# ‘Top up’ disclosures having “devastating” effect on donations

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2013/12/18/top-disclosures-devastating-effect-donations/
- Published: 2013-12-18T14:52:39+00:00
- Author: Howard Lake

The fallout from the recent revelations about salary ‘top ups’ being paid from charitable
funds has reduced the likelihood that many Irish people will give to charity, according
to a poll for the Irish Times.

When asked if they were more or less likely to contribute to charity following the
revelations, 69% of respondents said they were less likely to donate while 23% said
it would make no difference.

The poll also found that there was almost total opposition to paying salary top 
ups from charitable funds.

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Last week [Fundraising Ireland](http://www.fundraisingireland.ie/‎) CEO Anne Hanniffy
said that some charities were reporting a 40% drop in donations and were receiving
many telephone calls cancelling donations.

> “There is no denying but that this is one of the most serious periods faced by
> the Irish non-profit sector”

said Ms Hanniffy.

Ms Hanniffy said that two weeks of a series of revelations about donations being
used to top up salaries was having a “devastating impact on the sector”.

The [Irish Times](http://www.irishtimes.com) poll was conducted on 9 and 10 December
amongst 1,000 voters across Ireland.

_Photo: [euro coins in closed off pipeline](http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-103289177/stock-photo-no-money.html)
by GTS on Shutterstock.com_

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