Neighbor's Strange Request... WWYD?

[AKL_Megs]

In the mail today, we recieved a letter from our neighbor.

(Let me preface by saying that we moved into this house in November, and we haven't really "met" our neighbors. Of course, during fall raking, a few walked over and introduced themselves, but neither my DH or I could tell you their names, and apparently, they don't know ours either...)

The letter addressed to "Our Neighbors" was asking us to donate "$10, $25 or $50" to the American Heart Association. Inside the envelope was an information packet about the AHA, and another stamped envelope, self addressed to them. There was no form to fill out, and they wanted the money sent to THEM, not a donation sent directly to the AHA.



I don't want to be rude, I mean, we do live next door to one another, and I know her DH has some heart issues, but I am NOT sending my check or cash to HER.

Besides that, we already donate to many other charities... Make a Wish, The Red Cross, and mostly, to the American Lung Association, which he are personally affected by.

If she asks me if we got it, or if she sends more, what should we say?

Just weirded out.

 

[Tinijocaro]

Those organizations always contact one person in a neighborhood to cover the neighborhood. As far as making the check out to theperson directly, I wouldn't do that. when I get those things, I just toss them. No one should be asking you any more about it. If they do, tell them you got it but already donate elsewhere.

 

[Breezy_Carol]

I frequently get calls from charities "not wanting money but wanting me to send letters to my 13 neighbors." I don't want to put the neighbors on the spot so I decline. I am sure this is what happened.

 

[lisah0711]

Yep, got the same thing from my neighbor, too. I just tossed it. I'm one of those picky people who like to pick my own charities. I think that it is a great cause and a great organization but charitable dollars are limited just like the rest of our dollars!

 

[disneyhand]

We just received another one today. This same neighbor woman does this for the heart association and cancer society and I think there is one more. We get 2 or three a year from her and we always throw them away. This has been going on for 11 years. She isn't even a friendly neighbor.

However I know she is a volunteer, bless her heart and these charities are special to her. They just aren't my charities. I don't care much for this method of soliciting donations, I like the donations I make to be private.

Anyways OP, this isn't personal, your neighbor sent the same thing out to the whole neighborhood. It's being done countrywide.

 

[Octoberbride03]

My dad did this for a couple of years. He'd been treated for heart problems and it wasn't so much getting the money for the Heart Association as it was getting info out to the neighbors about it. Some neighbors donated, some didn't. No big deal if they didn't. I'm sure you neighbors won't be upset if you don't donate. You don't even have to give a reason or respond if you don't want to. They won't take it personally. Or they shouldn't anyhow. My dad never did.

 

[disykat]

I'm not crazy about the neighbor donation solicitation thing, but it's common. What I haven't seen before though is having it sent to the neighbor rather than into the charity. Very suspicious if you ask me.

 

[laurie31]

This is pretty standard for lots of charaties. Along with AHA, I think diabetes, and cancer research also do this. I have done it once or twice (before we got caller ID ) as I couldn't refuse the hard sell "Please help us out, all you have to do is send the information we send you to all your neighbors, then collect their checks and send them back. Can't you spare just a little of your time to help us out?"

When I was the "sender" only a few people (out of about 40) sent checks. They weren't made out to us, but to the AHA. We sent them all back in one envelope, which they provided. Now, I'm just a receiver (thank goodness), and it's very rare for me to respond. Depends on the charity and my current cash flow - lol. Now that I think about it, last time I was the "sender" I don't think I ever mailed out the letters to my neighbors! Maybe that's why they moved on to hit up someone else to "do the honors" for our street!

 

[Nancy F]

They call me all the time to send out things to my neighbors. I never do. I give to what I can... when I can. That will have to do.
Nancy

 

[redlight]

It sounds odd to me.

 

[Nancy]

I'm not crazy about the neighbor donation solicitation thing, but it's common. What I haven't seen before though is having it sent to the neighbor rather than into the charity. Very suspicious if you ask me.

Not strange, we get this a lot here..I'd say at least 4-5 times a year for different charities. The envelopes always are addressed to the neighbor who sent them out. Sometimes I give a few dollars sometimes I don't. I put cash in and since there is no return address on the envelope they really have no idea which neighbor donated. (unless every neighbor donated and all used checks). I usually just drop it off in their mailbox and skip the mailing.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I had the Leukemia Society call me to do something similar.

I had agreed and then got the packet and realized that *I* would personally do all the collecting in the same manner. I was livid b/c I tried to clarify all of this over teh phone and it seemed like I was just a background helper of sorts.

