Donating to Charities

[Kennywood]

We've made some monetary donations to a couple of well know organizations. We did so because the issues were those that are close to our hearts.

But that's all changed now. Why? Because we're now getting solicitations in the mail from every charity imaginable. We were apparently put on some sort of lists that were then sold to other charities. We feel a little betrayed and that our donations were seen as a way for those organizations to make money by selling their lists of donors.

Why can't organizations and charities simply accept donations without the need to show so little respect to the donors?

Okay....end of rant. Sorry.

 

[barkley]

I think the same happened to my late mil. when she passed and we did a forwarding order on her mail to a p.o. box near us I could not believe the number of charitable organizations that sent her solicitations. she WAS a charitable woman but we know that was stuff largly associated with the church she belonged to so we hated to think some aspect of that got her name on these lists but the sheer volume was staggering. that p.o. box was closed over a decade ago and we did'nt do a forwarding order on it but somehow our address got associated with it b/c we still get the odd solicitation in her name at our home address (and it's pointedly specific to the types of charities she would have supported so it doesn't seem random).

 

[citruscurtis]

Because folks like you are rare and maybe you weren't aware of similar organizations

 

[SteveH]

A few thoughts on this. I've run into the same thing. A couple years ago our oldest asked for no gifts but instead donations to causes that he believed in. I ruled a few out as they went against my philosophies, but donated to two of them. Same thing happened, and I know it was one of the animal groups that sold our info. The other was a local group and I never heard a thing from them, not even an acknowledgement letter. Needless to say I have declined to make any more donations like that.

I work with a couple non-profit boards, and I asked if any of them ever sold lists of donors and they said no. However, one did acknowledge that they while they didn't do it locally, however their head office had access to their CRM (database) and they had done that and had offended a number of their regular donors.

Over the years I use various pseudonyms when I sign up for things like Safeway, Lowes and other rewards and even for contributions when I attend a breakfast that asks for a donation. My dogs get a lot of junk mail now But I can figure out who's selling my information. I am forever thankful for my Yahoo email, its where all my odd things like this go, and really its all junk.

 

[tvguy]

I think in some cases the issue is some charities don't actually do their own fundraising, they contract it out to private, for profit companies that get a percentage of your donation. Those companies represent many many other charities and they now have your name.
My wife made a donation to some obscure, small charity and now we get contacted by all kinds of charities I have never heard of.
But my biggest frustration with charities is that the DO NOT CALL list exempts them. Just like Political groups, and ANY company (and their affiliates) you have EVER done business with are exempt.

 

[_19disnA]

Anything bought online we use our home phone/landline #. We never answer that phone and only give out our cell phones to local businesses/friends/relatives we intend to speak with by phone. Things like car dealer, dentist, doctor, etc. If someone calls our home phone it goes directly to voice mail. Typically, scammers never leave a message and the ones who do asking for donations/money/etc. we just delete.

Places like Amazon/Walmart send an email if they have a question. By only giving those types of places our home phone, they can't text us and then we know some random text saying they are having trouble delivering something we never ordered is for sure a scam.

Might try that for future donations and only give them a phone # you never answer.

 

[Kennywood]

While spam calls are annoying, I'm primarily talking about mail solicitations.

Most of the time, we let unidentified phone calls go to voice mail. If I'm bored, I'll answer the call and have a little fun.

• "It's done. But there's blood everywhere!"
• "Darmak and Jalad at Tanagra."
• "WXYZ! You're on the air!"
• "Well, hello! What are you wearing?"
• "What is the velocity of an unladen swallow?"

 

[bobbiwoz]

It happens. I just recycle a lot of mail.

 

[barkley]

I don't know if it's still the practice of some charities to send out 'gifts' with solicitations but 16 years after the fact I still have a wealth of note pads and knockoff post it's with charity names/my mil's name-she had tons piled in her place/our p.o box was inundated for years (I tossed thousands of return address stickers).

 

[georgina]

I don't know if it's still the practice of some charities to send out 'gifts' with solicitations but 16 years after the fact I still have a wealth of note pads and knockoff post it's with charity names/my mil's name-she had tons piled in her place/our p.o box was inundated for years (I tossed thousands of return address stickers).

Notepads and return address stickers abound! St Jude Children's Hospital is the worst offender for those. There is an American Indian foundation that sends out dream catchers, socks, bags, microfiber dusting cloths...I have never donated to them and I never will. I get at least 5 calendars every year.

Last year I gave to a new group and immediately started getting solicitations from similar ones. The original group gets no more money from me!

