Comments on: How and Why I Turn Down Charity Telemarketers http://financefreelancelife.com/2008/05/14/how-and-why-i-turn-down-charity-telemarketers/ Fri, 19 Mar 2010 13:56:41 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: The 2009 Personal Finance “How to” Roundup | AllFinancialMatters http://financefreelancelife.com/2008/05/14/how-and-why-i-turn-down-charity-telemarketers/#comment-49315 The 2009 Personal Finance “How to” Roundup | AllFinancialMatters Mon, 06 Jul 2009 18:31:56 +0000 http://financefreelancelife.com/?p=618#comment-49315 [...] 2. How to Turn Down Charity Telemarketers and Find Legitimate Charities [...] [...] 2. How to Turn Down Charity Telemarketers and Find Legitimate Charities [...]

]]> By: 10 Ways To Improve Your Life Starting Today | My Super-Charged Life http://financefreelancelife.com/2008/05/14/how-and-why-i-turn-down-charity-telemarketers/#comment-25083 10 Ways To Improve Your Life Starting Today | My Super-Charged Life Fri, 12 Sep 2008 13:17:58 +0000 http://financefreelancelife.com/?p=618#comment-25083 [...] How to Find and Evaluate a Charity [...] [...] How to Find and Evaluate a Charity [...]

]]> By: Organized Charitable Giving http://financefreelancelife.com/2008/05/14/how-and-why-i-turn-down-charity-telemarketers/#comment-19637 Organized Charitable Giving Wed, 11 Jun 2008 15:01:28 +0000 http://financefreelancelife.com/?p=618#comment-19637 [...] weeks ago, shortly after the Myanmar/Burma cyclone, I wrote about how I can easily hang up on charity telemarketers. This got me talking with my mother, whose generosity I admire, about how to respond to the immense [...] [...] weeks ago, shortly after the Myanmar/Burma cyclone, I wrote about how I can easily hang up on charity telemarketers. This got me talking with my mother, whose generosity I admire, about how to respond to the immense [...]

]]> By: Sunday Money Roundup - The New Look Edition. http://financefreelancelife.com/2008/05/14/how-and-why-i-turn-down-charity-telemarketers/#comment-18515 Sunday Money Roundup - The New Look Edition. Sun, 18 May 2008 14:03:05 +0000 http://financefreelancelife.com/?p=618#comment-18515 [...] Micah talks about picking and choosing charities - and turning down the ones that cold call her at home. We do the same [...] [...] Micah talks about picking and choosing charities – and turning down the ones that cold call her at home. We do the same [...]

]]> By: Living off dividends & passive income http://financefreelancelife.com/2008/05/14/how-and-why-i-turn-down-charity-telemarketers/#comment-18453 Living off dividends & passive income Fri, 16 May 2008 19:18:31 +0000 http://financefreelancelife.com/?p=618#comment-18453 i was in india in the 90's when a major earthquake killed 25,000 in a rural area. clothes & blankets that were sent from abroad ended up being sold on the streets. I imagine that the money went into someone's pockets and never reached the intended victims. i was in india in the 90’s when a major earthquake killed 25,000 in a rural area. clothes & blankets that were sent from abroad ended up being sold on the streets.
I imagine that the money went into someone’s pockets and never reached the intended victims.

]]> By: plonkee http://financefreelancelife.com/2008/05/14/how-and-why-i-turn-down-charity-telemarketers/#comment-18446 plonkee Fri, 16 May 2008 16:12:13 +0000 http://financefreelancelife.com/?p=618#comment-18446 I no longer have a problem with these, as long as I extract myself from the conversation quickly. Good organisations, that want to work with people for a long time tend not to antagonise the local government/controlling organisation. It's self-defeating and can, in some cases, make things worse for the local population. If you want to help people in Burma, you need to find out who is working with the Burmese government, and give to them (galling, but true). I no longer have a problem with these, as long as I extract myself from the conversation quickly.

Good organisations, that want to work with people for a long time tend not to antagonise the local government/controlling organisation. It’s self-defeating and can, in some cases, make things worse for the local population. If you want to help people in Burma, you need to find out who is working with the Burmese government, and give to them (galling, but true).

