To think those high pressure charity street fundraisers should be banned

[startrekk]

This isn't really something I have given much thought to until recently. I always just avoid all contact and walk past the charity fundraisers quickly, ensuring I don't get caught listening to their hard sell.

However recently in the small village where I live there have been a team of around 5 and they are stood apart from each other pretty much blocking the main high street meaning you have to actually ask them to get out of the way as they have taken to hovering in front of you as you get close. I've had them pretend I have dropped something in order to get my attention and comment on my outfit or shopping bags as I've gone past.

I feel sorry for the small independent coffee shop that is located in the spot they have chosen to stand, as everyone avoids this path like the plague now and goes along the path further down.

I know it raises money for charity but I don't feel that is a good enough reason for these high pressure sales tactics to be allowed. There's nothing wrong with standing with a bucket and hoping people give change, but this is just ridiculous! I'd love to know where they learn their 'techniques' for selling.

AIBU? Anyone else who can't stand charity street fundraisers (charity muggers)?

On the other hand though I have done old style standing there with collecting box and had abuse off people for giving it the odd shake. I don't mind scouts helping you pack shopping either.

I just say "I'm sorry I don't have time" and step around them. I see a lot fewer than I used to, I think most charities realise chugging can be counterproductive.

I am (grin) at the suggestion they’re in a low paid job. Admittedly I wouldn’t want to do it but that’s partly because I wouldn’t want to be associated with the reputation.

Unfortunately though while so many hate them, charities use them because they do bring in a huge amount of money.

I can't see how anyone could have a problem with that.

I do. If you don't genuinely have business with me or my household then you have no right to knock on my door and bother me trying to flog me something.

The vitriol towards people doing this job always shocks me. You do realise these are just ordinary people trying to earn a living in a low paid job, don't you?

I don't give a care. Plenty of jobs don't require you to harass people. Victoria station upstairs is getting worse for it. Apart from being shouted at from the stalls in the walkway, a charity stand recently set up and I see the employees walking up to people saying loudly 'You look like a nice person... ' I'm well practiced at ignoring them now but see plenty of people getting caught.

As pp posters have said, you feel like you're targeted more as a woman , particularly with children. I either ignore or tell them I already donate, but my resting bitch face comes in handy now ds is in school.
We had a phase of doorstep ones around 3 years ago, one in particular for cancer research stands out as he started asking if I knew much about cancer treatment and it's research, my answer of yes, my partner is about 60 miles away just starting his chemo now , had the effect of making him almost run down the path to escape.
They are just people trying to earn money, but to make others feel guilty, to be rude and aggressive is not acceptable.

I have really cut back on what I give to charity because I don't like the behaviour of most of them and I don't want to open myself up to harassing phone calls for more money.

With chuggers I mostly avoid though will say something offensive if necessary, like that I don't care about blind kids.

If you get phone calls, say that you do not (any longer) give permission for them to contact you, by phone, email, text etc and that they must update their records.

I know they can be persistent and annoying but I'm sure they didn't choose to do the job. And it's not secure for them in any way. They can be told not to cone back the next day if they haven't signed up enough people.

When I was younger and not as brave as to say no, I’d just make up any old bank details to get rid of them.
There was one charity in the doorway of Lidl a few months back. I got out some money to give them and they refused it and said direct debits only!

It’s almost always the big charities trying to screw the last penny out of the public. I work in the. Charity sector and hate the practice. Think I’d mind less if they had a genuine link to the local community.

I have to pass a man selling a charity joke book more or less every morning for the last year.
He is well over 6ft and a big bloke. He only ever targets women usually young women.

He stands in the middle of the street and as they approach him he holds out his arms and asks for a hug. I see womens body language change instantly. Their shoulders go up their head goes down and they shy away while all the time they are smiling/nervous laughing.

He tried to do it to a woman last week and before he started his speech she said "sorry I am late for work" he shouted after her that "hey I thought you were nice! You are just mean!"
I was fuming and although he never approaches me ( I have an angry dont mess with me morning face) I walked past him and said he should stop harassing women in the street. He replied that he isnt he is just being friendly and that I am just angry that he ignores me.
Wanker.

They can’t talk to you if you’re under 18.
I just answer ‘ sorry I’m under 18’ when I am very very clearly not. Have never had them question it, they just stand there gawping open mouthed as I’ve caught them off guard 😂 even my dad does it now.

Just prepare a standard reply and practice it.

I say “does it involve signing something? Then no, Sorry”

I’ll give people my small change as willingly as anyone else but asking for a direct debit is taking the Mick. Offer them some change, which they will refuse, which makes them look ungrateful greedy, and they generally back down

I say i only donate to animal charities, shuts them down straight away.

@YankeeCandlePong I managed these campaigns for 2 years for a charity (both in house and agency) - I've seen the income myself.
Charities, especially large ones, wouldn't pursue a fundraising stream if they didn't have a positive ROI, there is constant reporting and once any fundraising stream stops making a profit it is likely to be pulled. It's part of the problem actually - if there was less focus on income and ROI then fundraisers wouldn't feel so under pressure to hit targets and the long term impact of the fundraising would be much better.

