How do you feel about donations? (££ Poll)
You can’t walk down the street without being asked for a donation. The television is full of expensive looking adverts that ask for donations – and of course right now there are some serious humanitarian disasters around the world that need our focus and cash.
Junk mail piles up at our door, asking us to bag up our old toys and clothes (as if we have old clothes *every two weeks*!) and leaflets ask us to sign up for Direct Debits to support the homeless in London, the hungry in Africa.
We all care, but we don’t all have the money or the emotional strength to take all these requests seriously do we? Do we? If I read every word of every request that came through my door I think I’d end up crying on the kitchen floor, unable to go to work before I’d signed the 18th Direct Debit agreeement…
I feel like a heartless ******** putting them in the recycling tub, or on top of the fridge for ‘when I get home’…
I know I give what I can each and every month; I have my favourite causes, voluntary orgs and charities that I donate to every payday, but we’re all asked to donate more and more aren’t we?
Are we being asked for too much? Do we hope our parents give more then us, or do we give more than our parents?
Would you like to take our mini-survey? If you’d like to share more of your thoughts please leave an anonymous comment below the post.
Cheers,
Wedge
5 Comments
EmziexPx
March 31, 2010Personally, i dislike donating money to charities. i’d much rather give up some of my time to do something for them – like i currently volunteer with a local charity for disabled children, and used to volunteer at a local animal sanctuary.
i get frustrated that those who already donate are those who are targetted by those asking for more money. there are so many out there with the money to give but who are unwilling, stop asking us for more money!!
my family and i donate to specific charities each year – usually relating to what’s affecting us – so i donate to MIND and my mum donates to the Altzheimer’s trust *that’s what she lost her dad to*
i’d rather be able to give money *when i can* as opposed to *monthly* – i’ll give you £30 – when i can afford it thankyou!! there are some charities who allow you to do this, but there are others who ask for a specific sum – which immidiately stops me doing it! x
Hannah
March 23, 2010I think that they should change it to £1 a month since most people find it hard to afford it. I think that in advert they should stop showinghorrible pictures on people who need help, there are alot of people who need help and we can only afford one charity. Once you have joined one charity you should get updates on what you have done to help them and other charities should stop asking do donations. I understand that there are many people who need help but we can’t help everyoneof them
Terry
March 15, 2010I can’t afford any money, but if I have some money spare to buy clothes I try to use charity shops when I can. I wish I could set up a regular payment to my favourite charities, but I just can’t afford to.
Nathanael
March 15, 2010I’m of the opinion that it would better for everyone involved if the charity had no way of contacting the people who have donated.
Sell things with the charity name on it.
Have donation drives for particular campaigns and whatnot.
Do not send me things in the post constantly asking for £2 a month. (Didn’t it used to be £1?)
Don’t keep sending me emails unless I’ve specifically asked to be put on the mailing list (and make it easy and guilt free to take myself off it!)
I think that in won’t be long before charities which don’t more or less follow those requirements start finding it difficult to fundraise due to the general public having hardened their hearts from the constant begging.
I’ll buy into your wristbands. I’ll buy into your T-Shirts. I won’t buy into the guilt giving game.
When I say “your”, that’s a non specific. I’ve never felt harrassed by Firstsigns which operates in what I would describe as my ideal method.
Jules
March 14, 2010I have to distance myself from a lot of the tele adverts and mail that comes through my door asking for money or it would affect me too much. It’s almost daily and it’s too much pressure. I feel so guilty turning away from the sometimes horrific images charities use, but what can I do? If I had more, then I would certainly give more, but I give what I can, when I can, to the charities that I choose to support for personal reasons. I’d love to help everyone, but I simply can’t, and I hate the fact that charities tug on the heart strings with such regularity.
I know they need to gain donations, but I’m uncomfortable with the tactics some charities use, and it puts me off supporting them. Yes, most people can afford £2 a month, but not for every charity that asks! I don’t feel comfortable giving to huge, rich charities who have executive directors on 6 figure salaries. I dislike being sent pens and personal address labels with images of dogs and cats, and all the other things I’m sent in order to make me feel as though I should ‘pay’ for the gift I didn’t want in the first place. I dislike being made to feel personally responsible for the safety, happiness and wellbeing of others.
I also dislike the fact if I choose to help a charity once, they never leave me alone again. I responded to one charity’s christmas appeal a couple of years ago, and they replied by asking me to remember them in my Will and enclosing details on how I could do that. I didn’t think it was appropriate.
Oh dear, this has turned into a bit of rant! I guess I try to tell myself that I do as much as I can, and actually I bloomin well do, but it’s hard to *feel* that way when I’m constantly asked for more and more and more.