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Old 10-12-2013, 06:28 AM   #21
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I, too, find the solicitation at the register to be mildly annoying. I rarely donate the dollar requested but made one exception this fall for "Back to school supplies". This practice seems to be very widespread. One almost has to run the gauntlet just getting into the major groceries around here, too. First there are the charity collectors and band sub sales and school car washes at the intersections driving to the store. Then there are the people outside on the sidewalks or in the lobbies. Like most on this forum I prefer to write a check directly to a low, or no, administrative cost organization.
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Old 10-12-2013, 06:36 AM   #22
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I always ask if they're willing to donate some money to ME......pretty much wraps up the dialogue.
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Old 10-12-2013, 07:24 AM   #23
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Yes!

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Originally Posted by Meadbh View Post
I love ERD50's response! But I am never tempted. I am an INTJ and do not respond to social harassment. Any charity to which I donate must have a cost effective business model and must issue me a tax receipt. Period.
DH and I do the same. But none of "our charities" have anything to do with thin mints!? Where have we erred?

OK, I remember now. "Thin Mints" are the best Girl Scout cookies, which I gave up when the price hit $3.50/box (and I'd never been able to consume less than one box in one sitting).

Protecting our waistlines, I guess.



(By "thin mints" I thought you meant there was a charity out there mailing Andes or After Fives with their receipts! Dang, I would hate to miss out on such an organization.........though, in other ways, they might not pass our household's muster for "worthwhile charities.")
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Old 10-12-2013, 09:06 AM   #24
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No, I never donate to any solicitation. I find the charities/causes I will support, I don't allow them to find me. Unless they have thin mints. I'm a sucker for thin mints.
Me too right down to the Thin Mints.
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Old 10-12-2013, 09:22 AM   #25
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We give hundreds to animal rescue groups every year, so why do I feel guilty not donating every time I check out at PetSmart? I even volunteer there once a week, but I always think that they think I'm cheap not to donate the dollar or whatever. I'm over it, because my conscience is clear.

As far as the thin mints, I LOVE them, and used to buy bunches of them when the Girl Scouts sold them, but when Keebler came out with Grasshoppers (the same, exact cookie, but for a lot less) I stopped buying from the GS. The GS cookie prices have gone higher, the package size is smaller, and the reports have been that the local chapters get very little of the money. So I'm over that too, no matter how cute the little girls are.
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Old 10-12-2013, 10:13 AM   #26
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Like most, I don't and hate the solicitation. I find it intrusive and embarrassing.
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Old 10-12-2013, 10:25 AM   #27
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Never participate in cashier based shakedowns.

I just came up with the perfect for me answer to unsolicited do gooders on my behalf:

Most charming.

Smile, then ignore their presence.

It is good to be prepared.
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Old 10-12-2013, 10:45 AM   #28
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I work a retail, seasonal job from Thanksgiving to Christmas, at "the" high-end kitchenware store. We have to ask for contributions to a charity.
Does the business get any advantage out of doing this? I'm probably way too cynical.
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Old 10-12-2013, 11:41 AM   #29
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Do you imply the business is taking the tax deduction ? If true that is pretty darn low and downright unethical, if not illegal.
This is what I'm wondering as well. I looked up Safeway (offending grocer in my neighborhood) to try and determine this and found the safeway foundation but no mention of what happens to those dollars donated at check stands.
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Old 10-12-2013, 02:31 PM   #30
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Does the business get any advantage out of doing this? I'm probably way too cynical.
The only advantage the business gets is the "halo" effect of helping a charitable organization. Some businesses do get their expenses reimbursed by the charity, many do not and cover the expenses themselves (and they can then claim these expenses as a tax deduction).

If you keep your receipt, it shows the contribution as an item purchased. You can claim it along with other charitable contributions, just look up the charity online to get their address and make sure they're a 501c3.
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Old 10-12-2013, 03:58 PM   #31
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I even volunteer there once a week, but I always think that they think I'm cheap not to donate the dollar or whatever.
That reaction is what they are depending on to guilt you into donating.
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Old 10-12-2013, 05:13 PM   #32
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Trader Joe never uses these checkout solicitations, at least not around here. However, there is no way they can prevent various groups setting up on the sidewalk outside, or Real Change sellers selling outside the door.

I usually buy a Real Change; although the paper is the worst kind of pinko crap, the sellers are hard working and sober and I would rather forego a possible deduction and support one of these low end business people directly by buying their goods. I am also not very fond of government manipulating me via the tax code; though the last months posts on here show me that his definitely a minority idea.

Ha
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Old 10-12-2013, 06:37 PM   #33
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I never say yes at a store soliciting donations such as this. I do say "I already donate". I have not one clue what the store actually does with that money.
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Old 10-12-2013, 07:02 PM   #34
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If I wanted to give an explanation, I'd say that I carefully consider my charitable donations based on what the charity does with the money and how much overhead it has, etc, plus I want full tax credit for my donations. But it's not their business nor do they care to hear my story so I don't bother. I usually politely say "no thanks" or "not today" because it's not the cashier's idea to ask.
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Old 10-12-2013, 07:07 PM   #35
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I consider myself a reasonably generous person, but that is a "fund-raising" tactic that I absolutely despise -- it's purely an attempt to play on guilt and one's desire to not look like a heartless scrooge. I wish retailers would ban that tactic in their stores and find other ways to sponsor charity drives.
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Old 10-12-2013, 07:28 PM   #36
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Occasionally - depending on the cause. Generally, no.

I'd have asked the lady if, since she was feeling so generous, she could spare me a few bucks as well, since my insurance premium was doubling due to Obamacare.

Unfortunately, I DO come up with these quickly, and worse for my bruised arm, I amnot inhibited enough to keep them to myself; unfortunate because my wife has a wicked left jab...
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Old 10-12-2013, 07:42 PM   #37
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It isn't just the grocery stores, our bank does this. I've seen it for Children's Miracle Network, one of the cancer charities and Juvenile Diabetes, I think it was. You donate $1 or $5 and get your name put on a balloon sticker or a shoe card or whatever and they tack them up on the wall.

I have never donated to these. The only one I've participated in was a Toys For Tots collection. They don't collect cash, just toys.

Our bank has become quite an adventure. When you walk in someone calls out "Welcome to (name of bank), a division of New York Community Bank." While you are at the teller window they tell you about their current credit card offer and ask if you'd like to take advantage of their balance transfer offer. Then they offer you their current mortgage refinance deal. Then it's the current CD offer. I'm only in there once a month for cash. Too much human interaction.

The only one I give cash to is The Salvation Army. When the kettles show up I make sure I have extra cash handy and I like to donate each time. The kettle attendants keep it short and to the point, "Thank you, have a good day".
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Old 10-12-2013, 08:05 PM   #38
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The only one that I contribute to is the Salvation Army kettles. I do not like this when they do it at checkouts. Absolutely hate it when they stop traffic and ask you to drop cash into whatever they are carrying. I always wonder how much of the cash never makes it to the organization.
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Old 10-12-2013, 11:04 PM   #39
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I did give the first few times I ran into them, but no more, they just rub me the wrong way. I even had the girl at Dunkin Donuts ask me to donate to one yesterday. If I had been quick enough I would have asked if that was where she wanted her tip.
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Old 10-13-2013, 04:51 AM   #40
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Although it is tempting to dump on the staff doing the solicitations I'm sure they have little choice in the matter if they want to pay their electric bill that month so I just say "Not this time" and let it go.

I'd wager they don't like it any more than the customers. Probably even less because of the repetition and occasional grousing.
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