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Charity Collections

32 replies

hannahsaunt · 21/05/2005 21:04

Comments / thoughts greatly appreciated on this one:

On (a very wet) Thursday, ds2 and I delivered Christian Aid envelopes and Make Poverty History postcards (freepost to send to Downing Street) to our allocated street.

Today ds1 and 2 returned with me to collect the envelopes and encourage people to consider sending the postcards. There were 44 houses in the street. 3 people contributed.

Of the remaining 41, several people were out. Fair enough! 8 said "No you didn't [put the envelopes through the door]" (!) daring me to say yes, I did. All refused one of my spares (including 1 who said "I don't think so" in a particularly rude way and shut the door in our faces. One man accused ds2 of breaking his gnome... One said, "It's in the bucket, yes that's right - in the bucket" in a really horrible, sneery way (this was the second last house and I nearly cried at this point).

It's not that I expected everyone to give - I didn't expect such outright hostility when the info on the envelope and the pc was straightforward, tied in with Make Poverty History etc. Iwould have been happy if they said we prefer not to give in this way or we prefer to give to different (types) of charity. I would have been very happy to engage in dialogue and answer questions if they were worried about the money only going to churches, only helping Christians, how much goes to the poor (as opposed to spent on advertising, admin etc) etc etc and happy if they had then decided that they didn't want to give but to lie, to be rude - I was flabbergasted.

This was a clearly affluent street in a well-off suburb. Ds1 was upset at the lack of engagement and I have spent the rest of the day alternating between being upset and really, really angry. Are people really so ignorant about development issues? How can it not be (if not a priority) at least a passing interest? How can people not want to at least know more?

Am I really so different in being passionate about this?

OP posts:
Mud · 21/05/2005 21:16

I hate hate hate doorstep charity requests

it is downright charity mugging - chugging

be as passionate as you wnat, but once you invade someone's home territory where they have the right to not be bothered, expect what you are given

I say this as a family who arranges our charity donations direct through salaries and I do my fair share - I have organised bring and buy sales and coffee and cake sales for charities I feel strongly about but when you do those you invite others to come out, not bug them on their doorstep

well you asked (although I think you wanted empathy rather than a reason)

Mud · 21/05/2005 21:17

and many people of 'other' religions do not feel comfortable giving to a particular religious organisation either

KBear · 21/05/2005 21:17

What a shame - I can't understand why people can't put a few coppers in envelope if that's all they can afford, after all it all helps. Don't be angry, it's not worth the effort. You did a good thing and you were unappreciated but don't let it spoil the good thing you did IYKWIM!

Mud · 21/05/2005 21:18

oh and also when people come to your door, how do they know what you've had to leave to answer the doorbell - it isn't ALWAYS convenient, and even if it is, you've made someone stop whatever they were doing and interrupted their lives to fit in with your charity leanings

KBear · 21/05/2005 21:20

blimey Mud, calm down you're scaring me....

eleanorsmum · 21/05/2005 21:20

keep going, just think three is more than you would have got if no-one had bothered to drop the envelopes in. We too give via salaries to chosen charites. perhaps you can do your bit by helping promote this method (we had a nice lady come in to see us at work during our lunch break with no pressure but it felt good to have the choice to which charity we gave to). Don't be disheartened, even if you get £1 it'll help someone somewhere. chin up!

HelleBelle · 21/05/2005 21:21

We had a Christian Aid collector knock on the door this week, it was the most inconvenient time (I'd just put the dinner on the table) but I still rummaged for the envelope, popped in some coins and gave the collector a big smile. Good on him for volunteering. I can quite understand how upsetting it must have been to encounter some of the folks you did. I really hope this doesn't put you off collecting for good causes in the future - well done for giving it a go.
(By the way I thought Christian Aid ran a very good advertising campaign for the appeal this year.)

Mud · 21/05/2005 21:21

@ kbear its just that I don't like being chugged in my own home - in case you didn't get that bit

Lonelymum · 21/05/2005 21:22

Once, just after our family cat had died, I was cold called by an animal charity and asked if I would do a door to door collection for them. Feeling I owed something to the memory of my cat (I was pg at the time ad probably a bit emotional) I agreed.

Never again! I found it really hard to go back to the doors when it came to collecting the envelopes. In the end, I got dh to do most of the calling! Even though many people gave money (far more than I expected) I just found it too embarrassing to ask them. So well done you for even trying and I am sorry you found it such a demoralising experience.

