to vow never to collect for Christian Aid ever again.

[bogwobbit]

Nothing to do with the charity, which I think is an excellent one, but jeez people in this country are soooooooo miserable.
I can understand why people for various reasons can't or don't want to give to a specific charity and I can appreciate (especially after reading some other threads on this topic and by the way yes, all you people who complain about people daring to knock on your door collecting for charity, are unreasonable and imho quite selfish) that not everyone likes to be asked on their doorstep (very nicely in my case) if they would like to donate but why do people have to be so rude and smug and downright horrible about it. It's almost as though NOT giving to charity is some kind of positive personality trait. Funnily enough the nicest, most generous ones are the little old ladies who quite possibly can least afford it.

So after spending five hours of my time, trudging through the rain and the hail and the wind in freezing temperatures after a full day at work, never again!! Rant over but jeez, another nail in the coffin, for my faith in humanity :)

I'm never rude to charity collectors if that makes you feel any better!

My Mum used to go round collecting for Capability Scotland and I would hate to think anyone had been rude to her - don't think anyone was or she'd have told me

None of us know when we might be helped by a charity after all ...

I'm only rude to those scam people who phone you to say you have a problem with your computer!

I would not have been rude to you, but I have a door sign clearly saying no callers of this nature. It is my home, and if I want to donate to charity, I will go out and do it. And that's what I do.

I never complain to their faces of collectors who ask me for money. But I have sometimes felt intimidated or upset by collectors who insist that I must be able to afford more than I can or who refuse to believe me when I explain that I am already giving generously to their charity through Direct Debit. It was particularly upsetting after I'd just lost my job.

I am sure you are absolutely lovely, but sadly the majority of collectors I have had in the last few years have made me feel bad about the way I chose to give (not on the doorstep): yet the charities themselves always say they prefer Direct Debit donations. There are a lot of collectors out there giving the nice ones a bad name.

To be perfectly honest with you I don't appreciate people coming to my doorstep. I am not rude about it but I am brisk about saying no thank you. I give to charities of my choice and I feel that other charities have a good opportunity to grab my attention through TV adverts, leaflets, websites, etc. so there is no justification for going to someone's home.

Just because people chose not to give to your charity on this ocassion does not mean they don't give in general or that they admire not being charitable.

Well I'm very glad I've never encountered any collectors like you describe cory

Some people have their favourite charities which they do why they can for; and simply don't want to dilute the funds available for that by giving to whatever cause happens to rock up on their doorstep.
Once they are relatively polite, they are totally within their rights to say no.
Fair play to you for making the effort, though.

Well at least you still have your faith in Jesus, if not humanity.
I would not give to Christian Aid, but then I wouldn't be rude either.

I really dislike doorstep charity collections although I'd always be polite. Sometimes, you have to be rather firmer than you'd have liked with the collectors though so it cuts both ways.

i'm never rude to the christian aid collectors, i always give if an envelope comes through the door. and the knock on the door isn't unexpected.

chuggers that bang on the door just as i collapse sit down for the evening are a different matter

Sorry but i hate it when collectors specifically target me just because i have a baby in a pram with me, i just walk past and say no "thank you."
I do this automatically now, i don't even listen to them anymore, last week a guy from NSPCC came up to me and said "what would you say if i told you, you could save a childs life?" and out of routine i just said "no thank you"

I Give to charity every month, about £30 without fail EVERY month, we are not rich in the slightest, we are in debt but i realize people around the world are a hell of a lot worse of than me dh and dd so we give. i hate being made to feel mean by collectors

I give to charities but I don't like doorstop collections and will raely give to people who knock on my door. I'm not rude though I just explain that I prefer to give to a charity when I want to and not becuase someone has knocked on my door.

The Christian aid chap called here last night for our envelope and I do feel sorry for him

I was in the bath having some well deserved me time, DH was on the sofa having not long come in from work. He was feeding DS and had removed works clothes so just had boxers on.

Dd1 answered door, didnt know what to do/say so called daddy, who went to the door carrying DS in only boxers

Poor man just said "ah, I see you're busy, I'll come back sometime" and literally ran up the drive

Poor fella, he'll probably not volunteer again either!!!

Those charities who employ chuggers are to blame
I'm not surprised people have compassion fatigue, we are asked to donate on the street, at the supermarket checkout (actually like this - always happy to give to the cubs who are trying to "earn" the money for their new tent or whatever), and on Friday three separate people from the RSPCA knocked on my door in the space of less than 2 hours. It is wearisome.
I'm never rude, but I've thought carefully about the charities I give to - Shelter and MIND - and give what I can to them, can't afford any more

How is it unreasonable or selfish to dislike charity collectors knocking on your door?

Surely, you know by now that only some people want to donate that way. Others don't. I wouldn't be rude to a collector unless they were rude first, but I don't like to donate that way (I hate being disturbed from work, and I prefer to choose charities by researching them so I know what it is I'm giving money for). Many charity collectors are lovely and understand that they are imposing a little (which they are), and they are perfectly nice about it when I say I'm afraid I won't donate.

