The Trussell Trust

[Lico]

I'm in Ireland, and spent a few hours googling charity accounts. All the big Irish charities have accounts published, and I am disgusted how little of the money goes to the coal face. A lot of them have CEOs on big money, and then the advertising takes up a big part of the budget, usually over half of their income. Plus there are way too many of them. Mostly ego boosting ventures.

 

[BigMavis]

I don't know the full facts but locally we have a few branches of TT and for some reason they're closed this week, meaning church based and voluntary organisations have been looking after their service users. It's fine but why are they closed?

 

[mince]

There seems to be so much corruption and greed in the charity sector. I won't donate to any big name charities because of how much of the money doesn't go directly to the cause.

I also exhaust of the amount of disturbingly graphic adverts full of emotional blackmail these charities churn out. It's important to get people's attention but I would rather they show the positive side more often. I think people would be more inspired to donate if they weren't being clobbered by the aforementioned emotional blackmail in the process.

We call these ads ‘or the puppy gets it’. Vile, exploitative, and yes, exhausting.

 

[StatusWoe]

they charge a one-off £1,500 for local foodbanks to join their network (but then have an annual fee too, which works out at £30 a month). They do not signpost to other foodbanks even when the TT aren’t in a particular area, because it’s bad for business.

I don't like that policy at all. Sorry if this is a bit OT, but does anyone remember the Tory MP (just Googled - it was Miriam Cates) who was criticised for profiteering from her food bank app? She got very defensive, saying that it cost a lot of money to develop an app, but the issue wasn't related to fundraising, it was the fact she charged the food banks money to use it. I don't think there would've been a problem if she'd received financial assistance which went directly towards the app. But surely everyone agrees that the burden of costs shouldn't be placed on the food banks?! Anyway, I think it was found to be unhelpful and lots of charities stopped using it.

Sorry for tangent - back to TT. Someone on the Monroe thread said they make a large profit each year. Where does this surplus money go?

What do they actually do? The entire website is tricksy wording.

It would be good to see a breakdown of costs.

 

[Tabitha D]

It’s quite astounding how many people set up monthly direct debits to charities when they don’t actually know what they do

Exactly. So many people don’t look further than the name and whether it sounds like a good cause. In the case of Trussell Trust, many people just assume that their money is putting food on people’s tables. So much better to contribute to your local food bank because at least you have more visibility as to where it’s going.

Another example (for me) is cancer charities. Something like Cancer Research is so massive, you’ll never really know where your money goes. It’s just all a bit vague (not all “grants” for research are that worthwhile, being cynical). I don’t mean there’s any shenanigans or anything with that particular charity - just that your little bake sale or whatever is tiny to them and is going to get lost among all the big corporate donations and you’ll never know if you’re making a difference. So in my case I prefer to donate to my local hospice because I know them and can see what they do.

 

[LennyBriscoe]

It’s all such a minefield! I prefer to buy items and pass them on to foodbanks via the supermarket, we do collections at work and sometimes my son’s school do drives too. Then I feel comfortable knowing that the stuff will go directly to the people who really need it.

I just had a look on the TT website and there are only 10 foodbanks coming up for me in the whole of Scotland. There are hopefully many other ones but I wonder if the cost and referral process puts organisers off becoming TT. That’s a lot of money to a church/small organisation to pay out.

I clicked on one in my area and it was open between 1 and 3 today and is now closed until Wednesday. What if there aren’t any other foodbanks in the area? Are people given enough to last over a long weekend, or a voucher? One is in Royal Deeside and it doesn’t look like TT are in affiliation with anyone else so are people expected to make their way to Aberdeen over a 4-day weekend to possibly be turned away because there isn’t enough food for people who live in the area?

I don’t think I’ve ever seen an advert for TT and this is maybe just me but I’m a bit weird of charities who ask for set amounts. “£31 will do this” “£19 will give someone this”. Often there’s an (or what you can afford) in small print but I do think a lot of people want to help, there’s just so so many people now who we could help. And people who genuinely want to help might feel bad if they can’t afford a set amount.

And what will always go against TT for me is their involvement with Jack Monroe!

