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The Great British rake-off… what really happens to the billions YOU donate to charity: Fat cat pay, appalling waste and hidden agendas
- More than 195,289 charities in UK raising close to £80billion a year
- Many have become ‘hungry monsters’ using money to feed own ambitions
- David Craig’s new book exposes the truth about Britain’s charity industry
- Recent inquiry found there are too many charities to keep track of activities
By David Craig For The Mail On Sunday
The figures are astonishing. There are more than 195,289 registered charities in the UK that raise and spend close to £80 billion a year. Together, they employ more than a million staff – more than our car, aerospace and chemical sectors – and make 13 billion ‘asks’ for money every year, the equivalent of 200 for each of us in the UK.
But many charities have become hungry monsters, needing ever more of our money to feed their own ambitions. And while registered charities claim that almost 90p in every pound donated is spent on ‘charitable activities’, many spend at least half their income on management, strategy development, campaigning and fundraising – not what most of us would consider ‘good causes’.
My book, The Great Charity Scandal, is not an attack on charity, but an attack on charities that put their own interests first.
Celebrity backing: Keira Knightley joined the Oxfam charity to help battle the suffering in South Sudan
It exposes the truth about Britain’s charity industry, shows how our money is really spent and what needs to be done so that much more of the money we give to charity is used in the way we expect. It’s time to cut them down to size and refocus them on those they should be helping.
And here’s why… In England and Wales there are 1,939 active charities focused on children; 581 charities trying to find a cure for cancer; 354 charities for birds; 255 charities for animals, 81 charities for people with alcohol problems and 69 charities fighting leukaemia.
Philosophers stone – selected views from the boat http://philosophers-stone.co.uk
Source: http://www.philosophers-stone.co.uk/?p=5224
