Constant request for donations

[tfiga]

I know I am probably a horrible person for saying this but is anyone else overwhelmed with the request for donations...For example, today I went to Toys R Us to get some items for Easter, the cashier asked if I would like to donate either $1, $3 or $5 to help fight autism...Next walking out the door there was a young girl selling $3 candy bars...After Toys R Us I had to go to Kroger's on the way there standing in the road was men collecting for veterans of a foreign war...Next walking in to Kroger was a few girls selling Otis Spunkmeyer cookies for $15 a box, the cashier at Krogers asked me if I would like to donate a $1 to help feed the hungry and walking out of Kroger was a man collecting for disabled veterans...This is in addition of course to the weekly items coming home from the school for the kids to sell and of course the daily requests at work to buy stuff from other peoples kid's...Is it just me or is it totally overwhelming.....I donate to charity, but I feel very uncomfortable saying no to all these requests, but if I gave in I would need charity...Please tell me I am not alone in feeling like this...

 

[ajk912]

omg, me too. I don't mind it around Christmas time, because it's the season of giving and all. It just urks me- especially the cashiers who get all bent out of shape if you don't want to donate to their corporation's cause. I am not a scrooge, I donate to some (St Judes is a favorite of mine) but not all. Please don't make me feel bad if I say no!

 

[labgeek]

I completely understand, and no, you are not a horrible person. We were able to finally go to high speed internet, so we are getting rid of our land line. We were told we could make our home number our cell number (we are adding a line for a home line because our DS stays home by himself occasionally). We have opted not to do that so that we get rid of all these kinds of calls. The only people who call our land line are typically people we do not want to talk to.

When we were a two income family I gave to a lot of organizations every year. Especially, like our volunteer fire dept, because they would be the ones to come to my house if it caught fire, not the city. I still give to them. I just can't do it now. My DH says there are constantly organization contacting the business for donations. There was one I wish he did, that he didn't and I voiced my concerns, and he said, you have to draw the line somewhere. He's not even profitting enough to make ends meet right now, and relying on his stash (hunting/fishing business and jan/feb are the worst months) to pay bills and get new product for the upcoming fishing season.

Please don't feel bad. I don't know if more people are asking or if it seems like more since nowadays we don't have the money to donate to everything and everbody who asks, and it takes a toll on our concience.

 

[Pigeon]

Just say no thank you. It doesn't make you a bad person.

I give generously to charities, but I do it in a planned way, where I get receipts for my taxes.

 

[neatokimmo]

I feel bad saying no, but I only donate to causes that can provide a receipt. Not so much to take it off my taxes but to prove they are organized enough to get the funds to where they need to be. Plus I don't like doing $1s here and there, if I do $50 fewer times my company will match it.

 

[Karlzmom]

I simply smile and say that I've already given to my charities, but to have a nice day. I find that I regularly get smiles back, and the rare times I don't then I really mind that I didn't give to them.

I will say that I am also fatigued from the continual onslaught of donation seekers.

 

[luv2saveabuck]

I hate that too. I know that $ is tight and all the charities are struggling for funds as a result, but all this bombardment will have a negative effect in my opinion.
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By the way, would anyone like to donate $5, $10, or $1000 to the "Taking my DD & DS to WDW for the 1st time fund???

 

[labgeek]

By the way, would anyone like to donate $5, $10, or $1000 to the "Taking my DD & DS to WDW for the 1st time fund???

I'll put you on my short list!

 

[tinkarooni]

I totally agree with you. The worst is when they hound you at work. The United Way is my best example. I work at home but my boss and secretary are in the office. They only get dress down day on Friday if all of us in our group contribute to the United Way. Talk about blackmail. It's fine if that is the charity you choose but I believe that charity is a personal decision and not one to be forced into by your employer. I often wonder what the United Way does to force all these employers into cooperating? My husband gets it where he works too.

 

[DisKim]

I don't care if you flame me, but people are just trying to help other people. Just say no if you don't want to donate. You might feel differently if you or someone you loved could be helped by one of these charities.

 

[tedhowe]

In the words of George Costanza...


The Human Fund... Money for People

 

[hentob]

I don't care if you flame me, but people are just trying to help other people. Just say no if you don't want to donate. You might feel differently if you or someone you loved could be helped by one of these charities.

While I agree with you to an extent, some of these charities have so much "overhead" that VERY little of the monies collected ever get to those in need

I like to research who I am giving to and WHERE my money is going. I don't like being blindsided at every turn

 

[clh2]

This thread has me chuckling a bit.

I am also getting sick of the "can you donate a buck here or there" campaigns. I am so sick of United Way that I'm about ready to puke. During the United Way campaign, there are concurent campaigns for the United Performing Arts Center, as well as the foundation for the hospital I work at.

Don't even get me started when the big stores do a "giving tree" at Christmas. Those just seem to be more a way to get customers to buy more stuff in their stores.

On any of the above, our giving is primarily through our church, where we get appropriate receipts, and we are supportive of the local organizations that are supoorted through our donations.

