Sunday, December 2, 2012

Solicitations


Do you know what it’s like to be rejected hundreds of times in just a few short hours?  I do, because I conducted a field experiment for my undergraduate thesis.  Gathering data totally sucked, and once I was finished I vowed that I would always help out anyone conducting research by participating in their study.  However, I feel totally different about people soliciting money for charity on the street:  I absolutely hate it.

Charitable giving, like someone’s salary or budget (if it exists) can be a touchy subject.  I absolutely am the biggest advocate for being open about your finances, but I do agree that charitable giving should be kept quiet for good reason.  In the sense that talking about your charitable giving will make others think about theirs, that’s great, but it definitely feels backwards to me to brag about something that’s supposed to be self-less.  Self-promotion can be great:  I’m always thrilled to hear a friend got into a top graduate program or got a raise at work.  Especially for women, it can be hard to fight cultural training that you should smile and be quite and not cause any waves due to your ambition.  It’s definitely important to make sure you get credit for your great work – and it’s totally on you to make sure people take notice.

I’d welcome a discussion about charities people give to, or how much, but I would never be the first to bring it up.  When it comes down to it, giving more or less money doesn’t mean much – donating your time is even more honorable.  Your choice of charities is pretty personal – which is why I’m so annoyed when I get solicited for donations on the streets.  It happens ALL THE TIME when I go out to grab lunch at work.  I am a big fan of being polite and (despite my general un-PC-ness) I think etiquette has its place in making people comfortable in social situations, which is why this solicitation is really aggravating: it’s incredibly rude to assume that you have any right to my time (and money).  As far as practical matters go, most people would want to do some research about the charity and how effective they are with their money before donating.  Not to mention, pulling my credit card out on the street does not sound like a good idea.  I mostly resent the harassment (well-intentioned as it may be) and intrusion to my personal space.

I often hear that New Englanders are polity but not friendly – is my aversion to solicitations cultural/geographic?  Friends from other areas, feel free to weigh in.  Maybe I’m being too crotchety – how do you all feel when charities solicit you for money on the street?

4 comments:

  1. I will probably never give to a charity that solicits strangers, as opposed to ones which hold fundraisers that don't have exclusive guest lists or ones which have helped me, or friends, out in the past.

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    1. Thanks for the comment -- I am the same as you in that I give to organizations that have helped friends/family or will help future individuals that suffer from illnesses that affect those I care about. Unfortunately, even some organizations that I support (like Planned Parenthood) do the street solicitation thing. In general it bugs me when charities explicitly reach out for money -- if they focused more on informing me how they've been using donations to improve lives, and thus come off as trying to stay on the radar vs. begging for money, I would appreciate that. Of course, I understand that they need funds and asking explicitly is probably the most effective way of getting them.

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  2. I understand the distaste for the practice, but chances are, fundraisers do it because it works. What is the best way to reach the most number of people when you don't have access to large phone number or email account directories and limited resources to hold large functions? You hit the streets and get your message out there. You approach strangers and tell them about your project then wish them a great day. I agree that they should definitely be less pushy about getting you to donate on the spot, but again I can't blame them. You do what you have to do. Sometimes it's annoying - like when you have to ping someone a couple times a week to let them know your still waiting on what he promised to give you last month - but you do it anyway. It's like begging but instead of for food, you're doing it for a cause. You do it because it's the best option you've got. No one WANTS to do it.

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    1. I don't disagree with you -- if you notice my comment above, I stated that charities most likely ask for funds explicitly because that's the most effective way of getting them. I guess I need to think more critically about my comments in the post, as I don't believe that I'm all that remarkable in how I donate my money, yet reality implies that for most people, direct solicitation is most effective. I should give some charities credit because their persistence has prompted me to donate more (on those occasions when I'm not just super annoyed instead ;)).

      Thanks for the comment -- would love to get your name next time!

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