Fake charities

Here's a smashing new site. In fact it's so good, I was actually thinking of doing something like it myself, except I don't have the time or technical savvy to do it well.

fakecharities.org bills itself as "a directory of those so-called charities that receive substantial funding from either the UK or EU governments".

There is no doubt that the British state is much much larger than is thought. Usually you only see the big parasites - the government departments, local authorities, quangos. But lurking under stones everywhere there are legions of bloodsucking civil servants masquerading as Mother Theresas and Mahatma Gandhis.

Here's an example of one of their entries: Alcohol Concern, which had income of half a million pounds, and raised just £5 grand in donations.

Update on Jan 19, 2009 by Bishop Hill

I've just submitted the Royal Society to the database. 68% of its income comes from government. Why don't you have a go too?

Comments

[The Englishman]

The link to fakecharities.org needs tweaking, but excellent site anyway (I preferred my term Subprime Charities....)

[Devil's Kitchen]

Well, it was your post on the Pesticide people that finally spurred me to do it. I hope that you might contribute a charity or two...?

DK

[Bishop Hill]

I'll try! One question - at what level of expenditure does a charity become fake?

[jpt]

I've suspected this sort of thing for a long time to be frank.

[DavidNcl]

Expenditure?

My view would be absolutist. If you get any state cash either directly or via a third party - your a fake charity.

[James P]

I've just discovered that the General Medical Council (GMC) is a charity, too! Why..?