Using the web to search for my charities I selected an animal adoption charity and Asthma UK. The initial response from my animal charity was very impressive. Within a week I received a thank you pack containing an adoption certificate, a tiger photograph, four postcards, a wildlife introductory pack containing an information sheet and a booklet on the king of the beasts.

But after receiving all this, I noticed that one of the items had a price tag of just £9 on it. This made me wonder how much of my donation was going to the charity's work - and how much was going to producing this pack. Unfortunately, I didn't receive any information about the work itself and had no idea how my donation would help. The thank you pack was the only response I received. With no dedicated website available, it seems I will never know just how this charity's work has progressed.

Asthma UK was my second donation. As an asthma sufferer, I was keen to see how my donation would be used. I made the donation online and received an email, thanking me and encouraging me to visit the site to find out more about how my donation would improve lives of people with asthma. After browsing the site I was reassured that my donation would be used well.

Since my initial donation, Asthma UK still encourage me to donate with warm appeals, raffles and lotteries. I also receive a quarterly magazine which contains research updates, personal stories and information on events. With a website and newsletter dedicated to members, I'm kept up to date in all areas of Asthma UK's work.

Richard O'Sullivan