I will NEVER donate via Act Blue again.

[Fiendish Thingy]

Last week, I made several small dollar donations to numerous 2022 Dem candidates via Act Blue. There were links from Daily Kos to Act Blue pages “bundling” donations to house candidates running for seats in the most “winnable” districts, as well as pages with donations targeting critical senate, AG and SOS races.

I entered my information, including my US passport number (since I live in Canada), submitted my donations, and thought all was well and good.

I got confirmation emails thanking me for my donations, listing all the candidates I had donated to.

The problem is, several of the entries of candidate donations, including Stacy Abrams and several others (probably 20-25% of all candidates) were listed as “not processed”. The only reasoning I could think of was the candidate’s own software scanned my Canadian address, but not my US passport number (or Act Blue didn’t provide it), and declined the donation as coming from a foreign citizen.

It gets worse.

When entering my information, I made sure to select the “one time only” button, and especially the “don’t email me” box.

Everyday since I made the donations, I have received up to 10 emails and 10 texts from various Dem candidates, some of whom, like Henry Cuellar, I specifically didn’t donate to.

I have had to click the “unsubscribe” link on each email which takes me to another page, which I must make an additional 1-3 clicks before I am truly unsubscribed (my experience with other emails is that just clicking “unsubscribe” is enough to end the unwanted email). It’s a major PITA.

I have come to the conclusion that one way Act Blue makes money is by selling their donor lists.

I will NEVER donate via Act Blue again.

From now on, I will only donate directly to candidates I want to support.

[msongs]

1. direct donation to candidates is the best way. bypass these bloated skimmers nt

[WarGamer]

12. +1000 nt

[prodigitalson]

2. nothing worse than middlemen nt

[Bristlecone]

3. I know exactly what you mean. It's happened to me also

At least the daily email solicitation of donations for every candidate under the sun.

Upside, when you ask to be removed from the emails you receive, you actually do get removed. Do as tine goes on, less and less emails come. Again, that has been my experience.

[pwb]

4. A Postal Money Order prevents all that.

Just give your name and address. You may get a little junk mail but it is a lot more private.

[Ferryboat]

5. In addition to a direct contribution include a note telling them

If you sell my info you will never get another dollar.

Prevents them from selling your name to other's seeking campaign contributions.

[NCjack]

6. My email system allows me to block specific senders. Once set, their emails to me

go directly to the trash can, which is emptied weekly. I never see them.

Check your email system's blocking function -- it may be capable of the same.

[Pobeka]

7. What makes you think a candidate won't sell your email info?

I'll bet they all are trading information, whether it be Act Blue, or candidates. They want to know who is activitely donating.

[former9thward]

11. Exactly.

I have never donated through any middleman or party organization. Yet I get no end of emails from candidates from around the country.

[mahina]

8. I go to candidates pages directly and get routed to act blue.

Sucks and the lists are too much.

I made up a new Gmail just for them and I never read it

[Jirel]

9. I'm shocked that you did.

It’s just a giant spam house designed to share your data with every blue candidate from here to Marble Wig, DC, forever and ever. Give only to the candidates you choose, directly.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

10. Were those emails from actblue or from the individual campaigns? Actblue is an advantage.

GOP has been trying, unsuccessfully, to create their own version of actblue for several election cycles.

[Fiendish Thingy]

13. They appeared to be emails from individual campaigns

Although when unsubscribing, the link took me to pages from the same 2-3 mail list companies.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

19. I like actblue.

[Omaha Steve]

14. ActBlue is a nonprofit and does NOT sell your info

Some (not all) candidates do sell their donor lists!

OS

[Fiendish Thingy]

16. So, candidates I donated to sold my info to candidates I didn't donate to?

That sucks.

[BlueCheeseAgain]

20. I know the extra email is annoying, but yes, they all share donor info.

Who is more likely to donate to a Dem campaign than someone who has donated to another Dem campaign, after all?

[Omaha Steve]

21. Also it might be STATE law that kept your donations from going through

Some states don't allow PayPal for payment as an example.

[Hekate]

15. Omaha Steve has the goods on Act Blue. See his post. As for having your info passed along....

As far as I can tell, nearly every candidate and nearly every organization seems to do that. Welcome to the 21st century.

Donate to whom you will, but spend a little time weekly (or daily, if you want) utilizing the Unsubscribe feature at the bottom of every email.

[Kaleva]

18. +1

[Kaleva]

17. Donating to Hillary directly has blessed me with constant emails and texts.

I'm not complaining as I figure that's the norm if one donated. A candidate's list of contributor's is often sold, rented or outright given to others.