RNLI - getting greedy?

[willk]

Originally Posted by simonnud

I must say that I am disappointed to read some of the comments left on this.

I'm always disappointed about negative comment regarding my own business. I always hear it out though, as my customers are putting food on my table. They're often wrong, but I usually learn something of use to me. I work on the assumption that if one goes to the trouble of telling me, there are nine more who just walk away...

Originally Posted by simonnud

You give what YOU feel is right it is not just charities asking for more money banks, mechanics, shops, all do the same as someone said it is a business and times are hard.

These are not comparable examples as they provide a service/product to the payer. I hope never to require the services of the RNLI, or OXFAM. My subscription isn't an insurance policy. I suspect that the majority of those rescued have not donated previously.

No, I do it because there is a need there for such people and it has to be supported. I give what I give. I didn't like being tapped for a bit more before I felt I wanted to give it.

Imagine, you're walking down the High Street. You drop a fiver in the blokes tin. He's says "Is that it matey? £5? A tenner would be more useful!"

Maybe "Greedy" was the wrong term in the thread title. I should have said "Cheeky"

[Poly]

Originally Posted by willk

No so many really. My first instinct was option 1, but I'd never do it, I have far too much respect for what they do. Some marketing low-life made that decision and I'm not going to stop supporting the RNLI because of it. However, if I felt that way maybe others do too. Maybe THEY will stop giving. That is my main concern. I wonder what the requests for more money actually netted the RNLI - I guess they know what they're at?

as objectionable as they are you can be sure that they will result in a net increase in proceeds - squeezing money out of people is what these guys do.

There really aren't any independent outfits here, if you exclude the suicide teams and the body recovery guys (sorry guys, too late for me )

There's some: Community Rescue Boats - I realise they might not be on your doorstep but if you wanted to make a point and help people using SIBs for rescue whilst you are waiting to be reinstated to the world of rib ownership I bet any of them would be grateful.

[lifeboatman3]

I can’t see why people are complaining about the RNLI, don’t you feel safe in the knowledge there is a service like this in the UK. If you’re in trouble out on the sea its nice to know that a complete stranger will come and help you for free!
I have been a crewmember for 16 years and donated 100hrs for free and also some of my own cash to the RNLI and will continue to do so.

To the person who says the boats are over spec can I ask would you get up at 3am in force 9 winds knowing the boats not capable???? I didn’t think so. The boats are built to withstand the worse conditions imaginable and that costs money. Crewmen and women want to go out and come home as well and if the RNLI cut corners on the build of their boats then this might not happen.
All I can say to be asked for a donation isn’t a bad thing and I can guarantee anybody who has been helped by the RNLI and its crews will agree.

[C2 RIBS]

Originally Posted by lifeboatman3

I can’t see why people are complaining about the RNLI, don’t you feel safe in the knowledge there is a service like this in the UK. If you’re in trouble out on the sea its nice to know that a complete stranger will come and help you for free!
I have been a crewmember for 16 years and donated 100hrs for free and also some of my own cash to the RNLI and will continue to do so.

To the person who says the boats are over spec can I ask would you get up at 3am in force 9 winds knowing the boats not capable???? I didn’t think so. The boats are built to withstand the worse conditions imaginable and that costs money. Crewmen and women want to go out and come home as well and if the RNLI cut corners on the build of their boats then this might not happen.
All I can say to be asked for a donation isn’t a bad thing and I can guarantee anybody who has been helped by the RNLI and its crews will agree.

[m chappelow]

Originally Posted by lifeboatman3

To the person who says the boats are over spec can I ask would you get up at 3am in force 9 winds knowing the boats not capable???? I didn’t think so..

Think you may find that he does,,lol if its chewys comment your refering to.

[Poly]

Originally Posted by willk

Imagine, you're walking down the High Street. You drop a fiver in the blokes tin. He's says "Is that it matey? £5? A tenner would be more useful!"

