It's a shame for the charity and the good work it does, but the Australian government has put a hold on finanacial aid to WV after the arrest of the director of the Gaza branch of the charity who, it is alleged, channelled 60% of World Vision funds meant for the Gaza Strip into the pockets of the terrorist group, Hamas.

That's the trouble with world charities - donors don't know what a actually happens to their donations. And, this is a proudly Christian charity.

' And, this is a proudly Christian charity.'

actually ttbn World Vision left its Christian roots a fair while back. At one stage Tim Costello was even on the gw religion bandwagon. Hamas is happy to use kids as human shields so its no surprise that they also steal aid money. Very little reporting from the abc/sbs. Imagine it was the Israelies.

runner, "Very little reporting from the abc/sbs"

And very sympathetic reporting it was too, cringeworthy to any journalist worth his salt.

It would have been preferable if the ABC had referred to this report, with Tim Costello responding to it. See here,

http://mfa.gov.il/MFA/ForeignPolicy/Issues/Pages/Behind-the-Headlines-Hamas-exploitation-of-World-Vision-in-Gaza-to-support-terrorism-4-August-2016.aspx

Runner,

What I meant was that they claim to be Christian on their website. I don't think that they are particularly Christian at all, and I think that Costello is very unlikeable person I wouldn't trust with 20 cents. He is sanctimous, judgemental and sneering. I would have thought that he would have been the worst type of person to front a charity.

Any charity can "claim" to be christian oriented, its nothing more than good marketing to sucker in the believers. That is believers who feel their money IS going to a worthy cause.

This just reiterates don't believe everything you see on the internet, yet as of June 30 2016, barely half the world's population can access the internet > http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm

How much more BS, dodgy websites and mindless social media chatter is yet to come??

I don't see what stating an associated religion has to do with any charity.
Either you support what it does or you don't.

I feel sure that this incident is not the only one that has ever happened and World Vision is not the only charity it has happened to.

Many charities - especially those car raffle ones in shopping centres - are profit making ventures so you should always consider how much of the funds are going to end up as intended and some are more transparent than others.

How much of that money that goes onto the plate at the local wishing room on Sunday ends up as legal support for protecting pedophile priests?

Runner,

You probably won't be interested to know that the rise of Hamas was actually assisted by Israel and they actively supported one of it's founders Sheikh Ahmed Yassin.

This was deliberately done to get rid of the PLO and weaken the Intifada.

Likewise, Israel was once an ally of Iran (the other non-Arab State in the region) and they even developed missile systems together, until the USA organised the overthrow of Iran's democratically elected government to protect their oil interests and restore the Shah and thus set off what was to become militant Islam.

Credit where credit's due.

World Vision is a huge outfit paying its office holders very handsomely indeed. Its TV advertising budget alone would be massive and it is all hard sell.

10% of those millions donated goes to administration and that reporting would be conservative, relying on clever accounting and its senior finance officers. It is very easy for instance, to boost the book value of donated items when distributed.

Tim Costello (and the ABC!) have never been backward in criticising the Australian government and its departments over policy. Where the ABC is concerned, there is a fearful brouhaha if even a junior federal public servant is accused of any wrongdoing. For example, failure to properly acquit domestic travel.

The allegations, if proved, against the director of the Gaza branch of World Vision would demonstrate severe lapses in the governance and auditing of World Vision and as such could well be systemic affecting its operations in many countries, including Australia.

Just to say that the ABC could have done a much better job in its interview of Tim Costello. Most likely it should have chosen someone else who actually knew something of the Gaza operations. It was an interview that came across as yet another senior executive of yet another large corporation hosing down any criticism. It deserved a more senior interviewer at least.

Rache,

This money went to a terrorist organisation. Sure, money could go adrift from any charities, but we are talking here about a charity which receives money from Australian taxpayers (via the government who is very free with other peoples' money) as well as ordinary Australian donors. Hamas, a fundamentalist Islamic group is an enemy of Australia. That makes it different from the run of the mill fraud case which are criminal acts. Financing a terrorist organisation is, itself, legally a terrorist act. Not defending the people funding the gambling habits,,of course.

In 2009, Tim Costello was receiving an annual salary package of $250,000. Wonder what it is 7 years later. Wonder how much in other payments to 'directors' and workers comes out of well-meaning donors' money and our taxes on top of Hamas's cut? In 2010, it was reported that a soccer field for Palestinian youngsters, paid for with Australian money, was to be named after a Fatah (terror organisation) deceased leader. Tim and World Vision were reported as being "shocked" over that, too. Seems the the security checks that Reverend Costello mentioned in his recent ABC radio interview about the latest accusations, wasn't working very well then, either; and Costello is still "shocked".

