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CHARITY: THE GRACE OF GIVING

AND THE TALENT OF TAKING

Fig.11

An exploration into how charities succeed, and the

effect of Belief Systems and Technology on their
operations and outcomes

Table of Contents
1 Yunus, J. Pitch Social Media Charity (2013) retrieved from:
http://www.cartoonmovement.com/cartoon/12656

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Introduction..3

Log.5

Chapter 1......7

Chapter 2.....13

Chapter 3.19

Conclusion.......22

Resource List.......24

Appendix..43

Introduction
2

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50 of the largest American charities assigned only 4% of their funds to charity related
activities2. Charity can be big business, but it can also be the glimmer of hope for
those facing social exclusion; it has the potential to save those in need. My PIP is
about the changing nature of charities, their operations and the various attitudes of
societies towards them. I have a focus on how charities fulfill objectives, how
Religion vs. Secularism affects donation habits, and how religiously affiliated
charities carry out their work differently to secular charities, and the disparities in
ideologies and motives behind the two types of charity. I have looked into the impacts
of the rise of social media on activism, particularly the prevalence of Clicktivism
and its ability to transform the manner in which a charity relates to the public sphere,
and its effects on the dynamics of social awareness, and a charitys resources.
I have always been intrigued about the changing nature of charities, and how they
have adapted to suit modern day technology, evolving from the work of charitable
monks, to the nonprofit cultural phenomenon that we see today. Coming from a
Christian background, I have grown up exposed to religiously affiliated charities, and
donation habits of Christians so I find it interesting to compare the discrepancies
between secular and religious society in relation to charitable work and giving.
My hypothesis is that the nature of charity has been majorly reformed due to the
advent of new mediums of technology, changing of social norms and attitudes,
particularly of the younger generations, and the rise of secularism, alongside the
continuity of major religions. The methods that I have used are content analysis,
Questionnaire, and Interviews. I think that these methods will enrich my
understanding of persons attitudes towards charities, and how charities implement
techniques to maximise donations. I can thus gauge the general consensus of western
societys attitudes towards clicktivism and religiously affiliated charities in the
questionnaire and interviews, and the strategies used by charities to meet their aims in
the content analysis of various charity posters and interviews of religious charity
workers.

2 Taggart, K, Hundley, K. Above the Law: Americas Worst Charities CNN June 13, 2013
3

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The cross cultural component of my PIP is looking at secular vs. religious charities,
and the differences in the ways that they carry out their work, and also the differences
in habits of Christian vs. non religious people towards charitable giving
My PIP will look at the continuation of the prevalence of charities with religious
affiliations, and the rapidly changing and adaptation of techniques used by charities
across platforms of technology to gain awareness and donations, and how effective
they really are in creating positive social change in a variety of sectors.
I think that undertaking this PIP has been genuinely valuable for learning time
management, resilience and enhancing my socio-cultural literacy, in my work ethic,
investigative skills and a deepened understanding of the core concepts of Society and
Culture.

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Log
I began my PIP journey by brainstorming the aspects of charity, to try to refine what I
wanted to focus on. Originally, I was deciding on whether to base my PIP on the
effects of major tourism industries on societies, but I soon realised that this would not
be viable, as It would be hard to collect primary research from developing countries,
where tourism accounts for a large proportion of their GDP. I soon had an epiphany,
thinking about how we as Australians interact with these countries other than tourism,
and the topic of charity intrigued me, compelling me to undertake further research on
the topic.
When I figured out that I wanted to explore the aspects of religion and social media
and technology on charity, I started my secondary research to gain a better
understanding of the key focus areas I could concentrate on. I looked at academic and
journal articles, blogs and news publications, to get a sense of the nature of charity on
a micro, meso and macro level. Notable sources that I came across that helped me to
consolidate my PIP were those analysing the ALS Ice bucket (2014) and the KONY
(2012) campaigns that dominated social media, and imprinted on early 2010s popular
culture. State library resources were useful, giving me access to a variety of journals
and international studies relating to Australia and the world. I was also compelled to
delve into the interwoven links between religion and charity as I come from a
Christian background, and I find it interesting to compare the differences between
secular and religious charitable organisations.

I underwent my Questionnaire in March/April, collating the feedback over the autumn

school holidays. I conducted the Interview with a Salvos volunteer in May, and in
June I conducted an interview with a World Vision fundraising leader. One downfall
in my PIP progress was not attaining an originally intended observation. I attempted
to find chuggers (charity muggers) on main streets, but I only found activists who
werent looking for donations. Perhaps this says something about the evolution of
charitys operations from the physical realm) to the online community. Regardless, I
needed to adapt to this challenge, and so I opted to instead interview charity workers,
who work or volunteer in bricks and mortar shops. My other methods of Content

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Analysis and Questionnaire were researched and implemented as planned, without
problems.
My PIP progressed slowly, but a major problem was having difficulty putting into
words more recent findings, and being able to incorporate them explicitly into my
Central Material. I knew the intended direction of the Central Material, it was having
to back all of my points up with relevant research which was challenging, as I needed
to make crucial decisions as to what to and not to include, to make the central material
flow, and be holistic. Overall, motivation and perseverance were crucial to rewrite
findings in order to get it to make sense, and consolidate the hypothesis and complete
the PIP.

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Central Material
Chapter 1: How do Charities Thrive?
A charity is an organisation set up to provide help and raise money for those in need.3
The notion of charity has been present in society since the rise of organised religion.4
The historical use of the word charity has religious connotations, linking it closely
with the church; signifying the reciprocal love between God and man that is made
manifest in unselfish love of ones fellow men5 Although charity had its roots
amongst early Christians, Jews, Muslims, and other religions alike, The Charity that
we are familiar with today has come a long way from being just monasteries and
orphanages. Charity has become big business6, with globalisation and advancement of
technology allowing charities to become Multinational organisations, employing
millions of workers worldwide, some paid, others not. In a westernised, capitalist
world, it is next to impossible to have charity without some of the donations being put
into salaries, overheads and other less than charitable causes. So, how do charities
carry out their work? What is their scope? More than one may assume, according to a
World Vision fundraising promoter, Managing relations with schools, 40hr Famine
and managing street promoters7 is just one aspect of the complex operations of big
charities. Are their resources always used in the most efficient way possible, for the
greater good? According to Questionnaire respondents, only 2% of respondents
believed that Charities were completely transparent in their operations, and efficient
in Fulfilling their aims, while 24% agreed 4 out of 5 for the same statement.8

3 Merriam Webster, (2015) Charity Definition, retrieved from: http://www.merriamwebster.com/dictionary/charity 17/2/15

4 Ianacone, Barbara P. "Historical overview: From charity to rights." Temp. LQ 50 (1976):

953.

