On Requests for Assistance in General

[MineralMan]

We all get them. They come in the mail, they come in phone calls, we see them on the Internet. The fact is that many causes and people are trying to raise money for some purpose. Some of us donate. Others do not. Some of these requests are legitimate and some may not be. It's an individual decision to make. Donate or don't donate.

Personally, I donate sparingly, because I don't have much expendable money. When I do, it's typically to local homeless shelters that I know do excellent work and use donations wisely. I donate to political campaigns, selectively, trying to make my meager donations as effective as possible.

When I get unsolicited phone calls or mail, I normally do not donate. But...I don't call the people asking for money names. I don't call the phone number and yell at anyone. I simply choose not to send any money. Occasionally, I read a news report on a charity scam. If I"m thinking about donating to a charity, I look into it myself. I don't donate unless I know my donation will do some good.

Each of us can choose who gets our charitable donations. There's no need for us to call an individual or organization names or to accuse that individual or organization of scamming. Most often, we don't really know that, even if we suspect it.

Donate or don't donate. That's the choice. That should complete the process. Unless you are an investigator, looking for evidence of illegal activities, that's where it should end, I think.

[MichMan]

1. I have asked how much goes to the charity

There have been several times when I have asked how much of the $$ goes to the charity. Been more than a couple who told me that 90% was for the fundraising and only 10% went to the charity. What's funny is after telling me that, they ask "how much can we count on you for this time?"

The ones that really annoy me are when they say "You have been generous in the past, can we count on you this time?" when you know darn well you never gave them anything before.

[MineralMan]

2. There are websites that rate charities based on

how much goes to programs and how much goes to administrative costs. I always check on that before donating. If I can't find info on a particular charity, I either don't donate or do as you suggest and contact it for that information.

I don't have a lot of money to give, so I try very hard to make it count. Frankly, I'd rather donate time than money, so that's what I do politically most of the time.

As far as individuals go, unless I know them, I'm unlikely to donate more than a small sum to someone who is visibly in distress. I do not donate to any online requests by individuals, since I'm almost never able to verify their need.

[CTyankee]

5. when I have a few extra bucks, they go to my local food bank. People gotta eat...

I think the basics are the most important issues. I know folks who've been helped by the food bank.

[MineralMan]

12. I think that's an excellent choice in most places.

I regularly buy a bag of food at my supermarket for the local food shelf. I just pick one up while shopping. There's a drop-off box in the store for those donations, and someone makes up bags with items the food shelf has requested. You can just grab one and pay for it at the checkout. That way, I know it's stuff that the food shelf needs. It's convenient and I barely notice it on my total.

[CTyankee]

13. I get regular updates in the mail from the CT Food Bank and I just send my check

that way. With my arthritic back, loading up at the supermarket is already challenging altho it is certainly a nice hands on way to do it. I do like to participate in the Post Office food collection drives, tho...mostly just lightweight stuff like cereal. Some people don't like to leave stuff out for any amount of time because people in their neighborhoods would steal it. I find that very sad...

[pinboy3niner]

26. I prefer to give cash so our resource center has the flexibility to apply the money where needed

It started as a food pantry 24 years ago and has expanded into a full resource center, homeless shelter and thrift shop, each in a different location. They have now outgrown all of these facilities and I know they've been in talks with various local agencies about moving and consolidating all of the facilities at one new location.

If they wish, donors can earmark a gift for one or more of many program categories, but a category has not yet been added for the building fund. Yesterday I was working with our resource center director at a charity event for an unrelated project, so I asked him if I should send a non-earmarked donation or if money is needed for the building fund. He gave me an update on the progress of the talks on a new resource center and said they just learned that for the site they're looking at they will need two environmental impact statements costing a total of about $800,000 (the total annual budget for the center and all facilities is about $2.2 million). So, he told me, right now they really can use some money in the building fund. Though it isn't listed as a category on the online donation form, noting it in the memo on the form will assure that the money goes there.

I'm glad I asked, as I don't believe they are using or can use any of their general funds for the building project. So I'm following the director's advice and making a donation to the building fund today.

[whatchamacallit]

3. Informative. Right up there with 'On choosing to sit' and 'On answering the phone'...

[MineralMan]

7. Thank you for taking the time to reply.

I appreciate that.

[whatchamacallit]

8. My pleasure

No really

[zappaman]

22. I could choose to sit down, but maybe I would choose to stand instead.

Or maybe I would choose to sit down, but then change my mind and stand up.
Whether I stand or sit is a choice I must make alone.
I can choose either and I will have to live with the consequences, if any.

Such is the nature of life, I suppose.

[whatchamacallit]

23. Bravo, perfect replication of a MM post!

[zazen]

4. I agree, although possibly such OPs for help need to go to a special "topic" rather than GD

I haven't read the recent request to which I think you're referring, in part because I didn't want to see the criticisms, but when I think about it, maybe the best compromise is to moderate such requests and ask that they be reposted to a particular topic/discussion group.

Then, any criticisms will sort of be moot because those folks can "opt out" or block the group. The rest of us can click on and consider these requests as they come up, at our particular comfort level.

[CTyankee]

6. I would prefer that option as well. I'm very conflicted by these requests because I don't

want to be judgmental but I feel they are an intrusion. It's not what I come to DU for.

[MineralMan]

9. DU has no such place or topic.

From time to time people post requests for assistance. It doesn't happen often. It's easy enough to skip such threads, I think. Still, you could post in Ask the Administrators with your idea. I have nothing to do with running this site.

