How *should* diabetes charities engage with the great unwashed?

[Tim]

When I chat to people about everyone’s favourite diabetes charities, people often grump that they don’t quite get it right and engage with us great unwashed. So, if you were head of a diabetes charity with omnipotent powers what would you do?

Anyone who brings up the old argument about charities “devoting too much time, money and effort to type one / type two [delete as applicable depending on your condition]” will be kicked and banned from the site

[Dave]

I’m a little torn on this one.

Firstly I’ll do the standard DUK is too focussed on T2; but, that’s where most people sit so I can see the logic. Please don’t kick or ban I promise not to say it again.
I do however, regularly support JDRF for entirely selfish reasons – their focus is on trying to make themselves unneeded and I love that.

I don’t want too much interaction from JDRF. Let DUK do all the ‘supporting the person’ bit while I want as much of my money as possible to go towards finding that bloody cure and bringing it’s distance closer than ‘ten years away’. In the last nine months I’ve found more information from the general Diabetes Online Community (SUoPU included) than any charity has given me in the previous 31 years and going forward I think the discussion between fellow Ds will become increasingly important.

Charities have their role but, personally, I think it’s important that their number one focus is to work towards better treatment or cures for you, me and the future young children that will be diagnosed.

Obviously, that’s just my view but I’m quite happy with my opinion on this one.

[Tim]

I was reading about Cancer Research recently(ish) and they’ve introduced a system whereby you can get details of each bit of research that’s being carried out and can “sponsor” that particular research. So, for example, if you have a particular interest in a bit of research about some aspect of pancreatic cancer you can get all the details about it, follow any developments and – as I recall – make sure your donations are targeted to that particular bit of research.

I think this is a great idea, as sometimes you get an uneasy feeling that your donation is going into a pot of cash and you don’t really have any engagement with what happens to your cash post-donation.

[Anonymous]

@tim So you are saying that Cancer Research is adopting a “Crowd Sourced/Funded” aspect to donation.. I like!!

I think that type of business model will be the way forward, as us minions will undoubtedly what to see where the money is going to and to see things happen. It would also be easier to track donated monies, one would think from either end?

[Tim]

@mikeinspain – ‘you could put it like that, yes. I think I first read about it in WIRED magazine.

[Anonymous]

Well it happens to be perfect timing, as I found a bunch of threads/discussions/exchanges on the Diabetes UK FB page – https://www.facebook.com/diabetesuk.

The main whine was about the direction DUK are taking or not taking depending on which way you look at it. The general concern was that DUK is completely out of touch and is still coughing up dodgy info? Altogether nothing particularly complimentary!

[Author]

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