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Soliciated for donation

Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2018 8:22 pm
by Hayburner
So today I get a call from a guy that is requesting a donation for the state police, local, etc. that are injured, etc in the line of duty.
I know this is a legitimate request, as I have had these requests at work and home in the past.

He asks what a,Lunt I would be able to donate, $200, $150 $100 or $95.

I say, well with the holidays just being here all I said I was sorry that at this time I could only afford to donate is $40. He said, well thank you, maybe next time you will be able to do more and hangs up.

Really!

So because I can't or won't donate the amount they want they don't want anything!!

Through my business I donate very heavily locally to the schools, churches, police, fire dept, animal rescues, etc, so when it comes from my personal finances I give less. Well, I hope he doesn't call my business this week because I may have to ask why my personal donation of $40 was not worthy of them taking it!

Re: Soliciated for donation

Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2018 9:05 pm
by Tsavo
That's amazing.

I get these calls all the time and I don't understand them. I know people with much less hazardous jobs who have insurance for this. I don't see why these people don't have this.

I have my charities I support (fighting factory farming, animal rescue, rational discourse etc.) and those seem more deserving with truly helpless victims.

Re: Soliciated for donation

Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2018 9:31 pm
by heddylamar
Insurance doesn't cover everything.

As a former fundraiser, that's a terribly timed campaign with a badly trained telemarketer. Hopefully who ever's managing the campaign is spot checking the call logs :evil:

Re: Soliciated for donation

Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2018 9:43 pm
by Tarlo Farm
You guys really think it was legit???

Re: Soliciated for donation

Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2018 10:40 pm
by Tsavo
Yes I am very sure at least some of these are legit. Truth is stranger than fiction.

Re: Soliciated for donation

Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2018 10:59 pm
by Literiding
Never give any identifying information or credit card number to someone who called you. Only give that information when you have placed a call to a business or charity - and check the number on the charity's web site. As a one time IT exec, any company with a PBX can change the caller ID to read anything the company wants. So there is absolutely no guarantee that who appears to be calling you is really associated with the company in the ID. I had a tech that worked for me that had in a previous position had been a telephone operator for a telemarking company. The company would represent four or five different organizations at the same time and he had to learn to change his persona to match the company that was being represented when a called person answered the call.

As an aside, when no one is there when you answer, its usually caused by the telemarking company auto dialer has placed a call that you answered but no operator is free to talk to you. The telemarking company places many calls that are not answered and are automatically disconnected. When a call is answered, it then directed into a pool of operators who then talk to whom ever answered.

Before giving, be sure to look up the charity on one of the charity information sites.

Some examples:

Charity Navigator - http://www.charitynavigator.org

Charity Watch - http://www.charitywatch.org

GuideStar - http://www.guidestar.org

And from the FTC:

Before giving to a Charity - ----http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0074-giving-charity----- (had to change this one, only allowed three URLs)

There are others and can be found with a web search. Having worked for a law enforcement agency, many of those charities that portray themselves as supporting police officer will only give pennys on the dollar to the advertised recipients. While they are legit to a degree, their marketing costs soak up nearly every dollar donated.

Re: Soliciated for donation

Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2018 11:28 pm
by PaulaO
So many charities contract out their donation soliciting. I don't believe any of the callers when they claim to be with the police force, sheriff's dept., etc. I was actually threatened a few times with the police not answering my calls if I didn't donate. Screw 'em. I pay taxes to support their work AND their pensions.

Re: Soliciated for donation

Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2018 11:54 pm
by heddylamar
He may have been legit, he may not have been. Either way he was a poor representative for the police force.

Legit charities doing fundraising will offer several donation methods -- phone, website, or mailed form.

Re: Soliciated for donation

Posted: Mon Jan 08, 2018 12:13 am
by Tsavo
I agree some of this fund raising is farmed out and adds to overhead but I have had these people admit they were hired and told me they got 10%. I guess I can't know they are legit but they seemed so.

The only time I was happy to get a call was from Shriners because I keep that person on the line as long as possible telling them they will start getting donations form me as soon as they stop hiring animal circuses to drum up donations. I told them I take every opportunity to ask others to hold this line with them also. People who donate to Shriners have not seen or have not seen enough undercover animal training videos from the circuses they hire.
Blood money.