5 Encyclopedia Britannica (2014) CHARITY- Christian concept, Retrieved from:

http://www.britannica.com/topic/charity-Christian-concept 14/3/15

6Millar, M. (2012) The Corporate Ethos Driving Charities BBC, London

7 Interview with World Vision worker, completed June 2015
8 Questionnaire, completed April 2015
7

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The legal definition of charity in Australia is Not for Profit and have only
charitable purposes that are for the public benefit9 The Australian Charity and Notfor-Profits Commission was set up in December 2012 to monitor and regulate
Australian charities, whether large corporations, or local charities. This secular body
ensures a standard of ethics is met by all organisations classified as charities in
Australia, including their transparency and where donations go. On the other hand,
charities in Australia that are connected to religious institutions need to adhere to the
aims of that institution, as well as the legal requirements set out by the ACNC10. For
example, the charity Baptist World Aids operations in Australia would need to abide
by the regulations of Australian Baptist Ministries.11 This dual regulation is in place to
ensure that charities in Australia are operating on an ethical basis, while fulfilling the
targets of affiliated institutions, religious or otherwise. While there are diverse ranges
of charities that operate in Australia, aiming to achieve various ends, they all have in
common the need to raise funds in order to gain resources, as means to achieve their
ends.
Charities aim to help those in our society who are disadvantaged, in any way, shape or
form. They range from dog shelters, to cancer foundations, to shelters for the
homeless. The good work that they do is dependent on the grace of the fortunate, and
the way that they present their charity on the meso and macro levels, through
advertisements, online campaigns for awareness and public fundraisers12 to name a
few. How exactly do charities achieve their aims? Firstly, they undergo fundraising
initiatives, in order to collect a sufficient amount of money and resources. According
to a Salvation Army shop volunteer, Collection methods that I think are most
effective, well this [Running an op-shop] effective, as it is a win for the customer
9 Rittelmeyer, Helen. "Independent Charities, Independent Regulators: The Future of Notfor-Profit Regulation." Issues Analysis 143, no. 6 (2014).

10 Justice Connect, (2014). Registering as a charity, Retrieved from:

http://www.justiceconnect.org.au/our-programs/not-for-profit-law/training/nfp-seminar-seriesvictoria/running-charity 18/2/15

11 Baptist World Aid About Us (April 2014) retrieved from:

https://www.baptistworldaid.org.au/about/who-we-are/ 15/3/15

12 3. Williams, J. (2006). Faith, hope and charity. New Humanist, 121(1), 22-23. Retrieved
from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1035717438?accountid=13902

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and a win for charity13 there are also other avenues of fundraising such as online
donations, and street donations14 The target markets for these events are usually
ordinary, middle class individuals. Charities also rely on philanthropy as a substantial
source of donations, up to 45% of donations alone, in some sectors15. A controversial
strategy of many charitable organizations is to use commission-paid workers, called
Chuggers or Charity Muggers to engage with passersby, and coax them into
signing up to donate with a charity on a monthly basis. There have been numerous
publications highlighting the sometimes-unethical behaviours of these, young, usually
University age travellers, as they harass pedestrians in urban areas of the UK, USA
and similar countries. In the Questionnaire, it was evident that majority, 61% of
respondents have negative attitudes to Charity Muggers16. The tactic is used by
charities as it is effective in gaining donations, through people feeling forced to
donate their income17, leading to feelings of frustrating because I feel bad for not
giving money or help.18 On the other hand, many individuals feel compelled to
practice effective altruism, as opposed to forced altruism, and research the
charities that they donate to, and make informed judgments of charities, discerning
how to best spend their donations.19 This method is summed up in a respondents
answer: I prefer to think about and allocate donations in my own time20 showing
that the various methods of collecting donations stem from the variety of preferences
of donators altruistic habits.

13 Interview with Salvation Army volunteer, completed May 2015

14 ibid
15 Hall, M. H., McKeown, L., & Roberts, K. (2001). National Survey of Giving,
Volunteering and Participating. Ottawa: Ministry of Industry.

16 Questionnaire, completed April 2015

17 Reyniers, Diane, and Richa Bhalla. "Reluctant altruism and peer pressure in charitable
giving." Judgment and Decision Making 8.1 (2013): 7-15.

18 Questionnaire, Completed April 2015

19 Singer, P. (2015) The Most Good You Can Do Yale University Press, New Haven and
London

20 Questionnaire, completed April 2015

9

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A main source of a charitys revenue is collected through profits of paraphernalia sold
to consumers, whether associated closely or weakly to the particular charity. This
includes the sale of an array of items, ranging from simple wristbands, to tote bags, to
controversial items such as Bust Statues aimed at the male demographic of society,
being sold with 1% of profit going to the Australian Breast Cancer foundation.21 This
commodification and objectification of the female figure was used to capitalise on
revenue, with only a minimal proportion of the profit being given to the charity. It is
an exemplar of how charities operations can be flawed, and questions whether the
means of raising funds actually justifies the end result of gaining resources in order to
carry out charitable work. Another, more recent example of questionable
paraphernalia sales, is to do with ANZAC associated products being sold in the
supermarket, Woolworths, being taken advantage of by the industry giant22 headed by
a campaign featuring a poster co-promoting the Woolworths brand, and minimal sales
profits from goods sold reaching Veterans charities. The media questioned
Woolworths actions in an ABC article Woolworths 'Fresh in our Memories'
campaign inappropriate,23 stating that potential penalties for unauthorised use of the
word Anzac24 Whilst not mentioning the nature of the word choices on the poster.

21 Hartmann, M. (2011) The Breast Cancer Charity Scam Jezebel Retrieved from:
http://jezebel.com/5840564/the-breast-cancer-charity-scam 23/4/15

22 Woolworths Fresh in our memories Campaign inappropriate ABC 702 Sydney 15 April
2015

23 ibid
24 ibid
10

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Fig. 225
A content analysis was conducted, analysing techniques used in charity print and
billboard advertisements, in order to gauge how the message of the advertisements
affected potential donators emotions. It was found that 65%26 of specimens evaluated
contained controversial at the least, or taboo subject matter, and 60%27 aimed to make
the audience guilty through the use of nuanced techniques such as shocking statistics
and imperative language. A staggering 85%28 used bold features and tones, and
inclusive language in their material, to create a sense of shock in the audience. An
example of one of the advertisements used in the content analysis is pictured below. It
demonstrates the importance of using daring techniques to capture the audiences
attention and compel them to take action.

25 Woolworths, Fresh in our memories 2015 ABC Website, Sydney

26 Content analysis, completed May 2015
27 ibid
28 ibid
11

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Fig. 329
So how exactly does a charity carry out its aims? Are their operations always in line
with the ethical expectations of different communities in society? This is a subjective
question, but looking at various perspectives will help to glean a rounded judgment on
Charity ethics. Firstly, from an academic perspective, Susan Wu states in reference to
charity transparency and dissemination of aid: the right to know is ignored, the right
of privacy is violated, and the right of freedom is trampled and so on. The
development of charity cause is facing a stern test.30 To reinforce this notion that
charities take advantage of their positions of power, in terms of their operations, we
can look at the death of Olive Cooke, a 92-year-old British woman who sold poppies.
Her suicide was attributed to charities "pestering" her - she had been "under
pressure",31 sent 180 letters a month and was plagued by phone calls32
demonstrating the opportunistic nature of some charities in garnering donations. On
29 Plan UK Hate child marriage? UK Standard, 19 march 2015
30 Wu, S. (2014). Study on human rights in charity activities. Studies in Sociology of
Science, 5(3), 101-104.

31 Poppy collector Olive Cooke 'exhausted by charity requests' BBC 15 May 2015
32 ibid
12

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the other hand, from the perspective of interviewees, their charities target a range of
people, from those who are willing to give one off change, to people with the means
to donate sums on a regular basis33 and want Australians to connect with our
work.34
Charities are organisations integral to modern day society. Having evolved over
millennia to become Multinational corporations, they have a multitude of different
aims and various means of achieving these aims; operating in different ways
according to their business model and target demographics. It is hard to gauge
whether methods used by charity are considered ethical, as view differ, but one thing
that is for certain is that there is a reciprocal bond between charity and society, as they
feed off one another with the aim benevolence, making the world a better place.

