Community Chat

[Deb1010yetagain]

The political causes/candidates are the WORST!!  Once you give it's like they stamp "sucker" on your file and they keep coming back to you (supposedly it's a crisis and they really need money).

[Desertdi]

The part I don't like is when they start CALLING me.   NO.....I don't answer the phone......................

[circles]

I use to donate to every charity that sent me a plea...then they would follow that with yet another one and so on and so on...

I just "love" the ones that send you a "reminder" that  I hadn't sent them any money ...

When I wasn't recieving pleas in the mail I was getting phone calls at all hours...including one at 7:20 am....I thought they had to wait till 8am to call...

I finally stopped all donations....all mail gets thrown in recycle and all phone calls get put on caller block...

[newname0]

When Jerry Lewis did his telethons awhile back I heard him recommend that people should send 5.00 to a number of charities and not a lot of money just to one.  In other words spread it around.  So I did what he said and almost since then I have been put on a mailing list for many charities that send me appeals periodically.  I think they get paid if you send them a modest offering and they then give your mailing address to another charity.  I have gotten so many freebies from these organizations like note pads. labels, calendars, pocket calendars, Christmas cards, etc. that I am innundated with stuff.

Some charities now send you money.  I have gotten coins and free stamps and whatnot.  Everytime we move (and we move a lot) I tell my DIH not to let the Post Office know of our new address because all these charity appeals follow us around but he still does it and they eventually learn my new address and start sending again.

So I recommend if you don't want to be bothered by charity appeals don't give to them and only give through your church.  It will save you a lot of clutter in your mail box.

[chickenbutt]

I believe that one of the ways they make money is to sell your personal information to others.  So, once you donate to one, or a bunch of them, you begin getting pleas from zillions of them.    I don't think that should be legal but then nobody asks me.  

That also goes for door-to-door and telemarketing, including robocalling.   If my number is private and unlisted nobody should be able to use it without my permission.  Same goes for my property - if it says 'no soliciting' and 'no trespassing', that should mean EXACTLY that.  If you want to pay my property taxes and mortgage, maybe I'll cut you some slack - MAYBE.

[jonbon]

I generally donate at the end of the year and simply ignore all of the pleas at other times.

[Lipstickdiva]

I have started to donate more locally.  I used to donate to St. Judes but I too got very soured because the more I gave, they more they wanted.  I was getting stuff several times a week from them asking for donations and sending me pads of paper, mailing labels, pens, etc.  Then the phonecalls started.  I was even on an automatic monthly donation to them and was still getting more pleas for donations.     

[Sunshine Kate]

I usually only donate once per year.  Only because it's for my convenience.

I will never donate to the American Cancer Society again, as I once did.

Have you noticed all the brand new cancer centers springing up all over?  Yep, they no longer want to find a vaccine or total cure for this life threatening disease.  There's too much money involved keeping job security for medical personnel.

It makes me sick to my stomach.  There's no doubt in my mind a vaccine is probably under lock and key and it's top secret.

[lulu2]

The constant solicitations drive me nuts.  I'm tired of phone calls, packages of greeting cards, calendars, return address stickers, nickels, dimes, Mass cards, you name it.  Whatever you give is never enough.

Our Grands (5, 8 10, 10) decided to adopt a child donating part of their weekly allowances.  Within a month they began calling these children asking them to commit to birthday and Christmas presents as well school clothes and supplies.

[Moonchilde]

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@PAlady wrote:

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.

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Same here. I am not a "regular" donator. If I'm moved to donate to a cause, it's *once a year* and if I get continuous mailings I stop donating to that charity. They must not need my money if they use most or all of it up sending me mailings.