Ever had a charity bill you for a donation?

[braumeister]

I got an email recently from a charity we have donated to, and attached to it was an Invoice showing the Amount Due as the amount we gave them last year, and a Due Date of 30 days from now. The text said they "hope I will remain part of their community" but their hopes have now been dashed.

I can't imagine how they thought such a tacky approach would work, but it sure turned me off. Ordinarily I would have given them a similar amount this year, but this made me strike them off my list.

I did reply to the email, telling them what I thought, so maybe they will get the message.

 

[audreyh1]

Gosh yes, gross! That’s pretty outrageous and I suppose hopes to fool a few people but I expect will upset many more. They need to fire their marketing group/PR firm.

No, never seen that. So far donations are made anonymously through our DAF.

 

[MarieIG]

Yes, in fact I received an "invoice" from a non-profit to which I had previously donated.

It went straight into the trash.

 

[braumeister]

donations are made anonymously through our DAF.

The vast majority of ours are made the same way, but for some reason DW likes the newsletters this place puts out so we let our names and address be included. Won't make that mistake again.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

The only one's that did that to us are the scam Police & Veteran's so-called charities that call you up all the time. I made a mistake of sending them a donation once, and for the next 8 years got annual invoices that I ignored. I called them every time I received one to get off the lists and finally, they got the idea.

 

[Car-Guy]

I got an email recently from a charity we have donated to, and attached to it was an Invoice showing the Amount Due as the amount we gave them last year, and a Due Date of 30 days from now. The text said they "hope I will remain part of their community" but their hopes have now been dashed.

I can't imagine how they thought such a tacky approach would work, but it sure turned me off. Ordinarily I would have given them a similar amount this year, but this made me strike them off my list.

I did reply to the email, telling them what I thought, so maybe they will get the message.

Are you serious? Tacky isn't the word I'd use...

 

[athena53]

The only one's that did that to us are the scam Police & Veteran's so-called charities that call you up all the time. I made a mistake of sending them a donation once, and for the next 8 years got annual invoices that I ignored.

Sadly, those tend to prey on the elderly. I know of two immediate family members who ended up on a ton of those lists- $25 here, $15 there...it added up and, in the case of my Aunt, it was money she really couldn't spare.

I haven't had the invoice trick pulled on me but I donated to one very large, well-known organization and a few months later they CALLED me asking for more. I hadn't given them my phone number. Easy for them to find, of course, but I still felt they'd overstepped their bounds. I still believe strongly in their mission but I donate anonymously through my DAF. Must drive them crazy.

Charities really do need to focus on keeping their donors happy. Those of us who are blessed enough to donate funds have many other causes we'd like to support.

 

[street]

Nope never have. Pretty tacky approach for a charity to get funds.

 

[OldShooter]

Are you serious? Tacky isn't the word I'd use...

My word would be "fraudulent," coming with a free referral to my state attorney general consumer division.

 

[mystang52]

Wow.

 

[Irishgirlyc58]

Yes I have. Annoying. Threw it away.

 

[jollystomper]

Wow, never had this happen. I have learned to stick to the charities that are either local and allow me to see what they are doing up close and personal, and/or have high ratings via sites like Charity Navigator.

 

[Keim]

I run a small nonprofit. This approach sounds horrible. No. ****ing. Way. I'd do this.

 

[marko]

Sadly, those tend to prey on the elderly. I know of two immediate family members who ended up on a ton of those lists- $25 here, $15 there...it added up and, in the case of my Aunt, it was money she really couldn't spare.
t.

Caught mom, age 92, sending $25 a week to the Police and another $25 to the veterans. "What ARE you doing??" "But it's for the Police and nobody supports them anymore..."

She passed away eight months ago and she still gets a solicitation once or twice a week from these thieves.

 

[Markola]

I run a small nonprofit. This approach sounds horrible. No. ****ing. Way. I'd do this.

+1. Such accounts-receivable tactics, which only the Accounting Department would love, are not philanthropy.

 

[EastWest Gal]

I got an email recently from a charity we have donated to, and attached to it was an Invoice showing the Amount Due as the amount we gave them last year, and a Due Date of 30 days from now. The text said they "hope I will remain part of their community" but their hopes have now been dashed.

