Ungrateful Charities

[sheppsea]

My wife and I give money to a few charities every month, not loads, just a little to a couple of causes we want to support

However, something that seems to be on the increase is us regularly getting phone calls from these charities (or more specifically companies on behalf of charities) asking for more money. I don't even have a problem with getting the call in principle, its irritating but I understand that they want to raise more money and the lifeblood of charities are donations, but what really angers me to their refusal to hear the word 'No', and keep asking for more and more, its like speaking to a double glazing salesman or someone want to make money from your PPI claim. I don't find it particularly nice to say no to someone working for a good cause, but to have to keep doing it, even when they ask for 'just ?1 more a month' is horrible, and really make me thinks whether I want to my money to go to a charity that is so ungrateful and endorses these borderline aggressive sales tactics

I'm not normally one to moan and normally accept the ways things are, but this is some that really annoys me

[JoeyGunz]

I know what you mean, they don't seem grateful for what they are getting.

I was waiting at a bus stop the other night in the freezing cold and I see a homeless man sat out shivvering, 3 minutes to my bus and I'm next to a McDonald's so I pop in and buy a burger for him, hand it over and before he even says thank you he's asking me to go buy him a bottle of water...

[tippexx]

Many Charities are big business these days with CEOs and Marketing Directors on whopping salaries. The sign-you-up-on-the-doorstep Johnnies, who probably don't get paid a lot, are another recent manifestation that make me feel a little uncomfortable .... and Direct Debits under duress by guilt aren't Charity, they're benign robbery.

[wolfie]

I ran a couple of 10k,s for a local charity , made them a few bob ,

however rather than be satisfied they offer me the chance to dangle off cliffs , walk crazy f walks , burn my feet , generally put myself thro pain , to get them more money .............thanks but no thanks LOL

[DogManDude]

Yeah, I know what you mean. These aggressive tactics work because people find it hard to say no when put on the spot. I've shifted my charity giving to giving to local food banks because I can see what they do and how they operate, they have really low overheads, and you see your donations making a real difference. The volunteers are always grateful and never try to guilt-trip people into giving more.

[groundhog]

The problem with charities seems to be that they are chasing ever fewer "charitable pounds" available - so they're turning to full on sales tactics.
As a result, some charities are alienating a lot of people - which is such a shame.
My daughter and I were recently at the forefront of BBC campaign to raise money for the hospice we use - no hard sell - just promotion of the charity using "tales from the front", as it were - Just through these stories, with no supported advertising / mailshot / cold calling, we raised over ?200,000.
Personally speaking, we have to raise ?21,000 for my daughter's powered chair, every five years - amongst many other pieces of equipment.
Funnily enough, we don't harass people in the street. Or ring them up - or ask twice.
Charities that pursue dubious practices will lose support and ultimately fail - and that's why it's an error using salespeople to raise charitable funding.

[DogManDude]

I've been told that some "sign-you-up-on-the-doorstep Johnnies" are employed from the same firms that read electric/gas meters or who do TV licensing checks.

[nev coss]

give to one charity and they seem to give your name to every other charity and then you are deluged with calls and post

[TheMonk]

It's funny how charities can actually get as greedy as any other corporation. Their purpose is different, but their methods are strangely similar.

[MrMaduro]

I stopped this in one fell swoop by just saying if they call me again, I will withdraw my contribution completely. I was getting a call every 2 - 3 weeks asking for more money and i got sick of it. Not had a single phone call since.

[parnaby]

Yea I've had this before with the RSPCA.

The only time I give to charity now is to friends/family who are fund raising. Also, the Middlesbrough Supporters South do a present drive every Christmas for the local children's hospice which I always give too, plus food banks at that time of year.


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