Postal charity requests

My sentiments exactly Nellie why travel to China when you can walk anywhere ? Far better to give the cost of the airfare to the charity.
I have stopped filling in the enclosed forms when sending cheques to charities, I just pop the cheque in and they get the money and I don't get pestered to raise the amount.
I do not agree with paying people to fund raise, it takes a lot of donations to pay their wages before the charity gets one penny.
When chuggers come to the door I tell them that they have just ensured that I will not donate, thankfully the ones I give to do not employ these pests.

oh nellie, I'd have been with you on the China walk front.
I feel a bit Scroogelike in my dislike of the notion of raising money to fund a charity fundraiser that involved exciting overseas travel. If we raise money by bike rides, walks etc, we fund any costs involved ourselves.

Many years ago I sold Christmas Cards for a charity, a percentage of which we as a local group kept, another percentage went to the main office of the Charity, the balance to the producers of the cards. One year we hit a target - can't remember how much, but volunteer card sellers were all invited to a meal at one of the hotels in London, which was a lovely gesture, BUT there were so many 'paid' people from the charity card producers, praising everyone for their efforts and telling us about the profit made, and I suddenly thought, 'hang on there, here I am, giving my time (considerable) using my telephone (free of charge) and driving around in the car, making deliveries (no petrol claimed), and there you are telling me how well you have done!' Haven't sold a charity card since. I have my own charities to which I contribute regularly, always support Lions and Round Table (they give to local people) and of course the good old Sally Ally, there in the time of need.

I recently had a call from a charity that I give to and had a very nice chat with the young man. I asked if younger people give as readily as we grans do and he said about 80% of donations come from over 60s. I'm not sure if we are more generous or just a soft touch!
On the subject of the cards and junk mail we receive - I use any cards and envelopes to make little notebooks, etc. and give them to local charities. They seem to sell quite well for about 20p and I enjoy making them. That way I don't feel guilty about not replying to them all and the stuff doesn't get wasted. (I hate to waste paper!)

McMillan chugger who came to my door one dark night put me right off that charity. Fortunately Marie Curie Cancer Care does the same job and I will continue to give to them.

I know I've mentioned the Charities Aid Foundation before, but it's worth thinking about. You set up an account with a monthly payment of your choice (from £10, I think) and they claim Gift Aid if applicable and add it to your account. You can then give by Charity Card or voucher (like a cheque) or online, but the best thing is that you can give anonymously so that you do not have endless appeals for more.

Since my mother became ill last year and later died, I have phoned all sorts of charities which she supported and asked for her name to be removed from their lists, and in every single case they have been helpful and pleasant and in every case except one I have not heard from them again. Perhaps you have to become incapable of managing your affairs, or, indeed, dead before they will listen to requests to stop bothering you...

I'm afraid I don't bin the place mats, pens, cards, etc as I loathe waste. But neither would I consider giving to the charities.
I wasn't going to give to the poppy appeal this year as they sent a load of stuff, but the nice gent with his medals and handle bar moustache who was collecting locally was so angry about what their head office had done, I relented.
I expect some little twerp somewhere has the figures to prove this sort of marketing works.

Ditto Nfk re charities.
And all the bags I get through the front door are immediately recycled.

Since I couldn't possibly give to all these, I don't do any. But I do give sometimes elsewhere - when I choose.

I had a letter this morning from addaction asking me to donate, the letter was addressed to me by first and second name, and signed by the Director of fundraising. I have returned his bumph in the pre-paid envelope with a letter asking them to remove my name from their data base. I also wrote that I did not donate to a charity that employs a director of fundraising as it was obvious he was drawing a large salary from annoying people like me. There was a suggestion that £100 would help teach young people about the dangers of binge drinking instead I gave it to the parents of the boy who died in the traffic accident to help with the funeral costs.

I spoke to someone who kept ringing me on behalf of the Woodland Trust (which charity I had supported for years) about the annoyance of being pestered. He had all the spiel: the charities justify pestering people by post and by phone because it is "effective". I withdrew my support from the Woodland Trust and all other charities with that "end justifies the means" attitude because I think it is immoral. I told them too. They seemed surprised.

Which only proves to me that too many charities (or their managements, at any rate) have grossed out with success and lost their moral compass. Too many have become political machines.

and yuck.

grannya thank you for the eye-opening list of charities - I have always tried to support LOCAL animal charities and organisations who do not have the mega-millions and rely on volunteers., I wonder how many people leave money to the big charities not realising how much goes on admin, directors salaries and perks.
I remember seeing a program about the woman who heads up the Blue cross charity and the salary she commanded while lots of the centres were run on a shoestring was appalling.

Allie don't recycle those nice charity bags - they fit tall pedal bins beautifully!

Further to my annoyance about the alcohol addiction charity, I have just looked on google maps and found the address of the charity is in fact a wine bar in central London. I will give them the benefit of the doubt and assume that it is an office above the premises but above a bar and within a street of bars

Well, I can't tell you how delighted I am to have read this forum tonight. I received yet another Red Cross envelope full of unwanted tat this morning and, having binned the last two or three, felt guilty and decided I would return them with a letter explaining why I would no longer be donating to them. However, like everyone else, I am very busy and really don't want to be bothered. So, heartened by all your comments, I shall bin it without further ado!!

My DH and I have our favourite charities to which we donate on a regular basis and we also try to respond to emergency appeals. I am not going to be emotionally blackmailed by these unwanted gifts. Oooh feel better for getting that off my chest! [thgrin]