Monday 12 December 2011

Greenpeace, and their interesting accounting euphamisms

Greenpeace Annual Review 2010, page 19

Whilst looking for some info in the latest Greenpeace annual report, I came across this wonderful set of euphemisms.

Greenpeace puts out two reporting documents each year - a glossy Annual Review full of pretty pictures and nice graphs, and a very unglamorous set of financial statements. You can find both sets going back several years here.

The top picture is an extract from the glossy review. Under expenditure, its lists two items:

  • Investment in New Supporters - $3.281 million
  • Communication & Campaign Information for Supporters - $1.947 million
These two add up to $5.228 million, or 31% of everything Greenpeace raised last year.

After reading that, I sat there wondering, "What the fuck does that mean"?

So I read the more boring financial statements.

Greenpeace financial statements 2010, page 29
In the very boring statements, which only idiots like moi read, there appears to be a more straightforward explanation. "Direct costs of fundraising appeals" came to $5.222 million. Interesting that the numbers don't add up across the two reports.

What got my attention was this - why exactly do Greenpeace feel the need to use terms like "investment in new supporters" and "Communication & Campaign Information for Supporters"? Why can't they just come out and say "cost of dressing up idiots in koala suits and having them annoyingly shake buckets at people in the street"?

What have they got to hide?

4 comments:

Simon said...

unless Sydney is different I think you will find the koalas are The Widerness Society. Got to get your greeny activists straight!

Anonymous said...

Maybe what they've got to hide is the income levels of those who run things at Greenpeace?

cav said...

Hey BOAB, how about an analysis of assets of organisations that seek donations from the public.

Are they poor or rich?

Boy on a bike said...

How right you are - got my annoying donation collectors mixed up. All greentards look alike to me.