I've seen face to face fundraising bring in millions of pounds at a time when no other income stream (mail, telephone, retail) could match that - and every penny is vital. I have personally met people who have had their lives changed for the better by this income. Lots of people respond well to it when it's done correctly, it just depends how the campaign is being managed (and if they're hourly pay or commission).

It's not legal to share exact figures with a particular agency but some of the larger ones offer a total figure on their website, see CRUK as an example:
www.cancerresearchuk.org/get-involved/donate/face-to-face-fundraising

There is no way that trustees would sign off any fundraising activity with a low ROI.

Chuggers are agency staff mostly who don't actually work for the charity. Usually young and just using it as a stop gap. I do feel sorry for them but I agree they shouldn't exist.

I've noticed more n more charity stalls in markets and fairs, often looking like they are selling stuff/making crafts/answering questions but it's all a ruse to get you to become a 'member' aka sign a direct debit - I'm looking at you RSPB, woodlands trust, RSPCA, wildlife trust.

I have a teenager in the workplace who has done shop work, cleaning and kitchen portering along the way. No way would i have wanted them to do this not that they are that way inclined anyway.

No one HAS to do the job , unless it's been taken over by the people traffickers and I hadn't realised?

@PartridgeJoan - I've no doubt chugging brings in millions of £££ - charity is big business. I want a link to prove they save millions of lives.

For those saying that chuggers are just someone trying to earn a wage, well they COULD choose to do a job that doesn’t involve harassing others, couldn’t they?

Their activities have been severely curtailed in the town in which I live, mostly because they could be very aggressive: spread out in a line across the high street so as to act like a net towards anyone who had the temerity to want to pop to the shops in the lunch hour unaccosted. Not only would they follow you down the street but even the politest “No, thanks” could get you a load of passive aggressive abuse about how glad they were that you didn’t care about children with cancer.

Problem with that is that they took to coming to people’s houses instead. One charity (GREENPEACE I AM LOOKING AT YOU) was literally sweeping the streets where I live with a hoarde of cagouled collectors who seemed to think it was perfectly acceptable to disturb people in their own homes. They got short shrift - I do not give to charities who think this behaviour is ok.

I remember reading one of the “What I’m Really Thinking” series in the Guardian, and it was a chugger’s viewpoint. Their argument was that they hated people saying ‘no’ to a donation when they had a coffee in their hand as the price of that coffee could (and should) have been donated instead. (Of course, that said donation would have counted towards their commission seemed to pass them by). That attitude still gives me The Rage.

@PartridgeJoan so it’s ok to harass people in the street/on their own doorsteps to get them to sign up for direct debits they perhaps didn’t really want to do, but felt put on the spot, as long as it’s in the name of charity and therefore for A Higher Good?

If it was any other industry it would be called harassment.

It's a desperate job but one I wish didn't exist. I had one beckon at me from down the street recently. I didn't realise she was "branded" til I got nearer, then I just walked off. I usually just say a firm "no thank you" .

When I worked in a shop on a high street, had to dodge loads of them all the time. I once told one I would be late for work and heard him to scoff as I entered my shop. Told him to pop in in about 5 min and look at who ran the till - did he think fairies ran shops? Coming home after Boxing Day trade once, I told one I had a train to catch & he made a crap joke about it being heavy. Looking back he was quite quick witted but I told him that after 10 hrs in a shop on Boxing day, did he really think I would be in the mood to be charitable & he apologised to me!!

Three cheers for Liverpool. Can other places follow suit and ban them please?

I've not encountered any who are as aggressive or rude as some posters have said, and find avoiding eye-contact works. I also walk very fast and wonder if I've more or less got past them before they actually see me :)

We used to call them chuggers (charity muggers). Haven’t heard the term for a while so it may not be acceptable language.

No amount of hectoring by someone on commission is going to make me support a charity. It has the opposite effect.

I’d be interested in the stats on the demographic of people that do sign up. My assumption is that they are taking advantage of vulnerable or elderly people.

@YankeeCandlePong so then surely your issue isn't with fundraisers but rather how charity income is spent? Nearly all fundraising income goes into general funds along with all the other income (legacies, corporate etc.) where it is then spent.

Money raised by face to face fundraising is used in the same way as any other unrestricted income.

You can read the annual review of any charity, they will all provide impact reports. Some of them also provide examples of what the money pays for (for example £X = a vaccine, a water well etc.)

Depends on your charity obviously, as they don't all strictly 'save lives'. But the one I worked for did on the ground work directly saving lives. Check out any DEC organisation and look at their annual reports, the figures will be there.

www.savethechildren.org.uk/content/dam/gb/reports/annual-report-2017.pdf

www.unicef.org/publications/index_102899.html

www.actionaid.org.uk/about-us/annual-report-and-accounts

@BrightYellowDaffodil no that's not okay, as I said in an earlier post. Those people need to be reported.

When done correctly, fundraising can have a positive impact.