I'm expecting loads of flack on this one but I'm a brave sole. ::)
Loads believe that charity starts at home, yup I'm a believer too, but if we can afford a bit at home and an odd 20p or so for those elsewhere, then it all helps.
When that envelope comes through your letterbox and someone comes around a couple of nights or so later, please don't hide behind your curtains and leave me standing on your doorstep knowing I can see you. Come to the door and say "I'm sorry, I can't afford anything this year" or "I subscribe to another charity" or even "I don't believe in these collections", please just tell me so I can be on my way to the next door.
It's all done on a volunteer basis and the quicker I can get round the sooner I can get back to my plot! ;D
Linda
Good luck with it all ;D
I have a sign on my gate that says No Beggars.
Good on you Linda, doing something to help. Take no notice of ACE, we have a sign up saying "No Silly Beggars"... but we're not sure he can read it... ;D ( :-* for ACE)
It's a pretty thankless task, isn't it? I used to do charity envelopes when my daughter was younger: it was a way to teach her about helping others less well off than ourselves, she loved counting the money and as she was cute (well I thought so) I thought people might be more inclined to be generous. Pah! I think we covered about 100 houses and I only ever got a few pounds in total. I was so embarrassed that the charities would think I'd pocketed some of the money for myself I used to round it up to a tenner when I banked it. So I stopped envelope collections and found other ways of supporting those charities. I wish you luck.
G x
I remember when I was a member of the junior red cross when I was at primary school and on Red Cross collection day all the juniors went collecting in pairs (OK for children to do that then at least where i lived!) my friend and I got the street with the local plant nursery owner...the biggest house in town pretty much a mansion. they answered the door said wait there and disappeared.....door open...and just 'forgot' us we stood there for about 30 mins before leaving after knocking a few times!
It is quite fair to say you don't give to that charity...it isn't possible to give to everyone but just say so.
Linda, I can understand your frustration. I used to open the door and explain I donate in other ways and so will not be using the envelopes. Also, if I knew I wouldn't be around, I'd leave the envelope/charity bag weighted down outside the front door so the collector knew there's no need to knock. Having said that, I can't remember the last time I had an appeal envelope through the door, probably around the Tsunami time I think!
On a side note, people should not judge those that don't want to cough up a 'few pennies' because you don't (and by you, I'm talking generally, not at anybody specific!) know what's going on in the background. I don't give to the collectors or money shakers or tv appeals etc but my husband and I each have a monthly direct debit set up for the charities of our choice. IMHO I think it's wrong just to assume people are too tight because they don't hand over money on the spot (and even so, it's their choice!)
and also, genuinely don't have any spare money(I know from past experience)
I used to save all my spare silver and put it in the envelopes, if I didn't need it for bread that week :)
sorry, forgot to say, well done on doing this, lots of my friends do the christian aid ones and say the same
Linda you certainly won't get any flack from me.
Well done on doing what is generally a thankless, and often dispiriting, task! xx
Funnily enough you generally find that it is the less well off that are more generous - than the other way round.
Good for you girl - I admire anyone who gets off their butt and does something for someone else without expecting any reward!
Old Bird
;D
Quote from: ACE on May 12, 2009, 06:59:15
I have a sign on my gate that says No Beggars.
Does that mean I can not come for my holidays then?? :(
Quote from: Georgie on May 12, 2009, 08:40:13
It's a pretty thankless task, isn't it? I used to do charity envelopes when my daughter was younger: it was a way to teach her about helping others less well off than ourselves, she loved counting the money and as she was cute (well I thought so) I thought people might be more inclined to be generous. Pah! I think we covered about 100 houses and I only ever got a few pounds in total. I was so embarrassed that the charities would think I'd pocketed some of the money for myself I used to round it up to a tenner when I banked it. So I stopped envelope collections and found other ways of supporting those charities. I wish you luck.
G x
Georgie - my story is the reverse of yours I used to help my mum as a kid, but I was never allowed near the actual cash :o :D
1066
Good luck Linda! I used to collect on a road full of wealthy and not-so-wealthy people and it was usually the less well-off that were most generous. The best response I ever had was at a house where a lot of young people were having a party. The girl who answered the door did a whip-round and came back with a bag load of money. Made my day.
We now raise money for Christian Aid through an annual cake and plant sale. Made more than £500 on Saturday.
Oh good, a thread about charity envelopes and during CHRISTIAN AID WEEK.
I am the local co ordinator and have 18 people collecting in the village. Hope you can all give so generously but no doubt you cannot because you don't agree with giving to the poor in Africa or wherever. Also you will say most of it goes in administration, worng. but there you go, you all have your opinions. However, I will be out tonight and rest of the week collecting, every penny counts. I have a big task next week counting all the pennies. I usually have to get help to carry the pennies and other brown coins to the Bank. Last year our village collected £580.00 good eh? some folk give to charities.
go on folks. Give what you have even if it is a euro left over from your holiday.
It was Christian Aid Envelopes my mum did and whenever I see its Christian Aid week I can't help but think of her doing her rounds :)
Well done both of you... :)
I give approximately half a day a week of my time each to two charities, not always easy when working full time, but do-able. I don't give to collections (envelopes or tin-rattlers) but I do gift-aid any donations or sponsor forms that I want to contribute to. That way the charity gets more money from the taxman.
