive +1 to CRUK- good people.

i feel largely indifferent if a percentage of money i donate to the forum goes to charity. but if it does, then i think it should be a cycling related charity, or to help like in that gossiaux scenario.

i feel largely indifferent if a percentage of money i donate to the forum goes to charity. but if it does, then i think it should be a cycling related charity, or to help like in that gossiaux scenario.

I was about to come back and say the same... that as the money was originally donated to a cycling website, that if it's to have a secondary use it should also be cycling causes.

in which case:
www.re-cycle.org

i feel largely indifferent if a percentage of money i donate to the forum goes to charity. but if it does, then i think it should be a cycling related charity, or to help like in that gossiaux scenario.

Agreed.

How about we just keep a charity thread live?

Every two/three months we find small, needy cycling charities, such as the emilie gossiaux one, and post them on the thread. Whichever seems most in need gets the donation.

I was about to come back and say the same... that as the money was originally donated to a cycling website, that if it's to have a secondary use it should also be cycling causes.

How about deciding democratically through a poll as i suggested. It is likely that the top 5 from the list will be cycling charities. (And even cyclists can get cancer and Alzheimer)

1. LCEF
   
2. http://www.emiliegossiaux.com/
   
3. Sustrans
   
4. Herne Hill: sponsoring a young cyclist
   
5. Alzheimers society
   
6. MacMillan cancer support
   
7. Cancer Research
   
8. Medecins Sans Frontieres
   
9. Re-cycle.org
   

We'll never all agree, democratic vote or not, on which non-cycling charities are worthwhile. Some people oppose Cancer Research due to animal testing for example.
I think it would be pretty difficult to disagree if the causes were all bicycle related and were on rotation between the big guns but with smaller, more urgent causes getting one-off fat cheques as and when needed.

Agreed, Void.

Fair enough void and all,
I do think there is a case for a cycling group like us to donate to non-cycling charities too as this gives cyclists a good name and is less insular, I would hope non cyclists donate to emilie's charity.

However, if people posting here would prefer we give only to cycling charities I will edit the list in a couple of days leaving only cycling charities.

I totally see your point, I'm sure everyone does.
As you know there are many, many ways to combine cycling and fundraising for charities such as the non-cycling ones mentioned. Tours/Rides, Alleycats, Rollapalooza/Goldsprints etc can all be organized here and the money used for any predetermined charity. I'm happy to enter an alleycat/food drive for the local homeless shelter and it's unlikely to create disagreement as anyone who doesn't want to give to that cause just doesn't enter.
Great thread, hope this gets going soon, Emilie and family needs some good news.

1. LCEF
   
2. http://www.emiliegossiaux.com/
   
3. Sustrans
   
4. Herne Hill: sponsoring a young cyclist
   
5. Alzheimers society
   
6. MacMillan cancer support
   
7. Cancer Research
   
8. Medecins Sans Frontieres
   
9. Re-cycle.org
   
10. wheels for wellbeing
    

This is the 2010 top 10 of the charity brand index produced by PR Week and ThirdSector:

1 (2) Cancer Research UK
2 (5) BBC Children in Need
3 (4) RSPCA
4 (1) Macmillan Cancer Support
5 (12) Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity
6 (8) Marie Curie Cancer Care
7 (6) British Heart Foundation
7 (19) Royal British Legion
9 (3) NSPCC
10 (9) British Red Cross

While these aren't necessarily the biggest charities, size does roughly correlate.

I absolutely support the work these charities do, especially the cancer ones, sadly for reasons very close to my heart, but their marketing prowess means that many excellent charities and very worthwhile causes struggle to get heard (and your cash). If you donate money to what grabs you first, likely to be the charity that has the greatest marketing budget or the most skilled viral marketeers, then you're unlikely to donate money to a cause that you feel more strongly about or that is closer to your heart.

On this basis, can we avoid any on this list please?