topic Re: Donating To Charity in Community Chat

Donating To Charity

occasionalrain — Sun, 30 Nov 2025 20:00:44 GMT

There are charities that I support, but once I donate, there are endless requests from those charities.

I don't want my donations spent on mailings nor on salaries for excess staff.

Re: Donating To Charity

cody2 — Sun, 30 Nov 2025 20:05:47 GMT

I have a few core charities that I support. But writing a check to them is like tossing a boomerang. I get another request for a donation in return mail.

Re: Donating To Charity

wilma — Sun, 30 Nov 2025 20:22:47 GMT

@occasionalrain

@cody2

Same thing happens to us. We get lots of charitable mailings. That's the bulk of our USPS mail these days. We give to some and then we get more requests in the mail.

Re: Donating To Charity

Spurt — Wed, 03 Dec 2025 14:44:00 GMT

Search for The Charity Navigator website which shows charity metrics for an organization. For example what a charity spends on mailings/fund raising and what a charity's Administer makes under Financial Metrics data and there's other important financial info too just scroll down the page. I usually send charities an email telling them not to add me to future mailing lists and do not share my info with other charities either. Let me chose when and if to send a donation

Re: Donating To Charity

Kachina624 — Sun, 30 Nov 2025 20:25:25 GMT

It seems like this year charities especially are more needy than ever. Everywhere you turn, somebody has their hand out. The bulk of my mail is charitable requests.

Re: Donating To Charity

ThinkingOutLoud — Sun, 30 Nov 2025 20:35:30 GMT

Once again, I'm reminded why I support the charity I do. Never any mailings, additional requests or overhead. They also regularly report on the myriad of ways the donations are helping around the world. =)

Re: Donating To Charity

nambee — Sun, 30 Nov 2025 20:32:21 GMT

I was just thinking the same thing. I have several charities that I routinely send a substantial donation to once a year. I have been donating to them for at least 20 years - always just once a year. But in the past few years, I receive numerous requests from these charities for donations throughout the year and often receive one soon after I send in my annual donation. Very annoying, to say the least, and has me rethinking if I will continue to support them in the future.

In addition to repeated requests from these charities, it's obvious that they sell lists of their donors to other charities as I now receive requests from charities servicing similar needs. And these keep coming as nauseum.

My last complaint is that many like to send self-stick personalized address labels. I use very little snail mail and have no need for them. They cannot be run through the shredder as the adhesive gums up the mechanism so are a pain to dispose of. Not happy!

Re: Donating To Charity

Susan345 — Sun, 30 Nov 2025 20:33:50 GMT

The charities that annoy me the most are those who start sending me stuff like cards and note paper or address labels. If they can pay for that they don't need my money.

Most i don't even bother to open I just toss them in the trash.

My favorite sends me nothing but a thank you note.

Re: Donating To Charity

Catastrophe — Sun, 30 Nov 2025 20:42:27 GMT

What I do if they have a prepaid envelope included I write on the form included to please remove me from their mailing list and put it back in the mail.

Re: Donating To Charity

They CallMe MRWILKES — Sun, 30 Nov 2025 20:45:34 GMT

I always save the notepads!

Many of them are extremely well done with name and address and I use them everyday for jotting and note taking. Some of the pens are also quite nice.

What I don't need are the address labels, as I rarely mail anything.

Re: Donating To Charity

KailaS — Sun, 30 Nov 2025 20:49:26 GMT

I tend to support local charities, especially those related to pets and kids. So, our one local pet shelter and Toys for Tots always are on the list. The last twelve months I have used some of my IRA to set up a QCD to help support my local food bank. I am on a fairly limited income, but there always are folks far less well off than I.

Re: Donating To Charity

UpNorthGorgy — Sun, 30 Nov 2025 20:59:39 GMT

@Susan345 @Last week I received a crisp $1.00 bill, week before and crisp, $2.00 bill. A .$50 piece, seven cents in coin. One well known charity that used to send only stamps to decorate cards sent a Large mailing of gloves, flash light pen, two small fiber towels, Christmas cards, four gift tags and small gift wrap paper. One sent a tote bag and matching socks???

I have enough note pads and return mailing address labels to last a lifetime.

I have one that actually my Church Pastor's BIL is head of charity that sends me a receipt with a handwritten Thank you. I agree that one is the most meaningful.

After Cyber Monday comes " Giving Tuesday" There must be money in selling our names and address also?

Our local SA, Food Shelf, Three Churches coordinate 240 food and gift baskets (town of 5000) need my money more and I know where it is going.

Re: Donating To Charity

DrakesMomma — Sun, 30 Nov 2025 21:25:18 GMT

We also support local charities. The only donation requests we get are from those organizations. We think our money does the most good when it is used local.

Re: Donating To Charity

LdyBugz — Sun, 30 Nov 2025 21:38:37 GMT

@occasionalrain. I get a money order to donate to certain charities. The cost is minimal and available at several places like the USPS, CVS, 7-11, etc. It has helped to reduce the follow-on requests asking for another donation when donating by a personal check. Also, you'll get a receipt for tax purposes. See costs below for CVS and USPS.

Re: Donating To Charity

Isobel Archer — Sun, 30 Nov 2025 21:56:14 GMT

I think Public Television is one of the worst - and is actually making me reethink donating to them.

I get no less than 2 solicitations - in the regular mail - per week. If they do that for everyone who donates, that is excessive expenditure for little return.

I also get the same amount of emails and texts per week. It borders on harassment.

Re: Donating To Charity

San Antonio Gal — Sun, 30 Nov 2025 21:57:20 GMT

@They CallMe MRWILKES wrote:
I always save the notepads!

Many of them are extremely well done with name and address and I use them everyday for jotting and note taking. Some of the pens are also quite nice.

What I don't need are the address labels, as I rarely mail anything.

I also keep the freebies that are mailed and use them. Then I feel guilty that I didn't pay for it.

Re: Donating To Charity

San Antonio Gal — Sun, 30 Nov 2025 21:58:50 GMT

@DrakesMomma wrote:
We also support local charities. The only donation requests we get are from those organizations. We think our money does the most good when it is used local.

My support is also locally too @DrakesMomma .

Re: Donating To Charity

Desertdi — Sun, 30 Nov 2025 22:00:32 GMT

Local food bank, and disaster relief ONLY

Re: Donating To Charity

catter70 — Sun, 30 Nov 2025 22:38:10 GMT

Same here. I give to 4 different charities and they send out more mailings for more money within a week or so. I agree, I don't need any more address labels, cards or note pads. Use that money for the charity.

Re: Donating To Charity

ThinkingOutLoud — Sun, 30 Nov 2025 23:11:29 GMT

@DrakesMomma wrote:
We also support local charities. The only donation requests we get are from those organizations. We think our money does the most good when it is used local.

With the horrendous hurricane that hit Jamaica, the devastating typhoons in the Philippines, the less than adequate medical equipment in various countries, the inability to get fresh water in some countries, etc, etc, etc I feel my money does the most good everywhere.