It is really unfortunate that the current scandal regarding top up salaries for executives has tarred all charities with the same brush. It must be very difficult for the hundreds of thousands of people who give their time free of charge to see their efforts on behalf of the less well off crumbling before their eyes through no fault of their own.

Having said that, the “Charity Industry”, and an industry it has become, must take the blame, they have operated a policy of secrecy and resisted any type of proper regulation for years.  It is this environment that has allowed unscrupulous people to hide behind “Charity Status” while paying themselves handsomely. The public can hardly be blamed for their reaction when the veil of secrecy begins to slip.

Some of these charities also operate like full blown businesses, with significant career paths for the management while competing unfairly with legitimate businesses, which are subject to stringent regulation.

Proper regulation and a willingness of people working for charities to completely transparent systems of accounting will fix the problem.

The legislation has been on the Minister’s desk for signing since 2009, he just has to sign it. It’s one of those “Do it now” things

I have already written on this subject last April in my Recycling and Business NEWS blog
http://www.electronic-recycling.ie/blog/index.php/2013/04/charities-unregulated-and-unaccountable/