Willk - you must be doing too much internet shopping these days and not enough time on the high st - the collecting tin is very much a thing of the past - any self respecting charity extracts the money from its donors using the power of the "Chugger" with clipboard and direct debit mandate form. Any should you fail to body swerve them you'll find they have a "suggested amount" you would like to give!

[Nos4r2]

Originally Posted by Polwart

Willk - you must be doing too much internet shopping these days and not enough time on the high st - the collecting tin is very much a thing of the past - any self respecting charity extracts the money from its donors using the power of the "Chugger" with clipboard and direct debit mandate form. Any should you fail to body swerve them you'll find they have a "suggested amount" you would like to give!

Yes, and if you want the money to go to the charity and not to be paying the chugger for recruiting you, go and do it direct.
The chuggers don't work for the charity-they work for a 'recruitment' company and they get paid by results.
From memory the last lot I came up against (NOT RNLI by the way) were getting £15 a time to sign people up to a £3/month donation.

Round here they are such a pain in the neck that I've had to put an 'anti chugger' sign on the door. If I signed up to every one that was banging on the door, I'd go bankrupt in a month.

[Erin]

Originally Posted by Polwart

Willk - you must be doing too much internet shopping these days and not enough time on the high st - the collecting tin is very much a thing of the past - any self respecting charity extracts the money from its donors using the power of the "Chugger" with clipboard and direct debit mandate form.

I think it may depend on where you live as to the attitude of the charity and their colletors. Like, I suspect, Willk too we live in a smaller more insular community where many of the collectors and tin-shakers are still voluntary and they collect a hell of a lot down our main shopping street on a Saturday. That's not just the RNLI, it's various other organisations too. I can understand in the UK where many of the towns and cities are a bit more removed from the sea that more 'persuasion' may be required to extract your loose change. Perhaps we feel we're more likely to see a direct benefit from our donation as there is normally tangible evidence. A new drop-in centre, a new lifeboat etc etc. I do agree that the larger charities seem to be more of a business than I'd like to imagine, but I guess where money is involved (and liability) that is inevitable.

[Hightower]

For what it's worth I think that the RNLI Rescue service do a fantastic job It's the Funding department that need to improve their customer public relations, but perhaps they don't need to? How much funding do they get from professional organisations?

What limited money I have left over from feeding my family, housing my family, day to day living and the odd holiday goes towards more local charities like GAFIRS and Hamble lifeboat. That way I know my money is being used more wisely and not going on commision and wages before the remainder goes to the local RNLI stations.

[uncle al]

we had the same trouble with guide dogs for the blind we donated for a year then changed to donating to the air ambulance, lots of guide dog stuff through the letter box and into the recyle bin ,we did phone and ask to be removed from the mailing list but the guide dog people havent bothered we now donate to air ambulance and millitary charities only

[jambo]

To me it is simple! I live in a town which has a lifeboat, I personally know coxswain and crew members. I have supported the RNLI for many years to the tune of £150 per year and help local fundraising. I have no objections to my present set-up and will support the general work of the RNLI and the local boys to the hilt,BUT!! I do object to some faceless wonder, who sits behind a desk, that thinks what i am giving is not enough and annually has a 'go' at the moral blackmail, which as it happens came popping thru my letterbox today!
I am all for them doing the 'norm' as far as raising funds but they should be 'new' funds not pestering the people that already give willing to ensure that this very worthwhile service remains independent of politics of all shapes and sizes.
Yours
a long time contributor to RNLI coffers

[Poly]

Originally Posted by lifeboatman3

I can’t see why people are complaining about the RNLI, don’t you feel safe in the knowledge there is a service like this in the UK.

another person misses the point, and jumps to the aid of the RNLI! I don't think anybody has criticised the work the RNLI do. The are criticising the methods they use to raise money. How would you feel if Ribnet was rather aggressive about how it gathered money from its "membership". Perhaps we should just tell all the supporters who do put in money that they should pay a bit more this year.

Personally the existence of the RNLI doesn't make me feel any safer and my precautions for going afloat are the same regardless of whether I am 9 minutes or 90 minutes cruising time from the nearest lifeboat.

