It seems that the U2 frontman Bono’s charity isn’t all that into actually helping people, just raising awareness that people need help.
Big Hollywood has a story that:
Bono’s anti-poverty foundation ONE is under pressure to explain its lavish salaries after it was revealed that only a small percentage of money it raises reaches the needy.
The non-profit organisation set up by the U2 frontman received almost £9.6m in donations in 2008 but handed out only £118,000 to good causes (1.2 per cent).
1.2 percent?
The explanation the “charity” gave was that while they sure don’t do a lot to actually helping anyone they raise a lot of awareness that people need help.
You know, I’m getting a little tired of all this awareness raising as an end goal. We’ve got t.v. We’ve got the internet. We’ve got newspapers and magazines. We’re aware. We’re so aware that half the time all the world’s troubles seem too overwhelmingly big to handle. We’re so aware that groups are making things up to make us aware of like calamitous man made global warming or overpopulation.
The world cries out for people to actually do something, not just raise awareness.
I’m kinda’ wondering if Bono is simply in the business of raising awareness of Bono.
September 24, 2010 at 12:24 pm
Call me naive, but I think Bono makes enough money off of his music that he wouldn't need to start a fake charity just to make money. It may be badly managed, but I don't think the intentions are bad.
September 24, 2010 at 12:29 pm
I'm not saying he's necessarily using the money. But if you're going around the world raising money for your charity aren't you responsible for how the money's spent?
YOu think he'd care, don't you? You'd think so, unless the goal had already been accomplished with the notoriety he'd received for being concerned with charity.
September 24, 2010 at 1:20 pm
Matthew, I've come to see that there are two perspectives on charities.
(1) (Traditional) A charity is directly responsible for doing what needs to be done to fix a problem.
(2) (Spirit of the age) A charity is indirectly responsible for fixing a problem by getting people to pressure government to fix the problem for them.
What you think a charity is determines your politics. I near the government legislature of my province, so I get to see protests from a whole lot of group (2). What's curious is that near the government legislature is a university and on the other side of the university is a Scott Mission (http://www.scottmission.com/) and a few other organizations so I get to see group (1) too. The university students are responsible for filling both groups.
September 24, 2010 at 3:07 pm
Anon, I think you are right, but I should point out that 1 & 2 are not in opposition. Giving direct aid to alliviate a problem is charity; fixing the problems that gave rise to the need for charity in the first place is social justice, which is covered in Church teaching and in the Holy Father's recent encyclicals. The problem is that progressive ideology is all about process, not content. That is, as long as everyone is aware, enlightened, and thinks the right thing about a problem and a government entitlement program that addresses it, then all is well. I don't fault Bono; he's just executing his programming that all of us have had drilled into our heads from years of progressivist education.
September 24, 2010 at 3:41 pm
I doubt Bono is using this "charity" to fill his own pockets. More like ego gratification.
I did some work for Boystown years ago. That outfit takes in huge sums every year, and *all* of it goes to their cause– the girls and boys in their care. All administrative costs are paid by their existing endowment fund. Probably the best run charity on the planet, and a great example for others.
On the other hand, many so-called charities eat a majority of their donations in admin costs. They, too, state their goal as "raising awareness". Poppycock! Their executives live high on the hog.
The difference between these bullshit charities and organizations like Boystown is, Boystown works toward actually solving problems, not jerking their own egos.
Bono needs to wake up.
September 24, 2010 at 5:32 pm
Hopefully, the expose of the discrepancy between the finances and the outcome will result in a restructuring that means more outreach than awareness.
September 24, 2010 at 6:11 pm
I figured this was nothing but a tax write-off for Bozo.
September 24, 2010 at 6:31 pm
I realize that society has been fully engrossed in a vapid "celebrity worship" for quite some time now, but isn't it time we acknowledge that celebrities don't have any "secret" information about anything going on in the world that the rest of us don't already know?
If Bono wants to help the poor, instead of trying to "open the purse strings of America", perhaps he could open up his own purse strings. Instead, he works hard to keep his money in countries where he doesn't have to pay taxes to his own home country, while trying to spend other people's tax money.
September 26, 2010 at 1:04 pm
Artists' income in the Ireland was tax free years ago, wonder if that's changed.
September 26, 2010 at 7:33 pm
my thoughts exactly. I'm sick and tired of all this "awareness raising" horseshit.
I'm aware already. Now f*ck off.