Fake charities update

There are a few new fake charities on at DK's new site. I've added one or two and so have a few others - I hope progress continues in this vein because it's an interesting and rather important project IMHO.

I notice that one of the charities (or perhaps that should be "charities") on the site has objected to their inclusion. I don't know anything about the rights and wrongs of the particular case of the Woodland Trust, but it does at least show that people are noticing and are embarrassed to be included.

Progress.

Comments

[DavidNcl]

Depends on your definition. In my view accepting state cash means your a fake charity. 13% might be low in sector terms but it would certainly suggest that they would have an interest in towing the states line. I call it fake.

[Bishop Hill]

I'm coming round to this view too. The only way to deal with it is to get the state out of the charities sector entirely.

[Steve2]

I agree, this is an eye opener for me. If there was just a flat tax exemption for charity status then fair enough, but these discretionary grants for groups that often end up returning some lobbying to government which that government can then 'respond' to, has a bad smell of circular influence to me.

Why not call them fake?

[James P]

An eye-opener for me, too, although IIRC, most independent schools have charitable status. I can see that some charities might legitimately claim some government funds, but it all falls apart once that is the main source of income, which seems to apply to most on the list.

[DavidNcl]

James P

What has 'most independent schools have charitable status' got to do with the price of cheese?

[Devil's Kitchen]

A researcher from the BBC called me up about the site last week too: she thought that it was pretty important and was gunning to get it noticed...

[Bishop Hill]

I wonder what line they'll take though - could be 'DK is a bad man for saying bad things about charities'.