Charities are getting annoying

[Diddums x]

I'm starting to think that the incessant begging from charities is becoming counter-productive. I'm not even sure who's behind all these campaigns, I don't think it's the charities themselves but rather the companies who are white-knighting.

In the last week, whilst paying by card, I've been asked to round up my transaction at Mcdonalds, Shell, KFC, my local petrol station, NCP car park (Wimbledon) and even at an ATM. These are the ones I can think of off the top of my head but there are more.

It's gotten to the point where it's just an automatic step now to press no, by default, without even reading anything. At my local petrol station, the machine doesn't even tell you what charity it is, it just says "donate to charity", you have to scan the whole checkout (which at a petrol station is generally covered in more tat and junk than a Chinese market stall) to find a tiny little card informing you that it's for the air ambulance.

It's gone from doing a good deed to just another step in your daily life, like accepting cookies on a website, anyone else think the same?

 

[Liquid_Entity]

Can't say I notice or that bothered about the above methods of charity donation. In fact 1p, 5p or even 20p to round up a payment is great in my eyes as I try and work my account all month without any penny transactions,

The real life chuggers are the real pain in the **** and the ones in Croydon are hyper invasive.

 

[Diddums x]

Can't say I notice or that bothered about the above methods of charity donation. In fact 1p, 5p or even 20p to round up a payment is great in my eyes as I try and work my account all month without any penny transactions,

The real life chuggers are the real pain in the **** and the ones in Croydon are hyper invasive.

Yeah, I've mastered the art of body language, or if that fails, the London way of very firmly but politely making it very clear that I have no intention of stopping to entertain them. Bloody vultures, all of them.

The first time I got caught out was also the last, girl stopped me, asked if I could spare a few quid for a charity, I said yes and handed her a tenner. She then told me to put it away and asked me to enter all my detail on her ipad so they could sting me for a tenner every month.

Yeah lol. Good luck with that.

 

[dirtychinchilla]

I've not noticed, but I would say that I'd be much more inclined to give if they had a contactless card reader. I almost never have any cash, so whilst I'd often be happy to donate, I'm not going to go and find a cash machine and then get some change just to donate. I'm not suggesting you spend ages putting stuff into a machine, just maybe a sign that's like, "tap to donate £1."

 

[Diddums x]

I've not noticed, but I would say that I'd be much more inclined to give if they had a contactless card reader. I almost never have any cash, so whilst I'd often be happy to donate, I'm not going to go and find a cash machine and then get some change just to donate. I'm not suggesting you spend ages putting stuff into a machine, just maybe a sign that's like, "tap to donate £1."

The Poppy appeal had this at tube stations, it was very well organized. Walk up, grab a poppy, press either £1, £5 or £25 (or 10, can't remember), swipe, and off you go. 10 seconds, done. I was genuinely impressed.

 

[dirtychinchilla]

The Poppy appeal had this at tube stations, it was very well organized. Walk up, grab a poppy, press either £1, £5 or £25 (or 10, can't remember), swipe, and off you go. 10 seconds, done. I was genuinely impressed.

Oh nice! I rarely get the tube so I didn't notice, but that sounds perfect.

 

[Ahleckz]

I've not noticed, but I would say that I'd be much more inclined to give if they had a contactless card reader. I almost never have any cash, so whilst I'd often be happy to donate, I'm not going to go and find a cash machine and then get some change just to donate. I'm not suggesting you spend ages putting stuff into a machine, just maybe a sign that's like, "tap to donate £1."

I’ve seen the guide dog charity that have a card reading built into a guide dogs collar hat you just tap to donate a quid. You can’t turn that down!

 

[Bear]

I'm starting to think that the incessant begging from charities is becoming counter-productive. I'm not even sure who's behind all these campaigns, I don't think it's the charities themselves but rather the companies who are white-knighting.

In the last week, whilst paying by card, I've been asked to round up my transaction at Mcdonalds, Shell, KFC, my local petrol station, NCP car park (Wimbledon) and even at an ATM. These are the ones I can think of off the top of my head but there are more.

Im wondering if it’s a tax scam. If a company donates money to charity, you can write it off against corporation tax. If you get the public to donate the cash and the company then goes on to donate that money to a charity as a company donation then they get a tax deduction without contributing anything

 

[Rroff]

What is annoying me at the moment is charities or not for profit entities like some web-sites who are intensively pushing a campaign either directly or indirectly implying like they are just a few short weeks away from running out of funds to continue - but if you do a little research you find they've got ongoing funding from certain institutes or individuals, etc. to cover their operating costs indefinitely. Obviously some of these concerns need to make some money and can't always depend on the generosity of certain big donors/sponsors being there forever but pushing the sob-story like that as if they are in a perilous position, when they aren't, to influence people in opening their wallet is crossing the line IMO.

 

[Gray2233]

I quite like the way Tesco handles it.

