Charities that send "gifts" to elicit donations - Page 3

lulu2 · ‎03-09-2010

At one time I felt guilty about keeping the items and not donating. I have more cards, calendars, return labels, note pads, Indian trinkets and Mass cards then I could ever use. Now I pitch it all into the trash.

Moonchilde · ‎05-23-2010

@RazorSharp wrote:
@151949 wrote:
I get so tired of receiving these little gifts in the mail - things like greeting cards or stationary or note pads or return address labels as a means of making me feel I have to send money to the charity because they sent me this gift. Today I got 10 return address labels and 3 note tablets and 5 greeting cards from an organization I have never even heard of. They are all embossed with my name and address on them so I assume they feel I will feel obligated to donate to them. I have organizations that I am happy to send my donations to and I hate being solicited by these others. Do you donate to someone just because they send you something?
On the other hand are the political candidates and parties - OMG - make one donation and you will be hounded for life. They are relentless!
With all the junk mail you receive in the mail everyday, you choose to criticize mail from organizations that are working to help those in need?

IMO it's a valid criticism. These organizations waste money that could be better spent. Most people I know toss the items and are annoyed enough at receiving them that they STOP donating to that charity. There are so many worthy charities, why donate to ones who waste your money?

I have sent small donations to several charities and subsequently received solicitation mailings so many times during the year that my donation was used up in printing and postage, let alone "gifts." I never donate to them again. I don't think I'm alone.

Life without Mexican food is no life at all

Ibby114 · ‎03-10-2010

I'm actually comforted to read that many posters on this thread don't donate a lot- but still get the items. The reason being - when I was handling finances for my Dad I noticed he was getting all sorts of stuff from every charity imagineable. I was concerned he was giving out money left and right, that can happen with the elderly becasue they simply forget. He might have been on the lists for years just 'because', though. The thought of my Dad having been taken advantage of ...

Moonchilde · ‎05-23-2010

@Ibby114 wrote:
@Tinkrbl44 wrote:
@151949 wrote:
I get so tired of receiving these little gifts in the mail - things like greeting cards or stationary or note pads or return address labels as a means of making me feel I have to send money to the charity because they sent me this gift. Today I got 10 return address labels and 3 note tablets and 5 greeting cards from an organization I have never even heard of. They are all embossed with my name and address on them so I assume they feel I will feel obligated to donate to them. I have organizations that I am happy to send my donations to and I hate being solicited by these others. Do you donate to someone just because they send you something?
On the other hand are the political candidates and parties - OMG - make one donation and you will be hounded for life. They are relentless!
@151949

I used to get these but am now off EVERYONE's list.

I would take their letter and write in big black letters "REMOVE FROM LIST" and send it back to them in their prepaid envelope. I was shocked how fast I get off their mailing lists!

What bothers me is that it costs them $$$ to send this stuff out .... and I can see that donations don't go to just the cause .... they also go to soliciting even more donations, which is NOT okay for me. JMO
It costs so little to print up these 'freebies'. I'm sure the charities run all sorts of analyses and the cost per aquisition is very low. Much lower than having a telemarketing group call for the donations!

I do not donate to any charity that uses telemarketing. It infuriates me. Do you know that the telemarketers are paid by the charities and/or get a cut of the donations? What legitimate, properly run charity would "need" to do that?

Life without Mexican food is no life at all

RazorSharp · ‎02-20-2016

@Moonchilde wrote:
@RazorSharp wrote:
@151949 wrote:
I get so tired of receiving these little gifts in the mail - things like greeting cards or stationary or note pads or return address labels as a means of making me feel I have to send money to the charity because they sent me this gift. Today I got 10 return address labels and 3 note tablets and 5 greeting cards from an organization I have never even heard of. They are all embossed with my name and address on them so I assume they feel I will feel obligated to donate to them. I have organizations that I am happy to send my donations to and I hate being solicited by these others. Do you donate to someone just because they send you something?
On the other hand are the political candidates and parties - OMG - make one donation and you will be hounded for life. They are relentless!
With all the junk mail you receive in the mail everyday, you choose to criticize mail from organizations that are working to help those in need?

IMO it's a valid criticism. These organizations waste money that could be better spent. Most people I know toss the items and are annoyed enough at receiving them that they STOP donating to that charity. There are so many worthy charities, why donate to ones who waste your money?

I have sent small donations to several charities and subsequently received solicitation mailings so many times during the year that my donation was used up in printing and postage, let alone "gifts." I never donate to them again. I don't think I'm alone.

Charities and non-profits have special postal rates for these kinds of mailings, and they make a great deal of money off them. Like any organization, they also have a budget for marketing. Of course they are going to ask you for money again if you donate to them. That's part of how these organizations work. I work for a non-profit, and we are currently hiring a company that actually researches the financial background of our donors in order to determine if we are asking for too much or too little from them. Shady? Yes, it is, and I'm totally grossed out that we are doing it, but it's not my decision.

wilma · ‎03-13-2010

I get a lot of these, and no, I do not send them a donation. Right now I have several charities that I give generously to twice a year - June and December. I know there are lots of worthwhile causes out there, but I can't help every single one.

Jordan2 · ‎03-16-2010

When I get requests for donations with pads, labels, etc I don't feel obligated to send anything. I feel I didn't request the "gifts" and won't be made to feel guilty. I actually toss them out and don't use them ( I feel like it's bad karma). Sometimes they send you dimes or nickels, I toss those too. I always wonder why don't they use the money for their cause instead of the items they send you?

dfyre · ‎03-10-2010

@Moonchilde wrote:

I do not donate to any charity that uses telemarketing. It infuriates me. Do you know that the telemarketers are paid by the charities and/or get a cut of the donations? What legitimate, properly run charity would "need" to do that?

I'm with you. I always tell these telemarketers that, while I USED to donate to their charity, the fact that they are imposing themselves on my privacy, I will promptly remove them from my list and never donate to them again as it is my practice to never donate to any organization that telemarkets. They never call back.

Had a call recently from some veterans' group (supposedly) wanting money. I asked exactly what they DO for veterans as my husband is a veteran and member of American Legion and officer in VFW and is disabled. I wanted to know what they were planning to do for us. She hung up and never called again.

PINKdogWOOD · ‎05-13-2010

@Ibby114 From your lips to their ears!!!! To eventually drop off any mailing list for charitable businesses who take it upon themselves to send you mail to send money to them would be a blessing in disguise.

I continuously get something in the mail from some organization asking for money. I just brought in the mail in today I got a huge mailing from a group wanting me to mail out 7-10 notes to neighbors asking them for money!!!! NO-NO-NO - I certainly am not doing this to my neighbors nor will I be sending money myself.

And along these same lines as the OP asked if she was 'obligated to donate' just because they sent her return mailing address labels, note cards and a note pad. I get these mailings too. I shred everything that has my name/address on them.

I also got an unknown package from Publishers Clearing House that I certainly did not and would not order (anything) from them. They enclosed a $22+ invoice for whatever they sent to me.

WHAT??!!

No, not paying for this either - did not order from them, not paying for whatever.

So yeah, to drop off the radar from ALL of these groups would be truly heaven on earth! My mailman would be oh so happy too - less JUNK mail for him/her to carry around and put in my box!!!