Senior Citizens are you easily coaxed into giving to charities just because they post details of their needs to you?

Question

I used to be inundated with such requests and answered them telling them that I supported specific charities only and asked them not to contact me again. They all ignored this and kept me on their mailing lists.

I eventually solved this by posting back to them the items they sent to me - using their prepaid envelopes to do so.

I felt sad, to some extent, having to do that but felt that they deserved it as I had requested they stop. There is a limit to how much elderly people can handle and I'd reached my limit.

Answer 1

Senior citizens are often lonely and feeling cast aside and without value. That's what makes them so vulnerable to marketing ploys that easily fleece seniors of their livelihood. Even worse, when they are preyed upon by those in their own religious affiliations. It is particularly bad for seniors in the throes of Alzheimers or other mental conditions. When my mother died two years ago, I uncovered drawers and drawers of cheap trinkets so worthless that other charities like Goodwill wouldn't take them when I cleared out her apartment. She struggled so much financially in her later years but donating to these predatory organizations fulfilled her and made her feel valued by more than just her family.



I too called these organizations to make them stop and together my mom and I shared a good laugh each time we were mailing the stuff back in their pre-paid envelopes. But when the dementia set in, all she could remember were her earlier patterns and resumed donating.

Answer 2

Poseidon, what you say about opening the floodgates rings true to me. I suspected this happened as I gave (quite generously) some years ago to a particular charity - telling them that it was a one-off because I'd inherited some money. I was very serious about it being a one-off. However, I made a little error in my address (not one which prevented post still arriving though, and very soon I was inundated with begging letters from charities who all had that small error in my address.



Ever since then I've posted cheques to charities (with nothing else in the envelope at all). I don't need receipts because I can see from my statement that a cheque has been cashed. I know a few other people who have found their own ways of remaining anonymous. I appreciate that charities are needy but some are now greedy (and it's because they pay such huge salaries to the person at the 'top of the tree'.

Answer 3

Returning pre-paid envelopes is not going to have any effect. Years ago the joke was that you'd glue the envelope to a brick to mail it back. But these days these envelopes go to a center totally unrelated to the business or charity where low-paid people open hem and look for a check, and throw anything else away. And an overweight package won't even be delivered.



There is a National Do Not Call List for your telephone. Some outfits (particularly charitable organizations) may call you anyway, but the must all also keep a do-not-call list, so you say 'Please put me on your do--not-call list'. I find this works, even though sometimes the person on the phone claims not to know about do-not-call lists.



But there's no do-not-mail list. My recycling bin is between my mailbox and my front door, so when I pick up the mail by the time I get to the bin II've gone through the mail and most of it goes into the bin.

Answer 4

We get inundated with requests for help all through the year but especially at Christmas.



I'm sure, like yourself, I wish I could help all those people and animals in need of help but it is simply not financially possible.



I have selected four charities which I want to help and have set up a monthly donation to them.



All the others I ignore but I do feel guilty, but that's what these charities want us to feel.



In the UK donating to some charities very often opens the floodgates because the charity we donate to often sell the details of those giving to other charities and all of a sudden we get a dozen requests for help.



This I feel should be stopped by the Government.



It is for the individual to decide if they want to donate to charities and if so which ones.



Poseidon

Answer 5

The ones that prep you for a gift are the worst. They give you address stamps out the kazoo or pens and pads in order to make you feel guilty for not giving in return. You would think that most people hate this. But I guess it works pretty well considering it has never changed. It's a Trojan Horse. It comes to you as a gift and sneak attacks your conscientiousness! These I give the least to. I do like giving to ST. Jude Children's Hospital in Memphis. But lately, they have started the same thing. Giving in order to get. We dropped out house phone because of the constant calls for money for charities. Now they call our cell phones. I suppose next they will start dropping leaflets!

Answer 6

No Once i found out 63 cents in every dollar Goes to Running the Charity



i spend it at Home



But My school in South Africa 1000 dollars and I pay the Transfer fee and the Conversion fee the school gets the 90% plus of what is left over

Answer 7

There are probably some good and worthwhile charities. I don't know how you find and verify if one exists. All of the ones I've actually checked on had huge "administrative" costs, spent too much money on "fund raising", and usually paid an obscene amount of money to a "leader". One chief officer used to brag that he donated his time. He only got expenses. I looked a little farther. He got a huge apartment, had access to a chauffeur driven Rolls Royce, and dined at our cities most expensive restaurants daily.



I don't send any of them ANYTHING.

Answer 8

I only give to local charities who spend all of the funds on the object of the charity.

I receive books of raffle tickets, pens, rulers, miniscule address labels etc, from

national charities who have addresses in Mayfair, London. If they can afford to

have their headquarters in Mayfair, then they have no business begging for more!



My favourite charities are my local Animal Shelter and Caister Volunteer Lifeboat.

Answer 9

Thanks for the laugh! That was really funny. I now do what I learned from moms way of dealing with them That is throw all mailings in the can sealed. Then each December 1st I have a set budget I send to my favorite charities...that way they can't play on my sympathy. They are really good at that ya know?

Answer 10

When they phone I tell them to keep their envelope as I was forced into early retirement. Then they change gears and say But, if you could only spare..." and I hang up. Some won't take no for an answer. I choose when and where I give, and it's not to telemarketers. Jesus gave to the poor.

Answer 11

You should tear them all up, and never feel guilty,i give to two charities and will never give to anyone who sends me begging letters, i was going to give a one off payment to a charity a couple of years ago, but when i phoned they tried to talk me into setting up a regular payment, i put the phone down, they got no money from me,you have to realise that these charities are run for profit, they raise money, yes, but often their directors are paid big fat salaries,so just give to the charities you want to.

Answer 12

in uk, two of the biggest charities have been fined heavily for investigating the wealth of their donors and passing on details to other charities. it might make a difference. i use the pens and cards i am sent by charities but i don't donate money to any. i donate my time and services.

Answer 13

I don't care what their needs are or how often they post, I don't donate to ANYBODY other than the Humane Society. If the local volunteer fire department is having a bake sale, I might buy a cake - I suppose you might call that "donating".

Answer 14

You did right, because some so-called charities are scams. A person has to do their homework to make sure the donation goes where it belongs.

Answer 15

Nope. I give from my heart to whichever charity I feel strongly about.

Answer 16

No!!! I have specific charities I give to and ignore the others.

Answer 17

Got tired of them too. And I just keep anything they send now. If they want to waste their money, fine with me. Otherwise, in the garbage it goes.

Answer 18

I don' t give to charity. I volunteer. I would give to pet charity but nothing that would benefit white people.

Answer 19

You took the best action to fend off those pestering varmints.

Answer 20

Not at all. I need all of my money to live and to help my kids.

Answer 21

no but i would rather give it to the church