To think charities should not give away stuff in mass mailings?

[LaurieFairyCake]

I've just received a mass mailing (not addressed to anyone) with 2 gift cards and 2 coasters in it encouraging people to support the (very worthwhile) charity.

I'm not keen on the mass mailings for the following reasons:

1. I can't bear waste - most people I think will just bin 'junk' mail not addressed to them - so thats 2 coasters and 2 gift cards and envelopes in the bin - hardly environmentally conscious.

1. It discourages me giving to this charity as I assume a couple of pounds will probably only pay for a streets worth of this mass mailing

What do you think?

Was it the Red Cross? I just had one of those.

They wouldn't do it if they didn't get increased donations and cover costs.

Agree entirely.

I want charity money to go where it is needed, not to be wasted on marketing and tat.

It's a shame, but it must somehow work or why would they do it?

YANBU, it is so wasteful, and yes, I would also assume my donation would simply be spent on further mass-mailings.

I got the Red Cross (I think) one yesterday with the coasters and cards in, and it made me think what a waste of money. I cant afford to send a donation at the moment, it says not to send them back too. Very daft and wasteful.

Last Xmas i got one from the NSPCC i think, it had wrapping paper, greetings cards, present tags, and a pen.

It seemed to me to be a total waste of their funds as it did all get binned.

I never contribute through these sort of mailings. They put me off because of the likely waste.

Why not subscribe to the Mailing Preference Service (like the TPS) ?

That stopped them for me.

\link{http://www.mpsonline.org.uk/mpsr/\Mailing Preference Service}

I dont know that the MPS would work. These envelopes had no address on them and were just put through every door by the postman.

They do it because research says it works and they get a better response to those mailings than ones with just paper content.

People always moan about the pens, but ultimately there is a higher response rate with those with a pen attached than without.

They probably don't want them back because the charity would have to then pay for someone to open it all, sort it, repackage it, it could cost more. If you don't want further gifts email, call, or pop a note in the post saying what you want. I want no more contact at all, I don't want free gifts.
Sometimes it looks as if they've paid no attention as often the next mailing has already been set up with a supplier.

Ah - then that would be a complaint to Royal Mail.

But the MPS and TPS are worth signing up to, nonetheless - the MPS will take out the mailed stuff. They both need a month or two to really kick in but you'll suddenly think, one morning, 'I haven't had so many X, Y or Z recently'.

(TPS has problems with overseas - and with one particular double glazing/insulation company who appear to have been given details by British Gas although I eventually stopped them - but even so, they'll drastically cut down on unsolicited calls.)

Well they have probably done their research and find they get a better response. I never give to charities that do this though. It seems a waste. I always keep the pens though, I am always losing pens

Yep, I hate it, it feels like emotional blackmail to me.
I do give to charities quite regularly, but don't want my money to pay for these sorts of campaigns.
I got one once saying 'it costs £10.03 to provide clean water, can you help us and it had three one pence coins stuck to the paper. Yuck! I put them in the sainsburys charity collection box the same day

Here's the link for opting out of the Royal Mail door to door service:

www.royalmail.com/you-home/controlling-your-mail

However, there are companies who do this competing with Royal Mail, so it won't stop everything.

This might be a bit controversial, but I haven't opted out of this because Royal Mail is really struggling - most of the time they do a good job, and having worked in the industry, it pains me to see all of the profitable business bulk mail go to private competitors who don't care as much for the work they do. RM can't compete on a level playing field because of the universal service they have to provide by law, and the conditions of the workforce have slowly deteriorated. The friendly local postman who helped a granny with her shopping has disappeared, because the same postman will have had his "walk" plotted by a computer programme that doesn't resemble reality, and if he doesn't meet his time target will be punished.

Oops, messed up link www.royalmail.com/you-home/controlling-your-mail

Ah useful link. Thanks for that.

I've used that Rioyal; Mail link to avoid having leaflets put thrugh the door by the postman but I received a letter by return. It told me that there could be 'important' information that I would not receive - for instance, election blurb from candidates. I gave in and just put in into recycling now without opening it if it's an envelope unless it's from a charity with a freebie in it.

Gosh! Look at all my typos. Sorry.

Fundraising is a complex area and I'm sure the people organising these fundraising activities aren't stupid. It's obviously cost effective to the charity or it wouldn't be done.

I agree that it's complex. However, it also provides a very good living for some charity administrators and I suspect that their reports to their charity's boards may be of the 'Well it's something we have to do to keep the profile high' tack rather than providing in-depth analyses and imaginative fund-raising solutions.

Not picking on them, but NSPCC were mentioned up-thread. People may be interested to note the NSPCC's 2010 accounts:

\link{http://www.nspccannualreview.org.uk/pdfs/NSPCC_Annual_Report_2010.pdf\NSPCC 2010 accounts}

which give their 2010 costs of fundraising as £30, 226,000.

Many other charities are much worse.

It's not a case of bad or worse or grudging people a wage for working for a charity.

How do you propose they compete and raise funds and their profile without having marketing and fundraising teams?

National and international charities are run like big businesses, there is no other way.

Getting sponsored to sit in a bath of beans is not going to keep these charities going.

I don't. I'm just concerned about the level of funds being directed in that way. I actually look over charity corporate accounts before donating and some of them are eye opening.

So how much did the nspcc raise in the year they spent £30266000 on fundraising?

An eye watering amount I'll agree but it would make more sense in perspective.