33 Interview with Salvation Army volunteer, completed May 2015

34 Interview with World Vision worker, completed June 2015
13

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Chapter 2: Charity. Is it Just Religions Right Hand?

Charity is a fundamental part of many religions.35 The act of Charity demonstrates the
core values and beliefs of compassion and benevolence, included in Holy books of
major religions. However, there is a perceived secretive side hiding in the close links
between religion and charity. It is common knowledge that advancement of religion is
aided by religiously affiliated charities, through the way that they carry out their work
with those in need. A trickier question concerning religion and charity is whether
advancement of religion should be considered charitable work. Looking at the
differences between secular and religious charities, and how this originated and
developed over millennia, and furthermore, looking at the donation habits of members
of religious congregations, and where the collection money goes, and what it is used
for, can help determine the efficacy of secular and religious charities.
For the past three millennia and more, Jewish and Christian charity ethics have
assumed a variety of forms.36 They have been shaped by the social norms of greater
society, and the economic situations of the time. For example, during the Great
Depression, charities run by religious organisations focused their work on people in
need in the local community, but nowadays, in the relative economic stability on
western countries, we are seeing a prevalence of projects aimed at improving the lives
of communities in developing countries37. This shift in dynamic has also given rise to
the advancement of religion in the countries where the charitable work is being
carried out.

35 Frederick B. Bird The Journal of Religious Ethics Vol. 10, No. 1 (Spring, 1982), pp. 143144
Published by: Wiley

36
Ibid, p144

37
Dennis, B. (2014). Billy graham's son declares righteous war on ebola. Independent, 33.
Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1641838456?accountid=13902 15/2/15

14

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fig. 438
Both religious and secular charities, while being different, are both prevalent in
society, seen in the chart above, which gives a historical view of the prevalence of
religion in charity. Analyzing charity mission statements can see the difference
between the types of charity become clearer. Looking at the statements from three
major secular charities, we can see the discrepancies between the aims and
motivations of the charities. The Smith Familys Mission statement is: To create
opportunities for young Australians in need by providing long-term support for their
participation in education.39 Oxfams purpose statement is: Oxfam strives to help
create lasting solutions to the injustice of poverty. We are part of a global movement
for change, one that empowers people to create a future that is secure, just, and free
from poverty 40 While Save the Childrens statement is: To inspire breakthroughs in
the way the world treats children and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their

38
Donations by type of charitable organisation Giving USA 1996

39
The Smith Family about us last modified 1/6/2014 retrieved from:
https://www.thesmithfamily.com.au/about-us 12/5/15

40
Oxfam About last modified 2015 retrieved from: https://www.oxfam.org.au/about-us/

15

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lives.41 On the other hand, through conducting interviews, mission statements of
World Vision, Our vision for every child, life in all its fullness, our prayer for every
heart, the will to make it so.42 And Salvation Army: Heart to God, Hand to
Others,43 it is clear that religion plays a major role in the motivations of religious
charities, while secular charities draw on broader societal moral codes. However, the
proposed outcomes of the charities are strikingly similar.
Before looking in depth at the inextricable links between religion and charity and the
effects of this, it is worth noting the prevalence of secular charities. Secular charities,
compared to religious ones, are relatively new to become mainstream in society,
however, they have rapidly rose in prominence. They have spawned out of the
secularisation of society, and the growing proportion of the population that do not
identify with religion. These charities are not tied to religious values, but strive for
universal altruism, and operate on a large scale in countries all over the world.
Religion has played a vital role in charities for centuries, and still does in the modern
era. The questionnaire conducted shows that 94% of responses could name religiously
affiliated charities when prompted to.44 This is significant; as it shows that religious
charities have a strong awareness in society. The main source of their revenue is
through religious institutions donating money raised in congregations to the charities.
Some of these religious charities carry out their work, with part of their repertoire
being the advancement of the religion that the charity is affiliated with. In the
questionnaire, when respondents were asked whether the fact that a charity had a
religious affiliation, the general consensus of older respondents was that due to the
ACNC, all charities had to legally oblige to operational codes, but religious charities
were more established, therefore having Access to an already established

41
Save the Children Who we are last modified 2014 retrieved from:
https://www.savethechildren.org.au/about-us/publications

42
Interview with World Vision worker, completed June 2015

43
Interview with Salvation Army volunteer, completed May 2015

44
Questionnaire, completed April 2015

16

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community45 and having lower overhead costs46 and wanting to help people from
all walks of life47 On the other hand, in the younger demographic of respondents,
there was feedback that the religious affiliation does make a difference in some
charities, as they may proselytize recipients of aid. Overall, there were mixed
responses to the question, showing that there is no general consensus in the public
sphere, just opinions and personal preferences, such as religious backgrounds of
respondents.
In recent years, there have been various controversies surrounding Religious charities.
The debate as to whether religious institutions should be able to maintain charity taxfree status. This is exemplified in Hillsong, an Australian Pentecostal megachurch
who are not paying tax as they are deemed a charitable organisation by the ACNC48
yet are benefiting from this status by making a mainstream concert movie, set to make
10 million in the box office. Critics suggest that Hillsong should not be able to be tax
free, as they are more akin to an entertainment house.49 But as the activities and
productions of the church are for the Advancement of Religion, a charitable cause,
their actions are completely within the law. Another example of advancement of
religion being the mainstay of a charity campaign is Operation Christmas Child, an
initiative of Samaritans Purse that is aimed at promoting Christianity, alongside
delivering Christmas presents to children in developing nations. It emphasises the
motives of some religious charities, of spreading religion as well as aid. This can be
seen as hindering the effectiveness of a charitys work by some, but there is also a
view that without the religious aspect present in charities, the charities wouldnt have
a large enough donation base to carry out their operations, as they rely on the
compassion of Christians, and their faith, to receive resources.50
45
ibid

46
ibid

47
ibid

48
ACNC. Registered Charity; Hillsong Ltd. Last modified 2014 retrieved from:
http://www.acnc.gov.au/ResponsiblePerson?ID=443779 17/6/15

49
Sandeman, John. Hillsong under fire on Channel Nine, but was it fair? Bible Society,
(2015) http://www.acnc.gov.au/ResponsiblePerson?ID=443779 3/7/15

