Sprint is Odd One Out in Haiti Earthquake Charity

[Marcus Yam]

It's only a few nickels and dimes.

Sprint is Odd One Out in Haiti Earthquake Charity : Read more

 

[darkknight22]

If you don't have a texting plan I can't see you suddenly feeling the urge now to donate. You would be much more likely to physically donate. What are the texting rates these days like 10 cents??

I bet it would be an accounting nightmare for Sprint to have to sort that one out. Don't blame them.

 

[Guest]

Now lets see in the future if we ever have a problem if Haiti will help us?! We give thousands and millions out to other countries yet we still have homeless people, sick and dying starving people still here in the US... NICE.

 

[lifelesspoet]

[citation][nom]gabrielspcs[/nom]Now lets see in the future if we ever have a problem if Haiti will help us?! We give thousands and millions out to other countries yet we still have homeless people, sick and dying starving people still here in the US... NICE.[/citation]
Of course its partly because of the world bank, the international monetary fund and domestic farm subsidies that haiti is as poor as it is. You have to be a certain type of Jerk not to want to help any human whether they be haitians or americans.

 

[Firehead2k]

Instead of going through the administrative nightmare and refunding 10cents to thousands of people they should just come forward and donate the "overcharge" to the red cross plus a little bonus.
good publicity + more money for the red cross = win win

 

[tipmen]

[citation][nom]lifelesspoet[/nom]Of course its partly because of the world bank, the international monetary fund and domestic farm subsidies that haiti is as poor as it is. You have to be a certain type of Jerk not to want to help any human whether they be haitians or americans.[/citation]


Well said sir +1 and respect.

 

[Pailin]

As with everyone I am deeply saddened by disasters like this

But...

I am also quite deeply angered by almost every single charity out there who are making Fortunes out of these sad situations!

For example the recent "Net Result" drive to provide 1 million mosquito nets to families in Africa...

They stated there that each mosquito net cost £5 to deliver.

Even if each one cost £0.50 to buy and I am sure they could easily be bought for less in this quantity.

Ok some quick figures:

Nets £500,000.00
UK Port Deliv. £30,000.00
Shipping £323,950.00
Distribution £30,000.00
TV + Adds etc £1,000,000.00

Total Cost £1,883,950.00

Charity Profit: £3,116,050

All fairly rough of course, but allowing a big margin of error, the Charity did Real well!!!

The law here in the UK states it is ok for a charity to work as such as long as 10% of all funds received make it directly to the end cause!

Crazy >_<

Don't get me wrong, I am Not saying don't donate as many I am sure operate above the 10% rate. Charities do do a Lot of good, I just think they need better regulation.

My bro did a charity run to Russia (you'd might be surprised how badly it was needed!!!!!!) some years before the Berlin wall came down etc

On his 1st run he did it with the Red Cross

After that he swore he would Never work with them again due to the Huge amounts of money they wasted unnecessarily and immediately set up his own charity on return from the trip.

He carried on his successful work for many years after till he settled down and did the family thing. He put every penny he got into it and had the pleasure of improving a great many peoples lives + got to travel and make great new friends.

I'd love to see charities giving closer to 50% of money received directly into the cause they are supporting.

One more thing on the Red Cross: They wasted money on his joint mission he saw by paying every bribe they were asked for, 90% of which could have been avoided with a little effort. In Russia border guards always try it on. The Red Cross on his mission didn't even question it at all and just handed over the demanded cash each time. They can afford it, but this makes smaller charities work Much harder as the border guards then come to expect it >_<

Also the Red Cross must be respected for the great work they do do and are one of the most recognised organisations in the world and can bring Much needed help to desperate people in parts of the world where No other charity can gain access!


Sorry for the Long one, but is an issue that touches me some!

 

[Pailin]

I am also quite deeply angered by almost every single charity out there who are making Fortunes out of these sad situations!
I would amend that to "too many of them are milking these situations"
and hope many do a lot better.

 

[Pailin]

we also have to bear in mind that the whole 10% thing is used by some companies start a charity and have the wife run it (have heard of) to avoid tax and they pay back the other 90% to relevent employees and wife, + real admin costs etc.

But this does mean Lots of great charity work Does happen.

If it was set much too much higher than the 10% and it stops being worthwhile to the companies to do this then that charity work would disapear. As may a lot of existing charities close due to too low profits - the Directors can be taking home some pretty Large cheques...

Maybe I don't mind this soo much in cases of charity shops that sell stuff - usually donated, so still cheeky Really.

A fairer balance needs to be struck where people can feel where they donate cash directly (no work needs doing to sell stuff etc) that a bit more than 10% of their donation get to the target of the charity!

 

[Guest]

Maybe you need to do your own research before reposting untruths.

