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#1
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OT - Charitable Requests Overwhelming
I have saved all charitable requests received in the mail since about the middle 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 Navigator as my primary screening tool, as well as those local charities my wife and I are personally acquainted 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?
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#2
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OT - Charitable Requests Overwhelming
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#3
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OT - Charitable Requests Overwhelming
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#5
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OT - Charitable Requests Overwhelming
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#6
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OT - Charitable Requests Overwhelming
Per :
I have saved all charitable requests received in the mail since about the middle 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 Navigator as my primary screening tool, as well as those local charities my wife and I are personally acquainted 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? *Only* 40 for two weeks?...... -) With us it's probably in the hundreds. 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" (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/08/opinion/08fri1.html) 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. -- Pete Cresswell |
#7
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OT - Charitable Requests Overwhelming
Per Peter:
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. I'm going to start doing that - seems like it *has* to work because very reply via pre-paid envelope costs them money. -- Pete Cresswell |
#8
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OT - Charitable Requests Overwhelming
I have saved all charitable requests received in the mail since about the middle 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 Navigator as my primary screening tool, as well as those local charities my wife and I are personally acquainted 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 pick out a few worthy causes and donate what I can...the rest go directly into the recycle bin. 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. |
#9
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OT - Charitable Requests Overwhelming
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#10
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OT - Charitable Requests Overwhelming
On 11/22/2016 09:37 AM, philo wrote:
[snip] I pick out a few worthy causes and donate what I can...the rest go directly into the recycle bin. 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. -- 33 days until the winter celebration (Sunday December 25, 2016 12:00:00 AM for 1 day). Mark Lloyd http://notstupid.us/ "It's not your fault that you're always wrong" -- Marilyn Manson |
#11
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OT - Charitable Requests Overwhelming
On 11/22/2016 09:38 AM, dpb wrote:
[snip] 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". 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. -- 33 days until the winter celebration (Sunday December 25, 2016 12:00:00 AM for 1 day). Mark Lloyd http://notstupid.us/ "It's not your fault that you're always wrong" -- Marilyn Manson |
#12
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OT - Charitable Requests Overwhelming
I have saved all charitable requests received in the mail since about the middle 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 Navigator as my primary screening tool, as well as those local charities my wife and I are personally acquainted 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 pick out a few worthy causes and donate what I can...the rest go directly into the recycle bin. 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. It is easy to Google to see if a charity is legit 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. |
#13
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OT - Charitable Requests Overwhelming
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#14
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OT - Charitable Requests Overwhelming
We have about a half-dozen that we have checked out fairly thoroughly and feel 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 image that someone who compiles computer lists isn't savvy enough to weed out obvious duplicates.
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#15
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OT - Charitable Requests Overwhelming
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#16
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OT - Charitable Requests Overwhelming
On 11/22/2016 10:24 AM, wrote: I have saved all charitable requests received in the mail since about the middle 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 Navigator as my primary screening tool, as well as those local charities my wife and I are personally acquainted 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? Print and send some of these: https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2109/2...21c867df13.jpg |
#17
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OT - Charitable Requests Overwhelming
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#18
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OT - Charitable Requests Overwhelming
Ralph Mowery posted for all of us...