50
McCurry, P. (2002) Presents Imperfect, The Guardian, London

17

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Charity and Christianity have been closely linked for millennia. The concept of
charity was synonymous with the church, in its infancy, with the prevalence of
Monasteries and Convents performing acts of charity as far back as the Dark Ages51.
There is no need to look far to see prominent aspects of the link between charity and
Christianity. Santa Claus, Madeline (Childrens Programme) and Annie (Musical) are
all examples of this link that are engrained into popular culture. The idea of Charity
was rooted in Christianity since ancient times, and has continued into the modern era,
with minimal changes in the ideology behind Christian charity. The concept of the
churches care of 'the poor' was basic to the founding of the earliest hospitals, such as
the Basilias of the late Christianised Roman Empire.52 The hospital was, in origin and
conception, a distinctively Christian institution, rooted in Christian concepts of charity
and philanthropy. Christians see the act of benevolence as faith in action, and feel the
need to give to the less fortunate, reflecting the earthly works of Jesus.53 A more
formal approach to charitable giving in the church is the concept of tithings, where
10% of a church members income is donated to the church, where it is used for both
the advancement of the Church, and secondarily given to religious charities. However,
this form of donation is in decline, seen with recent trends in the USA: Giving to
religion, they claim, is growing more slowly than other types of giving because
people are attending church less frequently and are giving to a wider array of (other)
causes. The increase in the number of U.S. churchgoers becoming opponents of
tithing, some writing letters and quitting congregations in protest.54 This shows that
charity trends are evolving to give the balance of power to the donators, as they are
choosing where to give their money, whether to religious or secular charities.
Judaism and Charity have been paired since the beginnings of the religion. Tzedakah
is translated to English to mean charity. Practicing Jews are obliged to give
51
Clarke, G. (2013) The Roots of Benevolence Christian Ideals and social Benefit Religion
and Ethics, ABC Australia

52
Brown, Peter. Poverty and leadership in the later Roman Empire. UPNE, 2002.

53
ibid

54
Newman, Frances AM, and Glen Stassen. (2008) Church Membership and the Tithe: An
Ethical Study on Restricted Entry into a Modern Democratic Church through Enforced
Tithing."

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Tzedakah, even if they are in need themselves.55 The practice is very similar to the
Christian tithe, as members of Jewish congregations give 10% of their net income to
the poor.56 Islam and Charity are also closely linked, as in the third pillar of Islam,
Zakat, it states that individuals must give 2.5% of their wealth to benefit the poor.57
This is a compulsory donation, and does not encompass other gifts and charitable acts
of kindness that a Muslim person may be compelled to give. This shows that the
concept of Charity being an integral part of religion is universal, and established in a
diverse set of societies.
This chapter has proved the universality of the prominence of charity, across
numerous cultures, religious and secular. It is clearly evident that while religious and
secular charities have common core aims, despite disparities between motivations and
operations. This chapter has proven the inextricable links between religion and
charity, and how they can paradoxically help and hinder the outcome of positive
social change. Debate over the validity of advancement of religion, and differing
moral codes can cloud the objectivity of this subject. However, it can be said that
without religion, it would be highly unlikely that charity would be so prevalent in
modern society, as religion has undeniably been integral in changing and evolving
charitable attitudes and institutions globally, and the continuity of these organisations
in both advanced and developing nations.

55
Heilman, Samuel C. "Tzedakah: Orthodox Jews and charitable giving."Contemporary Jewish
philanthropy in America (1991): 133-44.

56
ibid

57
Kamil Mufti, I. (2006) The Third Pillar of Islam: Compulsory Charity The Religion of Islam,
Islamreligion.com

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Chapter 3: Slacktivism: The Answer to Societys Guilt

This chapter is concerning how technology has changed the priorities of society, and
in turn the way that charities operate. Charities have skillfully adapted to the new
online environment, taking advantage of the concepts of instant gratification and
clicktivism. Clicktivism is the act of showing solidarity with a cause, and support of
social change to better that cause58. By signing online petitions and pledges, internet
users feel as if they are contributing to a better society, and in turn do not feel the need
to participate in other forms of charity such as donation and volunteering, however it
can be seen as an easy way to contribute to awareness of certain issues in society,
advocating for positive change. But is clicktivism really going to fix the underlying
problems associated with these societal concerns, but purely raising awareness and
showing solidarity? How will simply empathizing with a cause change the situation?
Doesnt more need to be done?
The changing values of western society towards self-preservation and absorption have
led to a decline in willingness of individuals in society to donate to charity.59 This
58
8.Rosato, D 2014, 'THE BIG QUESTION: SHOULD I CHANGE HOW I GIVE TO
CHARITY?', Money, 43, 11, pp. 94-97, Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost, viewed 10
February 2015.

59
English, JH 2014, 'Grinch or Greater Good?', Humanist, vol. 74, no. 1, pp. 10-11.

20

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occurrence, a probable outcome of increased consumerism post-WW2 has given rise
to the need for instant gratification. This concept thrives on social media platforms,
and has led to the advent of clicktivism60. Clicktivism is only partially successful.
There are numerous examples of charity campaigns that have relied on clicktivism as
their main plan of action. Two notable examples that I will be looking at are KONY
2012 and the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. Both were successful in creating awareness
for the respective charities, but on the other hand, both failed to create real social
change, and their full potential to do so was not met, due to societys reluctance to
invest physical resources into the cause.
From looking at two recent examples of social media phenomenons centered around
charities, we see the KONY 2012 was a campaign run by the charity Invisible
Children, aimed at creating awareness about the plight of child soldiers under
Ugandan LRA leader, Joseph Kony. The campaign enjoyed short-term success,
spurred by the presence of the promotional film across social media platforms. Long
term success, however, is challenged, seen in the IBT report findings: Are campaigns
such as KONY 2012 likely to engender deep engagement and political change or are
they simply a moment in time when awareness is heightened and there is no direct
impact on the issues they aim to address?61 Similarly, last years Ice bucket
challenge created by ALS Association is an example of success in societal awareness
spanning nations and generations due to the immense shareability of the challenge.
However, the premise of doing the challenge instead of donating $100 to ALS proves
the expectation of charities that people in society look for alternatives to physical
donation, instead opting for instant gratification, the type seen in clicktivism.62 The
rise of charities utilising social media to further their aims stems from the rapid
evolution of moral codes and values in the wake of new technologies. The outcome of
this fundamental change to the dynamics of charity is the increased awareness of
global issues, but little social change, due to lack of real resources to fight the issues.
60
Follett, T. (2014) The Rise of the Armchair Warrior: How slacktivism affects societys
willingness to make a difference Booth Memorial H.S., N.F., Canada

61
Chalk, Sophie. "KONY 2012: SUCCESS OR FAILURE?." London: International
Broadcasting Trust (2012).

62
Sifferlin, Alexandra. "Here's how the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge actually started." Time
Magazine (2014).

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Fig. 563 Print media is still favoured over online presence by many charities
What is the general consensus on the efficacy of clicktivism? From the Interview with
a full time World Vision worker, it is found that We mostly target middle aged
women for regular donations64 it became clear that clicktivism isnt the favoured
method for the older demographic, the people who generally have more money to
donate. In the Questionnaire conducted, 77% of respondents answered Yes to Do you
think social media is a helpful tool for charities? this highlights that clicktivism is
effective, but in another question: What is more effective for achieving a charities'
aims in creating social change? the most popular answer was volunteering, at 43% of
answers, and then monetary donations, at 25%, while clicktivism only received 13%
of answers65. This demonstrates that while clicktivism is a very helpful tool for
charities, it if is solely relied on by charities for creating social change, this isnt as
effective as if it is used in conjunction with other forms of charitable acts such as
donation of funds, time and other helpful resources. Clicktivism cannot be relied on as
a viable substitute for traditional charity; it is not the answer to societys guilt of
greediness. It is a band-aid solution at best.

63
Christian Aid To End Poverty we need to get to the roots of the problem Christian Aid UK
(2013)

64
Interview with World Vision worker, completed June 2015

65
Questionnaire, completed April 2015

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The rise of social media has given charities the opportunity to extend the scope of
their campaigns for increased awareness of the issues in society that they aim to
address. Clicktivism has seen staggering popularity since the advent of social media
platforms such as Facebook and twitter being used to launch their campaigns
popularity. However, It has been proved that clicktivism can only do a limited amount
of good, as there needs to be someone donating capital in order to fund real social
change. So must charities adapt to gain awareness and raise funds in a more efficient
manner? Or do we as a global society need to change our attitudes to giving, and treat
it as an honour to donate, not an obligation?

