Our audiences are often moved by hearing about the issues that people in our output are facing. They often want to provide help and assistance. This is particularly acute at the moment as we focus on hardship associated with the rise in the cost of living. Sometimes this can lead to enquiries about making donations and offers of specific assistance to those whose situations we have highlighted. It is always best practice to direct our audiences to a registered charity or range of suitable organisations , who can support the person and channel help most effectively. The reason for this is that such organisations usually have the experience and infrastructure to carry out appropriate due diligence checks and ensure that the assistance offered is the best for the person affected. In exceptional circumstances if audiences want to donate to individuals directly then the 大象传媒 Content or News team concerned should carry out some basic due diligence checks on the donor first (eg. calling them back to verify their number and taking a work email if they have one etc.). Contact details should only be passed on with the agreement of those involved and usually it would be by giving suitable donor鈥檚 details to the contributor. Special care must be taken if the person in need is a vulnerable contributor eg. with a history of mental illness or who has suffered abuse. Before proceeding further advice should be obtained from Natalie Christian (Senior Adviser, (Charities), Editorial Policy) and Emma Kingsley (Charity Appeals Adviser).
In cases of financial hardship it may be useful to pass on or include the action lines for Hardship, Debt & Homelessness 大象传媒 - Information and Support 鈥� Hardship, Debt and Homelessness.
If it is output associated with the fundraising of the DEC or one of the umbrella charities that the 大象传媒 supports, such as Children in Need or Comic Relief, then it is more sensible to direct people to donate to those organisations.