How to deal with fundraiser solicitors
Filed under: Charity
You're probably hit up for money regularly. Sponsor my run for the cure? How about some Girl Scout cookies? Come to my fundraising corn hole tournament. Join us for casino night at the Catholic school.
Sadly, indiscriminate giving can be a budget-buster, and doesn't always accomplish much good. If we have one consistent message throughout WalletPop, it's that each dollar counts. So make it count.
A wise giver includes charitable giving in his budget (you do have a budget, right?). This includes, of course, the big gifts to your church or The Cato Institute or The Hemlock Society but doesn't often include the nickel-and-dime obligations that we take on casually. I hope you also vett the organization of your choice to assure an acceptable percentage of its receipts actually go to the cause it represents.
I have a few rules that I use to decide about contributions.
1. I won't donate for another person's recreation. If they want to run for the cure, let them pay for it, too. If they are truly giving of themselves, say, going to New Orleans to carry bricks, I'm much more likely to contribute.
2. I don't donate to those who attend a private school. If their parents can afford the school, they can afford to send their band to Washington without my help. Or they could ask the Pope to chip in.
3. I don't usually buy a candy bar for charity. If I'm feeling magnanimous, I might donate the dollar and tell them to keep the candy. I don't need the calories, and the candy isn't that good, anyway.
4. I don't give to those who come to my door. I'm never completely sure that the person is on the up and up, and I resent being pulled away from my work or nap just so I can be solicited. And each solicitor that comes away from your door will result in more solicitors. If people would only have the sense to refuse to listen to phone solicitations, we wouldn't have to put up with them. The same goes for door to door requests.
5. I keep my antenna tuned to pick up on those 'friends' who only get in touch when they want my help/contribution/endorsement. Those people, I simply avoid.
6. I am, however, willing to fork over a few bucks when my real friends ask, but I look at that as lubricating the relationship.
How do I turn down such request politely?
I don't try to explain. I simply say no, thank you. If they hector me, I can be commensurately rude.
Those to whom I feel I owe an explanation, I explain that I donate all I can to issues that I care deeply about, and if I have some spare money, I'll add it to that commitment.
The door-to-door solicitations? Attend closely, because this is important. You are NOT obligated to answer your doorbell. A ring is simply a request for your attention, and your attention is yours to grant or not, as you so choose. If you spot the magazine sales team working your neighborhood, ignore the bell. It is your right. Use it.
If you do donate, demand a receipt. If none is forthcoming, take back your money.
Remember, every dollars counts. Is yours going where it will do the most good?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
10-15-2008 @ 3:26PM
Nancy said...
I whole-heartedly agree with #2. If you can afford to send your kid to a private school, then you can afford to buy their candy. Also, if they have a need for more money, have the Pope contribute. He's got tons of money!
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10-15-2008 @ 4:16PM
Teri said...
What is the difference in contributing to a student's trip, activity, etc. for a student who attends a private school rather than public? The fact that I sacrifice to send my son to Catholic school shouldn't matter to you since I still pay my property taxes to fund the public schools. The Catholic schools don't have any more extra money than public schools but since they are not affected by the corrupt teacher's union, they are able to educate a student on much less than is alloted for each child in public schools.
10-17-2008 @ 5:56PM
Lee said...
Yeah we "private schoolers" sure have alot of nerve sending our kids out there to mooch from you "poor folk". In truth, we probably don't really make that much more money than you, we just choose to spend ours differently. We accept having to pay the private school tuition in addition to the same, ever-increasing, school taxes everyone else pays; because it our choice to do so. So really Nancy, when my kids knock on your door asking you to buy some crappy holiday wrapping paper, just kindly decline and they will go on their merry way. If you feel you must indulge in some good-old Catholic bashing then go ahead and let loose, we are really kind of used to it. Just know that Catholics don't run the only private schools out here, we just happen to run the best and most sought-after private schools out here (i.e., almost 25% of kids enrolled in Catholic schools in my area are not Catholic). By the way, our parish also raises money to send a group to New Orleans to rebuild houses (we do this every year). Care to put YOUR money where your mouth is Nancy?