Others seem to think they are entitled to pester me about why, or to keep banging on the door if they don't get a reply. If people do that, yes, I will tell them were to go.

I HATE doorstep charity collectors and I say that as someone whose mum also used to collect. However, that was 20 years ago when donating via the Internet or via payroll wasn't really possible.

I'm not rude but I find it a gross intrusion - particularly as they tend to come at night when we've just got back from work and are shattered. I don't want to explain or justify my charitable giving which is what the conversation essentially degenerates in to as I feel I need to explain why I'm not donating or, alternatively, run off and get my handbag from upstairs and start rummaging round for change of which I never have enough.

I also have a problem with people leaving those damn Bettaware catalogues or whatever they are and then hammering on the door demanding them back. Despite the fact that they are unsolicited junk mail.

I collect for CA every year, in fact, I am the local area organiser for CA here (voluntary) and I dread Christian Aid week. Most years, I go out for hours every single night and every year, I get less and less in the envelopes. This year, fewer than 1 in 10 people put anything in one.

I know that times are tough and that folk don't like being approached in their homes but I've been shouted and screamed at, had doors slammed in my face, one woman actually pushed me down her steps . All you need to do is say no thank you and we go away. Most folk who collect round here are wee old ladies who just can't handle getting abuse on the doors, so every year we have fewer collectors.

It's my opinion that CA actually need to review the whole CA Week thing,now and perhaps find a new way of collecting the money because, especially in areas like this, the whole thing is becoming infeasible.

I don't like it when people knock on the door collecting. It's not just charity collectors, it's also people selling stuff, or trying to get me to swap utilities or religion. I wouldn't mind if it was just occasionally, but it's pretty much every night, either when I'm trying to get dinner done or I've just got the kids off to sleep. The door knocks, the dog starts barking and the kids wake up and come downstairs again. So I am a bit rude about it sometimes. I give to charities of my choice on dd, and I really do not like cold callers constantly knocking on the door. I guess it's not the persons fault, they don't know it's such a regular occurrence, but I still wish they would just stop.

at 'All you need to do is say no thank you'

I am shocked that people shout and slam doors, let alone push you. But, sorry, like fuck do I 'need' to thank someone for disturbing me. If this is a charity close to your heart, you should be thanking people for donating, not the other way around!

I think collecting for charity by knocking on doors is fair enough but I think a few ground rules are in order -

If someone has a sign on their door saying no cold callers, that applies to you too.

If someone looks harassed and says, 'No thanks' you don't try to prolong the conversation.

If someone answers the door on the phone/ with a small child clinging to their knees/ etc you ask 'Is this a convenient time?' before embarking on your spiel.

If you work for a charity which religious/ controversial/ politically affiliated the don't be offended if people don't want to give to you for that reason.

Don't try to hook people in with sentiment: I don't give to children's charities (e.g.). That is a reasonable choice and I'm not going to be swayed by guilt tripping.

stressed - that's just rude. I think Christian aid and other charities need to target their fund raising much more effectively. By that, I mean send the collectors out to areas with an older demographic who might be much less likely to donate on line and enjoy a wee blether with the collector anyway. However, don't bother with areas of young professionals/families etc. instead, focus on getting in to the workplace and explaining the charity to employes who have the option to give to charity via salary sacrifice etc. That can be done via lunchtime seminars etc for those who want to go.

Someone knocking on your door and asking for a donation or sponsorship,or to sign up for regular donations is annoying. But an envelope put through the letterbox to be collected a few days later is a totally different thing,and I am happy to donate in this way. The collector just smiles,says thank you and pops it in a bag. It's certainly nothing like chugging.

HEmum maybe you should think about some retraining for your volunteers. DP works in charity fundraising/ membership and he has had an increase in his team's success with door-knocking this year. He has also got some coach chappie in to talk to his team about effective fundraising.

Also, the drop in door-knocking takings is only a problem if takings are down overall, right? I mean, it's likely that lots of people pay by DD now and that's why you don't get so much in spare change.

I'm afraid I completely disagree with the OP on the knocking on doors point. It's not unreasonable and selfish at all to not wanting people turning up on your doorstep asking for money. I would not be rude to you if you'd come to my house, but you wouldn't get any money from me this way, and neither would any other charity.

I give money to charity generously and encourage the same behaviour in my DCs, but I seriously do not get why charity collectors are barred from shaking their tins in the street, but they are allowed to knock on doors. I know which I think is more intrusive.

I support parts of what Christian Aid do, but I don't give money to it because of the religious involvement.

to not wanting want

I cannot stand it when people knock on the door for money so I am glad you won't be doing that anymore OP. Before you start judging my humanity or lack thereof, I have a direct debit to charity (which I feel like cancelling TBH).

I have a sign on my door saying "no cold callers" for a start but that doesn't stop all of them. The often ring the bell when my children are asleep/when I am in the bath/in pyjamas or when someone is ill and trying to rest (frequently with 2 young DCs). H works evenings. I am busy and have a load of chores to do in the evening. It's just intrusive and as a result of chuggers in the street and cold callers on the doorstep, I give far less to charity than I might otherwise have done.