Sorry but i find it VERY embarrassing when i cant afford to give !! and to be forced to open my door and explain would make it worse :(
I give when i can and and sit and feel very bad at the adverts for 'its only a £1 a week' if i had the money i would give it, but i do object to being made to feel bad about it !
Dawn, I take it you won't be taking me for a steak meal when I come down to Bournemouth at the end of the month then. ;D ;D ;D
I collected for charity once, and got one poor old lady out of bed (if was the middle of the day) and think she was frightened as didn't know who was knocking. Felt terrible. Had some very bad responses from some people and ended up going home, put some money in the box myself (was working then) and gave up collecting. I always support Christian Aid but do get annoyed when I collect and they do not pick up the envelopes and I then have to walk and drop them in the box at the local church. I did give to charity more when I was working but now use the excuse that I am a poor old age pensioner, but the odd 10p or 50p will always give but cannot afford to being tied up to give so much a month but when I win the lottery have already decided, family first then some charities, and just keep a small amount for me.
My OH is a Lifeboat volunteer so we regularly do collecting, particularly at the moment as we are raising money for the Shoreham Harbour Lifeboat Appeal which will pay for the much needed new boathouse.
I collected at a Brighton football match recently - the posh lot in hospitality were all really tight but the fans were really generous.
We also collect each Christmas and people regularly hide behind their curtains especially on posh Shoreham Beach, which is a joke as they are the people who own the yachts my OH is often called out to resuce!
Lushy x
^ Yes but in all fairness, these people might donate tens, hundreds or even thousands to charity that nobody else is aware of??
I also think Asbean made a very good point of giving spare time being just as important as giving cash (sorry, I'm deviating a little from the original topic) I volunteered full time for social services before I got a substantive post and I think that's just as important in some circumstances. Some have more time than money but are equally, if not more, generous :)
I think the point re time v money as giving is very relevant, as is the donating online re tax incentives, which is what I tend to do now since get so many appeals for sponsorship which goes straight to the charities .
The problem nowadays for door to door appeals is that people just aren't used to unknown vistors knocking on the door, and most of the time it is not welcome, nor convenient.
In our previous home I knew most of the people in the village but even so, someone knocking for however good a cause was not, I must admit, very welcome. Where we are now we are a little off the beaten track and frankly, if my husband were not at home, I would not answer the door if I was not expecting anyone.
Times have changed, sadly, but that should not mean people who don't open the door are defined as ungenerous.
Best to all,
CLx
Quote from: flowerofshona2007 on May 12, 2009, 17:23:40
Sorry but i find it VERY embarrassing when i cant afford to give !! and to be forced to open my door and explain would make it worse :(
I give when i can and and sit and feel very bad at the adverts for 'its only a £1 a week' if i had the money i would give it, but i do object to being made to feel bad about it !
I have to say I agree with you on the embarassement factor, I do give to charity when I can. If I buy the Big Issue then I make sure that I always give the vendor a little bit extra. But...I had a well known animal charity at my door several times in the last 12 months, as I have two springies who shout a lot when someone's at the door it's not rocket science to assume I have dogs, they're opening line is usually "so you obviously love dogs then" then continues into a major guilt trip, followed by raised eyebrows when I explain that it's as much as I can do most weeks to keep the house going. I do donate by giving any old bedding to them or donating the odd tin or bag of food to them, but I object to being made to feel guilty because I can't give them cold hard cash. Unfortunately this kind of attitude has led me to not answering the door to people collecting now, I know they're not all like it and I don't envy them trying to raise money but unfortunately a few spoil it for the rest.
Yes, quite Posie,
And there is a problem with people posing as charity collectors (when they or not) or being paid to collect, in which case you get (or suspect) this pushiness.
For guidance see
http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/registeredcharities/sgc.asp
You can see the problem this raises for well meaning collectors like the original poster, but this situation is sadly a fact of life today.
Clx
Quote from: posie on May 13, 2009, 22:23:43
..I had a well known animal charity at my door several times in the last 12 months, as I have two springies who shout a lot when someone's at the door it's not rocket science to assume I have dogs, they're opening line is usually "so you obviously love dogs then" then continues into a major guilt trip, followed by raised eyebrows when I explain that it's as much as I can do most weeks to keep the house going.
I won't give a penny to a certain major animal charity as they don't spend what they already have. No-one should use marketing/guilt trip to get charity money, it's offensive.
I wont be in on many occasions to answer a door and feel more comfortable with direct debit as then I can give what I can afford and there's tax benefit to the charity too.
Also, with redundencies around I wouldn't assume people in nice houses have cash :)
My bugbear about charity collections are the plastic bags that we frequently get through the door asking us to fill it with unwanted goods to raise funds for the charity. this is all well and good but whenever we put stuff out in these bags they rarely get collected the day they say they will collect.
Also if you cant donate anything you are encouraged to leave the unopened bag on the doorstep to be collected and reused. in my expereince the unused bags hardly ever get recovered, leaving you stuck with a load of plastic bags emblazoned with the charity name. the only use for them then is as bin liners!
I dont mind giving stuff to charity, but this practice just seems a dreadfull waste, not only of time and resources but of the charity's money as well.
Lots of interesting replies, and thank you for taking the time.
All the best too, to those collecting this year and good luck to collectors that are having their knuckles bitten by letterboxes ;D
Linda