By now you will have gathered that the Grumpy Vegan relies upon a number of news sources and one of them is The Guardian, which sadly is unsympathetic to animal issues.
Once again, it’s indulged itself in animal-bashing with a non-story about charitable giving to the Donkey Sanctuary versus women’s shelters. Shock! Horror! More people chose to give to the Donkey Sanctuary than they do to three women’s groups, Refuge, the Women’s Aid Federation and Eaves Housing for Women, combined which received less annual income than the Donkey Sanctuary. At the end of the article, however, there’s a pie chart which shows that 95 percent of giving in Britain goes to human-related groups and only 5 percent to animal-related organizations. Go figure. It must also be pointed out that many human related organizations, including women’s aid groups, also receive funds from national and local government who give nothing to animal causes. Further, many trusts and foundations prohibit animal groups from applying. In other words, if anyone has a shortage of funds its animal groups and not human groups!
But what’s worse is what the Institute of Fundraising has to say about the matter. Now, Megan Pacey, IF’s Director of Policy and Campaigns, may have been misquoted — it is The Guardian after all — but look at what she says
“There’s something about our human nature that doesn’t want animals to suffer as opposed to fellow human beings. Animals are in a different stratosphere – they can’t talk so someone has to represent their interest to society, and yet they really add to society,” Megan Pacey says.
“But part of the question for donors is, okay, I like donkeys, so let’s give to the donkeys, but what other parts of the world should we look at donating to? The question then is, could you look at broadening your giving?”
Megan needs to learn that it’s the job of the Institute of Fundraising to foster fundraising for all and not advise folks who they should give their money to.
