Charity guilt mail

First off, I try to be a good person and help others less well off than myself.
Therefore I periodically give money to charity.

However over the last few months, I have received several letters with "Gifts" in them (Small cuddly toys, greetings cards, diaries even small amounts of money (anything from 3 to 20 pence) from charities requesting a donation.

Why don't the charities give the money this crap cost to the people they are trying to help rather than guilt people into donating money with it ?

I only normally get pens

It's because the gifts are cheap, and they hope people give them more money than the total gift+postage mailshot cost.

Send 'em back.

they are the same with my dad there always after his direct debit details.

I give a few £ a month to British Red Cross but they must surely use that in the postage cost for the letters asking me for more

[Spiderman]

So glad its not just me who thinks this way. I find it deeply offensive that charities can waste money like this tbh.

Some days i get so woulnd up by the idea of the modern charity i feel like writing to the charities commision (or whoever) and having a bit of a moan.... but then its all forgotten. I'm too lazy for my own good sometimes.

Its also like the charities that say "raise a minimum of £3k and climb mount Killimanjaro". Surley 80-90% of that money goes to organise the trip etc and even tho i'm sure its a huge experience for those who do it would they not be better off organising this for themselves and then giving a chunk of change to a charity of their choice?

I remember when a charity used to be run on charity, ie people gave their time and energy for free if they didnt have money to give to the cause, nowdays its seems like they are run like any other business and the paltry profits they make they give to charity. After the directors have paid themselves far too much too, i'm sure.

I really don't know how charity works in the UK, so I may be stepping a bit far out on this, but the way I see it sometimes it's easier for some companies to donate products (surplus, rejects with minor defects, etc) rather than money; while I don't agree with "guilt mailing" myself (psychological blackmail almost always sees me doing the exact opposite), I can understand how charity organisations can arrange to send them at a very low, if any, cost (typography offers the letter prints, snail mail company offers postage, and so on). But I am probably dreaming anyway...


edit: Ed:

pens go straight in the drawer letters go straight in the shredder.

although now id better start checking them for change so i dont destroy it., the shredder i mean,
ive thought for a long time that the charities have got more agressive,
because of there guilt trips and constant harrassment in shopping centres its not often i give to them now, i just try to avoid them on the street.

we regularily fill up the bags for clothing and stuff that come through for oxfam and age concern and stuff.

although recently weve started getting bags through, appearing as if theyre a charity and tey arent, when you read the small print theyre actually for a private company, probably hawking it all at car boots on a weekend

cheeky buzzards

[northwind]

Originally Posted by Spiderman

I remember when a charity used to be run on charity, ie people gave their time and energy for free if they didnt have money to give to the cause, nowdays its seems like they are run like any other business and the paltry profits they make they give to charity. After the directors have paid themselves far too much too, i'm sure.

The justification is they make more using professional colletors than using volunteers. Amnesty International are a good example of this, they switched from volunteer callers to pros, and they made an absolute packet, 3 times more than they spend if memory serves.

'course, they've since started hassling existing members for more and more money, raffle tickets, letter writing, which is probably costing them loads of existing members Including me.

I don't give money to the large corporate charities as I feel that it will just get absorbed in the "business" I will donate things to charity shops. I give maney to small local charity.

I donate clothes/money to local charities. At least that way you know you're not lining the pockets of some office fat cats or buying silly gifts for fellow donators. Just this morning I tore up a bag from some third world charity wanting our old clothes. I'd rather my money/clothes go to Northern Irish people anyway.