Postal charity requests

I will not support any charity which can afford to send out mail shots. I had a direct debit to one charity who then started nagging me by mail and telephone to increase my donation. The DD was cancelled and re-directed to one which was more appreciative.

I have been sent so much stuff from charities, I am afraid I just bin the whole lot .
I support my own charities , but how much does it cost send out this stuff that is what I ask myselff

Two members of my family sponsor children through World Vision. When there is a disaster and WV already have people on the ground they get letters asking for donations (my husband usually DOES donate), but there is nothing gimmicky about the organisation in our experience.
I too get the tacky Red Cross cards and coasters and am frustrated by this approach as I am methodical with my donations. At the beginning of the year I review the charities I support, make a decision about whether to continue or add new ones, and that's it except for one off donations in emergencies; I don't want to be pestered.

I was sent the pictures done by disabled artists. I sent them to a little girl in Zimbabwe who I support. We are not allowed to send presents as such so something like this is useful to me, as I see it as giving her an insight into something she might never see.

I have a number of charities I give to via direct debit and in the last month have felt so moved by appeals for various tragedies that I have sent donations to more. However, I cannot understand why some charities send ridiculously distasteful gifts like coasters, bookmarks, badges and cards (which go straight into the bin) when it must cost them a fortune to do so. I wish they would desist. I suppose the amount they receive in answer to these requests must outweigh the expense? I prefer to choose 'my' charities but perhaps some people only give when they feel they get something in return

I used to send those things back, asking to be removed from their list. However they still keep arriving so I bin them. I also receive raffle tickets to sell from a few charities, including some that I support, and also used to return them unsold, but don't bother now. I hope I shall not be accused of selling them and pocketing the money!
When I was working I used to sponsor several children through World Vision. When I retired and divorced I had to drastically cut back on my spending so wrote to them to explain. I have never heard from them again, not even for one-off requests. I consider that to be efficient on their part.

This whole subject of giving to charities has become quite difficult in recent years, hasn't it. We all want to do what we can, but there has to be a limit unless we are very rich. We can't walk down the street in my nearest town without being assailed by kind looking ladies waving their charity box in our face. And as for the vast number which arrive by post, well!
For the last two years I have returned those cards from the foot and mouth artists and asked them not to send any more. Guess what?
They arrived as usual a couple of weeks ago. This time I binned them.
I've got to harden my heart and stick to my favourite three charities which I support all year round, in my own small way.
I make one exception at Christmas and that is to give to the Salvation Army as they do such marvellous work for the homeless.

My DH and I did voluntary work for the Red Cross for many years, he still does, and we both feel the same as you, HildaW.They do a great job in many ways, but as with all the others, these " free gifts" just put us off giving.
We do give to several charities by direct debit and can't afford more. One of these is the Salvation Army after hearing a radio programme that showed what a high % of their money goes to helping people.I even had a letter of apology from them once as they sent a begging letter by mistake, that impressed me.
I would feel very awkward using the cards etc.How would the people you sent them to know if you'd contributed or not?
I agree with you, Elegran, the emotional blackmail makes me very uncomfortable, and pictures of suffering animals really upset me as well as the foot and mouth stuff.I also sent them back.

I get these packs of personalised labels and gift tags, too, and a fat envelope of beautiful things painted by artists using their mouths. I hate to destroy these things, but I would not use them.

I have repacked the mouth artists stuff, and plan to return it with a request to be taken off their list, and I think I shall do the same with everything else I can. It feels churlish, but it is better than having them waste money sending it to me unasked every year. I resent the emotional blackmail being applied to me to pay up for something I did not choose to buy.

I'm afraid I return them to sender - and feel guilty about doing it. I support a number of charities and prefer to choose my own rather than have them thrust upon me.

I'm afraid I'm also one of those people who shakes a magazine before purchasing it to rid it of all the sheets of loose advertising. I collect them up and pop them onto the bottom shelf. I don't leave them lying around [virtuous emoticon!]

Sorry, I am hard hearted and bin the lot. I donate to three, end of. I am not made of money and there must be hundreds of charities who are looking for money. One must stop somewhere. Very soon I will be returning to sender as I am fed up with the load I receive. Charities do not pay postage but paper, ink and envelopes are not free.

Recently I received a certificate and a beautifully made badge for my volunteer work. I would rather they had put that money towards research as that charity is always begging for money from its members.

The Red cross send us a package full of odds and ends that cannot be cheap. It appears to be a lot of personalised labels, cards etc with my name on it and borders on emotional blackmail. I never know what to do with it. I would not wish to use it as I am not a fan of flaunting my charity donations/purchases, yet throwing it away somehow seems inappropriate.
Being sent, unsolicited, an envelope full of cheap tat does not make me want to donate to that charity - if anything it puts me right off it.

I get a huge kick out of working for a small local charity were we all work together to help each other and carefully make every penny count. Large charities seem to act more like profit making companies and could learn a lesson or two from us little ones.

P.S. was more than happy to give to a Round Table street collection for the DEC knowing all monies were going direct to the Philippines.

I agree, I have received similar mail shots from several different charities. They obviously have data which confirms that it is cost effective but for those of in receipt of these letters it does seem like a waste of money. I can't afford to support all the charities which write to me and I feel uncomfortable disposing of the letters without making a donation, which I suppose it what they play on. I have had to cut back on my charitable donations and now only support 2 local ones and 1 national.