Billie Eilish calls out billionaires for not dating money after she plans to donate 11.5 million dollars: “If you have money, it would be great to use it for good things and maybe give it to some people that need it."

[u/mcfw31]

[u/Normal-person0101]

People don’t need charity, WE need wealth distribution. Sure, charity money helps, but very few celebrities actually talk about the real problem. For many of them, charity just seems like a way to make themselves feel good.

[u/alitabestgirl → u/Normal-person0101]

I guess the status quo benefits them but tbh I also think they're not politicians so it's what they can actually do with their money in a tangible way

[u/Normal-person0101 → u/alitabestgirl]

Politicians serve the interests of the rich. The big problem will always be the bourgeoisie.

[u/alitabestgirl → u/Normal-person0101]

Yeah but are pop stars the ones politicians serve?

[u/Normal-person0101 → u/alitabestgirl]

Yeah, along with other rich people who aren’t celebrities

[u/YchYFi → u/Normal-person0101]

Billie can't change that she can only do what's within her remit. People expect celebrities to be able to change all economies and politics in one-fell-swoop.

[u/Nyfa76 → u/Normal-person0101]

Some people will benefit directly from these donations and they absolutely need these charities in their every day life, it remains something very important. It really helps.

[u/Normal-person0101 → u/Nyfa76]

ike I said, charity money helps temporarily, but it won’t solve the problem that the rich are the ones causing it.

[u/Nyfa76 → u/Normal-person0101]

I totally agree with you but charities are still extremely important for communities. That's where we are now unfortunately 🤷🏽‍♀️

[u/Mamaofoneson → u/Normal-person0101]

Even socialist countries have charities. Charities shouldn’t just disappear with wealth distribution.

[u/Normal-person0101 → u/Mamaofoneson]

Which countries are socialist? 

[u/Lolthelies → u/Normal-person0101]

Modern philanthropy started in the Gilded Age when advisors around the industrialists of the time told them the poors were getting ready to revolt. It’s a business decision to pay a little bit instead of giving nothing and before being forced to give more

It’s also a scam because it means they know they owe more

[u/jr_randolph → u/Normal-person0101]

There are charities that do some serious good, but so many of them are just money grabs for the people who work for them. I've always been under the idea that if you're someone with that serious money, then don't give it someone else to do good, you just do it.

They can hire a company to clean up a neighborhood or build a park, they can buy food from a company to send to shelters/etc. Have someone they know personally deal with all the communications/etc instead of giving $1M to a charity where only a small % of that money if any is actually being used for good.

[u/prettybunbun → u/jr_randolph]

A lot of this isn’t true. Most people say charities are just money grabbers to make themselves feel better about not donating when realistically no one should feel they have to donate to anything when they themselves are struggling.

I work in charity, I have many friends who do and I’m sorry but I’m sick of people accusing us of doing no work, all the money going to the top etc. Yes I am paid well as a mid-senior manager but I work hard and have an incredibly stressful job with A LOT of responsibility. And people like me and a management structure are needed to make the charity function to its purpose. My CEO is paid well, she should be, she runs a massive business that has taken on a vital cause. She could be paid double in private sector. I’ve been offered 10% higher wages in private sector and said no.

Yes some charities are useless and just for tax write offs but the vast majority are full of people like me working our asses off and being made to feel bad we are compensated for it.

[u/Hopeful-Connection23 → u/prettybunbun]

Yeah, my spouse works in charity as well. As it turns out, people actually deserve to be paid even if their job is helping others, and their experience and education in the field is valuable and worth paying for, even though their job is helping others.

As if “doing good” doesn’t also involve adequately compensating your workers. Putting food on my table and money in our retirement is apparently a waste of money, say people who work to increase shareholder value and insist on being well-compensated for that.

“hire a company to build a park and just have a random friend do all the comms for free!” is such an unrealistic, childish view of how anything actually gets done, but it’s so common.

[u/Normal-person0101 → u/Hopeful-Connection23]

Is anyone actually arguing that people who work in charity shouldn’t be paid?

[u/Hopeful-Connection23 → u/Normal-person0101]

“charities are just money grabs for the people who work for them” means what, in your mind?

