We've put together answers to some of your most frequent questions, so if there's something you need to know, chances are someone has already asked it. Have a look through the full list to see if you can find what you're looking for.If you can't find the answer to your question please contact us directly.
ABOUT US
JOINING & DONATING
CAMPAIGNS
WORKING & VOLUNTEERING
OTHER
What makes Friends of the Earth Scotland different?
Friends of the Earth Scotland works in particular on environmental issues and how they apply in Scotland. We work closely with the Scottish Parliament, inputting to policy development here. Due to Scotland's unique landscape and history we have very specific challenges and opportunities that we can focus closely on. When was Friends of the Earth Scotland founded? Friends of the Earth Scotland was founded in 1978. How many supporters do you have? We have around 4,500 supporters. Is Friends of the Earth Scotland a political organisation? No. We are a Scottish Registered Charity (No. SC003442) and as such are non-party-political. JOINING & DONATING
What is the best way to give to Friends of the Earth Scotland? The most beneficial way to help Friends of the Earth Scotland is to give a committed gift by direct debit. This allows the organisation to plan ahead, is cheaper to administer and a gift by direct debit allows you more flexibility. As a member of Friends of the Earth Scotland you will receive monthly e-mail updates and our great magazine covering current issues and campaigns. You can also ring up or e-mail for information. Can I support Friends of the Earth Scotland by credit card or cheque? Yes How can my family support Friends of the Earth Scotland? We have a family membership option. In addition to that, members of the family could organise fundraising activities for us, like a sponsored activity or a coffee morning etc or help promote us through putting leaflets in locations such as schools or workplaces. What is Gift Aid and can I support Friends of the Earth Scotland using it? If you pay tax you are eligible to Gift Aid your subscription and any donations you give. This will mean we can claim gift aid from the Inland Revenue. At the moment this equates to 22p for every £1 you give. As an example if have signed a Gift Aid form and give us £10 we can claim an extra £2.20 from the Inland Revenue (at no extra cost to you) andbut your donation is nowwould be worth £12.20. How can I notify you of a change in my details – name, bank, address? Before Summer 2008 we will have an online system where you can do this with the minimum of fuss. Until then you'll need to call 0131 243 2700 during office hours to speak to someone in the membership department (or leave a message on voicemail). To notify us of change of address you can use this form. Alternatively write to us at Friends of the Earth Scotland, Thorn House, 5 Rose Street, Edinburgh. EH2 2PR Where does Friends of the Earth Scotland's money come from?
Friends of the Earth Scotland is funding by its members and grants from charitable trusts.
Does FoE Scotland receive any Government funding? Only for specific projects, such as our project providing support for communities trying to influence local plans and planning applications. Overall government sources account for only a very small amount of our funding. Does FoE Scotland receive any corporate donations? Only in very limited circumstances, mainly gifts in kind for or raffle prizes or specific support for a small project. We would not accept funding from a company we consider unethical and would only approach a company which is actively implementing improved environmental practices and ethical policies. Receiving a donation does not mean we endorse that company. How much money does FoE Scotland raise a year? On average we raise about £500,000 per year. Do you offer gift subscriptions? Yes. Giving a subscription is a great gift – please ring us on 0131 243 2700. We will also soon have facilities for doing this online. Can I support you from overseas by Direct Debit? No, unfortunately this is currently only possible by credit card. What is a tribute fund? This is a fund you set up in memory of a loved one or a donation you give in their memory, In this way you can remember the life of someone special whilst protecting the environment for future generations. Please ring us if you want to set a fund up. How can I support Friends of the Earth Scotland on my wedding day? If you already have many of the things you need for your home, you could set up a wedding list which promotes giving gifts to charities as well as or rather than buying presents. We can help you set this up – please ring us. How can I leave money to you in my will? We can provide you with an information leaflet about how you could approach this – though you will need to seek your own proper legal advice to actually set this up in your will. Please get in touch with the membership department. Do you have Friends of the Earth Scotland collection boxes? We can send you a box if you want to ask local shops to have one – we would need you to collect the funds once it is full and then send us in the money. Do you offer a concessionary membership for supporting Friends of the Earth Scotland? Yes. We have a concessionary rate for students, unwaged and OAPs. The current rate is £12.00 per year. Can I give money to a specific area of work? No. Generally we ask you to donate to our general funds as this enables us to develop our campaigns and projects as required, in response to the changing government policies and local developments (include direct link to “donate”). However, if you want to give money to a specific aspect of our work this is possible – please chose an option under the “support us” section or ring us to talk it through. How does Friends of the Earth Scotland spend its money? Does a lot go on administration? Most of the donations given to us are spent on delivering specific projects or running our campaigns. We only spend about 1% of our money on administration and a further 9% on fundraising and promoting our organisation. There are lots of charities all doing the same thing – why doesn’t Friends of the Earth Scotland work with them? We work with other charities under the umberella '‘Scottish Environnment Link'’which has XX members in Scotland. We also work closely with other Friends of the Earth members in the Friends of the Earth International network making us much more effective on the wider global issues such as Climate Change. Why does Friends of the Earth Scotland spend money on fundraising? It is important that Friends of the Earth Scotland can campaign independently of companies, Government or other bodies so that we can lobby for improved policies and regulations without being influenced by their agendas. So we rely heavily on donations from individuals and Trusts to stay independent. We need to promote ourselves and actively fundraise to make sure we inform people about our work and encourage them to donate to us.
What are Friends of the Earth Scotland's current campaigns? Climate Change; Renewables; Energy Efficiency; Waste Prevention; Nuclear power.
Can you keep me up to date with what is happening with Friends of the Earth Scotland's campaigns? Yes – sign up here I want to get more active in campaigning for Friends of the Earth Scotland That’s great to know! We can keep you busy helping our staff to organise projects and campaigns. Sign up for our Cyberactivist mailing list, or contact Ros Browning on 0131 243 2700. What about children? Can they campaign too? Of course; all ages are welcome in the crucial work of protecting our environment. And young people? Young people who can see the benefits of effective campaigning are invaluable; our projects can inform academic studies and community projects alike. Does campaigning really work? Remember the French company which wanted to tear the island of Harris apart in 2004? Not any more they don't, and we at FoE Scotland were instrumental in the large public campaign which saw them off. The closure of the Dounreay nuclear power station which had been leaking lethal waste into the Moray Firth for decades, was achieved with the close involvement of local and national members of Friends of the Earth Scotland. And in schools, homes and workplaces across the country people who’ve listened to FoE Scotland’s arguments are thinking more about what they consume and changing their habits to make a better, cleaner world.
How can I work for Friends of the Earth Scotland? Vacancies are always advertised in the media, online on our website and other jobs websites. Many staff have previously volunteered at FoES so this is also a good way of developing your knowledge of our work. How can I volunteer for Friends of the Earth Scotland? All volunteering opportunities are advertised on our website. Fill in our volunteering form. Ring or email telling us what are your skills and interests are, and we’ll find something useful for you to do!
I need some information for my homework / thesis / dissertation – can you help? Our online briefings are extensive; have a look here. If you need more, then talk to a staff member about your query.