For every tenner (I think it's about that) you spend you get a little blue token, you can put it in a slot for whichever charity you want to support in a little stall and Tesco makes donations based upon said tokens. They have a food bank near the doors if you want to donate in that regard, which I'm happy to do from time to time.

I do get a bit sick of getting asked to 'round up' by the various other services I use, but the guys who stop people in the street really irk me. I've come across a couple who have been on the passive aggressive side, which is really not a good way to get me on your side. I don't feel all that comfortable with the idea of handing over my bank details to some random pleb either. I usually just ignore them, but in some places it's like playing Frogger trying to cross the street while avoiding them all.

 

[dirtychinchilla]

I’ve seen the guide dog charity that have a card reading built into a guide dogs collar hat you just tap to donate a quid. You can’t turn that down!

Nice! Haven't seen that yet.

 

[Rroff]

but the guys who stop people in the street really irk me. I've come across a couple who have been on the passive aggressive side, which is really not a good way to get me on your side. I don't feel all that comfortable with the idea of handing over my bank details to some random pleb either. I usually just ignore them, but in some places it's like playing Frogger trying to cross the street while avoiding them all.

I would never give someone money without researching and considering it first - they tend to get really funny when I ask if they have a flyer/card with details which puts me right off ever donating anything to that charity.

Generally I just give them a 2 second blank stare and carry on walking and they get out of my way - not had any hassle when I've intentionally not engaged with them at all or just given an off the cuff "sorry not interested".

 

[arctine]

OP, haven’t you made at least one thread asking for people to donate things?

 

[Admiral Huddy]

I have to agree. I would guess there's only so much "on street " that goes around and this is being spread quite thinly now. I've seen now that you can donate by "Contactless" payment which kind of detracts from the spare cash donations.
I donate carefully and generously to my choosen charities but I don't want to feel like I'm ignorant when I decide no to.

I prefer to see money being raised from donations of goods and services rather than outright begging.. For example, I just sold off a collection of prints where all the proceeds went charity .. I clear out prints I don't want, this saves on landfill, people get something and the charity of my choice makes money.. Everyone's a winner. Charity shops are more poplar and no longer have stigma they once had.

 

[dowie]

Im wondering if it’s a tax scam. If a company donates money to charity, you can write it off against corporation tax. If you get the public to donate the cash and the company then goes on to donate that money to a charity as a company donation then they get a tax deduction without contributing anything

That makes no sense at all.

There isn't a tax scam with charity donations... charity donations aren't taxed, that's all - that has no effect on any money not donated to charity/anything to do with the corporation tax etc..

 

[dowie]

Also, welcome back @Diddums

 

[Diddums x]

OP, haven’t you made at least one thread asking for people to donate things?

Correct

I have to agree. I would guess there's only so much "on street " that goes around and this is being spread quite thinly now. I've seen now that you can donate by "Contactless" payment which kind of detracts from the spare cash donations.
I donate carefully and generously to my choosen charities but I don't want to feel like I'm ignorant when I decide no to.

I prefer to see money being raised from donations of goods and services rather than outright begging.. For example, I just sold off a collection of prints where all the proceeds went charity .. I clear out prints I don't want, this saves on landfill, people get something and the charity of my choice makes money.. Everyone's a winner. Charity shops are more poplar and no longer have stigma they once had.

This is the gist of it isn't it, that just because I decide to donate that that exact moment, I should feel bad for declining. I donate more than enough already, I don't need these machines feeling around my wallet for loose change.

Also, welcome back @Diddums

Cheers, good to be back

 

[Uther]

Let them eat cake!
Actually, I give cash on occasion, but would never sign up to a monthly DD donation, I do find those annoying. I don't want to be 'told' how much to give, and some of the numbers bandied about are not inconsiderable.

 

[Bear]

That makes no sense at all.

There isn't a tax scam with charity donations... charity donations aren't taxed, that's all - that has no effect on any money not donated to charity/anything to do with the corporation tax etc..

I did say I was wondering. A company makes a charitable donation, it pays less corporation tax as donations are deductible from profits before tax is applied.

What I didn’t think through properly was that the charitable donation would be even to the company as the collections would add to their profits before the donation.

 

[Hades]

Im wondering if it’s a tax scam. If a company donates money to charity, you can write it off against corporation tax. If you get the public to donate the cash and the company then goes on to donate that money to a charity as a company donation then they get a tax deduction without contributing anything

This is what I think too. The company also gets to advertise that it donates £x to charity each year. That is good publicity when in fact the public are donating the money. It's essentially free advertising and a tax write off while customers foot the bill. I've become too cynical now and don't donate via these schemes.

E.g. For every pound the public donates, the company reduces its total profits by that amount. It therefore pays less tax.

Edit: Nevermind, as pointed out above that cant be the case and isnt a scam.