Sprint is waiving text-messaging fees for Sprint customers who send mobile donations to a number of short codes and organizations participating in the relief and recovery efforts in support of this tragedy. Sprint mobile-phone texts sent to or from the following short codes will not be charged standard text-messaging fees. The codes are:

•Text “HAITI” to “90999” to donate $10 on behalf of the American Red Cross.
•Text “YELE” to “501501” to donate $5 on behalf of The Yéle Haiti Foundation.
•Text “HAITI” to “20222” to donate $10 on behalf of The William J. Clinton Foundation.
•Text “HAITI” to “85944” to donate $10 on behalf of the Rescue Union Mission and MedCorp International.
•Text “HAITI” to “25383” to donate $5 on behalf of the Internal Rescue Committee.
Since Monday, Sprint customers have contributed more than $882,000 in mobile-giving donations to the Haiti relief efforts of the aforementioned organizations. Sprint gives 100 percent of all the money donated through texting to the appropriate non-profit organizations.

 

[Pei-chen]

This earthquake didn't begin to crack the problem in Haiti.

 

[AdamB5000]

The Red Cross is undoubtedly inefficient. Plenty of money will be wasted and/or pocketed.

 

[Honis]

Marcus, thank you for changing the subject of this article to encourage donations instead of bad mouthing a company who was charging pennies for the texts but still keeping the Sprint users informed of the $/text situation.

 

[Pailin]

heya Levi4u

if the "reposting untruths" was aimed at me...

1st - I made no mention in relation to this particular article and I wish it the best off success!!!

2nd - I am not "reposting untruths". This is personal experience of myself and my 2 brothers speaking directly of their individual Direct knowledge. We all care deeply on this matter!
1 ran his Own Swedish registered charity for many years!!!
The other used to sell payroll software to companies and some of the UK’s biggest charities who had told me there was a minimum of 10% of donations required to make it to the designated cause.

This 10% thing is not true!

I have just got off the phone with the UK Charities Commission and was informed that there is No minimum % of donated funds that must make it to the designated cause!!!

I also just got off the phone from a specialist Law Firm who represent UK charities:
They informed me that the regulations are being reviewed soon and charities will be required to state the minimum % of funds making it to the designated cause after the review.



@Honis no one here has "bad mouthed" Sprint At All. Just pointed out that too many charities take a Rather Large cut and was raising this serious issue in the True hope that less of the public get suckered into thinking their donations in full make it to the victims who Really need it. I have before seen in the small print of a TV add: "At least £0.10 of every £1 donated will make be used to help #cause#." (I forget which charity it was now)

I wish all charities the Best, sincerely!

 

[Pailin]

Just in case someone was wondering too, the law firm I talked to was:

Stone King Sewell
Their Bath office.

Peace and Love
Between us we can all try and make the World a Better place, we all just have to put in that little extra effort to make the lives around us a little better each day and our little planet will become a step closer to Heaven

 

[Pailin]

There is no actual fixed amount in the UK currently (maybe back then)

The current bill of rights took from 2004 - 8th Nov 2008 to come into effect.

Basically:

Fairness and objectivity: The charity’s expenditure must be applied fairly among people who are properly qualified to benefit from it. The trustees of charities with permanent endowment must maintain a fair balance between the interests of present and future beneficiaries, for example when selecting investments.

any 10% or 15% figures mentioned would have been the governments internal understandings of a minimum fair amount for a lgitimently functioning charity - if the charity was reviewed and foudn to not meet this, then further investigation would be warrented. Not a factual legal figure. (don't know about before 2004 - not got time to do more in depth research now and think we all get the idea ^^)

and no, I haven't donated - am flat broke and quite in debt as my bathroom floor was about to fall away due to rotton timbers and every lintle - had to gut 2 floors of that part of my house (and another floor to go - house built in 1866). Have been borrowing thousands from my mother just to make my mortgage repayments and cover repair costs

But I can feel all good about helping out in the past by going to Bosnia, Mostar to deliver aid, specifically aimed at children so could not be of use to local fighters who might want to steal it, back when bullets were still flying about some. That place was Really torn up!!!!

 

[mayne92]

[citation][nom]edilee[/nom]...just get in there and get those people what they need.[/citation]
Dood! WE...the US...is basically broke...with 10% unemployment rate...we pay taxes like there is no-tomorrow so that many of the illegal immigrants and poor people can live like middle-class...I'm sorry but I am constantly giving to charity...~rant~

 

[Pailin]

...sadly, seems a very valid Good point!

 

[misterhate]

blahblahblah
fact is the US and the IMF screwed Haiti over in the past and sent even further into poverty and despair. now people are whining about giving them a hand after a disaster.....LMAO
the US and Europe....bunch of jokers

 

[BartG]

Wow, so much of emotion in this thread... So much of it is based on perceived knowledge on how Charity funds work, which I am sure, non of you do to the extend needed to add constructive comments. A "charity" foundation is a business like any other, and they also have operating costs... Imagine what it costs to have planes flying up and down supplying goods?

Now i`m not saying all Charities are fair, but please dont enter a debate about the good effort of many people who do make a difference.

@ Back by demand, those 2 jokes should have made you donate twice. I live in South Africa and do plenty of donating as well, does not buy me the right to mock others for not doing so.