Re: Soliciated for donation

Posted: Mon Jan 08, 2018 2:56 am
by StraightForward
A coworker of mine recently received a solicitation by mail for something similar. She looked into it because it seemed fishy, and the organization was listed with BBB, and had an F rating. The name was just slightly different from a legit police organization. She found some other problems with it as well, but I don't remember the details.

Re: Soliciated for donation

Posted: Mon Jan 08, 2018 2:52 pm
by WheresMyWhite
What Literiding said.

Check and double check before giving your CC# over the phone to someone who called *you* (not the other way around).

I'd also confirm where exactly is the $ going; what organization and how much on the dollar is the officer or their family actually getting?

LE are government entities. They are not defined as a non-profit with respect to "donations" but you already "donate" via taxes :)

There are organizations that can help pay for LE injured/killed in the line of duty but the agencies themselves are more than likely not going to ask for donations.

I volunteered for a sheriff's office for 17 years and every time my employer did anything for employees who volunteered for non-profits (collected hours, matching donations, etc), my time was not "acceptable" because it was not for a non-profit.

Re: Soliciated for donation

Posted: Mon Jan 08, 2018 7:25 pm
by PaulaO
I did not know that the Shrine Circuses (Circi?) still existed, let alone use elephants. I saw a commercial for Shriner's Hospital yesterday and thought "that sounds like a good cause." People make fun of the fezes, but they treat children for free. But I can't reconcile that with the maltreatment of elephants.

Re: Soliciated for donation

Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2018 9:56 am
by Kyra's Mom
I haven't gotten THAT call but boy howdy, all the charities seem to be getting greedy. It used to be they would be happy with $10-25. Now, on there little pledge/receipt they are starting at $75 and go up from there. There is usually a blank space to fill in some other amount but they are hoping the bait works for the larger amounts.

I would be perfectly happy if they would quit sending me an envelope full of junk...address labels (like anybody mails anything anymore), cards, stickers and various other crap.
Why can't you keep the money and use it for your purpose? I am very selective with my donations and the more junk/crap they send me, the less I think they need my money. Oh, and I will not pledge or pay anything if I am solicited over the phone...and I tell them so if I receive a call.

Susan

Re: Soliciated for donation

Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2018 2:27 pm
by amygdala
i wish they'd stop sending me calendars! i get 15-20 calendars a year-- almost all of them from organizations i've never donated to!

Re: Soliciated for donation

Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2018 3:34 pm
by Hayburner
Literiding - THanks for the links!

As for it being ligit - I truly think it was as after you pledge the amount, they mail you a form to fill out and mail your donation in. I have donated to this organization in the past so I believe it to be legit.

Kyra's Mom - I'm on the other side of the coin - I like getting my address stickers that I use and I like my calendars from the Fund for Animals.

A new organization that I have donated to is PAARTA - They are located in Pittsburgh,PA and either drive or fly to pick up shelter animals that are in distress, or the shelters are too full to keep them. It is all volunteer work and all money to fly the planes, drive etc is their own money or donations. Seems like a great group of dedicated workers ! Even in horrific weather they will do what it takes to help the needy! Many of the animals are brought to a local shelter and get ready to be adopted.

Re: Soliciated for donation

Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2018 4:39 pm
by WheresMyWhite
I'm always happy to use return address labels they so happily send to me unsolicited.

I'm not fond of solicited donations. I figure part of the donation revenue goes to support the "excess" solicitations. A letter with a card is fine. Email is fine. Return address labels, note pads, phone calls... for me, not so fine.

Re: Soliciated for donation

Posted: Wed Jan 10, 2018 8:13 am
by Chisamba
As before you donate. They have to disclose hiw much if your dollar goes to the charity. It's shocking how little. And they sell you name and next thing you get ten calls a month. Don't do it and donate to s legit charity.

Re: Soliciated for donation

Posted: Wed Jan 10, 2018 2:42 pm
by Hayburner
I don't know how they got my phone number, I have an unlisted number....unless, since I donated in the past they kept it on file.

Re: Soliciated for donation

Posted: Wed Jan 10, 2018 3:12 pm
by amygdala
yes, they sell your name-- which is why i get 20 calendars a year from places i don't give anything to!