If you’re in trouble out on the sea its nice to know that a complete stranger will come and help you for free!

but the principle that mariners help others in need at sea is well established (and enshrined in law) and not unique to the RNLI. Whilst if I ever need them I would be extremely grateful for their assistance and I am sure give even more generously in the future their extremely "gentlemanly behaviour" at sea doesn't entitle them to be "ungentlemanly" in fundraising.

I have been a crewmember for 16 years and donated 100hrs for free and also some of my own cash to the RNLI and will continue to do so.

and how do you respond if they phone you up / write to you and say - thanks for the money last year - but you'll need to do better this year?

To the person who says the boats are over spec can I ask would you get up at 3am in force 9 winds knowing the boats not capable???? I didn’t think so. The boats are built to withstand the worse conditions imaginable and that costs money. Crewmen and women want to go out and come home as well and if the RNLI cut corners on the build of their boats then this might not happen.

The only 2 organisations I can think of in the UK which get boats built to "their own design" are the Navy and the RNLI. Other professional water users, and voluntary rescue services seem to manage in F9 winds and the dark with commercial spec vessels. If the RNLI didn't have the funds it has it would manage with lower spec vessels and in reality still deliver virtually all it does today. The waters haven't got any rougher but we see Atlantic 85's at stations which 25 yrs ago had D-classes.

Whilst I accept that crew give up their time and risk their lives willingly to undertake the role, I don't think the "sacrifice" is anywhere near as great as many people would suggest: participation is completely voluntary; in many areas there is a waiting list to join crew; the reality is most crew today do it because they enjoy it and/or it makes them feel good. If you don't like it, or regularly felt in danger or it was interfering with your work/family life too much then you can quit. In reality, to some extent, "our donations" fund RNLI crew enjoying themselves. I don't have a problem with that - by doing that there may be a boat somewhere near me if I ever need it - but don't paint a picture that the crew are sacrificing themselves 24/7 and therefore the boating public have a duty to give every available penny to fund them its simply not true. From the boats near me I'd guess a typical boat gets about 40 shouts a year. Most shouts are in daylight, and reasonable weather. Two or three times a year there will be a stinker shout but most are relatively benign. Only about 1/4 of the crew will be on any one shout (although I dare say more are disturbed in the race to the station). So what typically once a year you get a horrible shout and once a month you get a normal shout? Of course in addition there is a lot of training etc.

All I can say to be asked for a donation isn’t a bad thing and I can guarantee anybody who has been helped by the RNLI and its crews will agree.

I don't mind them asking for donations, the thing about donations being that they are voluntary and their magnitude is at your own discretion. Do you think having given a donation / being a regular donor they should ask you to give more? How do you feel as RNLI crew

Given the institution's strong cash position and healthy legacy income I wonder if the RNLI even needs to fundraise? Perhaps by saving on the costs of "members" and the inevitable costs of lavish advertising in magazines, in addition to all the back office functions required to manage all of that they could go a long way towards saving the amounts generated from small donors. I know in another charity I worked with they seriously considered closing all their shops and stopping street collections because the return on investment was rubbish compared to legacy and commercial donors. The RNLI has much better reserves than we did (and therefore much bigger income from investments).

The fact that the "crews" aren't as disgusted by the fundraising tactics as the donors is a bit worrying. It can't be good for the long term future of the organisation, unless the crews are wealthy. An insulted donor might not only withdraw his £10 a month for life, but might also not consider the organisation when writing their will. Goodwill is essential to preserve

[jwalker]

Originally Posted by willk

I signed up a few years back to bung the RNLI a few quid ....

In return I got .... a lot of wastepaper in the post....

I was quite taken aback, so much so that I binned the letter.....

Yes, I AM still grumpy.