Conclusion
From undertaking the PIP, I have learnt that the topic of charity is a lot more
complicated than I originally anticipated. This is for two main reasons. The first,
being that it is hard to gauge whether clicktivism is actually beneficial to charities, as
even though it raises awareness, it doesnt raise sufficient funds for the charities.
Secondly, the aspect of religion and charity cant be judged in generalisations, but
rather by looking into examples of the role of a diverse array of religions in charity,
and accepting that opinions will inevitably vary. Overall, I have learnt that charities do
all they can in modern society to maximise positive social change, engaging whatever
means that are available to them, to fulfill their aims and targets.
Through primary and secondary research, I could affirm my hypothesis that the basis
of charity has been majorly reformed in recent history, and that the rise of social
media platforms and secularism alongside continuation of religion has in fact created
ongoing opposing views and debate on how we as members of society should donate
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to charity. From my primary methods, I have gained an insight into the motivations of
donators, as well as the reasoning behind why charities operate the way they do.
The primary and secondary methods utilised were valuable, as they allowed me to
gain knowledge about many aspects of my PIP. My Questionnaire was integral in my
research of a range of peoples attitudes to charity and their awareness of clicktivism.
Content Analysis enabled me to judge the techniques that charities utilized in their
advertising campaigns, and Interview has helped me gain a better understanding of the
operation of both religious and secular charities. Limitations involved in the PIP
process were the limited scope of the interviews, as both subjects were from charities
with religious affiliations. Not being able to complete a participant observation was
disappointing, as it would have further enriched the grounding of the PIP in primary
research. Age and gender bias in the Questionnaire conducted, having more females
than males, and not many people in the 26-55-age bracket may have placed more
emphasis on religion than secularism.
If I could start my PIP process again, I would definitely get more of it done earlier, to
have time to rework my material without stress, and I would aim to get more primary
research done earlier. From undertaking the PIP, I now know that there are always
more than two sides to an argument, and that it is near impossible to, from an
unbiased perspective, judge one side as right, as there is no definitive right answer.
This especially relates to the chapter on religion in charity. It is unwise to hypothesise
and make assumptions about individuals views on charity, their motivations for
donating, and their views on religious charities. Through putting together my PIP, the
process involved has given me the chance to learn in depth the dynamic nature of one
of societys fundamental frameworks and saviours, charity.

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Resource List
Primary Research
Content Analysis, Completed March 2015
The content analysis was conducted to complement Chapters 1 and 3. A sample size
of 20 religious and secular charity posters were chosen and analysed to the question
of: examine the extent of the techniques used in advertisements for charity in aiding
the effectiveness and /or shock factor of the message to gain an understanding of
the methods used to maximize awareness and donations. The following criteria were
used: Year, Country, Charity, Main theme, Main text and use of controversial subject
matter, and why so. This was useful in achieving a broader understanding of how
charity marketing works, although limitations were that a bigger sample size and
broader medium allowances would have been more holistic.
Questionnaire, Completed April 2015

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This method was intended to show the attitudes of different ages and backgrounds of
society towards charity, with a focus on their views towards the involvement of
religion in Charity. There was some age and gender bias, as there were more female
participants than males, and there werent as many middle-aged respondents as other
age brackets. It was useful for seeing trends to do with whether charities are perceived
to be transparent in their aims, and the older generation believing that charities with
religious affiliations are more efficient in their operations.
Structured Interview with Salvation Army Volunteer, completed 24th May, 2015
In this interview, I was talking to a volunteer at the Westleigh Salvation Army op-shop
about her experiences with the charity, and her opinions on religious affiliations, and
societys attitudes towards charity. It was very useful as I gained a better
understanding of how religious charities operate, and the efficiency of operating an
op-shop, as it benefits the charity and the customer. Limitations were that the
interviews scope was narrowed, due to the structured nature of the questions.

Structured Interview with World Vision Worker, completed 26th June, 2015
I met a 40hr Famine Fundraising leader, to conduct an interview, with the same
structured questions as with the Salvation Army Volunteer. It was useful in
understanding the trends of rejecting and accepting to donate, and of whom the
charitys target market is, for its numerous fundraising initiatives. The two interviews
conducted were both from the perspective of religious charities, so there is some bias,
which looking back, could have been prevented by also interviewing secular charities.

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Images
Christian Aid To End Poverty we need to get to the roots of the problem
Christian Aid UK (2013)
This Image was part of my Content Analysis, and is from a charity with no strong
online or social media presence. It was helpful for exemplifying the continuation of
print media as a medium that many charities utilise to reach older audiences. It also
demonstrates the power of literary techniques in text on posters, and the importance of
imagery to capture the audiences attention. It is somewhat limited by the lack of
establishing facts on the poster, and doesnt suggest a way for the audience to take
action or donate.
Donations by type of charitable organisation Giving USA 1996
This image was a useful piece of historical data, sourced from the organization,
Giving USA. Originally published in 1996, it is a snapshot of the prevalence of
religion in charity two decades ago, and can be used to compare the proportion of

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religious charities in America today. The data is limited by its age, but this problem
can be prevented by looking at it from a historical, not a contemporary perspective.
Plan UK Hate child marriage? UK Standard, 19 march 2015
This Image was part of the content analysis, and is an exemplar of two main topics of
the PIP, these being the prevalence of charity campaigns conveying taboo topics, and
the negative attitudes of the media and society towards the portrayal of these
controversial topics. The top half of the image is the advertisement before it was
censored by the UK media authority, whilst the bottom half is the less controversial,
censored version. The image was interesting, and helpful in proving the range of
attitudes towards tactics of charities trying to increase awareness of their cause.

Woolworths, Fresh in our memories 2015 ABC Website, Sydney

This image was not part of the content analysis I conducted, as it was published after
the completion of the research method. The image is the poster that sparked the
media debacle over the supermarket giant, Woolworths right to use the trademarked
acronym ANZAC on promotional and commercial material, besides ANZAC
biscuits. The controversy surrounding the poster was useful, as it was used as an
example in chapter 1 of the Central Material.
Yunus, J. Pitch Social Media Charity (2013) retrieved from:
http://www.cartoonmovement.com/cartoon/12656
The image was by professional cartoonist, Joen Yunus. This image was used as on the
title page of my PIP, as well for my PIP pitch. It exemplifies the paradox of
clicktivism how society genuinely want to help, but are not prepared to invest
physical resources to do so. It is not useful for deep analytics into my topic, but is
good for making a statement about the irony of clicktivism.

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Books
Cornelissen, G., Karelaia, N., & Soyer, E. (2013). Clicktivism or Slactivism?
IMML Retrieved December 9, 2014.
This book tracks the rise to prominence of clicktivism, and its reception across
society. The source was very helpful in demonstrating the reasons for the limited
success of social media campaigns such as KONY 2012 and outlines and describes
the reasons that they failed to create real social change, these being flawed models,
and external factors and societal codes. A downfall of the Source is that it was written
in 2013, before the Ice bucket challenge was promoted, so the source could not give a
comparison of the two major clicktivism events of the decade so far.
Singer, P. (2015) The Most Good You Can Do Yale University Press, New Haven
and London
This book was very interesting, as it emphasised the lack of effective altruism in
modern society, and ways to become a more efficient donator. It was helpful for
research into motives behind donation, and alternatives to traditional methods of
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giving to charity. The source was reliable, as an academic institution published it.
However, it was only useful for looking at charity from the donators perspective, not
from the charitys perspective.

