Charity appeals

[Coldicote]

Perhaps I sound like an old 'meany', but I'm frustrated by the number of charity appeals coming through my letterbox at this time of year - seven very recently plus two clothing collection bags. Where do they get my name and address? I usually buy Christmas cards that collectively support several charities and also donate to one of my choice, but these specific onslaughts are becoming a bit much. How do other ABers cope with this and how many charities do you support?

[raysparx1]

I am also really fed up with it, everywhere you go, in the bank yesterday posters for, Pudsey, congo, oxfam looked more like a charity shop than hsbc. I only now give to 3 and they are local, one a kiddies hospice that I give to twice a year and also visit, and another hospice. plus cancer research

[bednobs]

i coe with it by simply throwing them away. I had one that took the biscuit for me the other day - the association for mouth and foot painters sent me some christmas cards (5) and then invited me to buy them for �6. Sorry if there are any mouth and foot painters out there, but really, a deserving cause??

[saxy_jag]

The clothing bags, I hang on to and use as bin bags - the charities often aren't charities at all, they're usually people making a profit from the recycling aspect.

The mailshots, I swallow hard and ignore, mostly. I get them from the Salvation Army, but that's because I've given in the past. These days, however, I give on the street, so I'm OK about ignoring their mail. I buy my christmas cards and such from Dogs Trust, with a small donation, so their mail is OK. Likewise the RNLI.

Cancer Care, Help the Aged, NSPCC etc.? All very worthy, but you have to draw the line somewhere. I tell myself that those who end up giving to these charities probably don't give anything to mine, so it all evens out.

[saxy_jag]

Bednobs, I'm surprised you've only just started getting these. They've been doing this free Xmas cards thing for years - I can remember us receiving them when I was little. I don't anyone who actually pays for them.

[daffy654]

We get at least 3 of the clothing bags a week,I just put them (empty) on the doorstep for the people to collect. We also get the little paper envelopes at least once a week for Christian Aid etc.,these get thrown away as not once has anyone come to collect them in the 3 years i've lived here.
I donate quarterly to Asthma UK via their lottery.I have had asthma for over 20 years and it is a charity that is vastly underfunded compared to cancer and heart disease charities.

[MTbowels]

They get your name and address from the shorter version of the electoral roll, which is compiled from data you supply when filling in your electoral registration form ( a legal requirement).
The shorter version can be bought by anyone with a valid reason for purchase including mail-shot, junk mail companies and charities. If you don't want your details published, you can opt out of inclusion by ticking the box on the form. This will stop junk mail to some extent but it may take a few years.
The full version of the the electoral roll can only be accessed by agencies such as the Police to assist in crime prevention etc. You cannot opt out of inclusion on the full version.

[puzzled54]

I return them, especially the ones containing cards, with a note to say that I prefer to choose which charities to support rather than have them choose me.

[jen78]

It's the ones who get you in the street that get me.

It's like running the gauntlet in Manchester city centre sometimes as there are so many of them (along with Big Issue sellers, beggars, salespeople....) and they make it so hard to get away.

I choose my own charities to donate to and politely tell them as such and that I do have an issue with the fact are getting paid or on commission for doing what they are and would rather donate direct to cut down on the overheads.

Not that that usually stops them as they still try and get your details.

I did agree to donate to a few but then got plagued by phonecalls afterwards trying to get my to donate more and, when I stopped the direct debit, choosing to donate in other ways, got plagued with more phonecalls.

[Coldicote]

The response to this has been much greater than I had imagined. Thank you all for sharing your thoughts. Bednobs, I had a similar experience to yours and didn't like the moral pressure I was being put under to pay for something I hadn't ordered. It would have been quite an expensive postal packet to return and conscience wouldn't let me benefit personally, so I 'recycled' them.

Once you respond to this sort of thing, especially if you pay by cheque, they've got you hooked and never let you go. Personally I think street collections are the lesser of the problems as you can at least remain anonymous.

It's questionable anyway whether some of these causes should depend on charity or be a state responsibiity.

[bednobs]

if the state started supporting the association of mouth and foot painters, i would emigrate!

[wolf63]

I am lucky in that I live in the city centre and the charities seem to feel that we are not affluent enough to give them bags of clothes.

I volunteer in our local Oxfam book shop two or three half days per week and have done so for about three years. I also give money to the Cats Protection as all three of my babies were saved and rehomed by the local branch.

There are people out there earning money by collecting money for charity - chuggers etc.

[chas2008]

if you look closer at the clothing bags they are not always what they seem..
they offer to donate X amount to the charity for every ton they collect, that to me means they are a commercial enterprise using the name of the charity to gain more clothes etc. for them to do with as they wish and obviously earn money, and who actually knows how much they collect and donate ??

[chas2008]

i am also a bit concerned about the charities collecting for certain research, ie cancer etc. as and when these cures are found and they will be in time, the drug companies shares will go through the roof and multi millionaires made in an instant, and all from charitable donations !!

I must point out this doesnt stop me from donating to these causes...

[Jenga]

I get at least one bag per week from some charity or other. I use them as bin bags. Once I left an unused one on the doorstep for them to pick up and they never bothered.

If you go to a charity shop they charge a fortune for donated clothes.

[jen78]

I never get the clothes bag since I've lived in city centre and such either.

I have regular clearouts and either take stuff to Oxfam or give it to my ex's mum who works in a hospice shop.

[yogasun]

Like you Coldicote I am not a meany and often donate to charities but I object to the emotional blackmail they use.
I find the PDSA particularly irritating as they send me draw tickets with special ready printed address (mine) labels to use for returning the stubs plus money. It must cost a fortune. I used to feel guilty and send some money but as we get at least fifteen other 'begging' packages I am afraid I keep the labels and recycle the tickets. Now I'm feeling guilty. :(

[coccinelle]

In France, when you offer money to a charity you can claim back 75% from your income tax. This means by offering 100� you're only paying 25�! You feel really mean here not giving to at least a couple of charities. (If you don't pay income tax, not worth doing really!)

[theonlyone]

I am so fed up with the charity appeals in the post
so I cross out my address and say moved and
post them back ..it works ..I do give to charity but
refuse to be bullied and emotionally blackmailed
by mail shots and charity bags ..you can get a
sticker for the door saying no bags or junk mail ..
also the big charities take a big cut for admin etc..
and the local ones are self supporting ..run by
volunteers ..so the money is all going to the cause ..
support a local charity ...I do

[Coldicote]

The Charity Commission website might be of interest:-
http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/Showchari ty/RegisterOfCharities/RegisterHomePage.aspx?L anguage=English
It shows there are 166,238 main charities plus subsidiaries. We must obviously make our own decisions but I still object to some of the 'moral pressure' tactics.

[ilsonchick]

Jenga your spot on. Charity shops are a rip off. Im sorry i know its for charity but the saying "every little helps" should be there. The other day i went to Scope and saw a jumper i liked (i have one the same at home but in a different colour) the price tag said 6 pounds!!! I pay 7 pounds for my other new at decathlon! I mean come on its used so its worth about 2 pounds.
Also i find charity shops ungrateful. When me and my boyfriend moved house we took 3 full car loads to our local treetops charity shop, got no help unloading it off the pavement, across the road to the shop by the strapping young man who worked there and then got absolutely no thanks what so ever! Plus i did that thing where you leave clothes in a bag on your doorstep and no one picked them up so i ended up binning them as they got damp and wet through.

I still buy from charity shops as i feel its doing my bit but i would buy a lot more if the prices werent so steep. All my xmas cards are charity based.