]]> By: Myanmar/Burma Cyclone Situation and Charitable Giving http://financefreelancelife.com/2008/05/14/how-and-why-i-turn-down-charity-telemarketers/#comment-18443 Myanmar/Burma Cyclone Situation and Charitable Giving Fri, 16 May 2008 15:02:06 +0000 http://financefreelancelife.com/?p=618#comment-18443 [...] This is a guest post from deepali of paradigm shifted. She has been following the situation in Myanmar/Burma since long before the Cyclone Nargis hit and agreed to post about what’s going on there now and how you can help. This a follow-up to my post on charitable giving and telemarketing. [...] [...] This is a guest post from deepali of paradigm shifted. She has been following the situation in Myanmar/Burma since long before the Cyclone Nargis hit and agreed to post about what’s going on there now and how you can help. This a follow-up to my post on charitable giving and telemarketing. [...]

]]> By: Dad http://financefreelancelife.com/2008/05/14/how-and-why-i-turn-down-charity-telemarketers/#comment-18423 Dad Thu, 15 May 2008 21:40:12 +0000 http://financefreelancelife.com/?p=618#comment-18423 Also, thanks for the website. Telemarketers can make it hard if you want to remain polite. I've heard many bad stories of fraudulent 'charities' that appear at every disaster. We recently had an article in the local newspaper about a 'charity' to help injured firemen and their families. The state volunteer fireman's association (most of our fire departments are volunteer) released an official statement that they are unaware of any benefit that any of their members have received from this organization. What really gets me is when they try to push you into a 'small' donation. If they ask $50 at first, if you turn them down, they say "can't you afford even $25 or any amount?" I have to remain firm. If they won't give up in a few minutes, I simply say Good bye and hang up. These are professional telemarketers. I'll treat them *at least* as politely as they treat me. We've had charities we've turned down send us 'over-due' billing statements for pledges we never made. One was from a church organization that I new a little about. I wrote the head of that organization a scathing letter about the bad name his group was giving their religious cause by deceitful financial practices. I never heard from them again. Like you, I like to choose in a period of calm and lack of emotion, where I'm giving. I used to be vulnerable to emotional appeals and had to harden myself. Now I'm confident where my money goes. Also, thanks for the website. Telemarketers can make it hard if you want to remain polite. I’ve heard many bad stories of fraudulent ‘charities’ that appear at every disaster. We recently had an article in the local newspaper about a ‘charity’ to help injured firemen and their families. The state volunteer fireman’s association (most of our fire departments are volunteer) released an official statement that they are unaware of any benefit that any of their members have received from this organization. What really gets me is when they try to push you into a ’small’ donation. If they ask $50 at first, if you turn them down, they say “can’t you afford even $25 or any amount?” I have to remain firm. If they won’t give up in a few minutes, I simply say Good bye and hang up. These are professional telemarketers. I’ll treat them *at least* as politely as they treat me. We’ve had charities we’ve turned down send us ‘over-due’ billing statements for pledges we never made. One was from a church organization that I new a little about. I wrote the head of that organization a scathing letter about the bad name his group was giving their religious cause by deceitful financial practices. I never heard from them again.

Like you, I like to choose in a period of calm and lack of emotion, where I’m giving. I used to be vulnerable to emotional appeals and had to harden myself. Now I’m confident where my money goes.

]]> By: Christine http://financefreelancelife.com/2008/05/14/how-and-why-i-turn-down-charity-telemarketers/#comment-18394 Christine Thu, 15 May 2008 02:18:43 +0000 http://financefreelancelife.com/?p=618#comment-18394 That's a great website (the charity navigator one). Thanks for the link! That’s a great website (the charity navigator one). Thanks for the link!

]]> By: deepali http://financefreelancelife.com/2008/05/14/how-and-why-i-turn-down-charity-telemarketers/#comment-18392 deepali Thu, 15 May 2008 00:40:11 +0000 http://financefreelancelife.com/?p=618#comment-18392 Good post. I often find that I prefer to donate to an organization that I feel I have a personal connection to. Either I know someone who works there, I've observed a program, or I've called them up and chatted with people there. As for Burma - I'm happy to provide some good orgs to donate to! I know people who have worked in Burma or with the Burmese people for years. The problem with the Burma situation is that our usual suspects (Oxfam, ICRC) aren't being allowed in... Good post. I often find that I prefer to donate to an organization that I feel I have a personal connection to. Either I know someone who works there, I’ve observed a program, or I’ve called them up and chatted with people there.

As for Burma – I’m happy to provide some good orgs to donate to! I know people who have worked in Burma or with the Burmese people for years. The problem with the Burma situation is that our usual suspects (Oxfam, ICRC) aren’t being allowed in…

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