To never donate to charity via text again

[MoistSponge]

A couple of weeks ago I saw a really heart rending "advert" for a UNICEF appeal for the people suffering in the Southern Sudan.

The images were harrowing, those poor little children, and so I texted and donated a fiver.

Since then I have received three phone calls asking me to donate more - the first two calls were both received while I was driving, so I quickly told them that I already have direct debits set up for my charitable donations and that I wouldn't be able to commit to anything further, but I didn't let them go into their full spiel as I was on Bluetooth.

Tonight I received a call again, and I started straight away telling the man about my direct debits (I sponsor a child in Africa and I have a small monthly DD set up for another charity) and that I wasn't going to be able to give anymore - and then the "hard sell" started. Lots of very emotive language about the children dying and that famine is coming; lots of "buttering me up" telling me I have a good soul and he could hear it beating from me and that I'm clearly very intelligent and blah, blah, blah. It was pretty relentless to be honest and I felt very uncomfortable having to constantly defend myself by telling him that I can't give any more money. In the end I told him that I am on a low income, I'm a single parent to two children and I cannot afford anymore, I told him that five pounds is a lot of money to me but I had still given it with a full heart but that I CANNOT GIVE ANY MORE.

Fucking hell. This isn't the first time this sort of thing has happened. I did the Race For Life for a few years, raising not huge amounts but a few hundred pounds in sponsorship. I get a phone all every year asking me for more and even though I tell them that I already give to my nominated charities they just won't stop.

I really want to complain to UNICEF TBH, the call came from a fund raising company that they are using, but it almost felt like talking to a bloody double glazing company or worse...timeshare! And the other thing is that they could be using this very aggressive technique on people who are more vulnerable than me and it just feels wrong. It has completely put me off donating by text to anything ever again, AIBU?

I work in this sector and I really urge you to write a short note to the head office (for e.g. UNICEF UK, office in London EC1 something, or the UK offices of any of the charities named on here) and tell them about this. They take every note from disgruntled supporters very seriously. I am shocked by the tactics being used by the agency (they must have outsourced) to manipulate you and guilt you into giving more. Only when people complain will they have to reconsider the approach.

I agree - complain to the charity.

But in the meantime if they're wanting you to increase your regular donation: "I've just been made redundant! And I was thinking I need to stop this current direct debit - can you please cancel it for me?" They can't then witter on about increasing it.

Or there's the (true in my case for some charities) "I already donate directly from my salary. And my employer matches my donation". There is then no reason for them to sign you up.

I am rude. I just say "sorry not today" and hang up. I know it's rude but I think they're rude encroaching into my life at home uninvited ! As for chuggers, walk briskly with a scowl!

I've had this problem with Macmillan. I was receiving up to 6 missed calls from them a day. I finally decided to answer one call (6th that day) and gave the bloke on the other end a piece of my mind. It's harassment when it gets to that level. Charity should be about giving what you want, when you want, not feeling press-ganged into it.

Nowadays I won't donate to anything that involves me giving the charity my name, email address, phone number or address. There are loads of people I have not sponsored for things because you get so harassed afterwards.

I will never donate to Oxfam again after their relentless attempts to get more money out of me. I told the rep on the phone that he was personally responsible for my donations going to other charities. I never heard back after that.

This charity business gets on my nerves. I usually give to people in the street with a collecting tin if it's a cause I approve of. And take things to a charity shop which I could sell on ebay. But only a hospice gets a cash donation a few times a year. I've given up on all the big charities and only help those by donations of stuff to their shops.

Just to echo: I also work in the sector, this is all outsourced, please complain directly. Not to the fundraising people or those who call, they won't care. Charities outsource it because its more 'efficient' and means we can spend less of our income on fundraising (the % a charity spends on fundraising should be accessible to the public so if your'e interested or concerned about that, do ask). The problem is, the outsourcing companies really are businesses and often know v little about the charities and don't share the ethos. I find it a v dodgy practice and many of my colleagues are uncomfortable with it. When we hear direct from supporters with complaints, its taken seriously.

That being said: people complain about charities wasting money. For every person who has already donated who is approached again, be it through email, post, or a call, there is something like a 20% rate of getting a further donation. For people who haven't given before, its less than 1%. It sucks, but there's a reason people who have already given are targeted.

you should never feel guilty though - like i say, I work for a charity but i have my direct debits and I never give money ad hoc outside that and have no problem politely shutting people down.

The trouble is a lot of charities have become big business with executives on huge salaries. Is that really in the spirit of charitable giving. Not in my opinion it isn't. I was horrified when I read a few weeks ago what a huge amount Macmillan for example spent on admit and how small a percentage actually went directly to help the people it should be helping.

That should be admin

Complain to UNICEF.

A 'chugger' for the NSPCC called to my door after 9pm a couple of weeks ago. I called them the following day and they were really apologetic.

