Charity mailings...

[LMC]

First of all, I work for a charity. And there is nothing that annoys me more than people who insist that they don't want their money to go on staff salaries or admin - how do they think the charity can manage without them for goodness sake? - we already get paid much lower salaries than people doing similar jobs in the corporate sector.

Some things we have to have by law - such an annual audit - which means accountant's fees - and insurance.

So, every penny you give to a reputable charity *is* benefitting the "object" of the charity - perhaps not directly, but overheads supporting that charity still need to be paid for. So it's fair for your pound to pay, say, 80p directly to the cats/children/ whoever the charity is working for and 20p for overheads (indirects).

The one thing I take issue with is fundraising. Some fundraising costs are inevitable. But some large charities spend as much as 30 p or more in the pound on fundraising. Which, IMO, is TOO MUCH.

I think the CPL do a fantastic job. But the charity "trade press" has contained quite a lot recently about CPL's fundraising efforts - including gifts to what is known as "warm" supporters - people who have donated in the past or adopted a cat. And "cold" mailings to people who haven't ever given to the CPL but whose names have presumably been purchased from another charity (yes, there is a 'trade' in lists - so always tick the box for "don't pass my details on' or your name and address WILL be sold or exchanged for someone else's).

Of course CPL has to fundraise. But I am actually insulted by their "gift" - I don't need to be bribed and would far rather the money spent on the "gift" had been used for more worthy purposes. And cold mailings are notoriously unsuccessful - a 1-2% response rate is considered good. There are more efficient ways to fundraise.

So sorry CPL - but you don't get any more actual cash from me (unless I adopt a cat). The cash will go to the supermarket or the petstore and the food, litter and other goodies purchased with said cash will go to a local foster carer.

Thoughts anyone?

[dinahsmum]

Interesting subject.
I'm sure I'll come back in later in the discussion; just to say at this point that I hate charity mailing - with or without free pen, or stickers or whatever. I don't hate them quite as much as cold telephone calls, but we've gone 'ex-directory/no cold calls' so don't get them any more. It's a huge invasion of privacy................and where do they get my name - I always tick the box and don't complete those 'preferred mail' sham surveys etc. And I'm not on the open electoral list.
I do give quite a lot to charity though. One monthly DD, others regularly in collecting tins or the odd random posting.
So, the cold-mailing doesn't work on this charitably minded person.

[LMC]

Admin - please note that link is non-commercial - thanks

Originally Posted by dinahsmum

....and where do they get my name

Your name and address is a commodity, unfortunately, as is everybody's. Even if you have gone ex-directory/off public electoral register and don't tick any "share details" boxes, your details may still be out there from before you went "underground" or from the occasional box that you don't tick. Bottom line: people out there are making a profit from selling your details.

There is a way out! If an organisation is sending out mailings or making cold calls over a certain volume (I think it's per month) then they are legally obliged to "clean" their lists on a monthly basis. If you go to the Telephone Preference Service http://www.tpsonline.org.uk you can sign up (online) to have your telephone number and name and address (click on Mailing Preference Service link on LH side) added to the list of names and numbers that companies have to remove from their lists. It takes 1-3 months to take effect fully, but after this you should notice a huge reduction in "junk" mail and calls. If you get any cold calls after this, they are breaking the law - you don't get compensated unfortunately, but it always gives me enormous pleasure to string 'em along a bit and get full details of the company so I can report them (which you can also do online).

It costs organisations to clean their lists. The more people who sign up, the less profitable cold-calling and cold mailing will be - so will hopefully eventually die out.

Some large charities are lobbying for 'exemption' from this legal requirement . Increasingly, fundraising is done through telephoning previous donors as well (probably just as you've sat down to tea, like double glazing salespeople.) Unfortunately, once you donate to a charity, you are deemed to have given permission to them to use your details, even if not for them to pass those details on. The only reason they need your phone number is to call you - so don't give it to them in the first place! Unfortunately, they have to have your address if you Gift Aid your donation - but you can request them not to contact you in future if you don't want their mailings - I just write it clearly on the form - and they are legally obliged to comply.

For the rare junk mail I get from companies, I carefully fill the reply paid envelopes with as many pizza leaflets as I can find to make them as heavy as possible and return them - the recipient has to pay for each returned envelope by weight. I'm very tempted to do the same for charities.

It's particularly annoying when they pay the Royal Mail to do their dirty work for them and you get an envelope addressed to "Occupant" - I note that Oxfam have started doing this, with the free pen trick, at HOW much cost?

Very soon now, I shall be buying some cheap cheap envelopes, so if a reply paid isn't included, I shall do the pizza leaflet trick to their address without a stamp and see how they like the excess postage that has to be paid.

Blimey, I'm in a right ranting mood today - sorry!

[dinahsmum]

[LMC]

Thank you

[yola]

I completely agree with you LMC. I do voluntary work for CP, but I also run a small marketing/design agency and had for most of my working life been involved in direct marketing of one kind or another.

I think national DM campaigns for MOST brands, charities, products etc are a complete waste of time as you are capturing a wide strata of people who are not interested in the message but will take the freebie 'thank you very much' - the loyalty stops there. And increasingly they will, as has happened here alienate those that support them.

Charities would do better - IMHO - to raise awareness on a local level and save what budget is available for TV awareness-raising; costly but much more powerful, widespread and immediate - RSPCA and NSPCC have done some amazingly memorable ads that speak far louder than a begging letter and a pen. This can be followed up by local press campaigns, member get member campaigns (getting a friend involved in your favourite charity . . . much more long-lived), and something that gets missed out almost completely; corporate sponsorship.

Unfortunately, most charities do not have access to strategic marketing advice - even CP's head office marketing staff are little more than administrators in reality, and that's a shame coz opportunities are being lost by these charities following each other like sheep with unimaginative and (usually) pointless mass mailings.

If ever my business is at the point when it would be able to support such an activity, I will be approaching CP and offering our creative services at a significant discount. Until then, Reading CP will have to make do with my part time, voluntary efforts!!

Great discussion thread!!

[Kay]

Having been the secretary for a national charity for my childrens specific syndrome I agree cold mailing doesn't work. We always fundraised through our members via sponsored events as they understood the need the most. Via this route we gained many more supporters through family and friends and this grew and grew. We did do some television coverage which promoted the charity and 11 years on the charity is going strong. I am no longer on the committee though due to the childrens difficulties and being on my own with them but I do still support them in every way I can.

[John]

very interesting thread..I support various animal charities .and hate it when I recieve thro the post some completly usless gift. were the money could have been spent on the animals of the charity concernd ..I have stopped donating to one large charity because of this

[CJK]

howmany freepens have i got?
last year i had FOUR from cancer reserach alone, surely they should keep records of what housese theyve sent pens and stuff to? if i dont reply first time am i more likely to if they send ANOTHER "FREE" pen? I dont think so!!
there are runours of charities like RNFLB ( or whatever they are) only giving 1 or 2p in every pound to the chairty and the rest getting eaten up on admin, thats an awfull lot and IF true wuld make me re-think giving to them,

[Naomi]

I've signed up for TPS (telephone preference service) and since then have not had a single cold call

I keep receiving freebies from certain charities and it's really started to drive me mad. If I wanted to give to a charity I'd do it in my own time as and when i feel like it or got the money to spare which is not very often