I can't imagine how they thought such a tacky approach would work, but it sure turned me off. Ordinarily I would have given them a similar amount this year, but this made me strike them off my list.

I did reply to the email, telling them what I thought, so maybe they will get the message.

Was it a legitimate charity in the first place? Did the invoice contain a tax ID number? Make sure it isn't a scam and report it if it is.

https://consumer.ftc.gov/features/how-donate-wisely-and-avoid-charity-scams

You can also research the charity to make sure it is a true nonprofit.

https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/search-for-tax-exempt-organizations

 

[swakyaby]

I have had several charities I send a check to every year send me an invoice for “amount due to remain a member in good standing.” A member of what, I wonder. It’s a charitable cash donation.

Another famous charity, for breast cancer, would mail me frequent solicitations. Finally, I wrote back to the organization saying that in 6 months I had received 16 mailed solicitations, and it felt like harassment. Although I would send in a check every December, I wrote that if they send me more than 1 or 2 solicitations in a year, I would take them off my donation list . . . forever. They must have read it, because the letters finally stopped. So I mailed them a check.

 

[Koolau]

I certainly get my share of "asks" from charities, but never a bill. That would be "the end" of any donations to said charity. I just can't even imagine a charity doing that, but YMMV.

 

[MichaelB]

I got an email recently from a charity we have donated to, and attached to it was an Invoice showing the Amount Due as the amount we gave them last year, and a Due Date of 30 days from now. The text said they "hope I will remain part of their community" but their hopes have now been dashed.

I can't imagine how they thought such a tacky approach would work, but it sure turned me off. Ordinarily I would have given them a similar amount this year, but this made me strike them off my list.

I did reply to the email, telling them what I thought, so maybe they will get the message.

My reaction would be the same as yours. Fundraising is difficult so I probably wouldn’t be outraged, but it is poor taste. Letting them know why is important, hopefully your response gets visibility.

 

[braumeister]

Was it a legitimate charity in the first place?

Yes, a very legitimate charity that we have supported for years.
And our donations were made through our DAF, so it was also vetted by Fidelity.

Just a very strange way of reaching out for more money. I'll report back here if they respond to my email.

 

[Gumby]

I have just this year removed an internationally known charity from my list due to the relentless ongoing solicitations I receive from them. For over 20 years, without fail, I have made a yearly contribution, because I thought it was a worthy cause. But then they inundate me with mail throughout the year, and it is getting worse. To me, it seems that they are wasting a lot of my money on solicitation costs, and that's not why I gave it to them.

 

[athena53]

I have just this year removed an internationally known charity from my list due to the relentless ongoing solicitations I receive from them. For over 20 years, without fail, I have made a yearly contribution, because I thought it was a worthy cause. But then they inundate me with mail throughout the year, and it is getting worse. To me, it seems that they are wasting a lot of my money on solicitation costs, and that's not why I gave it to them.

I made a one-time $200 donation to a well-respected charity something like 6+ years ago because someone who was in need of their services just raved about what a blessing they were. They still send me e-mails and snail mails. The snail mails are at least 4X/year. It does seem like a waste but I'm betting someone with a fancy degree has studied this topic and has concluded that it pays off.

 

[MarieIG]

I certainly get my share of "asks" from charities, but never a bill. That would be "the end" of any donations to said charity. I just can't even imagine a charity doing that, but YMMV.

Yes, I get those, as well, but this looks like an overdue bill.

BTW, I don't "pledge." (If I'm going to donate, I donate, but I don't pledge.)

 

[audreyh1]

Yes, a very legitimate charity that we have supported for years.
And our donations were made through our DAF, so it was also vetted by Fidelity.

Just a very strange way of reaching out for more money. I'll report back here if they respond to my email.

Well if more than one charity is doing it based on responses here, it seems like a bad idea that several have copied.

 

[HawkOwl]

Well if more than one charity is doing it based on responses here, it seems like a bad idea that several have copied.

Speaking of which, is it possible that this is a fraudster mimicking a legitimate charity? Unlikely, perhaps, because they hit on the same charity name as you contributed to, but my paranoid side has always wondered about dumpster divers getting info.