The JustGiving website is used by millions of people all around the world to raise money for deserving charities.
But JustGiving is branded as ‘JustTaking’ after they are found bey charity chiefs they using funds to pay its staff up to £200,000 a year.
JustGiving takes a cut of more than 6 per cent from every donation. Some of the money is spent keeping the site working 24 hours a day and finding innovative ways of raising more for good causes.
In 2016 £10 million was paid as the website maintenance cast staff members salaries including Founders Anne-Marie Huby and Zarine Kharas.
In 2015 JustGiving paid its 157 employees £9.45 million in wages and salaries – almost half of the £ 21.6million it took that year in turnover from donor fees and charity subscriptions. £440 million was raised for charities through JustGiving in 2016, up from £404 million in 2015.
Average salary of the staff members is £60,000 and for JustGiving Founder it goes £198,000.
JustGiving is used by millions to manage donations from friends and family when they are raising money for charity, such as through sponsored cycle rides or races.
The Fundraiser has to set up a profile, have to give description or cause of raising money and which charity the funds will go to. But many are unaware that so much of their money is taken in fees by the firm.
JustGiving officially says it takes 5 per cent from donations. But the percentage is calculated after including a Gift Aid tax rebate, so the cut works out as more. Even if money is raised higher, percentage also increases.
JustGiving donation pages do not declare the exact cut the firm will take, but include small-print at the bottom of each profile, stating: ‘Charities pay a small fee for our service’ and adding a link alongside the words: ‘Find out how much it is and what we do for it.’
JustGiving was launched in 2001 by former lawyer Zarine Kharas and Anne-Marie Huby, a charity director.
‘I understand they have to cover their overheads,’ he added. ‘But half of the money is going on wages.
They are taking people’s hard-earned money for themselves. It is greed. The increase in our fees this year is the equivalent of someone doing a 10k race for us. It is difficult to stomach.’
CEO- OCD-UK