Fecking charity collecty donation people who won't take the fecking donation!

[KingJoffreysBloodshotEye]

Knock at the door. Grinning man in blue bib. Wants money for charity - forgot which, random selection of small letters.

I actually have some change on me - hardly ever have any cash. Made me feel all organised.

I offer. He can't take it. They can't take cash. They can only have bank details. And it can't be a one of payment, it has to be a monthly thing.

Whatever happened to being grateful for what they're given?

I'm pissed off!!

He's doing it for the money. If you give your bank details the first few months of your money goes to him, not to the charity. THAT's why they don't want a few coins.

And if you cancel before the collection agency gets their cut, the charity has to make up for it.

Yup, that right. All those people who give up their free time to stand in the pissing wet and cold to scrape up a few pennies probably don't know that some of it goes to pay for the profits of collection agencies, and their directors (although not really the staff).

Charity as business ? Who'd have thunk it ?

'I'm afraid I don't give out my bank details to complete strangers that have arrived at my doorstep uninvited. I have to go now, as I have to transfer £4000 to a gentleman in Nigeria so he can claim a lottery prize that he's going to share with me.'

I don't quite get this one either. I know direct debits are more useful to charities but I have several and aren't in a position to sign up to any more right now. Id happily give a few quid on the spot if I have it though - is that really completely useless?

There was an undercover boss on tv a few weeks ago, placed in a charity. They found they were losing so much money because people were going up to collectors and then walking away when asked for a regular comitment.

My dmother tried to donate in town a few weeks ago, same situation. She didn't have her glasses on though and so he nearly got her change in his coffee cup!

My mother did do that chops, she threw a pound coin straight into his cup of tea.
I scuttled off very quickly. I don't think he was impressed.

Yackity wow really? I knew they were paid but I didn't realise they were actually given the donation. I never give to charities using this method as I hate the harrassment that comes along with it. Now I feel even more justified.

I absolutely detest this method of fundraising.

I've had a direct debit set up with my charity of choice (Amnesty International, if anyone cares) for the past 20+ years.

I am not giving my bank account details to any other charity. If they don't want a one-off cash donation, which I usually really WANT to give them, then fine. They get nothing.

As soon as they start their spiel in the street, I just smile and say brightly 'No thank you!' and keep walking.

They can't take cash because they are legally not allowed to. Cash collections require different licensing and permissions than signing up people to direct debit.

We have dd payments set up.

Last tine I was in town, was asked by a chugger if I "didn't care about kids?" (barnados, I think).

I quite happily chirped "nope!"

They don't hassle you so much when you're in a wheelchair

The money does get paid to the charity, it isn't paid directly to the fundraising agency on the street. Charities usually pay a fixed amount for each new supporter signed up.

Taking cash donations in the street requires different permissions from local authorities and means different cash handling procedures must be in place. (I'm in the charity sector and manage this kind of activity)

Brownsauce but do those charities pay the equivalent of the first couple of months donations to them?

But they always used to take cash.

They'd rattle tins. What's changed??

It varies. It's usually a fixed amount whereas the DD amount for each supporter could vary, depending on how much they want to give.

It is a type of fundraising which absolutely doesn't suit everyone but it provides a different option for supporters as well as a good, steady source of donations for the charity, even after the costs have been paid.

What Brownsauce said. I'm also ex charity sector.

KingJoffrey 'tin rattling' isn't actually an effective way to raise lots of money. It requires lots of volunteers and lots of admin in order to count and bank the funds. For charities raising long-term funds it's better to have people giving by direct debit because it's regular income with very little admin required.

LittleBairn charities do pay a fee for each donor, except in cases where they directly employ the fundraisers e.g. Shelter. This cost is part of the fundraising budget and is looked at as a long-term expenditure.

YANBU

Kingj, street collections are still around but usually arranged by volunteers as it's often not financially viable for a charity to put on themselves (although completely depends on scale, emergencies etc).

Monthly giving gives the charity a more regular source of income.

"my regular donations go through GAYE. thanks though!"

Cross post with balls!

Brownsauce

Petula GAYE is fantastic and a much underrated form of giving.

We had one charity who came back in the evening because I'd ignored the door in the daytime (I'd heard them talking to next door so just didn't answer), so they'd obviously made a note of which people they hadn't seen. They knocked quite insistently so I ended up answering it (stupidly thinking it was DP), holding DD in pyjamas, and he tried every trick to keep me chatting while I repeated v nicely that I wasn't going to give my bank details on the doorstep, I'm going to close the door now etc. The next day a woman from the same charity came again to try to get me to sign up, I said no, and DP answered the door to her another time after that! Four tries in total

ballsballsballs that's good to know. tbh i do it because it's convenient to me. are there any particular advantages from a charity's POV (beyond receiving a regular donation, obviously!)

I had the same thing at a flea market the other day.

I was quite happy to put some money in the pot, but apparently that's not good enough.

Please don't lump the Poppy Day collectors in with this!

I have stood on many a street corner with a box of poppies, all donations are cash and I never received (nor wanted) a penny for doing it. I have never asked anyone for any bank details, or been asked to ask anyone.

weegiemum I love the ones like that - "do you like dogs?" "NO"

I have a special scowly face I reserve especially for chuggers. I consider myself something of a pro