 

[ATV2021]

Doesn't that just mean money is spent on overhead and stuff? I am on the board of a small charity (we have 5 employees and work from two locations) and the more we do, the more overhead we have (wages, inurances, IT costs, rent, utilites for our buildings). We are still dependent on volunteers, but to offer consistent help and more help to our clients our costs to run have increased disproportionately. I don't find it weird for TT to spend moeny on things other than food.

TBF this was on the ladbaby post originally whereby they were plugging TT purely to help feed people at Christmas...via their awful charity song....and I posted this because they don't donate food lol

 

[Bwidge]

What do they actually do? The entire website is tricksy wording.

 

[lilyannrose]

I try not to give to any of the ones who do chugging

My mum was literally chased up the street by a chugger once. They are vile.

 

[CabalofBolorneaise]

Their research focusses on their Foodbanks because that’s where they can get consistent data from. You can read about what they do with their funding in their annual report.

And as for Trussell Trust not doing that much … I mean, there’s a thread on here about them - they’re a household name - they’ve started umpteen conversations about food poverty - them and their cause are prescient in public consciousness.
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It’s also important to remember that profit making companies spend millions influencing government and policy, both publicly and behind the scenes. For Trussell trust to be generating conversations in parliament is actually quite impressive if you think about their funding compared to shady corporates.

They have a public presence and are a household name because they will let anyone do things in their name - see Jack Monroe. They were willing to distribute a book that had untested, unworkable recipes and tips that were actually dangerous to their users until the internet backlash against the book meant they had to step in. And while part of the responsibility to update is on Jack and the publisher, the TT haven’t updated about the distribution either. There’s a fair chance some of the sales, maybe even most, were based on the online shops who were directly promoting that link, if they’ve cut the tie and won’t distribute, TT should come forward and say that.

And because they flatly refuse to acknowledge the presence of anyone else in their sector. They don’t signpost to other food banks in areas where the ones tied to them don’t operate. I can accept there might be issues with getting consistent data from small independent food banks, but what about the Salvation Army? Similarly if they said they didn’t want to link to independent banks that aren’t verified, fair enough, but again, they could link to the Salvation Army (who yes also have some problematic aspects but if someone is desperate for food, being signposted there is far better than “sorry our nearest bank is 10 miles away from you.”).

 

[Onestorytoomany]

Personally i feel if your doing charity stuff then no one should be taking a cut. I understand money for bills needs to be paid such as electricity, the building and rates or whatever. However i dont think anyone should take a wage from it whats left after utilities should 100% go striaight to support the chairty. I think its disgusting people use them to make themselves money.

 

[Whatspopping]

Fundraising and Charity Work are completely different things, but somehow always find themselves lumped together. Fundraising is always the one that makes me most uneasy, as it is always so ripe for fraudulent activity.

It's also very interesting when you work for a charity to see lots of money going in, and seemingly becoming unaccounted for. I remember working for Mind and most of the workers contracts were the result of bidding for work that was being outsourced by councils, community schemes etc. The salary the workers got paid was often skimmed, so mind always got a direct cut. Then after all that you had the fundraising money. It was often difficult to see where that all went.

 

[Bwidge]

You mean she kept the money from the merch rather than donating to TT?

No, the money that went to the TT never went on food.

 

[candyland_]

This is why I’m wary to give money to anything. I would always rather donate a physical thing.

 

[timemoveson]

My nearest TT does cover quite an impoverished area and is run by a Christian community connection thing, but they’re also quite broad in their reach and by looking at their Facebook page it seems they post a lot more about the more well off part of town than the impoverished one.

Another 2 food banks exist within the area, one is run by a local politician who has poured everything into supporting not just “his” food bank, but other food banks in the city too. Not too sure about the other one, but I know it’s closer to the city centre and would deal with that area more.

 

[Lazarus]

Trussell Trust records £16m deficit amid six-fold rise in food bank grants

www.civilsociety.co.uk

Interesting information.

 

[CabalofBolorneaise]

You might note I wrote ‘long term change’. Food poverty isn’t going to be solved in few years - it’s structural and deeply embedded into the way uk society operates. Expecting on small charity to solve that in a very short time frame is naive at best
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I’ve skimmed some of the jack monroe threads - I get the gist. And I don’t think it was a smart move of them, nor do I particularly like what I read about jack. But she’s not the sole reason they’re a household name.