I don't particularly care what they are paid, although charities and 'save this, save that' do offer jolly good incomes, entitlements, trappings of office and travel. Bugger all stress compared with a private business.

What was disappointing was the limp ABC 'interview'. Where is the follow-up? If World Vision had supplied the questions Tim Costello couldn't have had a softer ride. Yet the issues are apparently serious. Why the kid gloves, ABC?

Onthebeach the ABC has become unfit for purpose and needs to be shut down. That is the only TV station I watch so it would be a hardship for me but it has to be done.
Charity is all fraud. They should have to have all their accounts via a Government bank account or pay 48.5% tax on all monies received.
That venal and duplicitous Keating is responsible for the "Not For Profit" fraud perpetrated on Australia. It just means people get big salaries but pay no taxes. Everyman and his left wing dog has this angle now, big salary tax free it is a disgrace!

OTB,

Your own posts and opinions over a period answer your questions about the ABC and its lack of relevant and probing questioning.

I do care what these people are paid. The only good charity is performed voluntarily. It is well known that volunteers volunteer not so much for the benifit of the people needing charity, but for the good feeling and satisfaction they get themselves. They actually feel the need to 'do good'. Most of us do not feel that need and I, I have to admit, think that is because their lives are inadequate, while I do appreciate they mean well and sometimes have a positive effect.

Transfer 'need' to the professionals, and they are also doing it for themselves - their well-paying jobs. I do not appreciate anything about such people.

I saw this mob in New Guinea, & know a bloke who worked for them in Africa.

They are about the worst, most dishonest of all the charities. I'd put them on a par with Greenpeace for usefulness & honesty. I reckon all the management of both should be locked up for Fraud.

A used car salesman of my acquaintance in the bad old days, used to say, "someone is going to rip off the fool punters, so it might as well be me". I wonder if he is in senior management of World Vision today. Nah, more money in Greenpeace.

Dear runner,

You wrote;

“Hamas is happy to use kids as human shields so its no surprise that they also steal aid money.”

Well it appears leaders within your own faith either participated in or covered up using kids as sexual playthings. Gee whiz, this mudslinging is pretty easy isn't it?

That being said I do think World Vision does an amazing job. They are among the most efficient in cost of fundraising and although I can't find a recent comparison but this one from 2011 shows them at around 14% compared to the worst which was the Royal Surf Lifesaving Inc which was 62%.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/business/new-website-set-to-expose-charities-spending-upwards-of-60-per-cent-of-donations-on-administration-costs/story-e6freqmx-1226174582139?nk=3f61f19738e05ab525ab9e5caf7860f3-1471067736

I also think they do valuable work in Gaza where the population is forced by Israel to live in the most appalling conditions.

Can any of you please explain how the Gazan head of World Vision managed to divert to Hamas nearly three times the total amount of money contributed to by WV to Gaza? It beggars belief but you lot seem to want to lap it up. How about a modicum of skepticism every now and again?

Dear Hasbeen,

You making things up yet again?

Hey Steele Redux,
"Can any of you please explain how the Gazan head of World Vision managed to divert to Hamas nearly three times the total amount of money contributed to by WV to Gaza?"

I'm questioning the truthfulness of this claim on that issue but I don't know enough about facts at this point and am waiting for more info to come out.

I do wonder sometimes, how much money exactly does ultimately end up in the distended bellies of many of the world's starving peoples ? I understand there's always operating costs, often of a logistical nature, and other administrative overheads, as you'd expect. That said, when I was still working they were in the process of putting a small team together to have a look at couple of extraordinary disbursements of one such world renowned charity, whether it actually took place I don't know, but the 2 i/c of general fraud was given carriage of it at the time ?

That said, if serious deficiencies were detected I'm sure the media would've run with it given the high profile of the charity. That said there have been serious frauds committed in complete isolation of the Board of that Charity, committed by the CEO. But that doesn't indicate, that particular charity should be viewed with any degree of cynicism as being tainted with corrupt behaviour.

Still it does leave a nasty taste in one's mouth, when donating, particularly those organisations who use unemployed young people at traffic lights, seeking cash donations from drivers while awaiting the lights to change. Many collectors rarely display an official ID, and the likelihood of you receiving an official receipt for monies received, is well out of the question, I would've thought. That said, I suppose I've got an eternally suspicious mind about such things ?