To want to donate but not really engage?

[mytartanscarf]

I think I might be.

I donate regularly to four charities - to Cancer research and BHF in memory of both my parents, sponsor a tiger and Amnesty International.

I often get emails, however and texts which can be very upsetting - about people being flogged/tortured, animals in pain, the number of people dying - it just often catches me unguarded and is very upsetting as a result.

I'm just wondering if there might be some way for charities to modify things so you can "look later" - when you've had a chance to gather your thoughts.

Or am I being unreasonable?

From their point of view YABU.

They are deliberate trying to upset you in the vague hope that you'll give them more money.

Sadly that's what most major charities have now come to.

I've stopped donating to big charities because I got so hounded after I did so. Constant phone calls asking for money. The amount they could've saved by not cold calling in the first place...

Yanbu.

Okay, scroll down to the bottom of the email and search around until you find 'unsubscribe'. Click on that and they should stop. You may need to do it a couple of times.

If that doesn't work, contact them via email and have a good rant.

Call the direct marketing teams of the relevant charities and explain your feelings. They should be able to alter your mailing preferences (Si you can give but not receive the mailings)

I made a donation in memory of a relative but found the mailings an upsetting reminder, even to the point where I received letters saying 'as you kindly gave in memory of your relative'. I called and all mailings were stopped. Equally, you could agree to one mailing per year, or whatever you feel comfortable with.

I donate to a charity called Redwings which helps mainly farm animals and does a lot of investigation into battery hen units and undercover videos of turkey farming etc. I admire their work enormously, but had to beg them to stop sending me their magazine, because the photos shocked and upset me so much. They did take me off their mailing list thank goodness, and I still donate.

I also can't bear those pictures of suffering, starving children, donkeys, greyhounds or horses. They haunt me for days.

I don't see the need to actually see the suffering to be able to help in a small way, although of course I'm very thankful and glad there are people strong enough to get involved physically.

YADNBU.

Yes, you can 'unsubscribe' from all the marketing. We had terrible follow up service from a cancer charity we give to - for some reason we were asked if we were giving in anyone's memory and we said yes and gave the name. They twice got the name wrong in follow up letters - even when I'd written to complain . We still give but don't receive any correspondence from them.

You can also donate anonymously - therefore there's nothing to opt out of.

YANBU. I hate how they make this so difficult. I want the money I give to charity to go to help their cause, whatever it is.

I don't want them to spend any of it asking me for more money or sending me updates about their work. They all have websites where this is available.

I have written to several charities in the past informing them that if they don't stop pestering me for more money or sending leaflets repeating information freely available on their websites, I will stop their regular monthly donation. Some have stopped but others didn't and therefore do not get any more money from me.