Raise Awareness of the Charity, Not Yourself!

I’m all for donating to charity. The majority of charitable organisations do selfless work for local communities and are a huge resource to those that benefit from their services.

Since this pandemic started charities and local businesses alike have had to find new ways of generating revenue. I get that. I understand it and I hope that many of them have been successful. As many struggle to survive from week to week with funds they raise I understand their prerogative is to be imaginative and innovative.

However, if I see one more person running 3km and asking for a donation on Facebook I may just crack. My eyelid will twitch and I’ll bang my head through a wall.

You see, walking 100km in a month as an example (3.33km per day) is super achievable for 99% of people. It would take, even the most leisurely walker, no more than 30 minutes to complete. Now if you committed to 1000km this month – at 33km a day – I’d be super impressed and probably* donate depending on the charity involved.

*I would much prefer donate to a locally based and run charity, a personal preference.

It appeals to our narcissistic tendencies I guess. You get to post your selfie, video or screenshot of the app you use every day to a flurry of likes and emojis that offer you a little bit of a fuzzy feeling that you are doing some good. Plus it’s an excuse to post a selfie with your cleavage or backside looking perky under the veil of “charity”.

And you are doing good, I have to emphasise that. You’re getting fitter while a charity reaps the benefits of any donations your “efforts” raise. Win-Win.

It’s the fact that fitness challenges like these feed the “look at me” aspect of the fitness industry and social.media in general that I benoan so much. The posing and the attention seeking. The total lack of value in any the posts. They dont entertain, educate or empower anyone. They serve to boost your ego only.

They dont highlight the work the charity does. They dont tell a story of how a donation of €20 can provide a vital service. They don’t serve to empower anyone that may need their services to seek them out.

What’s stopping a person from donating to a charity without undertaking a challenge that requires so little actual effort on their part?

Donate anonymously while you’re at it. Or do you need to tell people you did it to make you feel good about yourself. It’s a deeper societal issue that charities need to appeal to our own ego instead of our moral values to help those in need minus the grandstanding.

The question I always ask is: Why cant charities simply highlight the unbelievable work they do, how they spend their money and run a campaign for donations to help the people they serve?

Well, many of the larger charities spend the majority on CEO salaries for one or perhaps they actually don’t do that much quality work with the funds they receive. I know if I’m donating to a charity I expect to know how and what my money will be used for. I’d like to know about the services they provide and the impact it has on its users.

I actively raised money when I ran a marathon and the first time I ran a 10 miler for a local cause. I donate personally to a charity now if I run a race to benefit them. Theres enough people asking for money at every turn I wont be another.

Many of you may know I took part in a fashion show for a local charity last year and was happy to post the pictures on Facebook. Hypocite you may shout or type. But hear me out.

I didnt ask for donations. I did it to help the charity fill its bill on the night. They needed feet on the catwalk to put bums in seats. Several family members attended on the night too. I strutted my stuff, took selfies on stage and even jumped off the stage to grab a picture with my wife despite the fear I would split the donated trousers I was wearing!

I was out of my element entirely and didn’t take part for likes and shares. The charity was very close to home and I wanted to help.

This post will ruffle some, no, a lot of feathers. I have friends that have completed these types of fundraisers and I’m not saying they shouldn’t have or that they didn’t put in effort to do them. I am saying that they could have donated without the fanfare.

It’s my own personal opinion and you are allowed to disagree. The great thing about opinions is that if you disagree with me that’s just your opinion about my opinion and that could be wrong too.

*above originally written during lockdown 1 and not posted because I was scared. Below was written on 31st Oct and I said “fuck it” on Nov 1st.

Next up is “Movember”. Where men will grow a tache to raise awareness for men’s health issues.

Unfortuntely, instead of going to get a prostate exam, checking their balls or openly talking about their own health struggles they will post boring updates about their pitiful attempt at growing a moustache that wont even get them slagged as much as other years because there’s nowhere to go!

If you are currently taking part in a campaign to raise money for a charity keep doing it. I’m not trying to stop you.

What I want you to do is to actively participate in raising awareness of the work the charity does. Email or message the charity asking what a €50 donation provides. Ask a person that benefits from the services of the charity what it means to them to have it available to them.

Then when you know all this tell your audience or followers. Encourage them to donate because of the work the charity does. Dont ask them to donate because you grew some facial hair or walked a few kilometres.

You’re better than that.