Year-end charity contributions

[dreamshark]

This turned out to be harder work than I expected. I have some disposable cash during a time of hardship for many, so I decided to make some substantial charitable contributions this year. I was looking for reputable charities that provide help specifically to individuals in need and community arts organizations. I want to be able to donate online without ending up on any mailing or calling lists (paper, email, or phone). And I need some kind of proof of donation for tax purposes.

These requirements turned out to be surprisingly demanding. My overwhelming preference is for sites that take Paypal. This is just the perfect way to donate: you don't have to give them any information about yourself at all, and Paypal keeps a clear record of exactly who you donated to. It's also really fast, since you don't have to waste time filling in all that personal information in online forms (and then looking for ways to make them promise not to USE that personal information). Unfortunately very few charities have added the Paypal option to the usual credit card selections. So I've been looking for sites that have one or more of the following (preferably ALL): anonymous donation checkbox, opt-out checkboxes for email or other followup contact, posted privacy policy, explicit promises on the main page not to share your information with anyone. I will not donate to any site that requires a phone number for any reason except credit card verification; that rules out quite a few of them. I sent email queries about privacy concerns to causes I wanted to donate to that had no optouts or privacy policies. Meals on Wheels gave me an immediate response with strong assurances of privacy and anon donor option. One other charity responded that I could call them and give them all the same information I didn't want to give on the website (WTF?). None of the others even answered. Disappointing.

Here's the list that I have donated to so far:
Intermedia Arts [community arts organization in my neighborhood, in desperate financial straits, takes Paypal!]
Minnesota Emergency Foodshelf Network [local, provides food to the hungry, anonymous donor option]
Feeding America([formerly Second Harvest) [excellent rep, food to the hungry, anon donor option]
Greater Twin Cities United Way [many worthy causes, reliable and discreet, privacy policy, email optout]
Marine Toys for Tots [excellent rep, helps poor families, privacy policy, email optout]
Meals on Wheels [local, provides food and social support to elderly, quick email response to privacy questions]

I am currently trying to get the Paypal option to work on the "People Serving People" site. I think they have a bug in their script. I have sent them info on the problem I am having and hope they will fix it, because I want to donate to organizations that serve homeless families. I have given up on Sharing and Caring Hands. I have contributed to them in the past and found there is no way to stop the monthly mailings begging for more money. Their site offers online donation but no optouts, no Paypal, no privacy policy. So... too bad. It's a worthy cause, but there are others that are more respectful of donor privacy. Sadly, I can't find any privacy options on the HOBT site either.

Comments

[mle292.livejournal.com]

The other thing about not being able to opt out is spending your entire contribution on mailings asking you for more money.

I just hate that.

Thanks for the report on which charities allow anonymous contributions. It's very good to have!

[cakmpls.livejournal.com]

Well done. Thanks for the info.

Just added.... Tubman Family Alliance

[dreamshark.livejournal.com]

Crisis shelters for women and children escaping abusive situations. Local, good rep, anon donor option.

Children's Home Society of MN

[mizzlaurajean.livejournal.com]

http://www.chsfs.org/

I s a good place to donate. No clue how they handle donations and privacy but they are a great organization helping local families and children around the world.

[dd-b.livejournal.com]

Seems like a highly justifiable list of groups to support, and I certainly support your choice of not wanting to be bothered forever afterward by them. My mother is being buried in paper begging from organizations my parents have supported over the years, and is getting less and less tolerant of it herself.

I'm somewhat United Way phobic myself, I think due to how they've handled some workplace collection work in the past. Haven't looked into them lately to see how their recent behavior is going.

[dreamshark.livejournal.com]

I really like contributing to United Way at work, and sorely miss having that option at the last few places I've worked. I like it because I'm lazy and because it allows you to contribute to multiple causes without having to fight for privacy. Some people object to losing control over where their money is going, which is understandable. There may very well be some groups on their recipient list that I wouldn't choose on my own, but as far as I know nothing that makes me go ballistic.

I don't think it's United Way's fault when companies go overboard pushing their employees to contribute (I'm assuming that's what you are complaining about). I've heard that this happens sometimes, but I don't recall it being a problem at any place that I've worked.

[daedala.livejournal.com]

It has been in every place I've worked with a United Way campaign.

I remember one of the United Way people emailing me while I was in France on vacation about it.

[dreamshark.livejournal.com]

I guess it depends on what you find intolerable. I wouldn't mind that particularly.

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

Can I share this post with the rest of the HOBT board of directors?

K.

[dreamshark.livejournal.com]

"Can I share this post with the rest of the HOBT board of directors?"

Absolutely. And just in case they think I'm just one tired old crank, you might also direct them to this link, an article in the "Charity Navigator" website: How To Stop Solicitations By Mail. Apparently I'm not the only one with these concerns.

A day doesn't go by without a donor contacting us wanting to know how to stop charities from sending so many solicitations in the mail. While there is no foolproof way of removing your name from all mailing lists, following these 6 steps should allow you to see a decrease in the number of mailings you receive.

Only donate to charities with a demonstrated commitment to donor privacy.
To help you determine which charities are committed to protecting your privacy, Charity Navigator's financial evaluations include an assessment of each charity's donor privacy policy. To meet our criteria, a charity must have a written donor privacy policy that states it will not to sell or trade the personal information of its donors. In addition, we require that the policy be prominently displayed on the charity's website or in its marketing and solicitation materials.

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

OK, done. We'll see what comes of this. I might have just signed myself up for writing the organization's Privacy Policy. Good thing I'm soaking in it.

K. [and thanks for the nudge]

[dreamshark.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I'll still donate to HOBT through you if you have some way to take my donation and fix it so I don't end up getting unwanted phone calls and mail solicitations (either from HOBT or from other organizations).

If you do end up "volunteering" to write a privacy policy, I suggest you follow that link and use their guidelines as a starting point.

I've had some more thoughts on this, which I think I'll post in a separate entry, as there seems to be more general interest in this topic than I expected. Maybe you'll get some other comments that would be helpful.

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

If you write a check to K or I, we'll "launder" the money and pass it along to HOBT.

B

[dreamshark.livejournal.com]

But I do need proof of my contribution for tax purposes, so it can't be too thoroughly laundered.

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

Our Executive Director says in an email to the Board:

At 1:58 PM -0600 12/31/08, Kathee Foran wrote:
Follow-up:
We've always honored donor requests not to share their name or to contact
them in any way -- but up to now these requests have always accompanied
checks that were sent in the mail.

Our data base is all set up for indicating not to mail, email or share names
so we have the system -- it just doesn't say so on the web site -- yet --
but it will be ASAP.

Kathee
--------

So, if you just wanted to drop a check in the mail, with a note to Kathee about your privacy expectations, it sounds like we can meet them.

As for our written policy on privacy, that's not done, nor is there any change on the web site as yet. But it's a holiday, and the theater has laid off the staff for a few weeks, so we are maybe a bit slow moving on that.

K.