To think there are better ways of fundraising than this?

[GhostsInSnow]

I've just received not one, but two letters through my door (not addressed to me personally, just the mailshot type things the postie brings) from the Red Cross.
Each letter contains 2 flowery coasters, 2 flowery cards, 2 envelopes, a pen and a bookmark.

It feels very much to me a 'bribery' pack. I've had to call my elderly Mum and warn her that this is likely to come through her door because she will assume, like many others I suspect, that she has to pay for the items they have sent.

I'm genuinely curious if this type of marketing strategy sours your opinions of the charities that do this and what do you do with the items they send? Do you donate based on receiving their 'gifts', do you bin them or do you use the items guilt free?

AIBU to just bin the lot?

Charities who do this sort of thing go straight off my list for possible donations. It is absolutely counterproductive as a means of extracting cash from me.

I hate it and feel the same as Cobwebby.

I hate it. I feel guilty for biining the stuff and equally guilty if I use the stuff! I have no intentions of paying for it though, I don't give in to guilt trips.

That was my first thought as well, and FWIW everything received went straight into the bin (well, except the pens, can never have too many pens )

I never donate to charities who do this. I have no problem using the items, though, I treat the pens as free gifts.

I had no idea that charities sent these items out with the theory being people paid for them!

I just thought they were a nice little present sent as a marketing ploy to help you remember the charity, think fondly of them, thus donate.

I have just had sticky labels with my name and address on from the Donkey Rescue.

I hate it and I HATE HATE HATE with a PASSION the free plastic pens. I don't want plastic pens, I don't use them but I feel guilty about throwing them away and adding to the already gargantuan mass of non-biodegradable tat that gets discarded each year. (Yes, I know that these pens aren't going to make or break it, but it's not the point.)

I had that red cross one. It makes me feel really guilty.

I've also had one that sent me two 1p coins! It said something like '2p a day will buy xyz' what a massive waste of money!

It's emotional blackmail and gets binned in this house. I will not donate money to a charity that will turn round and spend it on tat to send to more people, rather than spending it on what it was intended for.

I'm so reassured it's not just me, a friend tells me I'm 'missing the point', though I'm not sure what the point is other than to make me feel a bit guilty for receiving things I've not paid for.

bowlersarm thats actually an interesting way of looking at it which I hadn't considered. Though I'd be more inclined to remember the charity were the cards and coasters to feature a nurse rather than flowers.

Looking at in closer the flowers on the coaster are taken from a painting of a red cross nurse. Ok, I get that, but if you do want to say 'hey, remember us?' surely cropping the nurse out of the image and just pasting on the flowers isn't the best way of doing it?

YANBU

The worst one I ever got was a packet of rehydration salts complete with a letter telling me how they save lives...ok, so why not send them to where they are needed instead of wasting them on me? I can buy them in boots if need be!

Cant remember which charity it was, may have been red cross or save the children.

I use the items and don't donate without any feelings of guilt but that's because I'm completely jaded by business dealings with one big charity in the past.

I keep the pens but everything else goes in the bin/recycling and gets forgotten about.

Of course YANBU to bin it if you don't want it.

However, YABU to think there are better ways of fundraising. If there were more cost efficient ways of making the money a large charity needs to keep going then they'd most probably do that instead of sending out these unaddressed mailings.

I don't work for the Red Cross, but I do work for a charity so I know a little about the world of fundraising.

You have received this unaddressed mail because you live in a postal area where people matching the demographic of typical Red Cross donors live and thus are more likely to donate - any large charity will not send mail to areas unlikely to respond; it's a waste of money. All charitable marketing (from the bigger charities at least) is targeted so as to get the most money for the lowest cost. Unaddressed mailings cost a lot less than addressed ones as it's expensive to buy people's names and addresses from data list holders. Those 'gifts' you received; the coaster and the pen etc, will have cost the charity a matter of pennies; buying in bulk, vat free, from the cheapest manufacturers. The intention is not to guilt you into donating, but to make that charity's mailing stand out more than any other charity's mailing you might receive, and you get you to read the letter accompanying it. In most cases the letter will contain the call to donate; a story about people/animals/communities helped by that charity, or an explanation of what any donation would do. That's the important bit; the extra gifts are just there to catch your eye.

It varies between charities, but in general the people most likely to donate are older women, or families, so if you/your mother live in an area mostly populated by those demographics, then you'll be more likely to receive these sorts of mailings.

Most charity mailings will have the logo on the front of the envelope - you could advise your mother to ignore any envelopes from charities she's not already involved with.

(sorry for the essay!)

I just can't abide the waste on that scale.

They are struck off my list as they obviously have money to waste.

YANBU.
I have had 3 of these packs through in the last 2 weeks from the Red Cross. DD is happy with them and plays with it all.

frettchen thats interesting. If we have been targeted though I'm quite confused as to why, the city I live in has a high rate of unemployment. The area I live in has a high rate of unemployment and crime. It's demographic tends to be unemployed single parents, few elderly and a small amount of families.

Money in this area is tight for most (DH actually works out of the city altogether as there is nothing within the area that pays as well). As a community we just seem an odd place to be garnering support.

They do it because it works. They try variations and test them against previous fundraising campaigns. They spend X amount reminding people they exist and encouraging them to donate and if all goes well get X+ however much back. They spend money to make money. What they send is probably cheaper than you think. If they don't send appeals people don't donate nearly as much.

That said consider giving to smaller charities that don't have this sort of money to spend on fundraising.