I like to believe we live in a society where the needy can get help, and those more fortunate are willing to provide the help. There are over 50 000 charities registered in Australia, 233 were registered in November alone! Obviously there is a need for these charities, which range from organisations providing assistance to those less physically able or those less financially well off to raising money to fund medical research.
As the market for charities increases, they have needed to find ways to ensure people are still willing to and continue to donate to them. So, many have introduced the monthly donation. This is why I can’t give to them.
Before you get all judgey on me… I give to charities. I give all the time. To a variety. But just not to the door knockers, and I will tell you why.
Let me set the scene. It is a Wednesday, about 4pm, kindy day for my eldest, it’s about 28 degrees with 85% humidity. We have just arrived home, standing in the garage when I hear a young female’s voice.
“Hi, how are you doing today?”
Her sing-song greeting immediately alerts me to the fact that she is selling something. She is young, currently studying my profession (or so she says. Yes I am on to your sale’s tactic!), and working for a large, reputable charity, to which I have given to countless times before. I notice her id, she encourages me to take a photo of it so I can sleep better knowing she is legit. Then I notice what she is not carrying. A collection tin.
This is where my issues start. I can’t just sling her the loose change from my car, nor can I run upstairs and give that five bucks that has magically appeared on our bench. I have to sign up. On the iPad she is flailing about. My inner cynic wonders how many donation dollars that bad boy cost…
“Can I just make a one-off donation?”
“Oh I am sorry, the system won’t allow that. You can cancel at any time, here is the phone number you can call to cancel.” She then proceeds to rip off the corner of a page from her notebook and scrawl out a number.
I repress my sigh, I am not a complete arsehole and she is collecting for a charity after all. So I give her my name and patiently spell it for her.
“How much would you like to give?”
“$10”
“Oh…the minimum is $35”
THIRTY-FIVE DOLLARS! At this point I abort all premise of being a good person at this giving time of year and tell her that this is all just a bit ridiculous. I am still polite, mind you. Again not a complete arsehole. She explains that they have calculated $35 from me, 12 times a year, is enough to save three lives.
I get that charities have overheads, I totally understand that research isn’t free, unfortunately people go hungry and they need our help. I just don’t quite understand why charities got so severe on the crunching of numbers, to the point that they essentially turn away my donation, because someone with a calculator said my donation isn’t enough.
Surely my loose change, or the small donation from six people is better than a firm no from fifteen? Just ask the Love Your Sister village about the power of the five cent piece.
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