My call from Planned Parenthood

[iris lily]

Yesterday I got a phone call from Planned Parenthood, soliticing money. I stayed on the line to hear their spiel because I suspected I knew what was coming. The thing is, I have not received a call from PP for years. Years!

I was right, they raised the spectre of Trump as a means to raise money. My eyes rolled to the back of my head.

Back in GW Bush's day, they used to call me all the time usng the same scare tactics. That line of reasoning caused me to stop giving money and I told them why. I used to donate because I liked the work of the Guttmacher Institute. You woild think they could change their spiel when they called me, keep a note that "this donor will not respond to scaremongering about who is in The White House, try another tactic" especially when I give them the reason why I donate. All they had to do was parrot back to me the reason why o donate.

Anyway, this post is a rant about the bludgeon nature of large scale fundraising. Why cant it be tailored in this day and age to an individual client?

[catherine]

You're so right. It's a very personal thing to part with your money for a cause you believe in, so the least the solicitors could do is make it personal on their end.

I give a small monthly donation to YES! Magazine in exchange for a subscription and I get PERSONAL, hand-written notes of thanks from the editor. I definitely feel appreciated and motivated to continue my giving.

[sweetana3]

My comment, if I let anyone talk long enough, is thanks for calling. Because you called and stopped my working to beg for money, I am sending none. But seldom does anyone get thru that has a phone number I don't recognize. The unknown numbers can go to the answering machine.

All solicitation by mail go in the trash without being opened. I just note what organization is sending them so I do not send any funds to them. The only exceptions are two small groups that keep us updated by mail and do not overwhelm us with junk mail.

[JaneV2.0]

Planned Parenthood and Doctors Without Borders must make lots of money to be able to bombard people with non-stop solicitations. DWB has given up on me (I'm afraid to send them any money in fear they'll start up again). I contribute to PP because they were good to me when I was in college and I believe in what they do, but their fund-raising is tiresome. And tireless.

[Tenngal]

it is my experience that when you give, you are hounded for years to come. American Cancer sent mail and called for at least 5 yrs after I made a donation. Same with several others.
I know they have spent more in mailings and calls than my original donation. Makes no sense.

[creaker]

Planned Parenthood and Doctors Without Borders must make lots of money to be able to bombard people with non-stop solicitations. DWB has given up on me (I'm afraid to send them any money in fear they'll start up again). I contribute to PP because they were good to me when I was in college and I believe in what they do, but their fund-raising is tiresome. And tireless.

I did the same thing with Doctors Without Borders - the issue there is really with Harris Direct, the marketer they hire for fundraising. I complained and got pulled off their lists - but I hove never seen an apology or them doing anything to fix this issue, so I haven't donated since.

[freshstart]

I have never ever received a call from PP and I would be receptive.

what is Yes! magazine?

[catherine]

I have never ever received a call from PP and I would be receptive.

what is Yes! magazine?

Warning: You have to be a liberal hippie to appreciate a magazine with online tabs titled: "Peace and Justice" / "Planet" / "New Economy" / "People Power" / "Happiness"

But I love it.

http://www.yesmagazine.org

[iris lilies]

I barely skim National Review any more, but I do like the fundraising letters from the editor. They are a tradition in irony and wit. A couple of times I even responded with a donation.

[iris lilies]

You're so right. It's a very personal thing to part with your money for a cause you believe in, so the least the solicitors could do is make it personal on their end.

I give a small monthly donation to YES! Magazine in exchange for a subscription and I get PERSONAL, hand-written notes of thanks from the editor. I definitely feel appreciated and motivated to continue my giving.

I wrote notes of thanks in Christmas cards to 500+ donors to BCARN, national Bulldog Rescue. I started out in early October writing messages of 21 to 24 words, but as time marched on and my hand became tired, I cut the messages to 11 to 14 words. I varied the messages to keep up my interest in the project. I have 100 more cards to finish withh stamps, then I am done for the year.

[catherine]

I wrote notes of thanks in Christmas cards to 500+ donors to BCARN, national Bulldog Rescue. I started out in early October writing messages of 21 to 24 words, but as time marched on and my hand became tired, I cut the messages to 11 to 14 words. I varied the messages to keep up my interest in the project. I have 100 more cards to finish withh stamps, then I am done for the year.

Wow!! That is so admirable. I'm sure your donors think so to, if they're like me. (Makes me want to donate to your bulldog rescue, and I'm actually partial to mutts)

I figure after the 60 thank you cards for my wedding gifts (in 1977) I'm done with the mass thanks thing. That was hard enough!

[iris lilies]

You're so right. It's a very personal thing to part with your money for a cause you believe in, so the least the solicitors could do is make it personal on their end.

I give a small monthly donation to YES! Magazine in exchange for a subscription and I get PERSONAL, hand-written notes of thanks from the editor. I definitely feel appreciated and motivated to continue my giving.
When I hit the $5,000 mark of past donations to The Elephant Sanctuary, someone called me to thank me. I was surprised by that!

also, once I gave a largish donation to my alma mater and someone called me about that, too.

Those personal calls are a huge surprise.

I wonder how much I would have to give to Planned Parenthood for them to take me off the "general solicitation" list and send me a personal message. I doubt that even 6 figures would do it.

[bae]

I wonder how much I would have to give to Planned Parenthood for them to take me off the "general solicitation" list and send me a personal message. I doubt that even 6 figures would do it.

Depends on how sophisticated they are. I have given large sums to a particular organization, enough that I get the personal calls/invitations. But, I still get the routine mass-mailed "hey buddy, can you spare a dime" notes as well - I think they outsource that level of their fund-raising, and their different systems aren't well-integrated.

[ToomuchStuff]

I was going to ask, how many of these efforts are by the organization proper, and by professional fundraising organizations, that collect fees? After the election, I saw on several shows, people say you should show support by giving donations to xyz, in part out of fear, and in part, they want them to have funds to sue, since Hillary didn't win.
Shouldn't one support their causes, no matter who is in office?
Shouldn't one also know exactly where and how their money is going to get to that group?
I knew someone who was a local civic's group member (where that is used as a big networking group), that worked for one of these (I call them) mills. He called this company, repeatedly and finally got a $15K donation, only to call them the next week and say "we only need another $5K to reach our goal" (and got it). He got a good commission and the charity received 3%.

[freshstart]

wow, IL, that's nice

[iris lilies]

wow, IL, that's nice
I got a windfall from my mom's estate one year, so I spread it around.

My usual donations are hundreds of $ not thousands of $.

[creaker]

Shouldn't one support their causes, no matter who is in office?



I've been getting President's Volunteer Service Award things every year since I started volunteering - I thought distastefully (unless he kills the program) that the next one will have Trump's name on it. But it's not going to diminish how much I volunteer.