Charities spent €500,000 on Christmas radio adverts

Two of the country’s leading charities spent €500,000 on their Christmas gifts radio advertising campaigns in 2013.

Figures supplied by Trócaire show that the charity’s advertising spend on its Christmas gifts appeal was €299,970.

Livestock aid agency Bóthar spent €200,000 on its radio campaign, which also covered an appeal for donations to assist in the humanitarian crisis engulfing the Philippines in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan.

In contrast, the spend by international aid agency Oxfam Ireland was significantly lower. It spent €16,757 on its Philippine radio appeal in the Republic of Ireland and €13,555 on its 12 Days of Christmas ad.

Bóthar chief executive Peter Ireton defended his charity’s spend, saying that, “broadly speaking”, the return on the spend was 3:1. In other words, for every euro spent on the ad, the charity raised three euro in donations.

Mr Ireton said that, “back in the good days”, returns were closer to 4:1.

Bóthar recorded a €1.3m deficit in 2012, largely due to a substantial property write-down of €736,000. Staff numbers reduced from 27 in 2012 to 19. Asked how the charity was able to afford an expensive ad campaign, Mr Ireton said it was “just a matter of managing affairs”.

“In many respects you’d say we can’t afford it,” he said, adding that every penny collected for the Philippines appeal went directly to the stricken country and there were no overheads involved.

Trócaire said its Christmas gifts appeal raised €1.6m in 2012. A spokesperson said when people buy a Trócaire gift, 100% of their donation is spent on Trócaire’s direct charitable expenditure.

The spokesperson said the cost of advertising is accounted for separately in Trócaire’s fundraising and marketing budget, which makes up 7% of the charity’s total annual expenditure.

Trócaire’s Christmas gifts range in price from €7 to €200 and include chicks (€7) for families in Kenya and houses (€200) for poor rural families in India. For the first time, Trócaire One4all Gift cards are also on sale in post offices nationwide.

Oxfam Ireland said its annual Christmas appeal, ‘Unwrapped’ is down 33% year on year. This is the first year of the 12 Days appeal.

“We’d expect to raise significant funds at Christmas time but we are seeing that our appeal income is down significantly year on year,” a spokesperson said.

All funds raised through the 12 Days of Giving Christmas Appeal go directly to Oxfam’s humanitarian fund.

The spokesperson said the response to the 12 Days campaign was disappointing.