Academic/Journal Articles
Bird, F. B. The Journal of Religious Ethics Vol. 10, No. 1 (Spring, 1982), pp. 144169 Published by: Wiley
This source contributed to a strong foundation for my second chapter. It gives an
overview of the charity ethics relating to the major religions of Christianity and
Judaism. It helped me to understand the religious background to the act of charity, and
was useful for gaining knowledge of the historical development of religious charity. A
major limitation was the publishing date of the article, as its age means it cannot
provide an exploration into the modern era of charity.
Bishop, J. (2013) My Click is My Bond Centre for Research into Online
Communities and E-Learning Systems, European Parliament, Belgium
This source was helpful in my early research, as it allowed me to gain a wider
understanding of the world of clicktivism, and its long term consequences. The source
is written from the perspective of a consumer, not a charity, so it focused on the

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consequences of clicktivism on the individual, which can be a limitation, as most
Chapter 3 of my PIP focuses on the consequences of clicktivism on charities.
Browne, B. (2011) Charity begins online: Giving over the internet Online Currents,
v.25, no.2, Apr 2011: 71-77
This article, about the positive side to online activism, gave me a refreshed
perspective on clicktivism. The article argues that the Internet has made it possible for
charities to expand their operations and reach wider target audiences. This was helpful
as it contributed to balancing my perspective of the positives and negatives of
clicktivism. Its limitations are that it doesnt delve very deep into online activism and
petitions, as it mainly focuses on donations made online, via clickable advertisments
and charity websites
Brown, Peter. Poverty and leadership in the later Roman Empire. UPNE, 2002.
This article on the late Roman Empire gave insight into primitive forms of charity.
The article explores the situation of those facing social exclusion in the Christianised
Empire, and summarises the advent of early hospitals that cared for the poor, called
Basilias. This example of early benevolence was extremely helpful, as it exemplifies
the unchanging historical continuation of the prevalence of charity.
English, JH 2014, 'Grinch or Greater Good?', Humanist, vol. 74, no. 1, pp. 10-11.
This 2011 Academic Article from the Humanist was very relevant to my chapter on
the role of religion in charitable organisations, as it is about the conflict between the
secular state and a regime of a religious charity asking for donations for Operation
Christmas Child at a public school. It tackles the issues of religious material being
handed out along with presents to children in developing nations. I found the article
particularly interesting as I used to donate to Operation Christmas Child through my
church when I was in Primary School. The Article does contain bias, due to the
perspective of the author; being cynical of the matter that the schools charity venture
was relinquished.
Follett, T. (2014) The Rise of the Armchair Warrior: How slacktivism affects
societys willingness to make a difference Booth Memorial H.S., N.F., Canada

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This article is written by a teacher in Canada. it was written to inform students/anyone
else who was interested about the effects of clicktivism/slacktivism on peoples
resolves to make a difference in society, and help a cause. The article talks about the
rise of social media campaigns, and the reason that they go viral. The article also
includes a case study on the KONY 2012 campaign, and the reasons for its failure. It
is recent, and shows both sides of the argument, seen in the discussion of the efficacy
of the bringbackourgirls movement. the article is very interesting, and included
many real life examples to back up the authors viewpoint. However, the article isnt
written for ultra-educated, postgraduate readers, mainly for a high school audience,
although, its reference list is extensive and contains many reliable sources. Overall, I
think that this article is very useful for gaining an understanding of the nature of
clicktivism, its evolution and impact on our society. The article closely links in with
my chapter topic of the changes that technology has brought about for charities, in
particular the role of clicktivism and social media campaigns in the operation of nonprofit organisations.

Hall, M. H., McKeown, L., & Roberts, K. (2001). National Survey of Giving,
Volunteering and Participating. Ottawa: Ministry of Industry.
This source was very interesting as it provided statistics on the general nature of
charity in Canada. This was helpful in my early research, whilst I was looking into
charity trends across the globe, particularly in western countries. However, the report
was not of much use for my final reworking of the PIP as Canada wasnt very
relevant, and the report was written over a decade ago, and not updated.
Heilman, Samuel C. "Tzedakah: Orthodox Jews and charitable giving.
Contemporary Jewish philanthropy in America (1991): 133-44.
This article was useful for the section in the PIP about the synonymous nature of
Judaism and charity. It was extremely helpful and useful in my deepened
understanding of the relationship that charity has to Judaism, and with other religions,
as it emphasises that the Tzedakah is very similar to the Islamic Zakat and the
Christian tithe. A limitation is that the contemporary viewpoint of the article is no
longer contemporary, due to the 1991 publishing date.

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Ianacone, Barbara P. "Historical overview: From charity to rights." Temp. LQ 50
(1976): 953.
This article, written by Barbara Ianacone, gives an historical rundown on the way that
society treats and thinks of those in need. She argues that in the pre-modern period,
giving to the poor was seen as an act of kindness and charity, whereas in the modern
era, it is portrayed as an obligation of the haves to give to the have nots, as the
have nots have a right to comfortable living. The article was useful for developing a
stronger worldview on the evolution of charity, however its old date hinders its
modern day relevance.
Perkins, John L. (2012) Charity or religion: can we advance one without the
other? [online]. Australian Humanist, The, No. 105, Autumn 2012: 6-7. Viewed
16/12/15
This article, originally written for the Australian Humanist in Autumn 2012,
addresses the issues of the interwoven nature of charity and religion under Australian
law. Law dictates that advancement of a religion is a charitable cause, meaning that
religious institutions Australia-wide can collect money that is used for building up the
institution, not necessarily for helping those in need, as the donators may be lead to
believe. The operation of religiously affiliated charities are questioned by the author,
who concludes that although there will always be many religious institutions that put a
large proportion of their raised funds towards legitimately charitable causes, there are
still some who legally use the funds for less than the greater good. This article was
somewhat of a revelation for me, as it backed up some of the ideas I wanted to
address in my chapter on the role of religion in charity. It got me thinking How can
a so-called secular state be allowing what some would call a type of corruption to be
normalised?
Rosato, D 2014, 'THE BIG QUESTION: SHOULD I CHANGE HOW I GIVE TO
CHARITY?', Money, 43, 11, pp. 94-97, Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost,
viewed 10 February 2015.
This Article from Money was very helpful to my research, as it dealt with the publics
habits and attitudes towards giving to charities, in particular, the issues of trust that
many people are wary of, when giving to smaller or lesser known charities. The
article argues that it is hard for the general public to determine whether some charities
are legitimate, which contributes to habits of hesitance amongst some people when it
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comes to donating, and the widespread scepticism of charities amongst the younger
generations, and the unwillingness to donate substantial amounts of funds.
Reyniers, Diane, and Richa Bhalla. "Reluctant altruism and peer pressure in
charitable giving." Judgment and Decision Making 8.1 (2013): 7-15.
This article is about the general consensus in society that it is an obligation to donate
time and money to charity. The source argues that this trend in attitude is the
responsibility of charitys advertising and use of charity muggers. It was helpful for
the first chapter in the central material, as it exemplifies the prevalence of forced
altruism.

