Direct debit to wrong charity..

[permanentlyexhaustedpigeon]

Not sure what to do about this one.
Our local foodbank does an amazing job and since I managed to get a regular job, I've been keen to set up a GiftAided regular donation to support it. It isn't part of the Trussell Trust, but is a registered charity in its own right.

I set up a regular donation to what I thought was the charity through an umbrella admin site; unfortunately the link on the site ensured I set up a donation to an addiction charity at the other end of the country rather than the charity I wanted to donate to!

I took this up with charity #1 who have corrected the mistake and I've now set up the donation I intended which I know is going to them.

Charity #2 has now emailed me to thank me for my kind donation and assure me that without regular donations like mine they will have to close.
The admin site can't cancel my direct debit and say I have to take it up with charity #2 to cancel it.

I hadn't intended to donate to both, but feel bad for taking money away from a struggling and small charity that they've probably planned for by now.

Should I suck it up and donate to both when I can't really afford it, or woman up and cancel the donation to charity #2?

[FallenSky]

Just cancel it via your bank. If you can't afford it then that's that. No need to feel bad.

[BlueKarou]

Cancel it with your bank and move on. There are umpteen hundreds of thousands of charities, and all of them will tell you that your donation is vital and needed. It is, but it is not down to you to give to all of them.

Who you give to and how you give is completely down to personal choice.

Cancelling via your bank means you don't have to contact the charity, and so won't feel like you have to explain yourself.

They won't have planned for your donation specifically, not unless you gave a very large amount. They'll likely have targets of how much they expect to raise, and how much they're going to spend on donor acquisition. The only possible issue might be if the umbrella admin site have charged charity #2 for your sign up rather than charity #1, but as you've notified the admin folk, they should sort that out. Not your issue at all.

[EdithWeston]

Cancel via your bank.

The second charity has had the benefit of a donation from you. Yes, they would prefer more (they all do!) but they've had a little windfall and every little helps.

The umbrella site really should be have sorted this out, though, as it was their mistake.

[user1492545543]

Agree with PP. I feel like you shouldn't take back a charitable donation. Cancel the direct debit, and move on know you helped an organisation (even if it was unintentional).

[AbbeyRoadCrossing]

Yes cancel it.

I work in the charity sector and yes we do plan direct debit income but will factor in that people cancel into those plans. And more people cancel near the start because they change their mind etc. So don't worry about it.

Of course all donations are appreciated and keep the charity going. But they will cope with one cancellation they are already expecting.

You sound lovely.