The Captain Tom scandal and doubts about charitable giving

Captain Sir Tom Moore's daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore. The family made more than £1m through their association with the charity set up in his name, a damning report has found. Photograph: Jacob King/PA

Gary Nunn’s article raises important points (I worked in charities for years – here’s how I make sure my money is going to a good cause, not Captain Tom’s family, 25 November). Members of my family work for aid organisations and are reasonably paid, as they should be, working in difficult and often dangerous conditions. However, I was put off subscribing to one charity when I learned that its chief executive was paid £170,000 a year. Most charities are supported by an army of unpaid volunteers; yes, they all need staff to do the work that Gary Nunn describes, but their pay should reflect the needs of the organisation, not that of executives in a purely commercial outfit.
Caroline Pickard
Bungay, Suffolk

• Gary Nunn leaves out one important drain on our charitable giving. As the Observer reported last month, a non-trivial amount is trousered by the duchies of Lancaster and Cornwall, the property estates of King Charles and Prince William.
Bob Epton
Brigg, Lincolnshire

• I hope that Geraldine Blake (Letters, 25 November) can be persuaded that many charities are effective and provide a vital service. For impartial evidence of the best UK performers, see goodgivinglist.org
Andrew Lugton
Harrow, London

• Please do not give up donating to charities – give to small local ones, where even very small amounts can make a big difference, and where there is a high level of accountability. The Charity Commission website has a register that includes charity accounts, details of trustees and governance documents, so these things should be easy to find out.

Our tiny charity has no staffing costs as we are run by volunteers. We don’t claim expenses, but we do provide a group lunch twice a year. Apart from that, and unavoidable costs such as insurance, printing and fees for professional services, all monies received go towards fulfilling our charitable objective. We’re working hard to provide a facility that the local authority once did, by building a Youth Hub in Woodbridge, Suffolk; if donations stop and we have to close, then what?
Cordelia Richman
Trustee, Jetty Lane CIO

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