[riderinthestorm]

30. One Grass Root has tried to do this with Wishadoo here at DU

shes been trying for about a decade. It would solve all of this - DUers in need would have a haven and DUers who can help would have a place to go as well.

Win win.

Here's a link to a recent discussion

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026630196

[zappaman]

10. Need a new forum for that kind of post.

DU shouldn't be gofundme.

[MineralMan]

11. That's not my call. Besides, I'm talking about a whole range

of such solicitations, not just ones on DU. You could propose such a forum in Ask the Administrators, though. Perhaps the admins will decide to do that. It's not my website.

[Lyric]

16. I already did. They haven't responded. nt

[MineralMan]

19. OK. I think they've said that it's up to

DUers to decide whether or not to donate, so they don't want to get involved.

Clearly a separate forum for stuff like that would not be read by many DUers. It just wouldn't get any response. So, I doubt they'd set up such a thing. DU has a Marketplace group. It's interesting, but gets very few views, compared to the main forums.

[MineralMan]

17. Thanks for your reply.

I answer few unsolicited calls. I get caught by spoofed caller ID info sometimes. When I do, I simply click the End button on my phone. I've never seen any use in arguing with some disembodied voice on a solicitation call. By simply hanging up, they can go on to their next call immediately. I wouldn't work at that sort of job, although I have done Democratic Party phone banking. Lots of hangups with those, too. It's not my favorite way to help a campaign.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

15. I always appreciate your calm, rational take on these matters, my dear MineralMan...

It's like a breath of fresh air. You go immediately to the heart of the matter and state your views, calmly and without rancor.

Thank you!

[MineralMan]

18. You're very kind to say so. Thanks.

[malaise]

20. That simple

Rec

[MineralMan]

21. Thanks, malaise.

I appreciate it.

[malaise]

24. It helps that I remember my mother's words

We have similar views on a number of matters.

[frazzled]

25. I've had a rule for 20 years

I will not make a donation, or a pledge for a donation, on the telephone—even to organizations to which we regularly give. It started back in the old days, before the Internet was what it is today, because we got so many phone solicitations from arts organizations, funds for cancer and diabetes, political interest groups, etc. The pressure to respond on the spot was too great, and our resources too small. I decided that mr. frazzled and I had to sit down and discuss which things were priorities and then make the allocations ourselves, in a more measured way. So I decided we had to have a hard and fast rule, without exceptions.

I began to tell phone solicitors nicely that we don't make donations on the phone. "Can I put you down for a pledge of $25?" they'd then say? And I would respond, "No (even if I intended to give), send me some literature and I will discuss it with my husband." Now, of course, I say the same except tell them I will visit their website. And I often do. And sometimes make a donation. But I won't--under any circumstance--make that same donation on the phone.

I may start to do the same thing for the numerous emails I get every day asking for donations from political organizations and candidates. Mostly I just delete them. Even to candidates or organizations I actually give money to. I'll open one and click the donate button when I feel good and ready. This last election cycle, however, I decided not even to do that. I'd just go to the website and donate there ... a feeble attempt to hopefully get them to stop emailing every #&@!ing day.

I would never give to an organization or individual on the Internet I do not know. I might research them . . . but usually, it turns out that when I haven't heard of something or someone, my wariness is well justified.

PS: I do give smallish amounts to people on the street. Based solely on intuition and/or how good of a performance they give.

[hopemountain]

27. local donations for me

i am on a fixed income & live in a very rural community - so my donations really have to count:
local food bank
local library
local schools for books / winter clothing / vacation food bags
local/state environment organizations - very involved with these, anyway - do what i can
local fed & state senate & congressional reps - also volunteer
zero over the phone for anything - no matter what the issue.

[airplaneman]

28. charity watch is a good organization that rates charities.

Too many charities act like Corporate businesses. Large pay to the CEO and very dismal payout. (often less than 50% goes to the actual cause).
I am a firm believer of giving locally.
-food bank
-library
-human resources
-humane animal shelter
I simply will not give based on a phone call or letter or commercial.
I am not rude but will not let someone else talk me into giving for any cause.
-Airplane

[bigwillq]

29. I only donate locally

to charities. I decided quite a few years ago to end my donations to political organizations and candidates.

[KittyWampus]

31. Meta thread is Meta. Furthermore, if someone repeatedly asks for money-

and is given advice and opportunities and fails to take the advice and opportunities offered- it's NORMAL to start wondering wtf is going on.

This is G-E-N-E-R-A-L D-I-S-C-U-S-S-I-O-N

This isn't a dedicated forum for charity.

And why your Meta thread should be fine while several others have been locked lately is curious.

[Fumesucker]

34. I read a bunch of that advice and even gave a little

A lot of it was wildly impractical from jump and I suspect a lot of it was impossible for the poster to implement.

For instance I read people saying that a pawn shop would give half of what the poster's TV and DVD player cost new, as someone who buys from pawn shops that's absolutely laughable...

Other people's problems are always so much less intractable and so much more amenable to easy fixes than our own.

[Joe the Revelator]

32. If we are going to let anyone ask for donations, without any kind of vetting...

then we need to set up a forum specifically for that. If people want to take part, by all means, i hope that they help others, but GD may not be the best place for it.

[Sissyk]

33. My father, a poor man with very little money in his wallet,

always gave to people on the street, charities, shelters, church members (he was a pastor), just about anybody that needed it.

Words from him I will never forget:
"Once I am willing to give my money and it leaves my hand to theirs, it's none of my business what they do with it."

I love those words, and have all my life.

Maybe that's why I donate and never look back. If it tugs at my heart, and I give, then it is done.

Thanks, MM, for this thread, and letting me say that. (I still miss my dad very much)