Caligula · 21/05/2005 21:26

I rather agree with Mud here. It is people's homes, they don't want to be bothered, and it does rather put them on the spot when you come round to their front door. The very fact that you are standing on their doorstep makes them feel as if they have to explain themselves, and many people see that an intolerable intrusion. But they can't tell you to f* off as they can a double glazing salesman, because of the moral aspect. So I guess they are embarrassed and irritated at the same time, and it expresses itself in aggression.

I'm not saying the aggression is justified or excusable, just that that is a likely reason for the bad response you got.

Weatherwax · 21/05/2005 21:27

I'm sorry you had such a rotton time. I'm afraid I do not give on the doorstep or the street. I prefer a more tax efficient way ( when I am earning enough to pay tax). Also I'm afraid I do not trust a proportion of doorstep collectors and I do not really have enough personality skills to know where to draw the line so I trust no one. There are ways to donate when you can be fairly sure the money is going where you are told. DD's school has a charity event nearly every month.

KBear · 21/05/2005 21:27

Mud - it's just the way you launching into one, made me laugh. And the consecutive posts! I love it when a post touches a nerve!

KBear · 21/05/2005 21:28

meant "launched" into one...

Furball · 21/05/2005 21:38

Similar happened to my Mum one year and it put her off doing it again.

Just me then, who puts the coins in the envelope first then leaves it by the door to await collection at a later date, then no worries if it is inconvienient just a hand shoved out through the door quickly and everyones happy.

Mud · 21/05/2005 21:46

unless of course furball you happen to have been making supper, changing a nappy, having a conversation. on the phone, in the bath ...

misdee · 21/05/2005 21:47

i didnt give this year, why? because when she called i had my arms full with screaming baby who wnated feeding, dh had just come out of hospital and was trying to gets the kids their tea. oh and dd2 had hidden my purse and keys earlier that day and i still hadnt found them.

Gwenick · 21/05/2005 21:50

well in that case you don't answer the door - and they'll probably call back another time..........

Lonelymum · 21/05/2005 21:50

I don't think hannahsaunt has a problem with people who don't contribute or even those who resent the intrusion into their private lives. I think what upset her was the rudeness expressed by some people. That isn't necessary, surely?

misdee · 21/05/2005 21:50

i answered the door as i was walking past the hall and made eye contact through the window.

Gwenick · 21/05/2005 21:53

well I have to confess I had to tell the person who came to collect my envelope I didn't get one.........

But she's a friend from church/toddler group and when I asked when she delivered it found out it was aVERY bad time to drop things off - I'm usually busy in the kitchen and can't hear things come through the letter box...........and when that happens DS2 has a nasty habit of grabbing things and ripping them to shreds. DS1 then "helps" DS2 by putting the mess in the bin - before "I" find it.

roisin · 21/05/2005 21:55

I'm with Mud here. However worthy the cause I don't agree with door-to-door collecting. I have done Christianaid collections in my dim and distant past, but I wouldn't do so now. I think it's intrusive.

Fran1 · 21/05/2005 23:00

I totally agree with Mud.

I don't want people begging at my door, and that is enough for me to not want to give, no matter what the charity.

I do a lot of charity work myself (not begging) and donate to collections that i see in shops/streets etc because i have the "choice" and noone is begging.

On one occasion when we were doing some promotion work for a charity, we had a stand in a busy high street providing information for people, and we held bowls of chocolate to give out to people and balloons for children. We were not asking for money, we were simply there to answer questions if people wanted to ask.
Lots and lots of people walked by and dropped money into the bowl of chocolate i was holding, because they thought we were collecting, and i had to go running after them to return the money. Does that just show that people are willing and giving, but not when their privacy is being invaded, and begging is occuring on their own doorstep?

I think if you're passionate about it, your efforts are better used on using some imagination and thinking up ways to get people enjoy spending some money for a good cause. Surely the three contributions tells you you're going about it the wrong way.

Gwenick · 21/05/2005 23:02

well I don't really see how Christian Aid is begging - they drop an envelope through the door, and pick it up a few days later - if you don't want to donate you don't have to.............a bit like Avon or Betterware....they come through the door and we choose whether we want to order??

What I DO object to is people standing on my doorstep trying to TALK me into giving money.

Gwenick · 21/05/2005 23:05

Surely the three contributions tells you you're going about it the wrong way.

I think the issue is about how RUDE people were not how much they did/didn't give. Dont' know how much our church has collected this year, but last year we collected over £1000 from streets in our parish - so obviously NOT the wrong way

Mud · 21/05/2005 23:27

and if you went door to door - I wonder how many bad feelings you evoked in those who didn't give - like guilt, anger, impatience, whatever (actually should probably include those who did give but felt mugged)

sorry gwenick worthy cause and all that - but not at people's doors I think that's right off in this day and age