10-20-2008 @ 8:32AM
Mary said...
What about all of the extracurricular activities that the kids from the public schools incessantly ask for money for? They are lined up at my door with their hands out asking for money for athletics, magazines, band, dancing, chair-rocking, field trips, cookies, cards, etc., etc. And all of this is an expectation on top of my enormous taxes. Don't call the Catholic school folks "money jerks"! I say the public school folks should take a good look at their own "money jerking" and provide for their own extra-curricular activities!
11-07-2008 @ 12:31AM
Daryl said...
I attended a private Adventist High School. When I worked in the finance department, I learned that the operating cost of the school was over $2,000,000/year, and that student tuition covered just over 1/2 of that. Everything else was by donation from alumni and fundraisers. The school's teachers dealt with lower salaries and more hours than their public school counterparts, and many familes made big lifestyle changes to send their kids there. Most of the students worked jobs at the school, or at on-campus businesses to help pay for tuition. Not to mention that my parents still paid into the school tax levy system that their kids weren't using. Perhaps they should have gotten that money back from the government and used it for my education.
11-07-2008 @ 11:52AM
amazed said...
This isn't a reply to Nancy, it's a reply to Teri, Lee, Mary, Daryl. First, how is the teacher's union corrupt? For trying to get higher pay for teachers who can earn pathetic incomes?! Second, there is no problem with public school kids fundraising for their activities. Yes, you might pay a lot in taxes, but not that much goes for public education. There are budget cuts almost every year. Where I live there was one high school that lost over 30 teachers this year & they were already understaffed. On top of the lay-offs, the other teachers lost their step, which is a yearly increase of a few hundred. Public schools are increasingly losing their funds for extracurriculars like the arts because gov'ts keep cutting the budget. Don't complain about you taxes going to public education. Complain about them going to fund that new Mercedes your Senator bought this year!
10-16-2008 @ 7:49PM
westvirginiaidiot said...
I have been a telemarketer(booo)... You should give to charities that are efficient AND meet your goals. In telemarketing, the words,"Please put me on your do not call list" means no, and no argument. You don't have to be rude or mean to someone who needs a job that badly. I myself give to tax-deductable charities that spend very little money on fund-raising, having raised funds for 'charities' that spend about 85% of your donation on fund-raising and office expenses... So you pledge $35 to someone making minimum wage who calls for the charity,and by the time it's all over, the child, or homesless vet, or WHOEVER, gets about five bucks if they are lucky! Be nice, be smart, and do REAL good!
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10-17-2008 @ 3:26PM
Bob C said...
You forgot a step... The telemarketer you work for takes their cut first, then gives a portion to the charity, which takes even more.
Let's say you give $100. The telemarketer keeps 80% as "operating costs" and gives $20 to the charity. Then the charity keeps 85% of that $20, meaning the person you're trying to help gets $3 out of the $100. What a scam!
Most states have on online charity search, use it! I found out that the "Disabled Firefighters Fund", while certainly noble sounding, only gives 6% of what they raise the program. They keep the other 94%. There are plenty others like them.
10-16-2008 @ 3:59AM
Jeff Brown said...
I only contribute to causes that are often overlooked by the community such as the elderly. Providence O' Christmas Trees does a great job of helping to provide funds for seniors who have outlived their resources or people who cannot afford hospice care on thier own. A reciept is always provided and I feel I am helping a worthy cause.
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10-16-2008 @ 6:20AM
Phil said...
Planned giving is ultimately wise giving. This is true. However, since when did Aunt Jemima decide to need an emergency appendectomy she couldn't afford? Saving money to give to needs as they arise or are newly presented is budgeted giving, too!
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10-16-2008 @ 8:54AM
Hollie said...
You neglected to mention telephone solicitors...there should be mandatory jail time for people who continue to ask me for money on the phone after I have already said no.
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11-09-2008 @ 12:09AM
Jerry said...
