I have saved all charitable requests received in the mail since about the m iddle of October, just for curiosity. As of this morning, I have more than 40 requests for support. There may be some duplicates in the pile, I didn 't make any effort to sort out and throw out duplicates. I use Charity Nav igator as my primary screening tool, as well as those local charities my wi fe and I are personally acquainted with. It still is a huge amount of effo rt to relieve my wife and myself of our hard-earned pension and savings. W hat do other folks do?
I pick out a few worthy causes and donate what I can...the rest go directly into the recycle bin.
FWIW: I have also received a few Go Fund Me's for medical help from a few folks I know to be staunch Republicans. Even though they have effectively slit their own throats, I still sent a few $$$. They really did need help.
I have never got such a request from "one of the damn libs."
I, personally, ignore all mail (and phone) solicitations automagically irregardless of the source; I have personal selection of those which I do support. Nothing difficult about it...
There are an untold number of worthwhile organizations along with any number that are simply scams by another name. Find what you're interested in(*), support it/them and go on with living.
(*) I'd make a suggestion to look local first, however..."charity begins at home".
Most charities include a self addressed pre-paid postage envelope. If it's a charity we know we'll never support financially, we write a short note asking them remove us from their mailing list to save them the expense of wasted mailings and save a few trees in the process. We mail it back in their envelope. We've had good luck with that strategy.
with. It still is a huge amount of effort to relieve my wife and myself of our hard-earned pension and savings. What do other folks do?
I toss all requests in the trash. I have been known to that if some come with envelops with retrun postage on them to put some of the other requwsts in them and mail them back.
Being retired seems to attract the bulk mailing.
I do donate to some of the local things like Resque squand and fire departments.
I just refuse to donate to any organization that the leaders are getting way over $ 100,000 a year. Not sure what the Clinton Foundation is, but when they can afford to pay their daughter $ 900,000 to start, they do not need my donation. Many of the charitias are just a way to keep the money. The leaders take out big money for theirselves and just send out a small amount.
Long time ago, I decided on the "Pick a few good ones.... " path and donated to Amnesty International.
It then became obvious that they were selling my name/address to mailing list vendors and I felt betrayed - like a piece of meat somebody hung out for the wolves.
And don't get me started on the telephone solicitors.....
I have somebody in the house who is a extremely-good, decent, big-hearted person but in declining health and who keeps responding to these things.... and the volume seems to grow daily.
We get the full-color pics of tortured animals on the envelopes, the glass-window envelopes with the dollar bill or fifty-cent piece inside, the fake gifts for GIs... you name it, we get it.
I try to pull that stuff before it gets to the kitchen table, but am not always successful, so the trend continues and the volume grows. Last time I asked the mailman, he said we got the most mail by far of anybody on his route.
My theory is that there are list vendors out there whose databases get updated with the types of mailings people respond to and, over time, users of the databases become able to select people depending on which button pushes work on which people.
Respond to the dirtbags behind "Coalition to Salute America?s Heroes"
formatting link
who sent that dollar bill... and you'll get more mailings where money is part of the come-on.
Respond to the color pic of the mutilated animal... and you'll get more full-color gore.
I don't *know* this.... but, coming from a computer application/database background, it seems like an inevitable progression: a profit-making niche that *will* be filled.
As of now I, personally, don't give to *anybody* who solicits by mail. If I wanted to feel better about myself, I'd find out where the homeless people hang and hand out cash... but not a dime to anybody who knows my name and address.
Same here. I don't know of a Canadian version of Charity Navigator
- so when I am researching a new cause, I will go to the Revenue Canada web site and look for the charity's salary and admin costs and try to determine if it's worth a donation .. Also - I now avoid the big charity lottery games - the $ 100. ticket ones - far too much goes to overpaid lottery people - rather than the actual charity. John T.
We have curbside recycling here, and sometimes the pickup will be in the afternoon. When mail comes first, I get to transfer most of the mail directly from one receptacle (mailbox) to another (recycling container).
I choose which ones to donate to. It's like the others thing it's their money, and they can just make a withdrawal at any time. Some even send a little money or a stamp.
BTW, I now have 29 "free" 2017 calendars. I guess the excess is going to be recycled too.
Basically, what I do. I DO NOT donate by phone, and don't even answer calls from known charities. There is one that repeatedly bothers me. At least they are honest with the caller ID and I can block the calls.
As to local, one that I like is one that gives school supplies to poor children every August. I also donate food.
Legit isn't the problem - wasteful is - Google doesn't tell me how many staff are making more than $ 250 grand a year ... nice work if you can get it .. or if they spend 20 % on "admin" that's a lot of paper clips ! John T.
We have about a half-dozen that we have checked out fairly thoroughly and f eel comfortable donation to, and about the same number of local groups that we are familiar with. What amazes me is the number of duplicates, or with barely or slightly different names but the same address. It is hard to im age that someone who compiles computer lists isn't savvy enough to weed out obvious duplicates.
Give to one charity and often your name gets passed on to other charities. Anything in the mail gets tossed in the trash.
I give to one reputable charity once or twice a year. I also give support to an individual that is unable to work. I knew him before he was disabled and I know his problem is legit so I don't mind helping out with a few thing like internet and food for his dog.
I can afford to give what I can but if you are tight with pension and savings, your comfort should not be put at risk.
On 11/22/2016 12:32 PM, snipped-for-privacy@ccanoemail.ca wrote: ...
The IRS Form 990s are on file and publicly available that has the financials for all 501(c)3 that has the details of their financials including salaries, etc., ...
They don't want to weed out the duplicates. They are intentional to sound like the legitimate charity. If the legit charity is The Ingrown Toenail Association (ITA) and they get a lot of support, someone will come up with Ingrown Toenail of America to get your donation and pocket most of it. (ITofA)
That also works for credit card offers, magazines, insurance sales, just about anything that will generate money for the sender. If you check your banks' privacy notification you are given the option to opt out of them sharing (polite way of saying selling) your name and address with anyone. Banks are the worst offenders for sharing your name and address with anyone who will cross their palm with a bit of cash.
The few charity mailings I get include an envelope but it's not a postage paid type.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here.
All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.