Charities - SECOND NOTICE rant

[Bird]

My dad would tell me stories about the American Red Cross and their activities during WWll providing "aid" to the GI's.

My Dad's best friend from the time they were kids was in the SeaBees in WWII, so he learned to hate the American Red Cross.

 

[RollingsFarms]

What I hate is when I go to a gas station and before they give me my change they'll say "would you like to donate your change to such and such" and I say no and then they give me this look like "cheapskate!". Firehouse subs is also another one that begs for your change to help fireman, ems, police, etc. Doesn't matter what you buy they will beg for your change. It's getting absurd to go anywhere anymore and be begged for change and the way they make it sounds is they expect you to give it to them. Gets expensive if you do it every time you go in a place!

 

[Garandman]

That right there is funny, don't care who 'ya are, that's funny.

Imagine how it goes down in the People's Republic of Massachusetts.....

The ACLU took a case involving a student who wore an NRA shirt to school. I'm all for anyone who makes life difficult for the Government....

What I hate is when I go to a gas station and before they give me my change they'll say "would you like to donate your change to such and such" and I say no and then they give me this look like "cheapskate!".

I just say, "We donate by check" which is true. Why donate after tax dollars when you are entitled to donate pre-tax dollars?

 

[Industrial Toys]

You try and be charitable and for your generosity, they sell your name,like some kind of a suckers list, to other charities.

Don't you just love non profit organizations where they make six digit incomes?

 

[KiotiKowboy]

I give to only one - Salvation Army. I've seen what they do locally and its good.

The Red Cross is little more than a money machine. Regardless of the event, the Red Cross NEVER misses an opportunity to solicit more money.

My experience, working local disasters through my amateur radio club, was the Salvation Army was First In and Last Out. The Red Cross would drive through when the local media was taking video, just to get their vehicles on the newscast. If/When they arrived, it was after the heavy lifting was over.

 

[PILOON]

The AARP* sent me a renewal notice reminding me expiry was in 6 months!
I am in Canada and they wanted me to purchase a US$ money order and not to send a check.

*IMO merely an insurance broker judging by the quantity of policies they offer. (I use the card mainly for motel discounts)

My favorite charity is local newspaper XMAS fund as EVERYTHING goes to food baskets.
I also like the SallyAnn.

 

[phiferpharm]

The Red Cross is little more than a money machine. Regardless of the event, the Red Cross NEVER misses an opportunity to solicit more money.

My experience, working local disasters through my amateur radio club, was the Salvation Army was First In and Last Out. The Red Cross would drive through when the local media was taking video, just to get their vehicles on the newscast. If/When they arrived, it was after the heavy lifting was over.

Man, you are SO spot on with this comment. I was a Unit Commander during two Hurricanes in South Florida - Andrews and Wilma - The Red Cross wanted us to get them set up quickly for Telephones. As far as we could tell they were constantly doing PR to get pledges. They made it clear they didn't want donations of anything but dollars. On the other hand, the Salvation Army was amazing.

 

[mjarrels]

Remember when Bob Dole was running for president, his wife Liz was head of the red cross and was being paid, I believe just over $200,000 per year.

mark

 

[MacLawn]

I NEVER answer my phones unless it's from Ethyl or daughter, etc. Phone, email, mailbox, all of it is an INTRUSION on me. Uninvited. Just emptied my shredder so I can keep shredding more junque.

 

[MikePA]

IMO, the key with a charity is how much of every dollar goes to the intended recipients and not how much their CEO, or any other officer, makes. It should certainly be over 90 cents, preferably over 95 cents.

For large charities, they can be handling milions of dollars. Would you want some rookie, right out of business school handling that? Large charities are competing with other large businesses for talent.

 

[Country Geek]

It doesn't take much google homework to learn that the "mail heavy stuff back in the postage paid envelope to make them pay more" gambit is a myth and doesn't work.

Can You Mail a Brick to a Bank? | Mother Jones

Quoting:

According to rule 917.243(b) in the Domestic Mail Manual, when a business reply card is "improperly used as a label"—e.g., when it's affixed to a brick—the item so labeled may be treated as "waste." That means the post office can toss it in the trash without further ado.

Sure enough, current postal regulations state that business-reply mail "may not be used for any purpose other than that intended by the permit holder, even when postage is affixed." In other words, if you mail a boxload of bricks to Citibank, it may not reach its intended destination.

Also, a relation who's worked in the mail-processing business informs me that banks would be unlikely to notice any junk being sent to them, since their incoming credit-card applications are likely handled by contractors. Likewise, mass mailers may pay flat fees for their return postage, which means that a brick is unlikely to weigh on the conscience of a banking executive.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Yeah, that Red Cross is Something. I hear they will even take your blood!

 

[GPintheMitten]

I let them have my blood several times a year.

 

[Bird]

I think I've only given blood to the Red Cross once and to Parkland Hospital once, but Carter Bloodcare says I've gone over 8 gallons to them.:laughing: I gave them a little more about 4 days ago.

 

[ultrarunner]

We seem to get a lot of solicitations for fallen Police Officers...

Thing is we are a family with a fallen Police Officer whose name is on the Memorial and nothing has EVER come our way and I let them know it.

 

[PILOON]

We seem to get a lot of solicitations for fallen Police Officers...

Thing is we are a family with a fallen Police Officer whose name is on the Memorial and nothing has EVER come our way and I let them know it.

Guess that after administration costs there was not enough funds to pay postage.

 

[RSKY]

Years ago one of my wife's uncles got a second notice about his car's warranty and sent them money. Very intelligent man in his eighties. I explained to him that it was a scam and he didn't believe me. I had to explain to his son what was going on and they got tons of mail every day for years about it when they didn't renew.

Bunch of crooks.

 

[RSKY]

Years ago one of my wife's uncles got a second notice about his car's warranty and sent them money. Very intelligent man in his eighties. I explained to him that it was a scam and he didn't believe me. I had to explain to his son what was going on and they got tons of mail every day for years about it when they didn't renew.

Bunch of crooks.

 

[ohmyback]

When a charity calls I just ask how much of every dollar they raise actually goes to the group they are calling for. The caller usually puts the phone down and a manager picks up. They are required by law to tell you the breakdown. Most are 5, 10 or 15 % at the most. I decline and they do not hassle me. After doing this for a while the robo calls stop because I drop off the list.

 

[Mousefield]

Guess that after administration costs there was not enough funds to pay postage.

Sad thing is so many of the charities don't have any money to pass on after expenses.