Similarly here Mr Willk. I got a bill telling me I owed them my next year's subscription! And they'd increased it too!
'Thanks for donating last year we'd love you to do it again this year.' might have been better.
Anyway that was a few years ago and I told them to get lost and why. Not too long ago I got a telephone call from an RNLI lady, erm, wrong term, RNLI witch, to tell me all the reasons why I should sign up again and pay my subscription. After I'd got a lengthy bollocking, I suggested her attitude on the phone was an example of the reasons I stopped donating. She put the phone down.

[nitrox]

Originally Posted by willk

I signed up a few years back to bung the RNLI a few quid every month. I'm a big fan of what they do and I have a few buddies on the team. When I say a few quid, I mean only €15 a month, so not much, but more than Joe Average puts in their buckets on the street...

In return I got a warm fuzzy feeling and a lot of wastepaper in the post.

And then, a few months ago, I got a letter saying that while they knew I was a regular donor, it would be nice/better/more useful if I gave a bit more..., say €20?

I was quite taken aback, so much so that I binned the letter. I've been thinking about it though. I very nearly cancelled the standing order. I was reluctant to mention it here until I calmed down. I think I'm still a bit angry.

Maybe they should reduce the amount of fairly pointless stuff they pay to print and post to me and just spend the money on kit?

Maybe there should be a membership option for this. The "Take the Money and Don't Waste it or Pester Me" annual membership.

Yes, I AM still grumpy. I should have waited another threee months

i agree wilk, i,ve cancelled my donation on account of there miss management of there use of equipment, on telly recently two boats sent out to save bambe the reindeer, (whats that about). they spend a fortune on pleasing the public to dramatice utter rubbish, rather then getting on with the job at hand. i do agree there outfit is excellent and sad to come to my desiscion neal

[willk]

Can we give money directly to our local station? If so, what can they use it for?

[jambo]

Originally Posted by willk

Can we give money directly to our local station? If so, what can they use it for?

I second that motion Sir!
J

[wiLlfish]

ifn yew downt wont to giv yer dossh too dem rlni nobburs cann i serjest a altirnativ


addopt a wilLfish

jus tenn pownds a munth (GPB noe ewros) wil enshewer de sirvival ov dis speshies wots inn dainger ov extinkshun dew too a contrakt bein putt owt onn im bi sum irysh nobbur.

inn retirn yew wil gett a cudly furrry toyy wilLfish an a munthly noozleter telin yew wot iyve bean uppto (sum detayls reedactid)

akt noww beefor itts too lait


fank yew

[Poly]

Originally Posted by willk

Can we give money directly to our local station? If so, what can they use it for?

You could just drop a case of beer off outside the boathouse every month that should prove a "nice reward" for the crew. Well those who aren't of the deviant tea total variety!

More seriously, as I understand it you can give money to a charity with any caveat you want on it. So you can send it to headquarters with a covering letter saying it can only be used to buy pink hair dye for the crew in Donegall and that is all they can do (any interest accrued is not restricted like that though).

In practice restricted funds are a ball ache for the trustees and administrators: on paper it looks like you have lots of cash, but actually its all in little bowls you are not allowed to spend on anything. Managing restricted funds is therefore harder work than unrestricted ones and for small amounts of money could end up being counter productive. Even worse when it becomes impossible to spend it in accordance with the restriction (e.g. all the crew are bald or the specified station closes/moves etc) - then you should seek the donor's permission to use it elsewhere - often the donor is no longer around and its an admin nightmare.

Of course if you want to donate sufficient funds for the next new vessel to be called the Mr and Mrs Willk then they will be delighted to cooperate on your restrictions, but I suspect Mrs Willk will assume its a ruse to get a rib for yourself and disapprove the expenditure!

[jwalker]

Originally Posted by Polwart

...So you can send it to headquarters with a covering letter saying it can only be used to buy pink hair dye for the crew in Donegall and that is all they can do...

Can you say? "It can only be used to buy pink hair dye for the crew in Donegall and you've got to spend it by next Tuesday."

[m chappelow]

current main fundraising campaign at the moment apart from the fuel issue is to replace all the allweather and inshore lifeboat crews with a new type of lifejacket.