I also gave to Unicef after the Commonwealth Games appeal. Donated a fiver. I've also received three calls, the last one I explained that my car had just gone into the garage with a cracked gasket or something, was costing me £1500 to fix, and I didn't have any money spare. He then commented that if I was able to find £1500, I could find £7 a month, before mumbling on about how poor people in Africa would love to be able to afford a car.

What really annoys me is that the cost of those three calls with wages and over heads etc would be more than the amount that I initially donated, so I actually gavey initial fiver for nothing.

We've donated to Medecins Sans Frontieres by a small monthly direct debit for years. To my knowledge they have never phoned and asked us to increase our payment and I think they haveperhaps written to ask once.

They do send a regular newsletter with information about their work which drops some fairly hefty hints sometimes but that's it. If they used the strong arm tactics described on this thread, I'd have cancelled the direct debit long ago.

Unicef are bloody awful imo. I donated £25 to them some years ago in response to a disaster. Since them, I reckon that £25 has been spent in phone calls and mail back to me asking for more donations. It fucks me right off. I'd never give them money again.

I say "no thank you, please remove me from your database and never call me again" and then I hang up, even if they are still talking.
DH is worse, he just hangs up.

Another one who works in the sector here.

On the question of charities wasting money harrassing people: fundraising is all judged pretty ruthlessly on the methods which get the best return on the investment - so those that send out pens and cards etc do it because they know that works to drive donations.

Charity shops are often pretty poor at generating funds - in some cases individual shops might actually be costing the charity money.

What charities reLly want is people committing to regular donations - this means charities have more long-term security about where their income will come from, which helps them invest in longer term projects - the stuff that really makes a difference rather than sticking plaster solutions.

Where I think there is an issue is that although there is an awareness of the damage done to goodwill via more aggressive fundraising tactics, this is often overlooked in favour of considering what is most effective in pure financial terms. The best thing you can do to change that is complain directly to the charities.

That's appalling, OP. Especially as people donate via text because it is quick and easy and because they often can't donate on a regular basis. Please do email the charity to complain as others have said.

I have donated by text at least a dozen times and have never once been pestered further.

I don't begrudge them paying people well who work for them though or having a large admin budget. Charities can be large organisations, and the very big ones can make a huge difference.

This is why I do my charity giving in the form of buying lottery tickets.

Nobody has my details to pressure me.
Can up or lower the amount as I please.
Small chance of winning a prize.
No need to feel guilty about telling chuggers etc. to fuck off.

LEMmingaround just out of interest which charities are calling from Guernsey? I'm not aware of any large uk charities or call centres based here (and don 't want people ignoring us genuine Guerns when we make a phone call)

I cancelled my DD to the NSPCC after a horrendous phone call with a woman who was not only offensively patronising (talking to me like I was a child with learning difficulties) but would not take no for an answer. Her initial gambit was "do you have children?" - when I said yes she said (in a sugary tone) "Aww, that must be why you donate to us, then!" - erm... no!

Then DD (who was about 4 at the time) started running around being noisy and she said "Aww, is that your Granddaughter?" - I mean, WTF? If she had my age in front of her (which I doubt) then she knew I was barely 40, and yes I know it's entirely possible to be a grandmother at that age, but why make that assumption anyway? I said no, she then launched into her guilt trip spiel and when I said no, I wasn't going to increase my DD, no, I couldn't afford an extra pound/whatever, she got very shirty and said something along the lines of "think if it was your child, you'd never forgive yourself if something bad happened to your child!" - before I put the phone down on her I told her that it was entirely down to her that I was cancelling my DD... And I complained to the NSPCC. I hate chuggers.

sarnia i THINK it was oxfam. I assume its from guernsey as that is what comes up on my phone. Saying that it never shows anyone else's whereabouts when they call

I'm currently having this from UNICEF. They must have spent far far more than I ever gave them in contacting me since.
I texted a one off donation after seeing a heart rending appeal, and it seems to have all gone on call centre wages and envelopes with sad pictures on them.

Waste of fucking time. It makes me so angry.

I usually tell them that I donate to various charities via direct debit (this is true). I may sign up to theirs after I have looked into it via the web but I won't do anything at the door. One door to door person actually asked me who I donate to and seemed surprised when I told him. I never give phone or address details so they can't contact me (or I tell them I don't want to be contacted if that is an option). I don't find it hard to avoid feeling hassled by them to be honest

I had this with the nspcc, got this long story about a poor girl they helped 'can you donate £20 a month'
"No I've just been made redundant"
'Sorry to hear that, this girl went on to need.... 'Story continues 'can you donate £15 a month'
This went on and on until he got down to "I'm sure you can afford £3 a month"
That's when I lost it and told him the state of my financial affairs

It really really bugs me, I know they do wonderful stuff and I know they need regular money but I can't help you regularly!!!

Oh donates to Red Cross they spent ages on the phone trying to get him to up his donation, they annoyed him so much he nearly cancelled the whole thing