Intermediaries like Radiohjälpen make it easier for charity donors and we can set quality requirements that would be impossible for individual donors to demand. It writes Per Byman, Secretary General of Radio Aid in a reply
The donor guide writes on December 10th about Musikhjälpen, how the money is collected and how it is distributed. They believe that it is better to give money directly to an organization than to go through an intermediary such as Radiohjälpen, because you then have control over which organization receives the funds and where the money goes.
The task of Radio Aid is not to be a competitor to other organizations but a complement. If you have a favorite organization that you want to support, you should of course do so. But Radiohjälpen and Musikhjälpen offer an opportunity to support a thematic area without having to choose an organization. Instead, Radiohjälpen is responsible for the quality control of the organization and the project and also ensures that there is a follow-up and that the spent funds are reported. As a donor, I do not have to choose whether I want to support projects in a certain geographical area or via a certain channel, but I can support the work with a certain theme and let Radiohjälpen be responsible for the selection of relevant projects.
Since Radiohjälpen does not have a vested interest in which projects are supported, we can also ensure that the money only goes to projects and organizations that meet our quality requirements. You can also turn to the Donor Guide's argument and say that when you donate money to a certain organization, the funds go to that organization's project, regardless of how qualitative they are.
The radio help has procedures to ensure both the organization's own capacity and the quality of the projects that receive money. Then all money must be reported and the report must be checked by an external auditor. It is a quality assurance that you can never demand as an individual donor. Then Radiohjälpen also makes project visits with a TV camera and produces so-called receipt films, so that the donors can see what their money has been spent on. Again, it is not the executive organization that produces the film in its own interest, but the film is made by an independent party.
The radio help does not have high administration costs. As the Donor Guide writes, the total cost of administration and collection is approximately 6%. It covers all work with quality assurance and all collection costs.
On the other hand, we have taken on board the Donor Guide's critique of how we present our board members. As of the annual report for 2013, a more detailed presentation of the board members will be made. We work continuously to improve our routines and a clearer and more informative annual report is part of that work.
By Byman
Secretary General
This is a debate article. The author is responsible for analysis and opinions in the text.
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