Donating To Charities

Jordan2 · ‎03-16-2010

My elderly mother is on a fixed income but still likes to give donations to charities that are important to her. I keep a list so I know when and how much she has given. Anyway she gets a letter from one of the charities thanking her for the donation but have enclosed an envelope and card asking for more! She sent them $10 about 10 weeks ago and will donate another $10 at the six month mark. I'm really annoyed by this. It's as if the $10 isn't enough. Also they are counting on the fact you won't remember when you last sent a donation. My question is how often in a calendar year do you donate to a charity?

PAlady · ‎04-27-2010

Jordan2 - If a charity I have donated to does that, I just throw the envelope away. Other than my local Humane Society, I only donate once a year.

Hope this helps.

VaBelle35 · ‎03-10-2010

Many charities contract with a mail house for their mailings and this is a pretty standard move for both large and small charities (non-profit and political).

I wouldn't read too much into it. It apparently works very well otherwise they wouldn't do it.

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deepwaterdotter · ‎03-09-2010

I donate to my favorite charity, Warrior Canine Connection, three times a year. I like to contribute when the organization is participating in a matching campaign to maximize my donation. Sometimes they compete with other charities to raise the largest amount and win a reward of animal supplies to benefit the health and welfare of the dogs.

Perkup · ‎03-09-2010

We donate about twice a year, but no matter how often or how much, we still get the letters. If we sent in a donation in January we would get another letter in a month or so asking for more.

We've finally narrowed our donating down to only one charity, and have named them as benefactors in our wills. We simply send back the others' letters with a nice note that we have narrowee our choices down and will not be sending them further donations, and asking them to discontinue the letters. Sometimes it works, other times they just keep sending them, along with the greeting cards, return address stickeers, note pads, etc. We just keep sending back the requests with our standard note. It has helped a bit.

Your Mother should simply ignore the letters until she is ready to make her next donations, and then respond to the charities she chooses. Her gifts represent a sacrifice on her part, and show her to be a wonderful, generous lady. You should be (and I am sure you are) very proud of her.

Sooner · ‎03-10-2010

IMMEDIATELY get these charities (so called) to take her off their mailing lists. DO IT! It is simply a scam. Theiy PREY ON OLD PEOPLE! My mom became incompetent and we get tons of them every day through the mail: Veteran's groups; the biggest and "most respected" hospitals hawking newsletters; pet charities; and lots of others you wouldn't believe.

I am so soured on charities at this point. Sorry but MOST of them (the big ones) are simply money grubbing businesses to benefit the officers and executives. ONLY give to local charities that you can SEE what they are doing. I'm sorry, and I know a lot will disagree. but I am simply stunned and disgusted by what I've seen from the mail-outs we have received DAILY!

SeaMaiden · ‎03-10-2010

I have five animal charities that I give to twice a year $10. That is $100 total a year. They always want more....but that's it.

Deb1010yetagain · ‎12-09-2013

@Perkup wrote:
We donate about twice a year, but no matter how often or how much, we still get the letters. If we sent in a donation in January we would get another letter in a month or so asking for more.

We've finally narrowed our donating down to only one charity, and have named them as benefactors in our wills. We simply send back the others' letters with a nice note that we have narrowee our choices down and will not be sending them further donations, and asking them to discontinue the letters. Sometimes it works, other times they just keep sending them, along with the greeting cards, return address stickeers, note pads, etc. We just keep sending back the requests with our standard note. It has helped a bit.

Your Mother should simply ignore the letters until she is ready to make her donation, and then respond to the charities she chooses. Her gifts, however small they may seem to some, represent a wonderful generosity on her part and are worthy of great praise and admiration. A wonderful lady.

Very well said @Perkup. ITA

kzjohnson · ‎12-15-2011

There are 2 organizations I'm very passionate about that are not part of the charitiable organizations available through my employer's payroll deduction.

When I set up my monthly donations to these 2 organiztions I requested to be pulled from their mailing list. No sense in wasting money asking for money when I already giving them money!

Both did so. And since setting up automatic donations, the amount of other "junk" mail I receive asking for donations has diminished greatly..

chickenbutt · ‎03-09-2010

VaBelle35 wrote:
Many charities contract with a mail house for their mailings and this is a pretty standard move for both large and small charities (non-profit and political).

I wouldn't read too much into it. It apparently works very well otherwise they wouldn't do it.

This! It is annoying, sure, but it's nothing personal.

I also agree with Sooner that, to a great degree, it is targeting seniors who they figure need to respond each time, and/or have forgotten that they already gave, etc.

This sort of procedure must be profitable because it's been going on for a while.

I'm not supporting it, of course. I despise it because it's kind of an ugly way to get more money but I guess many just don't care HOW they get it - as long as they do.