Those telephone solicitors really piss me off. I finally got to where I yell and scream at them and tell them never to call me again or I will personally arrive at their place of business and kick their sorry a$$. I never, never will donate to a phone solicitor and I have totally quit giving to anyone except the Paralyzed Veterans of America and the Girl Scouts since my wife is on the Board of Directors. In this economy, I see my retirement shrinking and I am not willing to share my hard-earned money very freely anymore!!!
10-18-2008 @ 11:05AM
Joe said...
I agree with the rule about the private school band trip, but what about public school needs? Some schools just don't get enough funding for some things and send kids door to door. How would you handle high school band students asking for a donation so they can get new instruments? In this area, the kids are required to do it, so how should you handle them?
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10-17-2008 @ 2:50PM
Martin said...
To #4 Phil, IF aunt Jemimah needs an emergency appendectomy, that still falls into BUDGETED GIVING. Your budget allows X amount for charity, when that amount is given then you have to borrow or wait for the next budget cycle, whatever you have that set up to be. You should NOT give the shirt off your back unless you have another in the closet.
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10-17-2008 @ 2:59PM
Tom said...
Was asked by a friend to donate to a fundraiser at a private school. Suggested they ask the Pope to help out. They replied that it was not likely that the Pope would help out their Muslim school.
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10-17-2008 @ 3:07PM
kat25923 said...
It's dangerous for anyone to go door-to-door, let alone tell a kid to do this. Any school that encourages this activity should be dealt with by the parents.
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10-17-2008 @ 4:15PM
Grant said...
Regarding school fundraisers, it's your kid and if you want them to participate in school activities, you better be prepared to pay for them yourself. End of story. If you cannot afford to pay for them, then your child will not be able to participate. Do not have children unless you can afford to provide for them. Or, if the child really wants to participate, this is an excellent opportunity to teach them real responsibility. When I was a kid, if I wanted to participate in sports or other activities, I had to mow lawns, clean gutters, trim hedges, etc. around my neighborhood to pay for my sports and any other extracurricular activities myself. We weren't poor but, we weren't rich either. My folks always made sure that we had all the basic necessities but, we just didn't have extra money for all the fun stuff. Yeah, I was a little mad at my folks back then but, it taught me to appreciate what I do have rather than be envious of what I don't. It also taught me money management skills at a young age. Now, I'm grateful that my parents were less concerned about being popular with me than they were with raising their kids up to be a responsible adult.
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10-17-2008 @ 4:10PM
Paige said...
I am a teacher in a Catholic school. We do not have public funding from taxpayers, so we rely on fundraisers for all the "extras" that public schools get from taxpayers like myself. (buses for field trips, before and after school programs, etc, etc) The parents in my school struggle to make ends meet to pay the tuition for their children to attend our school. Tuition is used soley for educating the children and contributing toward the teachers' salaries, which is pitiful. Catholic school teachers make about two-thirds less than public school teachers ~ believe me, we aren't here for the money! To "ask the Pope" for money is an ignorant statement.
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10-17-2008 @ 4:18PM
CJ said...
I think it's shameful when young children are sent around door to door to pimp for money. It is hard to say no to those big eyes and the fundraisers know this.Often times they allocate a set amount each child MUST SELL. My son was always bringing home fundraising kits from school. There should be laws against this. I refused to allow him to do this. Its not safe and it makes beggars out of kids. Instead why not let them do a chore or two around the house and donate that money. I stopped asking my family to donate to my kids things and they stopped asking me. And yes.. You don't have to open your door or answer you phone unless you wish to.
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10-17-2008 @ 5:40PM
Macmillan said...
The author of this small minded piece is trying to be the Grinch who Stole Charitable Thinking. Most of his comments simply reflect a resentful bias. Private schools are superb and probably more deserving much of the time of support - and private does not mean Roman Catholic. The best schools in the nation are private. Supporting cancer research, polio eradication and other serious diseases through runs, walks cleanup days is by now a time honored and excellent way to help various causes.
These authors need to be better vetted. Speaking out on charitable issues is not something that AOL should just hand out to any resentful little would be journalist.
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