I am extremely cynical about the semi-frequent "fun runs" to raise money for cancer research or whatever in my city. It's usually upper middle / upper class people feeling good about themselves for raising a couple of hundred bucks each, and diverting traffic and trams on the weekend (when this affected me I was a cafe worker commuting on the weekends).

You know how else we could fund this cancer research, and way more than your feel-good bullshit? Oh yeah, we could tax you properly. No more capital gains discount, etc.

I feel the same about Movember and my company promoting it. You know how else we could raise money for men's health, company, you could pay more in tax. Just like a tiny bit more would be waaaaay more than the piddly little tax free donation you're kicking in.

Charity fund-raising is only necessary because of the failure of the state, mostly. In my opinion.