Stores asking for Charity?

[actaeon277]

The only time I dealt with United Way, was to get hired at work I had an deduction from my paycheck. As soon as I was in the union, I dropped that deduction.

 

[BE Mike]

Is it just me that finds this annoying? I don't want to sound insensitive but when large corporations (culvers, dollar tree etc) ask you for money for different charities ... I find it rude. Not everyone believes in all charities .. Whether it be Christmas or different programs to help whoever.

How is it any different then a bum on the street? I could see frustration on the faces of people being asked in line having to say no in front of others. If you want to put out a donation jar explaining the cause, so be it but asking every customer is excessive, IMO.

I don't really care. Midway asks for spare change for the NRA. Does it bug you to have Salvation Army bell ringers outside a place of business? What bugs me more is that when I make a donation to a charity, I get on the sucker list and get incessant mailings. Over a period of time, the cost of the mailings probably exceed the amount of my contribution. I know a fellow that is fairly high up in the NRA. I knew him back when. He says that the NRA mailings get a donation response on an average of one response in every three mailings. It works. That's why they do it. It seems like the positive side of the check out requests for charitable donations is you don't get on a sucker list.

 

[WebSnyper]

...So Walgreens can use your cash to show how charitable they are. Yeah, I find it annoying.

I do as well. Its always interesting when they ask you to donate a $ and you are buying something for about a $1 already...

The point your missing when Walgreens uses your money is that your money wouldn't have been used for that charity if Walgreens didn't ask you. So again Walgreens is using their influence to raise awareness and money and you get to be a part of that team.

if you gave often to a place you were fond of, you wouldn't feel bad about saying no to a charity you don't suport. It's no big, you can't help them all, so pick one or two that you like and give generously. Then when someone asks you your conscious is clear because you're doing your own thing.

Conscience is clear? Really? I don't have any problem with conscience for someone hitting me up for extra $ at a retail store. Charity is a personal thing, and not something I have any crisis of conscience over due to peer pressure.

I don't feel bad saying "no"...I still find it annoying.

Agreed again.

I have to agree with the OP. If I'm at Culvers, I'm not there to be solicited for a charity, I'm there for a hamburger. When a charity has made a deal for large corporations to solicit their customer base for money, I'm left wondering what other back room deal was made for the dispersal of the money.

My giving is planned and budgeted annually even though from time to time I will give to a needy person/family directly. I simply refuse to donate to quagmire mega charities who require recipients to basically "write a grant" to receive funds.

Agreed, my wife and I give where we think it can make a difference, and on our own terms.

Has anyone checked to see if that charitable donation is excluded from tax? Is it possible the corporation is taking the tax deduction?

That would be just a bit illegal, I'd think.

 

[Yup!]

The OP mentioned people being uncomfortable saying no in front of others, that's my reference in the above post.

 

[slowG]

It's what I witnessed. Would anyone argue a good portion of the donations given are because others are standing in line witnessing the request for the cause?

 

[WebSnyper]

It's what I witnessed. Would anyone argue a good portion of the donations given are because others are standing in line witnessing the request for the cause?

Oh I get it, I just don't fall for it... There is absolutely no shame in saying no. If the business wants to be a "good citizen", let them donate, and if they want to showcase that to encourage others to do the same, no problem. Just don't have every cashier actively panhandling.

 

[slowG]

There isn't any shame in saying no to you or me and I'm sure most of the informed people here. I just feel the strategy used by big corporate is Shady and I don't like it lol!

 

[KLB]

It's what I witnessed. Would anyone argue a good portion of the donations given are because others are standing in line witnessing the request for the cause?

Well, I for one have given to these kinds of things and never has shame had a thing to do with it. It never even crossed my mind to feel shamed on the occasions when I didn't.

 

[Lucas156]

I don't like being asked to donate at the cash register any more than I like being asked my phone number or zip code. I just say no thanks to all that bs. They don't need my phone number so I can buy a card for my mother nor do they need the extra change for charity when the card is already marked up 500 times the cost to produce it. If they are feeling "moved" by the charity maybe they should take some of their profits that they gouge from all consumers like me and donate at their sweet little hearts content.

 

[mbills2223]

I don't like being asked to donate at the cash register any more than I like being asked my phone number or zip code. I just say no thanks to all that bs. They don't need my phone number so I can buy a card for my mother nor do they need the extra change for charity when the card is already marked up 500 times the cost to produce it. If they are feeling "moved" by the charity maybe they should take some of their profits that they gouge from all consumers like me and donate at their sweet little hearts content.

Agreed! Down with capitalism!

 

[Lucas156]

Agreed! Down with capitalism!

Down with the commercialization of holidays. It makes me sick they'll sell their souls to make a profit off of you. They are programming our kids via TV to become lifetime consumers of their ****ing garbage. That's why nothing lasts any more and quality is stripped from everything we buy all in the pursuit of profits. I guess that's funny to you.

 

[One Shot One Kill]

Down with the commercialization of holidays. It makes me sick they'll sell their souls to make a profit off of you. They are programming our kids via TV to become lifetime consumers of their ****ing garbage. That's why nothing lasts any more and quality is stripped from everything we buy all in the pursuit of profits. I guess that's funny to you.