Ternes A, Mittelstadt A and Towers I (2014) Using Facebook for Political Action?
Social Networking Sites and Political Participation of Young Adults. Arab J Bus
Manage Rev 3: 24.
This article was very relevant to the PIP, as it dealt with the contemporary issue of
clicktivism in terms of the social media platform, Facebook. It contrasted the
traditional political actions of physical protests and demonstrations to the more recent
phenomenon of online petitioning and increasing awareness for causes online. It
helped me to enrich my understanding of the nature and consequences of clicktivism,
however it didnt mention the rise in older adults using social media platforms and
interacting with charities, so in a way, the source is quite exclusive.
Vaidyanathan, B, Hill, J, & Smith, C 2011, 'Religion and Charitable Financial
Giving to Religious and Secular Causes: Does Political Ideology Matter?', Journal
For The Scientific Study Of Religion, 50, 3, pp. 450-469, Humanities Full Text
(H.W. Wilson), EBSCOhost, viewed 8 February 2015.
This journal article was very intriguing, as it brought up the complex topic of politics
to do with the nature of giving. It argued that an individuals political ideology
affected their views on charity and charitable giving. The source was useful for
deepening my knowledge of the differences in demographics of religious vs. secular

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donators. A limitation of the article was that it didnt relate to contemporary
Australian polity, just differences between American political ideologies.

Williams, J. (2006). Faith, hope and charity. New Humanist, 121(1), 22-23.
This source, from the Academic journal, New Humanist, is about the interwoven
nature of religion and charity. It highlights how charity is engrained in religion, and
how this affects the operations of charity, and also religious services. Its limitations
are that it mainly focuses on Christianity, and doesnt have a modern context, as it was
written almost a decade ago. Nevertheless, it was extremely useful for Chapter two of
the central material, as it gave a background of knowledge my argument.

Wu, S. (2014). Study on human rights in charity activities. Studies in Sociology of

Science, 5(3), 101-104.
The source mainly focuses on charity in China, but also around the world. This source
was very informative; it clearly gave information on the integral idea of human rights
in relation to charity, and the importance of remembering the rights of those that are
helped by charity. The source also highlights the present issues facing charitys
conduct in terms of human rights violations, in the problems of right to know, right to
privacy and the right of freedom for people in need, these aspects sometimes being
trampled on. This source is also helpful, as it outlines the flaws in legal systems that
let charities perform in unethical ways in some cases.

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Newspaper and Online Articles

Woolworths Fresh in our memories Campaign inappropriate ABC 702 Sydney
15 April 2015
This news article was useful as it helped me gain a background understanding to the
controversy caused by Woolworths Fresh in our Memories campaign. It looks at
the exploitation of the acronym ANZAC by the supermarket giant, and the impact
of this action on Veterans affairs charities, and the consequences of the breach of
trademark laws for the company itself. The reliability of the source can be challenged
by the bias against Woolworths, evident in the way the article is written.
Poppy collector Olive Cooke 'exhausted by charity requests' BBC 15 May 2015
this news article, about the death of 92 year old target of heavy charity marketing,
highlights the unethical operations of some charities, in their methods of collecting
donation. The article explains that weak willed individuals, who are easy to give in
are bombarded with pleads for donations by multiple charities. As the article is an
exemplar of the ruthless nature of some charities, it was useful for my first PIP
chapter.

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Chalk, Sophie. "KONY 2012: SUCCESS OR FAILURE?" London: International
Broadcasting Trust (2012).
This IBT report written soon after the rise and fall of the infamous KONY 2012
campaign tactfully questioned the achievements and consequences of the campaign,
beyond merely increasing awareness. It argues that real social change needs to be
brought about, not just good intentions. The hypothesis of this article helped shape the
direction of Chapter 2 of my PIP, as it raised very useful questions that I investigated
further.
Clarke, G. (2013) The Roots of Benevolence Christian Ideals and social Benefit
Religion and Ethics, ABC Australia
This article was very helpful for my second PIP Chapter, as it gives a concise
overview of the impact of Christianity on charity and social change. An interesting
section of the article explains how Christianity was responsible for the earliest
hospitals, and how the advent of tax concessions for churches was greatly beneficial
to their operations, and continues to be to this day. the article comes from a proChristian perspective, meaning it is slightly biased. This article was very important to
the case study on Christianity and charity in my PIP.
Dennis, B. (2014). Billy graham's son declares righteous war on
Ebola. Independent
This article was written with the motive of questioning the evangelical nature of
charities, however good their intentions are, through the vector of the recent global
Ebola outbreak. The perspective of the article is somewhat biased, being secular and
critical of advancement of religion. Nonetheless, the article was very useful in gaining
insight into the debate over the validity of advancement of religion as a charitable
cause.
De Silva, R. (2014). Catholic charities keeps reaching out to society's edges, says
priest. National Catholic Reporter, 51(1), 4.
This source is very relevant to my chapter on the relation of religion to charity. It is
from the perspective of a catholic priest involved in catholic charitable organisations,
and highlights the motives of catholic charity workers, and their views on how the

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religious side of their work aids their work, and also their thoughts on what it is like to
help the marginalised people of society.
Forbes, S. (2015, May 09). Work for dole is icing on the cake for charities cairns
edition]. The Cairns Post
This article was interesting as it gave an example of how small scale charities can
make a difference in regional communities, in this case, by both providing training to
disadvantaged members of the community, in the hospitality field by giving them a
chance to volunteer there, and also by the profits made by the caf, being returned to
the community by being donated to charity. This example of selfless giving is not as
common in modern society as it was centuries ago, as it provides help in two aspects
of the community the volunteers benefit, as well as those provided with the
donations. The organisation running the charity is not relying on generous
philanthropists, and chuggers to acquire the donations.
Hartmann, M. (2011) The Breast Cancer Charity Scam Jezebel Retrieved from:
http://jezebel.com/5840564/the-breast-cancer-charity-scam 23/4/15
This article, from the blog, jezebel, highlights the exploitation of the female sexuality
by commercial enterprises in the name of charity. This source was useful for my first
chapter, as it provides an interesting example of the questionable corporatisation of
charity related paraphernalia sales. The article comes from a female perspective, so
contains a slight female bias.

LINE corporation; LINE releases charity stickers "pray for nepal" worldwide to
aid victims of nepal earthquake. (2015). China Weekly News, , 240. Retrieved
from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1678809613?accountid=13902
This source was interesting in that it provided me with an insight into the relevance in
the operations of charities in a very recent context the Nepal earthquakes. The
article as helpful in explaining the approach that the Japanese Red Cross took to
raising funds for the disaster. Not only did the Pray for Nepal stickers raise money for
the victims of the earthquake, the stickers sent out a strong religious message of
healing, to pray for the wellbeing of the people of Nepal. I have gained from this

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source the perspective that charity and religion when used in conjunction, can be of
benefit to the cause, complementing each other in this case.
Saunders, L. (2015, May 09). WEEKEND INVESTOR --- tax report: How to vet a
charity --- giving is a form of investment; here are ways to scrutinize a non-profit
McCurry, P. (2002) Presents Imperfect, The Guardian, London.
This UK newspaper article is about the controversy over the proselytized nature of
Operation Christmas Child, an initiative by the religious charity, Samaritans Purse.
It argues that the way the initiative was carried out, meant it placed an emphasis on
the advancement of religion, which angered many British residents. This was helpful
in constructing the case study on Operation Christmas Child in my second PIP
chapter, and although it is a UK article, it ties in with the Australian version of the
initiative.

