August 26, 2008
Donors List Their Charity Pet Peeves
What really irks potential donors about their contact with charities?
Marc A. Pitman, a fund-raising consultant, decided to use the popular social-networking site LinkedIn to pose that question to real-life donors.
At the top of the list for many donors: the freebies that are included in many direct-mail solicitations.
“Don’t send me junk in the mail like address labels, notepads, and pennies,” writes one donor. “I have an understanding of the costs of printing and mailing and including these items with a solicitation letter [and it] makes me wonder exactly how much of my donation will be used for the core mission.”
Other donors griped that charities had given their contact information to other organizations, so donors were overwhelmed with telemarketing calls and direct-mail appeals.
“Every nonprofit should thank their donors with no strings attached, no additional asks or invitations — just a pure thank you,” writes another.
Mr. Pitman says he plans to follow up on the responses on his blog, The Extreme Fundraising Blog.
Tell us what has frustrated you the most about charities — whether you work for one, volunteer, or offer support to a good cause.
Comments
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I work as Development Director for a non-profit, but have been on the other side of the table as well.
I never wanted gifts, I just wanted to be thanked, by personal note or letter or phone call. If they published anything with donor list, that was always nice as long as the amounts were not distinguished. In an annual report, categories are OK, if they are broad in gift range.
— Cecelia Aug 26, 01:06 PM #
I agree that giving categories make me uncomfortable, but they are quite popular and I’ve seen several board members and donors “shamed” into giving more this way. What do others think of this phenomenon?
— Jennifer Waggoner Aug 26, 01:18 PM #
what irks me the most when I donate to a non-profit org. —they work so hard to get your annual $50 and make it sound like YOUR donation is SO important to the success of their organization. If it is so important, why don’t I even get a thank you? It’s like holding out your hand and making yourself sound like a poor have-nothing, then when a generous gift is given, taking the money and turning around walking rudely away. This discourages me from giving.
— lindarae Aug 26, 01:20 PM #
What frustrates me and wastes my time is when a fundraiser argues with me after receiving a declination. Donor’s usually don’t decline a request on a whim or a feeling, nor can we fund everything. Arguing with the donor is rude and can be a deterrent to future consideration. Present your request by putting your best foot forward, then graciously accept whatever decision is made.
— Deanna Aug 26, 02:09 PM #
I’m annoyed by unsolicited “gifts” in the mail – almost always made in China, not recyclable … One charity supposedly concerned about animals and their habitats sent a cheap, made-in-China alarm clock, packaged in plastic bubble wrap. What a waste of resources. I could understand a coupon for a gift, so if someone actually wanted a blanket or tee shirt or address book they could get one … but as someone concerned about the ecology, this is almost a guarantee I’ll decline to give.
— Betty Aug 26, 02:44 PM #
I too am frustrated by telephone calls soliciting donations and then getting an argument from the caller when I say no. Just to make matters worse, they typically call back a week later, a week after that, and a week after that. By this time I am forced to request to be removed from the list – this happened recently – the calls began two months after I made my initial gift – it makes me very unlikely to ever give another gift when the charity badgers me right away for gift #2. As a fundraiser, I find this behavior offensive and rude.
— Michele Aug 26, 02:45 PM #
I am frustrated by receiving a thank you which includes another
request for a donation
and a donor form.
— Grace Aug 26, 03:13 PM #
I realize what a tremendous and difficult job it is to maintain an updated solicitation mail list, but it is a sign of: “So what if we don’t have your name right, just send in your donation.”
Retaining a professional mail house to maintain your solicitation lists would obviously cost money, but it would obviously bring in more contributions ten fold. Afterall, what is the sweetest sound to any person? Their name.
— Ron Aug 26, 04:55 PM #
Kern Wildenthal,president of UT Southwestern Medical center ,has taken fund raising to a new “high” in Dallas.Inviting large donors or potential large donors to private dinners where he pours expensive wine to the tune of $80,000 a year. He doesn’t send pennies or notepads,but sends tulips at Valentines and popcorn at Christmas,but given without the University’s name, but his.Large donors get priority at the clinics and hospitals and a 24/7 physician on call number ,not to mention a private number to make doctor’s appointments. The largest donor last year received an $11,000 gift from Tiffany’s for his $10 million donation.Of course,he is using donor funds to gift donors.