She’s not, but you lie down with dogs and you get fleas as they say.

She’d apparently crossed a line with them before with her “dead people can’t riot” T-shirts that she said they’d approved but they said they hadn’t and distanced themselves from it. Yet they were willing to have publicity from her again, and to distribute her book again even though people had raised valid concerns about earlier books of hers having recipes that didn’t work and clearly without any proof reading whatsoever (perhaps some of the recipes wouldn’t grab you but the tips - filing down a tuna can to make an egg ring or using a hammer as a tin opener - were clearly and obviously dangerous).

To me it shows they’re happy to put their name to anything if they see £££ and similarly to have anyone representing them (as that’s how her book claims will have made it appear) if they think they can get something out of it. Even if that would put the people they’re claiming to support at risk, ie via a book that could really have injured someone if they’d tried the tips thinking they must be safe because the book came from the TT.

Jack is one public example that shows their lack of moral standards, I’d dread to think what else is going on behind the scenes.

 

[Tabitha D]

Just saw this thread on Twitter re the Trussell Trust - not necessarily new info to Tattlers, but if it helps to spread the message ..

 

[Sunflower91]

This raises so many questions with the TT because they don't need to spend any time or money arguing that no one should go hungry . Literally no one disagrees with that.

So where exactly does all their money spent on research and promotion to further their existence go? The press releases and social media posts are barely one full time job.

I agree. I work in a slightly different area to my friend and from what I know about research and applying it the charities space i imagine they want to know how to get more donations so they have a bigger market share (and more money) than competitors. And to do that I’d imagine they’d ask what causes you’re investing in and what would make you send money to them. I imagine they can also employ techniques to work out where their best places for return on investment would be, where the easy targets for donators are and how to generally become more appealing to the masses or how they are perceived by the general public. Some of that can be a good thing (heightening awareness so people know they exist and are helping people) but the bottom line is usually getting more money.

A basic project would be anywhere from £10k and complicated ones would be £100k plus although if they have a team that can do it all themselves it can be cheaper. If they go to a provider that cost is split on project management, programming a survey, sample costs (who they invite to the survey), any stats needed, plonking it all in PowerPoint, presenting it to people. If they go down a focus group/sending people out to speak to people face to face, that can also be expensive.

Problem is a lot research isn’t great, a lot of businesses operate on a use it or lose it basis (have a budget to spend and if they don’t then they get less and less each year), can’t say if charities and TT are the same having never worked in that area. But what I do know is there’s some charities out there where their offices cost a fortune in rent a year, prime real estate, no expenses spared and the top bosses are on eye watering money.

if you check out some of the research awards there’s a load of charities on the nominee lists or even winners year on year.

 

[nienoe]

My mum was literally chased up the street by a chugger once. They are vile.

The rules about ‘chugging’ or face to face fundraising were changed several years ago - they cannot move more than three feet (towards) an individual whilst engaging them.

you can report them if so, and their employer will be fined. Have a look next time you see them, I’d be surprised if you see them move much.

Fundraising and Charity Work are completely different things, but somehow always find themselves lumped together. Fundraising is always the one that makes me most uneasy, as it is always so ripe for fraudulent activity.

It's also very interesting when you work for a charity to see lots of money going in, and seemingly becoming unaccounted for. I remember working for Mind and most of the workers contracts were the result of bidding for work that was being outsourced by councils, community schemes etc. The salary the workers got paid was often skimmed, so mind always got a direct cut. Then after all that you had the fundraising money. It was often difficult to see where that all went.

Charities in the UK are actually quite heavily regulated. For example, international charity expenditure is actually subject to a greater level of scrutiny than a lot of corporate or government spending.

Legally, UK charities must publish an annual report and financial breakdowns (if their income is over £25k) - these must be submitted to the charity commission, the UK body which regulates charities . These must be made available to the public on request - most share online.

Annual Reports and finances increase transparency and accountability in the charity sector and help supporters and people who donate better understand the work the charity does.

link to the Trussell Trust report -income and expenditure towards the end:

https://www.trusselltrust.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/01/Trussell-Trust-Annual-Report-and-Accounts-2021.pdf