Millar, M. (2012) The Corporate Ethos Driving Charities BBC, London.

This news article is about the complex operations of charities. It highlights how
modern day british charities are very similar to commercial corporations in the way
that they are run, and suggests that charity is big business. This article was very
helpful for the first chapter of my PIP as it provides a sensationalist perspective of the
powerful nature and prevalence of charity in western society and the effects of this on
individuals. There is a limitation, though, as it is written for a UK audience, so it
doesnt relate explicitly to Australia.
Newman, Frances AM, and Glen Stassen. (2008) Church Membership and the
Tithe: An Ethical Study on Restricted Entry into a Modern Democratic Church
through Enforced Tithing."
This article is very intriguing, as it highlights some flaws in the modern church, as
traditional ideologies coincide with contemporary societal issues of social exclusion. I
used this article to exemplify the strict nature of some Christian denominations in my
second chapter. A limitation of the source is that it is not entirely relevant to Australia,
as it is written about American Church denominations.

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Sandeman, John. Hillsong under fire on Channel Nine, but was it fair? Bible
Society, (2015) http://www.acnc.gov.au/ResponsiblePerson?ID=443779 3/7/15
This article, written with slight Christian bias is about Channel 9s attack on the
megachurch, Hillsong on their Mornings programme, during the 2015 Hillsong
Conference. This article emphasises the cynical motives of channel 9 in suggesting
the incredibility of the churchs operations. This article was useful in helping me to
gain an insight into different perspectives of religion and charity, although I needed to
take into account the bias of the source when forming my own opinion.
Sifferlin, Alexandra. "Here's how the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge actually
started." Time Magazine (2014).
This article tracks the rise to prominence of the ALS ice bucket challenge, and
highlights how its widespread popularity has effected the cause of the charity, the ALS
illness. It explains how the challenge started and was spurred on by popular culture
and celebrity involvement. The story was useful to the PIP as it helped me understand
the background to this social media phenomenon.
And make sure it is worthy of your generosity. Wall Street Journal Retrieved
from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1679660321?accountid=13902
This source was very helpful in aiding my understanding of socially accepted motives
for donating large amounts of money to charity philanthropy. It outlines to readers
of the wall street journal Businesspeople, with a well read cosmopolitan
background, that charity is something that can be taken advantage of for personal
material gain. This attitude challenges the traditional view of charity, and the religious
views of charity, but is more in line with current societal values of self preservation
and advancement.

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Websites
ACNC. Registered Charity; Hillsong Ltd. Last modified 2014 retrieved from:
http://www.acnc.gov.au/ResponsiblePerson?ID=443779 17/6/15
This webpage of the Governments ACNC (Australian Charity and Non-Profit
Commission) was useful for my PIP research, as it proved that Hillsong and its
subdivisions are all registered as charitable organisations. This is a government
source, and is therefore reliable and relatively unbiased.
Baptist World Aid About Us (April 2014) retrieved from:
https://www.baptistworldaid.org.au/about/who-we-are/ 15/3/15
This website was very helpful, as it allowed me to find the mission statement of this
Christian, Baptist charity. It also was useful for learning more about aspects of the
charity, and the religious affiliations of the charity, and the work that the charity is
currently undertaking in the developing world.
Encyclopedia Britannica (2014) CHARITY- Christian concept, Retrieved from:
http://www.britannica.com/topic/charity-Christian-concept 14/3/15
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This Encyclopedia website was helpful in my preliminary, initial research of charity,
as it gave a concise and structured overview of the concept of Charity from a
Christianised perspective. It is from a reliable source, and was useful to all chapters of
the PIP.

Justice Connect, (2014). Registering as a charity, Melbourne, Victoria viewed on

18th Feb 2015
This website was useful as it explicitly explained the various processes and
restrictions involved in registering as a charity. This helped to consolidate my
knowledge of what a charity is and what steps are taken to become a charity, and
limitations that are placed upon charities in order for them to retain the benefits of
charity status.

Kamil Mufti, I. (2006) The Third Pillar of Islam: Compulsory Charity The
Religion of Islam, http://www.Islamreligion.com
This factual website, divulging facts about Islam, was written with the motive of
educating the reader about all aspects of the religion. The website was extremely
useful, as it concisely explained the concept of Zakat, the practice of giving a
proportion of income to the poor. This helped me to prove the universality of charity
in the major religions. A limitation however, is that the article is commercial, and not
from an academic source.
Merriam Webster, (2015) Charity Definition, retrieved from:
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/charity 17/2/15
This online dictionary website allowed me to access a refined definition of the
concept of Charity, in a concise form that fits in the PIP. A possible limitation that
questionst the relevance of the source is that it is USA based, not Australian, however
the definition of Charity is universal, making this problem unimportant.

Oxfam About last modified 2015 retrieved from:

https://www.oxfam.org.au/about-us/

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This official Oxfam website very useful, as it allowed me to find the mission
statement of this Secular charity. It also was useful for learning more about aspects of
the charity, and the affiliations of the charity, and the work that the charity is
undertaking.

Save the Children Who We Are last modified 2014 retrieved from:
https://www.savethechildren.org.au/about-us/publications
This website was helpful, as it allowed me to find the mission statement of this nondenominational charity. It also was useful for learning more about aspects of the
charity, and the various affiliations of the charity, and the work that the charity is
undertaking.

The Smith Family About Us last modified 1/6/2014 retrieved from:

https://www.thesmithfamily.com.au/about-us 12/5/15
This webpage was useful in finding out the mission statement of the Smith Family
charity, a secular Australian organisation. It also was useful for learning more about
aspects of the charity, and the various affiliations of the charity, and the work that the
charity is undertaking.

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Appendix
Content Analysis Criteria:
Research Question: examine the extent of the techniques used in advertisements for
charity in aiding the effectiveness and /or shock factor of the message.
Charity
Country of origin
Year (if applicable)
Main theme
Main text message
Use of controversial /taboo subject matter (yes/no)
If yes, explain.
Questionnaire questions:
What is your Age?
What is your Gender?
How often do you donate to a charity?
What charities do you donate to? Are they mainly secular or religiously affiliated?
Are you aware of charities that have religious affiliations/ties? If so, name some
examples
Do you think that a charity that is linked with a religion majorly affects the operations
of the charity's work?
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To what extent do you agree with this statement: Charities are efficient in fulfilling
their aims and their operations are transparent
How often are you approached by Charity workers on the street? What are your
attitudes towards them?
How often do you encounter charity or activism on any form of social media?
Do you think social media is a helpful tool for charities?
What is more effective for achieving charities' aims in creating social change?

Interview Questions:
Do you get paid to do this work or are you volunteering?
What made you want to do this?
What are the aims of your charity?
What are your methods for collecting donations/presenting your shop to customers?
What do you find is most effective?
Who do you target when collecting donations?
What affiliations does your charity have e.g. government help, religious, other
organisiation etc.
How do people react to your collection efforts?
What do you think that peoples attitudes are to your charity, and being asked for
donations (guilt, annoyance, obligation?)
What do you believe are peoples attitudes to charity in general?

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