to not want to be approached by charity collectors?

[KidsDontThinkImCool]

Raising money and awareness for charities is a wonderful thing. Of course it is. I've done it myself from time to time and I give what support I can. It's important and it's bloody hard work and I have nothing but admiration for those who give their time and energy to do it.

But...I'm really beginning to hate being asked, every time I go to the supermarket or the shopping centre, if I want to help prevent children's cancer. Well who doesn't? but I feel so small and so mean if I don't have spare change to put in their buckets every day! Is it so wrong not to want charity collectors to act like salesmen, making unsolicited pitches designed to make people feel guilty? Is it just me? AIBU or does anyone else feel this way?

Sadly I'd very much miss 5 a month. We only have a fiver to last until pay day which is 9 days away. In the current economic climate I doubt we're the only family like this.

Also it's not just 5 a month as every charity says that. The list of charities is so long it would be 100s per month. I just don't have that. No amount of insults from a chugged is going to suddenly magic up that money.

Given that some CEOs and other senior charity staff seem to have salaries bigger than the Prime Minister, who is, let's face it, in charge of a greater amount of money that they can dream of, then perhaps they can be more effective but taking a salary cut.

I don't really believe that a charity needs to shell out that much for a CEO.

I give what I can afford, in time as well as money. If charities don't like that, then tough, I can't give what I haven't got.

All the posters saying 'I'd rather put some coins in a jar'? That is lame.

Is it?

Lame?

:(

Okay, I'll stop.

Damn, I though these 'charities' were grateful for anything. Clearly not.

At least we've cleared that up now though..!

I'm obviously lame. Being on a tight budget I prefer to put some coins in a collecting tin now and again. This is because I can give a bit to a wide range of charities. Also as I can't afford to commit to a monthly dd I can tailor the size of donation to the amount of money I happen to have available at the time.

I think I'll stop too. Hate the idea that I'm causing offence to charities. My aim when making a donation is to to do my bit, tiny though it may be. Since it's worthless my donations won't be missed. Mind you I think I'll spread the word how much charities dislike people putting money in their tins.

Before I cause any more offence. Is it ok to shop in charity shops or is that frowned upon too?

I donate monthly to 2 charities of my choice but the area in London where I work is deluged with chuggers on a daily basis. According to my mood I either swerve and dodge, politely decline with a smile or practice one of my growing assortment of declines in a slightly confused foreign accent.

My conscience is clear and as long as I'm not rude to the person whose job it is to collect, I think that's fine!

JumpedUp... Sterling job you've done for charities everywhere there... Lame?

I'll carry on donating what I want to, to the charities I want to donate to and ignore stupid, ignorant and self-aggrandising and utterly pointless posts like yours.

TheJumped that is, not JumpedUp!

thejudged the rhetoric you are spouting is far removed from the reality. You've bought into the crap that you were sold as a third party supplier to a charity removed from the realities of operations that take place.

Street fundraising forms a minute proportion of activity for a charity. Given that last time I looked we were nearly up to 180,000 registered charities in England and Wales alone, the vast majority rely heavily on those collection tins and other forms of voluntary community fundraising you so scorn to raise money. Proportionally, even out of the top 500 in terms of income size very few use chugging to generate income.

Retention rates for Street fundraising are far lower than any other form of direct marketing activity. Around half of all those who sign up cancel their direct debit in the first year which cripples any direct marketing income stream rendering it unreliable and not cost effective over a long period.

Most posters are aware that charities with some form of reasonable income need professional staff to manage that properly and ensure the core activities are being delivered. The sector has worked very hard to improve transparency over the last few years and clearly demonstrate what goes where.

Patronising, insulting or in some cases assaulting your prospective audience doesn't really go down so well.

I'm obviously lame. Being on a tight budget I prefer to put some coins in a collecting tin now and again.

Yes, you'd better stop.

You're causing great offence to the salaried CEO Of Charities.

Next time someone rattles a tin near you say, "No dear, that's lame."