Video game goodies

In video gamedom, saving the world normally involves blasting baddies to bits - but there was a new option this Christmas. My friends Sally and Sam played the first of a new genre of do-gooder alternatives. It comes from the UN, it's called FoodForce, and the idea is to teach kids about disaster relief. Here's what they thought:

Sam (13): "It was very interesting but i wouldnt play it every day. it taught me a lot about the United Nations and their help to third world countries. i dont think it would appeal to my mates but the makers could improve it by reducing the time the people talk on the game, and increase the gameplay time."
Score: 6/10

Sally (10): "i now know that we only need a half of the food we have and we could give africa a bit more i also realise how much time and effort that it takes into getting the food there. I would try my mates but i don't think they would like it. It would be good for school but a bit wierd and boring at home."
Score: 8/10

Download FoodForce (it's free)
An overview of "Serious Games"

Christmas signoff

Off on an extended holiday now, lucky me. So...

Merry Christmas to all you lovely donors, beneficiaries and charity workers - and best of luck for 2006!

I look forward to learning more, with your help I hope, in the New Year.

Two failures

News just in: The 2005 Year of the Volunteer failed to increase volunteering.

Oh. And how much did that little lot cost? Should heads roll, as they would in business? Why do I doubt that will happen?

The 2000-2003 Giving Campaign didn't work either ("Charitable giving in the UK in real terms has been about flat over the last 12 or 13 years." Stephen Ainger boss of Charities Aid Foundation, 2005)

A theme is emerging methinks. What's the problem here?

• Was it because there were idiots in charge of the campaigns? Unlikely.
  
• Was it because we Brits don't like being told what to do? Likely.
  
• Was it because charity people are not the ones to run such campaigns? Perhaps we need people more like us to inspire us. Even likelier.
  
• Or maybe one year isn't long enough. As one of the smarter people* in the charity world has said, "..the biggest failure of the Giving Campaign was that it was only to last for three years. I cannot find anybody who can offer a coherent explanation for this. It is beyond me that people could conceive that giving could be transformed in three years."
  
  *Joe Saxton, head of research company nfpsynergy

Let them eat money

If disaster relief were a fashion then the new Black would be:
giving money - rather than bags of grain - to starving people.

Following trials in, among other places, Banda Aceh, Oxfam is now handing out cash to drought-threatened Zambians. No, they don't blow it all on iPods. It seems to be working.

Donated cash	Donated grain
Empowers, raises self-esteem	"Yes bwana, thank you bwana"
Benefits local/nearby farmers	"What's the point of farming?"
Improves the local economy generally	"No-one here has money. I'm taking my business to Gabarone."

The same holds true about donated clothes. Local clothesmakers, associated businesses and traditional fashions die out. But none of the charities seem to be doing anything about that.

Anyway the big report on all this is at the Overseas Development Institute

Strepsil-induced ramblings

The cold bug has struck. So, even less structure than usual. In fact, here's an utterly random list of items:

• The pastor of a church (with charitable status) was recently told by the Charity Commission to give back to his church the £200,000 which he spent on accommodation, a blowout birthday party, a flash car and a time-share in Florida. That's it. Give back. Maybe I'll set up my own prosperity gospel church if that's the worst I have coming to me..



• Not only are the big charities getting bigger but the small charities are getting squeezed out because... the former used to give grants to the latter but are now bringing all their work inhouse. So beneficiaries are missing out on the passion, sensitivity and innovation of the small outfits. Sources here are hazy. Please comment, people - I know you have an opinion!



• Guidestar UK will cost £1.4m a year to update. Anyone know who's going to pay for it? And how will they fix the fundamental OCR inability to produce usable text from the annual reports? The Charity Commission's simple scans are far more readable... ... oh never mind...



• A big problem for society is that donors think charity people are mostly dreary do-gooders and charity people think donors are mostly capitalists with small consciences. The truth is of course so much more complex and... I'll expand on this one day.



• *Cough*