In my mind, quality of consumer goods is going down because people are too damn stingy or greedy to fork over the money for quality, they expect anything to fit the bill and are surprised when the chinese walmart hammer they spent $5 has the hammer head go flying off! The downfalls of capitalism works both on the consumer and manufcacturer levels, to sad conlusions. They get crap, because thats what they keep choosing over more pricey quality goods.
I'm NOT bashing people who are looking for the "best bang for the buck" by any means, I AM one of those people , I just don't understand when people are dissapointed when something cheap doesn't work like something expensive.

 

[mbills2223]

Down with the commercialization of holidays. It makes me sick they'll sell their souls to make a profit off of you. They are programming our kids via TV to become lifetime consumers of their ****ing garbage. That's why nothing lasts any more and quality is stripped from everything we buy all in the pursuit of profits. I guess that's funny to you.

See below.

In my mind, quality of consumer goods is going down because people are too damn stingy or greedy to fork over the money for quality, they expect anything to fit the bill and are surprised when the chinese walmart hammer they spent $5 has the hammer head go flying off! The downfalls of capitalism works both on the consumer and manufcacturer levels, to sad conlusions. They get crap, because thats what they keep choosing over more pricey quality goods.
I'm NOT bashing people who are looking for the "best bang for the buck" by any means, I AM one of those people , I just don't understand when people are dissapointed when something cheap doesn't work like something expensive.

+1,000,000

Businesses follow the money...and that is there the money is.

 

[actaeon277]

Down with the commercialization of holidays. It makes me sick they'll sell their souls to make a profit off of you. They are programming our kids via TV to become lifetime consumers of their ****ing garbage. That's why nothing lasts any more and quality is stripped from everything we buy all in the pursuit of profits. I guess that's funny to you.

programming our kids via TV to become lifetime consumers

- turn off the TV. My parents used to tell me we were inside too much, go outside and play. Have humans changed where they can no longer do that?

That's why nothing lasts any more and quality is stripped

- nothing lasts, cause people demand cheap stuff, and they demand it now. If people demanded quality, then that's what would be sold.

I guess that's funny to you

- maybe he's not amused, or he's amused by the direction of the blame.

 

[actaeon277]

Dang. One Shot and mbills are faster than me.

 

[Lucas156]

I didn't say anything against capitalism in my post so stop putting words in my mouth and read my post again. Trust me I vote with my dollars and I hardly watch any tv other than the occasional netflix. And I don't think government is the answer either. I'm just pointing out the moral bankruptcy these businesses have. It's hard to even go any where or do anything without some salesman down my throat or someone trying to indoctrinate my child in some way or other. Telling me to tune it all out is a cop out. I don't think society should be this way and I'm stating that I disagree wih it. If you don't like it I guess you could just log out of ingo or put me on your ignore list but that would be a cop out too. Fact is this is a discussion so telling me to turn off the tv or tune it out is not a viable solution in this day and age when we are marketed to EVERYWHERE. Businesses used to care about the communities they were in and we used to hold them to that standard. Is this a society you want to live in?

 

[One Shot One Kill]

Dang. One Shot and mbills are faster than me.

Hah, draw! Naw, but in all seriousness I have a to you sir! I can't tell you how many times I was told to get off my butt, stop watching TV or playing games, and get outside because it was a beautiful day! I used be be outside 75% of the time too! Kids may be considered to spend alot of time "outdoors" if they are only out about 25% of their free time.

 

[One Shot One Kill]

@Lucas - Not sure if you're talking to me or not, but all I ever said was that it goes both ways.

EDIT - Sorry for the double post >.<

 

[actaeon277]

I didn't say anything against capitalism in my post so stop putting words in my mouth and read my post again. Trust me I vote with my dollars and I hardly watch any tv other than the occasional netflix. And I don't think government is the answer either. I'm just pointing out the moral bankruptcy these businesses have. It's hard to even go any where or do anything without some salesman down my throat or someone trying to indoctrinate my child in some way or other. Telling me to tune it all out is a cop out. I don't think society should be this way and I'm stating that I disagree wih it. If you don't like it I guess you could just log out of ingo or put me on your ignore list but that would be a cop out too. Fact is this is a discussion so telling me to turn off the tv or tune it out is not a viable solution in this day and age when we are marketed to EVERYWHERE. Businesses used to care about the communities they were in and we used to hold them to that standard. Is this a society you want to live in?

So maybe you should change society.
I'm thinking typing about it on INGO isn't going to do that though.

Why should I log off INGO?
I don't like something on TV, the channel changes, it goes off, or I change service.

I don't like a store or salesman, I don't go to that store or salesman.

I'm not donating to a Red Cross in my area because of a "no guns" sign.
If they change it, then I'll go back.
But I'm not petitioning them to change it.
Take a chill pill.

 

[Lucas156]

So maybe you should change society.

Another cop out response-this is not a discussion -you have no viable solutions just quippy comebacks-you just think you're smart and have all the answers. Lots of people like that on this site. I'm guessing your middle age or older because you are way out of touch with reality. The world is different and is changing rapidly. This may be news to you but we are marketed to everywhere we turn. You can't just "turn it off". It doesn't work that way. Unless of course you want to hole yourself up in a bunker. If you can't recognize that then I might as well be talking to a wall.