I do donate to some of the local things like Resque squand and fire departments. Thank you Ralph, the money is put to good use. -- Tekkie |
#19
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OT - Charitable Requests Overwhelming
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#20
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OT - Charitable Requests Overwhelming
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#21
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OT - Charitable Requests Overwhelming
On Tuesday, November 22, 2016 at 9:56:13 AM UTC-6, Peter wrote:
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. 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. |
#22
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OT - Charitable Requests Overwhelming
On Tuesday, November 22, 2016 at 10:18:04 AM UTC-6, (PeteCresswell) wrote:
Per Peter: 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. I'm going to start doing that - seems like it *has* to work because very reply via pre-paid envelope costs them money. -- Pete Cresswell It *will* work. Just be sure to ask them to "Remove my name AND address from their mailing list." Be sure to ask that b-o-t-h be removed as I did it in the past without emphasizing AND so the squirrels just removed my name the next time I got a mailing. I quickly corrected that oversite and have not failed since to ask for name AND address to be removed. |
#23
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OT - Charitable Requests Overwhelming
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#24
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OT - Charitable Requests Overwhelming
On 11/22/2016 09:17 AM, (PeteCresswell) wrote:
Per Peter: 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. I'm going to start doing that - seems like it *has* to work because very reply via pre-paid envelope costs them money. It hasn't worked for me. One organization that I do support has me on their mailing list twice. I put a PostIt note on my checks telling them to drop one or the other but it never happens. Maybe an empty envelope with the note will have more success. |
#25
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OT - Charitable Requests Overwhelming
On 11/22/2016 08:30 PM, rbowman wrote:
[snip] It hasn't worked for me. One organization that I do support has me on their mailing list twice. I put a PostIt note on my checks telling them to drop one or the other but it never happens. Maybe an empty envelope with the note will have more success. After my father died I got his junk mail. Most senders gave up after a couple of years, except it was a couple of decades for some (mostly political organizations). Notifying them made no difference. Even after I moved, the junk kept coming. -- 32 days until the winter celebration (Sunday December 25, 2016 12:00:00 AM for 1 day). Mark Lloyd http://notstupid.us/ "He's the type of guy that has to talk to God because nobody else will listen to him." [Atheist comedian Rick Reynolds] |
#26
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OT - Charitable Requests Overwhelming
On 11/22/2016 9:24 AM, wrote:
I have saved all charitable requests received in the mail since about the middle 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 Navigator as my primary screening tool, as well as those local charities my wife and I are personally acquainted 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? With sites like gofundme it really has gotten crazy but I've seen it do a lot of good. So go figure. https://www.gofundme.com/30aezxs Thank you for your donation. |
#27
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OT - Charitable Requests Overwhelming
Per Mark Lloyd:
Basically, what I do. I DO NOT donate by phone, and don't even answer calls from known charities. I still have trouble with the idea that some people talk to strangers making unsolicited phone calls... period.... Every so often the news does a bit on some scam or another and a local citizen that got taken. Somewhere along the line they say some mealy-mouthed BS like "You really should check with the Better Business Bureau before you send money to a stranger who calls you on the phone." That always makes me a little crazy - as in wanting to throw something at the TV screen.... Heaven forbid they should say "You talk to strangers on the phone???? What, are you stupid????" -- Pete Cresswell |
#28
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OT - Charitable Requests Overwhelming
Per Mark Lloyd:
Basically, what I do. I DO NOT donate by phone, and don't even answer calls from known charities. I still have trouble with the idea that some people talk to strangers making unsolicited phone calls... period.... .... Heaven forbid they should say "You talk to strangers on the phone???? What, are you stupid????" .... Actually, there is one phone solicitation I do respond to--the annual student telethon from my uni engineering college from which graduated. I do enjoy talking with current student if only for a brief time and do request a pledge card each year to which respond as see fit depending on the year and all... |
#29
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OT - Charitable Requests Overwhelming
On 11/23/2016 03:35 PM, dpb wrote:
Actually, there is one phone solicitation I do respond to--the annual student telethon from my uni engineering college from which graduated. I do enjoy talking with current student if only for a brief time and do request a pledge card each year to which respond as see fit depending on the year and all... The president of my alma mater is the highest paid president of a private college in the US. They don't need my money. http://time.com/money/4001985/highes...ege-president/ When I was there it was in the top three along with MIT and CalTech. Now it's 147th. |
#30
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OT - Charitable Requests Overwhelming
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#31
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OT - Charitable Requests Overwhelming
Per dpb:
Actually, there is one phone solicitation I do respond to--the annual student telethon from my uni engineering college from which graduated. I do enjoy talking with.... Some standup comic or another said something like this: "I *never* hang up on telephone solicitors. Instead I talk to them. I tell them that my wife left me, I'm out of work, the house is about to be foreclosed, the dog died, my son is in jail for drugs, my 12-year-old daughter is pregnant, I keep getting letters from the IRS..... and *they* hang up on *me*." -- Pete Cresswell |
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