Oxfam is a variable charity at best. Oxfam India, for example was found to spend 70% of what it received in donations on fundraising[1]. In the UK it spends a s

Oxfam is a variable charity at best. Oxfam India, for example was found to spend 70% of what it received in donations on fundraising[1]. In the UK it spends a significant volume of money on fundraising, paying a company called Tag Campaigns to raise money in the streets, not without controversy[2][3]. Oxfam GB also acts as a lobbyist in the UK, receives large amounts of funding from the government and has particularly close ties to the Labour party[4]. I realise that this is easy to construe an attack on Oxfam rather than the crux of the post, but my point here is that Oxfam have a vested interest in highlighting such things, regardless of whether or not there's anything tangible that can be done in order to raise funds. I would encourage anyone looking to donate to charity to do some basic due diligence on their charity of choice, and to preferably donate to a smaller local charity first. [1] - http://capitalmind.in/2011/06/oxfam-india-spends-70-of-donations-as-fund-raising-cost/ http://capitalmind.in/2011/06/oxfam-india-spends-70-of-donat... [2] - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/9367193/Charities-ditch-street-chuggers-after-Sunday-Telegraph-investigation.html http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandcon... [3] - http://www.charitywatch.org/articles/street_solicitations.html http://www.charitywatch.org/articles/street_solicitations.ht... [4] - http://fakecharities.org/2011/02/charity-202918/ http://fakecharities.org/2011/02/charity-202918/