An Open Letter to National Charities

I am addressing this open letter to all National Charities, especially those that use compensated, professional fund raisers.

"If you have a professional solicitor placing calls for you to try and encourage donations, be warned - YOU'RE NOT GETTING A PENNY FROM ME!

Recently, a profesional solicitor placed 6 calls to my residence over a 48 hour period, two of which were after 9:00pm. The number was not blocked, but there was no ID. Normally, I do not answer calls like this, I let them hit VM. Of course, these folks didn't leave any message. After 4 calls, I tried to call the number - just a busy signal. On the 5th call, I picked it up, because I was tired of my phone ringing. The person correctly identified himself as a professional fund raiser for the National Kidney Foundation. I told him I couldn't help him, and asked to be put on the do not call list. Before I could get 'call list' out of my mouth, he had hung up on me.

The 6th call I answered, and ripped into the lady. I explained the previous call and what happened, demanded to be put on the do not call list. She said she would, but offered no apology or explanation.

I have not received another call from these people, so either they entered a note in their system on my phone number, or they did indeed put me on 'the list'.

I have three points to make.

First, I will not pay a professional fundraiser anything. I give to the charities of my choice directly, without paying an unknown percentage to some middleman's phone bank.

Second, if a charity is using a rude, pushy pro to try and drum up donations, you are barking up the wrong tree. Not only will you not get anything from that call, the person receiving the call is very likely to NEVER give your charity anything in the future.

Third (and completely unrelated to the phone call, but I'm going to mention it here anyway), if I see in the news that your President, officers, or employees are making large salaries, don't expect me to give you anything. I see no reason to give my money to an organization that pays its head people in multi-6 digit salaries.

In these days of tight budgets, lousy economy, and millions of unemployed, charities are scrambling to get donations. If you are pissing off the people you are asking to give you money, trust me - you are not helping yourselves!"