I have done Team in Training twice and have raised several thousand for LLS. So when they called to check up on me, I let them know of my disapointment and to refrain from using me for such campaigns in teh future.

I have lived in my neighborhood for 11 years and I don't know my neighbors well enough to bug them like that.

I can understand the reasons for that type of campaign--but it made me uncomfortable.

The reason they do this is it makes it more personable and presumably helps them raise more money when it comes fom a neighbor versus some random address of some office.

If you don't want to contribute, don't. I believe the neighbor is just the channel. The group--if they wish to follow up, will do it themselves, I believe.

If they take it personally that you did not contribute--that would concern me. I don't get my panties in a twist when I get told no. Not everyone has the cash to spare, not everyone supports every organization under the sun.

FWIW: they collect everything and they mail it to the charity together. So if you happened to right a check, it would be to the organizatio nand legally--no bank could allow them to cash it--especially in this post 9/11 world. (I've tried to set up charity bank accounts and there is much paperwork to prove the charity. Since I didn't have authorization--in this case for a golf tournament from the LLS--I couldn't set up the account regardless of how legitimate the event I was planning.)

 

[dizluvah]

Someone on our street sends out the same letters about twice a year raising funds for American Cancer Society. I just pitch them - it isn't rude - you probably receive unsolicited mail directly from charities too and if you want to donate - you do and if you don't then don't.
I don't think there is anything fishy about it - in these tough times charities use many tactics to try to raise funds

 

[luvsJack]

Its just a tactic to make the donation seem more personal and make it harder for you to say no. Just like the 1001 things they get kids to do to raise money for different charities. Give if you want, don't if you don't. No different than if the envelope came from the charity itself.

I have a co-worker that takes it upon herself to collect money for every charity that she gets a mailing for. She tends to take it very personal if someone doesn't give. I have learned just to tell her, "oh, I already gave through my niece (nephew, child's school, whatever)". She shouldn't really be doing it the way she does, but not my issue to change.

 

[Melrosgirl]

It's not odd. Neighbors here do that also. It's legit. If you don't want to give, she won't care. She got talked into it probably by the charity and is just doing what she said she would do.

 

[Christine]

My next door neighbor does this for the American Diabetes Association. I never donate because I don't choose to do it in that matter. She has sent me an envelope for years. I have had it happen in other neighborhoods too. It's no big deal.

 

[aprilgail2]

What I haven't seen before though is having it sent to the neighbor rather than into the charity. Very suspicious if you ask me.

That is not suspicious at all- that is how they all send them out around here. My mom did it that way 40 years ago- back then I think it was for MD or something, I was cery littlebut I remember her doing it a few years. My neighbor sent one last month for heart assoc. -you write the check to the charity and mail it to the neighbor, you don't write the check to the neighbor so I don't see a issue with it at all. We usually just write a check for 5.00 and send it over to the neighbors.

 

[dogluva]

In the mail today, we recieved a letter from our neighbor.

(Let me preface by saying that we moved into this house in November, and we haven't really "met" our neighbors. Of course, during fall raking, a few walked over and introduced themselves, but neither my DH or I could tell you their names, and apparently, they don't know ours either...)

The letter addressed to "Our Neighbors" was asking us to donate "$10, $25 or $50" to the American Heart Association. Inside the envelope was an information packet about the AHA, and another stamped envelope, self addressed to them. There was no form to fill out, and they wanted the money sent to THEM, not a donation sent directly to the AHA.



I don't want to be rude, I mean, we do live next door to one another, and I know her DH has some heart issues, but I am NOT sending my check or cash to HER.

Besides that, we already donate to many other charities... Make a Wish, The Red Cross, and mostly, to the American Lung Association, which he are personally affected by.

If she asks me if we got it, or if she sends more, what should we say?

Just weirded out.

I was the person they contacted to do this in my old neighborhood. I agreed because my father died of lung cancer and it was for cancer. I thought I was doing a nice thing but nobody responded. It was embarrassing and I am more embarrassed now thinking my neighbors might have been "weirded out".

 

[tar heel]

Methinks you've not lived in a neighborhood before . . . We get three or four of these from various charities each year. You write the check to the CHARITY, so what's suspicious about it?

I'm not going to do this solicitation myself (I've been called, of course), sometimes I give and sometimes I don't, but it doesn't bother me.

 

[AKL_Megs]

Anyways OP, this isn't personal, your neighbor sent the same thing out to the whole neighborhood. It's being done countrywide.

Oh, okay. I've just never seen this in my area in ANY home I have lived in. I won't worry about tossing it!