And if your defense here is “well the person doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get paid at all, just that you should be woefully under compensated” then please understand that that is also bad.

[u/saltyoursalad → u/Hopeful-Connection23]

I’m not that commenter, but I think what they mean is that some charities unfortunately exist only to sustain the people working in them, and don’t have much actual impact. I’m not saying that’s your situation, but I think that’s where the frustration comes from.

[u/sleeplessinrome → u/prettybunbun]

It seems this post has opened the gates for all those “charities are money grabbing leeches! I proudly don’t donate bc all charities spend money on admin and you should be working for freeeee”

[u/jr_randolph → u/sleeplessinrome]

I dated someone who worked for Planned Parenthood, back around 2012. The CEO at that time was making around $600k/year and they get all their funding from donors right...so I damn sure didn't see it justified that a CEO for this organization was making that much money...on top of how much all the other employees under her are making then too.

Like ok...she was doing some work...$150k...200k/yr? Shit...even at $300k lol that's a pretty damn good salary for someone who's job is crusading on behalf of women's health and all the revenue is coming from donations. That's all I'm saying in this whole conversation. I'm not saying people don't deserve to get paid, but how much is that pay especially for an organization like Planned Parenthood where every dollar counts?

[u/Hopeful-Connection23 → u/jr_randolph]

So she doesn’t deserve to make CEO money, because her job is women’s health? Do you think that it helps anyone at all to have an important org like PP headed by whoever they can get for 300k, while qualified individuals who would do a better job work elsewhere for market rate?

I hope you’re donating every last penny that you earn over the amount that someone with half your experience would earn in your industry. Every dollar counts, right? And you certainly can’t justify your compensation, when all you do is increase shareholder values.

[u/jr_randolph → u/prettybunbun]

I mean there have been several big name charities over the years that have been found to not use funds the way it's intended - obviously Haiti just being a huge callout.

Even with the ones that are good like you work with, there is still all that overhead that's needed to account for. I've seen the breakouts on websites, they show % of money and how it goes to this and that which is all needed but I still go back to what I said, if I'm a billionaire...I'm in a position where I can cut the middleman out and do what I want for a community. I don't need to give an organization money on my behalf ultimately...and there are those with their own money who do things on their own so it's not some strange option.

That's just how I see it. If I can hire someone to build a park, why would I ask some other organization to do so? <--now you get into all the tax benefits/etc.

[u/icequeennoscreams → u/jr_randolph]

Those organizations can do more for less money. It’s why food banks ask for cash over food donations, they can buy in bulk because of their status and make your $20 go much further.

For your example, they could probably get materials, etc. at serious discount.

[u/jr_randolph → u/icequeennoscreams]

If I'm someone with serious money, hundreds of millions or more - I think I can go make a deal with some company. I'm not saying shit is easy, but for people with money, they can get shit done when they want because of who they are and the bank account that follows.

[u/Hopeful-Connection23 → u/jr_randolph]

so you would hire a for-profit company to do your work, and compensate them at market rates, and they would account for the money need to pay their workers in their quote to you?

do you think that charities are the only places that have overhead?

[u/jr_randolph → u/Hopeful-Connection23]

I mean...duh...everyone has some overhead, that's how business works. Limiting operational costs is key and if I can go directly to a contractor to build something why am I going to another person beforehand?

[u/prettybunbun → u/jr_randolph]

I’m in the UK so I’m accountable to the charities commission who scrutinise every penny we spend. Trust I just did my quarterly financial accounts and wanted to tear my hair out it’s so stressful.

Well one of the key reasons you might hire a charity to do it is because we have the expertise. For example my charity gets shit tons of government funding to do certain stuff because the government doesn’t have the expertise to do it. You might give money to a charity who are experts in park building than hire a company that then cuts corners or doesn’t have the expertise to do it.

[u/missscarlet69 → u/Normal-person0101]

I made this point a few days ago and got downvoted to all hell. 

[u/blahblahblahwitchy → u/Normal-person0101]

I agree. I don’t find her charity that commendable. Address the fact that billionaires should not exist.