Charity begins at the Roundabout ?

[Warrior]

We have had a spate of door to door collections on our Urbi just lately, you know the type: “It’s for the poor crippled orphans, to give them a holiday…, day out…, party etc., etc.
These people all have Identity Cards, whether bogus or not, with clipboards containing indecipherable lists of names, supposedly your neighbours, together with amounts usually in excess of five or ten Euros.
Now I was told when I came over to Spain, ten years ago, never to give to these people as it is illegal in this country to collect door to door even if you’re a perfectly legal Charity, can someone confirm or deny this please.
I might add that from their appearance I wouldn’t trust these people with charitable funds, as most of them look like deserters from the roundabout!!!

[rspltd]

Charities

I don't think you can define 'perfectly legal' in terms of Charities in Spain. There is no overseeing body such as the Charities Commision in the UK, there is no central register, there appears to be no requirement to register other than with the tax authorities (this to make sure they are paying the correct amount of tax) and there appears to be no requirement to publish accounts nor declare the percentage of donations that goes to the 'cause'. Judging by the number of buskers and others there appears to be no restriction on begging either.

[Rob1305]

I am not sure the above post is totally correct. Charities have to be registered with the local town hall in which town they are based.

I would agree these door to door things are bogus and I would call the Policia Local as they might also be eyeing up your property, seeing who is in, how old, dogs around etc etc.

[rspltd]

Registering

I did say that they have to be registered but this seems to be to do with whether they are or not paying tax -do you know different?