When the hype started several years back regarding the use of plastic grocery bags I dutifully purchased some black cloth bags and have since tried hard to remember to bring them to the store with me. But things have changed. Black is out, colorful patterns are in! Why? Charities have jumped on the bandwagon. Now we can feel doubly good - we can buy bags for a suggested price of $25-$50 (more or less) without having to go anywhere to purchase them. Without even asking, charities have made sure that plenty of designer grocery bags will arrive in your mailbox. If the charity has your name and your husband's, and an incorrectly spelled name (meet Mrs.Mary Tiptop), you can even get three for the price of, well... three.
The first time I got one of these colorful bags (two of the same actually, Mrs.Tiptop and I both got one) I was pleased. It was quite pretty. It came, I think, from the Heart and Stroke Foundation. Now I have six lovely bags. It seems that the company that sells these bags did a fine job of getting quite a few charities on board with this promotion. Unfortunately I am one of those people who is struck by guilt if I keep and use one of these unsolicited incentives, so I've sent a few bucks away for each one - and for Christmas cards, labels with misspelled names and old addresses, pens, stickers, note pads, calendars... I haven't sent Christmas cards for years but I'm paying for them. I wonder when one of those promotion outfits will think of selling packets of birthday cards to the charities? Those I could use.
The problem is I am now on every charity list out there. I get donation requests every mail day. I am bombarded by sad hungry children staring deeply into my soul, big envelopes holding small items which must cost a premium to mail, reminders that I haven't sent any dollars for unwanted and unsolicited appeals. Some charities encourage you to adopt a pet or a child, giving you pics and choices, letters, progress reports. I tend to wonder if these are real, and why a donor needs to get so much feedback - I guess it's all designed to make us feel good about our goodness.
Then there's the phone solicitations, pesky telemarketers refusing to hang up after you've said no and suggesting amounts of $100 or more! If that's a bit too much this year, they'll say, perhaps a bit less, maybe $50?
The way I see it, between postage, promotional materials, follow up reminders, new appeals, glossy brochures showing their great charitable works in action, 800 numbers, administration costs (don't forget those big salaries)...well my wee donations are probably eaten up by all this. There surely must be a better way. My favorite charity never phones, simply sends out a letter each year in a normal sized envelope with no glossy brochures or "gifts" within, thanks me for my help in the past and asks if I'd like to give them $20 again this year. This charity will always get my money. They're spending it on their charitable work, they are not pressuring me to commit to more than I can afford, they keep their administrative costs low, and they send a donation receipt for tax purposes.
I asked the postmistress what to do about the barrage of unwanted solicitations. You can't return them to sender; they are considered to be advertising, and that's exactly what they are. You are under no obligation to buy. She suggested using the prepaid donation envelope inside to send a note asking them to remove you from their address list. If you still get stuff, oh well, you've received a no-strings-attached gift. And those phone calls, isn't that what Caller ID is for?
I've decided to subscribe to that old adage - "Charity begins at home". There are plenty of small non-profit organizations in my area that would be grateful for any amount I send their way - unsolicited, my decision, no pressure.
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