But the ones that really TICK me off - are the ones from family and friends where the invite you to sponsor the kid on an adventure of some sort or another, and then they provide a nice little link.

I do not sponsor anyone's kids to do anything, HOWEVER, my DD is going to Spain on a band trip at the end of 2008, and I don't expect the world (i.e. coworkers, family or friends) to subsidize her trip either. It was our decision to allow her the opportunity, so it is our responsibilty to find the funds.

 

[hentob]

I do not sponsor anyone's kids to do anything, HOWEVER, my DD is going to Spain on a band trip at the end of 2008, and I don't expect the world (i.e. coworkers, family or friends) to subsidize her trip either. It was our decision to allow her the opportunity, so it is our responsibilty to find the funds.

VERY well said

 

[AnninIowa]

I totally agree - we don't even answer the door or phone anymore because of all the requests, and I dread going to the stores where they seem to constantly be collecting for something. I have a select number of causes I give to regularly, and I remind myself to not feel guilty about not being able to give to everything. I personally won't give to the United Way because I just give directly to the causes I want - why pay a middle man? There are so many scams out there, too, that I just stick with the ones I know and trust.

 

[ClarabelleCowFan]

We were hit up 3 times yesterday by the same group!

DH and I ran by Wal-Mart and were approached walking in by a group collecting donations for soldiers and their families who have had a new baby. Great cause - DH is AD Army and we have a new baby (but are not in need of donations) but we didn't have any cash on us.

After Wal-mart we went on post to the PX and different members of the same group were collecting there. Next stop was the Commissary (grocery store) and again the group was there.

Both DDs came home Friday with forms to collect donations for a jump rope for healthy hearts event and DD14 is also selling something for an orchestra fundraiser.

It's overwhelming at times. I would rather DDs not have to participate in fundraisers and just write a single check to the PTA each year but the schools up here don't do that.

 

[labgeek]

VERY well said

I agree 100% When DD was in a cheerleading group you had fundraisers that were for your personal account and some for the general account. My mom and MIL opted to not purchase the candles, but directly donate to her fund so she would get 100% of the money. Then when they discontinued the group (5-6yrs old) because there wasn't enough to compete, they took all the money and gave it to the older groups. I tried to apply her money to a gymnastics class she took at the same facility and the money was gone Luckly, the lady who was the treasurer is gone now, but so is the cheerleading progam. It is strict gymnastics / tumbling now....

I guess I just like knowing where my money is going. I do sponsor a child a Christmas, but locally, through our schools. My cousin by marriage is head of the program, so I knew all the stuff I bought went to that child. I really didn't have the extra money, but took part of my bonus, and called it my present to myself for losing 50lbs. Almost all my charities are local. I do like the car washes the programs do during the summer. I love to see the kids having a good time and earning money for baseball trips / church ect..while doing something I hate to do...wash my van...Plus I know these kids and they know me. The wonders of a small community.

 

[TheDizMom]

I hate this too. I rarely if ever have money I can donate anyway once we have payed our own bills . The new thing here is various high school teams and organizations asking if they can bag your groceries for you. It's kind of like the car wash thing where at least their doing something in return. My big problem is my fruits and vegetables are always bruised and battered by the time I get them home . The thing that I have found so strange is that sometimes these organizations are miles, and in one case more then an hour, away. Lets face it if I am going to support a high school group it's going to be for my own school district.

Our school is also way out of control with the fund raiser thing. Last year we did 5, this year 4. It's ridiculous ! One of the fund raisers has been making up words of $30,000.00! We are in a public school district in Minnesota (where the state funding sucks), so yes we try to help the school by providing things like new playground equipment, but 4 fund raisers? Next year I will have one in middle school and one in elementary, I am cringing at how many fund raisers I will have to deal with .

As for helping charitable organizations, I solve the money part by instead volunteering my time and energy working with them instead. It's better on my pocket book and I feel good about having helped by rolling up my sleeves and pitching in .

 

[rparmfamily]

I don't mind them. I just say "sorry" and smile if I don't have cash on hand or don't want to.

 

[Toby'sFriend]

I hate to be a meanie but I bet that on average I am being solicited for donations 3 to 4 times a week anymore.

The latest is the Senior Prom for the local High School. There is some kind of charity thing going on where you buy a pizza kit from Little Ceasers and then you can either specify a certain kid to get the credit, or let it go into some kind of general fund. There are 17 year olds all over the place trying to peddle cheap, bad tasting pizza. Well, I'm ALL FOR having kids go to their Senior Proms. But maybe -- just maybe -- if they just held something reasonable instead of a $150 ticket per head extravaganza, the kids would be able to afford their Senior Proms without having to fundraise. $300 per couple BEFORE the kids buy their clothes, flowers, limo, and dinner.

Again, I know I sound really pissy, but if they can't afford it, why should strangers have to "donate" for them to have it? We're not talking starving orphans or baby seals here. Teens having a big party is just not my idea of a "charity."

I go by one stoplight every weekday morning that is a frequent target. I hate having strangers outside my car windows shaking the cans at me.