 

[irlandaise]

We've made some monetary donations to a couple of well know organizations. We did so because the issues were those that are close to our hearts.

But that's all changed now. Why? Because we're now getting solicitations in the mail from every charity imaginable. We were apparently put on some sort of lists that were then sold to other charities.

When I donate to a new organization, I include a note that they must not provide my name to any other organization. (Names aren't necessarily sold; sometimes they're provided in exchange for others.)

I occasionally get unwanted solicitations, but not too often. And I reply to those with a request to remove my name and not provide it to anyone else. (I actually ask them to notify anyone to whom they've given my name, although I don't know whether that ever happens.)

 

[Magical2017]

I only get solicitations through snail mail, email, or texts. I opt out of all texts and unsubscribe from the emails, only to be put back on the list once I donate again. I will go through email every six months and unsubscribe.

 

[AnnaS]

And calls......not as much right now. The mail solicitations are out of control. I don't even open them. They make me feel guilty. I do give to a few myself here and there.

We use/give mass cards for deceased members - in person or by mail. When you use one, you send them money in. I get one or two a day. I have to throw them away since I have kept so many from all different places. It's a bit much.

I guess if they grab one here and there it is still worth it for them to send thousands out.

 

[PollyannaMom]

We ran into this a while back as well. We were spreading our donation budget over several different charities, and got on too many lists! We received calendars, address labels, note pads, the works... I actually wrote letters to be removed, and it helped some, though not completely. Now we give fewer, larger donations, usually locally.

 

[Imzadi]

"Darmak and Jalad at Tanagra."

Darmok and Jalad on the ocean.

 

[Forevermarypoppins]

I donate to a few reputable charities such as Unicef, American Red Cross and St Jude's Children's Hospital. When I receive mail from other charities, I simply throw it away.

Now my dad would have placed it back in the mail box with a RETURN TO SENDER written in red marker!

My point, I believe in the good of the charities I've chosen so I wouldn't stop supporting them unless their organization themselves became unworthy.

 

[Imzadi]

Most of the time, we let unidentified phone calls go to voice mail. If I'm bored, I'll answer the call and have a little fun.

• "It's done. But there's blood everywhere!"
• "Darmak and Jalad at Tanagra."
• "WXYZ! You're on the air!"
• "Well, hello! What are you wearing?"
• "What is the velocity of an unladen swallow?"

When I first had Caller ID and I knew a phone call was a telemarketer, I used to answer the phone, "County Morgue."

Long pause at the other end. Then, "I'm sorry, what is this???"

"NY County Morgue," I say in a very bored voice. <keyboard strokes can be heard in the background> "Which cadaver are you calling in reference to?" <keystrokes get louder as I'm getting ready to check the file.>

"Uhh, sorry, wrong number!"


Another time, I kept getting a call from a specific number. I happened to have a temporary Tracfone cellphone number as I just activated the phone. I was going to port my regular number over and not keep the temp number. So, I called that phone number to see what business would answer. (These were the days before reverse phone lookup.) No one answered. So I hung up. A few minutes later I get a call back from that number.

I answer, "Federal Bureau of Investigations."

Pause. . . "What number is this?"

"Federal Bureau of Investigations. . . Is there a specific agent or case file you are calling about?"

"I just got a call from this number. Why would someone there be calling me???"

"You may be part of an investigation. Did you do something wrong in which you are being investigated?"

<gasp!> "I hope not!"

"Well, when you can provide the name of an agent or a case file, I can connect you."

Funny, I never got a call again from that number on my regular number. If they were operating some scam, maybe they stopped when they thought they were being investigated.

I only did this with telemarketers, not charities.

 

[Imzadi]

I am forever thankful for my Yahoo email, its where all my odd things like this go, and really its all junk.

Yes, I have a couple Yahoo spam email accounts. Everyone, every business wants an email address nowadays. I usually give one of those addresses when I know I will be inundated with spam. I only check it and clear it out once every few months, when I remember to.

I also have a free Google Voice phone number I use for everything now, where I think my phone number will be shared or sold.

I even use it for CVS. For some reason, even though I have "opted out" from receiving reminders to refill my prescriptions, their automated system continues to call AND text, sometimes 2-3 times with reminders for each prescription. Now, it just goes to my Google Voice number which I use as a free voicemail/text account.

 

[mjkacmom]

They do it because they know elderly people, for whatever reason, donate compulsively. Had to get my dad’s and IL’s mail forwarded here, but that didn’t help with phone requests for money. We donate to very local charities that we are very familiar with. My parents have been gone 10 years, still get solicitations every single week (plus brochures from Viking cruises, they took one cruise 30 years ago).