Charity questions

[TheWizard]

...Once I started giving through the DAF with no identifiable address, the solicitations dropped off. A few are stubbornly persistent (for some reason ASPCA is doggedly regularly in their mailing )

"Doggedly" is a decently good adverb for the ASPCA.
Nonetheless, I donate mostly to local charities and certainly not to any who advertise on TV.
YMMV...

 

[RetireBy90]

I wanted to remain anonymous when we lost a sponsor that bought milk for our food distro each month. I gave the mission director cash. May not be ideal, he still knows who but keeps it to himself (I think )

 

[Z3Dreamer]

OP, looks like you have your "anonymous" questions answered, but you also asked for ideas. Here goes: In business, a plan was to see who your largest vendors were and talk to them. Get an understanding of how they operate, what plans they have, etc. So, I applied this to the local charities we have supported for many years. I emailed the CEO or development person. I flat out told them that I would pay for lunch close to their office and send them back to the office with a decent contribution. All said "Yes". They will tell you about great stuff they are working on or unmet needs or other stuff that is not in their newsletter. It was well worth it. I don't do this every year.

For example, the #2 person at the homeless shelter told us (DW and I) that during Covid, they developed a contactless solution for getting food to low-income people by using wifi enabled lockers. The family would have the locker number and a pass code. Apparently, many other shelters in other parts of the country are contacting them about this operation.

 

[audreyh1]

It probably makes a big difference if you have a personal link to the charity. Are there organizations that help fund things you are involved in, things you do or use, where you live? A lot of people favor local charities for this reason, plus to avoid big overhead costs.

 

[SecondCor521]

I do care about overhead. I look at those numbers when I evaluate charities.

I don't mind helping locally to me, but I also generally believe that the people in the direst situations are not necessarily close by.

 

[Cayman]

I'm not sure I understand what the whole Anonymous thing is about but that's okay...

Not anyone's business. My money. My decisions. (contrasted with someone who desires their name printed somewhere... plastered on a building... or on a prominent "donor roll" or "donor wall". No thanks.