[PSA] Some good things to know when giving to charities
I work for a health-oriented non-profit organization that specializes in fundraising to aid research. My job is to process the special-case donations before they get sent to the facility that processes the bulk of the donations. I deal with changes of name and address, membership renewal, changes to files on the mailing list database, etc. If you want off the mailing list, I'm the one who adds the note to your file. In the past couple of months, I've learned a lot and I'd like to share a few things.
1. If you make a donation, please remember to properly date your cheque, sign your name, check that the written amount matches the numeric amount, etc. Make sure that your credit card number is correct, that you've included the amount of your intended donation, as well as a valid expiry date. If you send cash... wait. Don't send cash. Please? It causes headaches. But if that's all you're going to give, go ahead. Every organization has ways of dealing with mailed-in cash donations. Even the loonies taped to the donation coupon. (I kid you not.) Most of all, though, make sure you include your donation coupon! Please! It will streamline the process considerably. Ignore this request if you wish to remain anonymous. :)
2. If you give to a non-profit/charity organization, be assured that there is a distinct possibility that your name will be traded with other organizations and you will be bombarded with petitions and requests for donations from a zillion other non-profits, UNLESS you specify that you do not want your name to be traded. Many non-profits make money by selling their list of names to other organizations, however, you have the power to keep them from trading your name. There is usually a space on the donation coupon somewhere where you can mark that you do not want your name to be shared with other organizations. If you can't find this, write it in any visible blank space that you do not want your name to be traded.
Online donations are trickier. If you don't see a way to let them know that you do not want your name to be traded, wait until you receive a receipt for your donation and then call the national office or whatever number they have provided for you for donation inquiries. If you've received a receipt that means your name is in the database and notes of preference can be made.
3. If you find that an organization traded your name before you told them not to, don't panic and don't get too upset. These things happen, and they are fixable. First, be certain that the organizations that you DO want to donate to have made a note in your file that you do not want your name traded. Now it's time to deal with the fallout: Any organization you do not wish to donate to needs to know that you do not want to be on their mailing list. You can simply return the envelope, unopened, to the sender with a note on the outside of the envelope to remove your name from their mailing list. Alternatively, you can open the envelope, as there is typically a return envelope and donation coupon contained within. Tear off the coupon with your name on it, add a note to remove your name from the mailing list, slip it in the return envelope and mail it off at no expense to you and yours. The coupon is important, as it has certain codes on it that are associated with your name and with the organization from which they received your name.
4. If there is an organization you enjoy supporting, but you find that they send you too many requests throughout the year, you can have them reduce the number of requests sent to you. Most people, if they have a preference, want only to be solicited for donations once annually. You may even be able to specify the time of year you receive the request -- let them know that you make annual donations in the spring/fall/specific month/etc. This will help them more effectively time the solicitation. This makes everyone happy. There is less waste, less money spent, and fewer pissed-off people.
5. Be aware that if you specify that you don't want any more solicitations for the year or forever, you may still receive one more. This is not an oversight; this is not the organization trying one last time to get more money from you; this is due solely to the timing of your request. Name pulls for mailers are done weeks in advance of the actual mailing, and there is no way to retrieve your name from a list of mailers that're already slated to go out on a certain day. Suck it up. The org is not trying to piss you off. Same goes for any changes to your file -- name change, address change, etc.
6. If someone has died and s/he is still receiving solicitations for donations, please let the organization(s) know. There will be a note added to their file and they will no longer be solicited, nor will their name be traded. But see #4 above -- the deceased may still get another request from the org(s), depending on when the name pull for the next mailer took place.
7. If you don't want the personalized address labels, notepads, etc., let the organization know. It will reduce money spent on unnecessary items and will squander fewer resources if you speak out that you don't want this stuff sent to your address. All you need to do is write a note on the donation coupon and send it in the return envelope. You don't even have to send a donation with it, though that would be nice.