— Jack Aug 27, 07:15 AM #
When I write a letter that says “this is a one-time gift, please do not request further support, exchange, or sell my name” and have the organization promptly do all three. One thing is certain, that group will not get another gift from us.
— Putnam Barber Aug 27, 07:56 PM #
Thank you for initiating this topic! As a fundraiser, as well as a person,I am so glad to find I am not alone in my anger and frustration with these wasteful – and ultimately counter-productive – fundraising techiques.
In addition to the plastic whistles, multiple calendars, and endless address labels… my largest source of aggravation is the “Free Gift” concept itself —- which is invariably followed, three weeks later, by an invoice (masquerading as a guilt-invoking plea for remembrance).
I almost cry when I receive unrequested packages from my beloved environmental groups, wondering how many of these mailings are being tossed (whether into landfills OR recycling bins).
Bottom line: Organizations that keep sending me this unsolicited junk – even after receiving my written requests that they desist – are sure not going to be on my own planned giving list!
— Marilyn Aug 28, 11:43 AM #
I am irritated with organizations that I really care about, that never ask me for another donation. Its as if I fell off the face of the earth. What I think is the start of a relationship, they clearly see as a one night stand. I feel just as bad, as if it had been.
Woo me, become my friend, bring me under the tent and ask for me to help you once more.
— sondra Sep 3, 12:04 AM #
In the past few year, on several occasions, I have made gifts (anywhere from $25 to $100) to organizations, only to never hear from them again. In a few instances, I have given on a yearly basis to an organization and still, no communications from them!
I wish more organizations would “automatically” add my name to their mailing list (at least for a newsletter or enewsletter)so they can keep me “in the loop”. (of course, with an opportunity for removal, if requested!)
This would help ensure future gifts and save me the effort of having to “research” their contact info whenever I wish to make a gift!
Actually, I am very surprised that some organizations are NOT using my contact info! I would think obtaining an active donor’s current contact info would be a valuable thing?
— emmy Sep 3, 08:37 AM #
As a donor, it bothers me when the director of development in an organization does not think about how his or her present behavior will affect a donor’s future giving. Here is a real life example of poor behavior by a non-profit organization.
I gave a meaningful donation to a local private school to celebrate their 50th anniversary. I am one of their graduates, but not a regular donor.
My name and gift did not appear in the annual report. However, in the annual report, the school published a statement to the effect of: “We know we received a lot of gifts and if we didn’t acknowledge yours in this 50th anniversary annual report, we apologize.”
With this kind of response, I’ll redirect my future giving to another institution.
— Sue Sep 3, 09:31 AM #
Both my alma maters call me every year, altho I’ve never given either a dime. It irks me that their development staffs don’t realize what a waste this is. You’d think after 30 some years they’d get the message.
— Jan Sep 3, 07:17 PM #
Thanks for initiating! The receipt of “free” gifts is outrageous – annoying does not begin to describe. Frankly, personalized mail and calls are more appropriate than much of the junk we receive – uninteresting bulk mail or spam (email). We contribute when interested and when asked – but we are really turned off by telemarketers who cannot answer questions about a group and won’t refer the call to a more informed person, we are annoyed by real junk mail – uninformative “pitch” mail – and we are annoyed by having our names passed along to groups with which we have no affiliation (the list broker scams). THUS – we won’t give under those circumstances. The lack of respect conveyed – the lack of personalization – the lack of connection – all bad form. The internet doesn’t really “rule” – at the end of the day, it’s personal relationships and meaning that drive larger gifts!
— Sue Sep 8, 01:06 PM #
I’m currently in a development role for a nonprofit, so this is useful – thank you.
As a donor, I’m not too fond of recipients who consistently misspell my name: read “How to Win Friends & Influence People” – and see Ron’s #8, above.
Also, the gift thing is nuts — how about carbon offsets? I do wonder at the psychological implications of such gifts, though…
— JLB Sep 10, 10:56 PM #