I hope that knowing some of these things will make giving to non-profits a bit easier. I know I've always avoided donating when I had money to give because I never knew whether the organization would trade my name or what control I had over that part of the donation process. That, and I didn't want to get bombarded with solicitations throughout the year. Now I know that I can include my preferences with the initial donation.
1. If you make a donation, please remember to properly date your cheque, sign your name, check that the written amount matches the numeric amount, etc. Make sure that your credit card number is correct, that you've included the amount of your intended donation, as well as a valid expiry date. If you send cash... wait. Don't send cash. Please? It causes headaches. But if that's all you're going to give, go ahead. Every organization has ways of dealing with mailed-in cash donations. Even the loonies taped to the donation coupon. (I kid you not.) Most of all, though, make sure you include your donation coupon! Please! It will streamline the process considerably. Ignore this request if you wish to remain anonymous. :)
2. If you give to a non-profit/charity organization, be assured that there is a distinct possibility that your name will be traded with other organizations and you will be bombarded with petitions and requests for donations from a zillion other non-profits, UNLESS you specify that you do not want your name to be traded. Many non-profits make money by selling their list of names to other organizations, however, you have the power to keep them from trading your name. There is usually a space on the donation coupon somewhere where you can mark that you do not want your name to be shared with other organizations. If you can't find this, write it in any visible blank space that you do not want your name to be traded.
Online donations are trickier. If you don't see a way to let them know that you do not want your name to be traded, wait until you receive a receipt for your donation and then call the national office or whatever number they have provided for you for donation inquiries. If you've received a receipt that means your name is in the database and notes of preference can be made.
3. If you find that an organization traded your name before you told them not to, don't panic and don't get too upset. These things happen, and they are fixable. First, be certain that the organizations that you DO want to donate to have made a note in your file that you do not want your name traded. Now it's time to deal with the fallout: Any organization you do not wish to donate to needs to know that you do not want to be on their mailing list. You can simply return the envelope, unopened, to the sender with a note on the outside of the envelope to remove your name from their mailing list. Alternatively, you can open the envelope, as there is typically a return envelope and donation coupon contained within. Tear off the coupon with your name on it, add a note to remove your name from the mailing list, slip it in the return envelope and mail it off at no expense to you and yours. The coupon is important, as it has certain codes on it that are associated with your name and with the organization from which they received your name.
4. If there is an organization you enjoy supporting, but you find that they send you too many requests throughout the year, you can have them reduce the number of requests sent to you. Most people, if they have a preference, want only to be solicited for donations once annually. You may even be able to specify the time of year you receive the request -- let them know that you make annual donations in the spring/fall/specific month/etc. This will help them more effectively time the solicitation. This makes everyone happy. There is less waste, less money spent, and fewer pissed-off people.
5. Be aware that if you specify that you don't want any more solicitations for the year or forever, you may still receive one more. This is not an oversight; this is not the organization trying one last time to get more money from you; this is due solely to the timing of your request. Name pulls for mailers are done weeks in advance of the actual mailing, and there is no way to retrieve your name from a list of mailers that're already slated to go out on a certain day. Suck it up. The org is not trying to piss you off. Same goes for any changes to your file -- name change, address change, etc.
6. If someone has died and s/he is still receiving solicitations for donations, please let the organization(s) know. There will be a note added to their file and they will no longer be solicited, nor will their name be traded. But see #4 above -- the deceased may still get another request from the org(s), depending on when the name pull for the next mailer took place.
7. If you don't want the personalized address labels, notepads, etc., let the organization know. It will reduce money spent on unnecessary items and will squander fewer resources if you speak out that you don't want this stuff sent to your address. All you need to do is write a note on the donation coupon and send it in the return envelope. You don't even have to send a donation with it, though that would be nice.
I hope that knowing some of these things will make giving to non-profits a bit easier. I know I've always avoided donating when I had money to give because I never knew whether the organization would trade my name or what control I had over that part of the donation process. That, and I didn't want to get bombarded with solicitations throughout the year. Now I know that I can include my preferences with the initial donation.