13 January 2006

amnesty refuse donation

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Yesterday while shopping at Westfield belco, I saw an amnesty display. I wandered over and looked at the brochures and display material. An earnest young woman began her spiel on human rights and amnesty and when she finished I said ‘great, can I make a donation?’ and pulled my wallet out.

She said ‘No, we don’t accept any money, instead we’ll sign you up as a human rights defender’.
I didn’t want to be signed up and go on a mailing list, so I asked I f I could just donate some money and be done with it. She was adamant that I really should join amnesty because I’d receive a bulletin three times a year etc. This is the ‘long tail’ approach to charity where your donation is ignored for constant monthly nibbles at you.

This offer I declined, and I told her why, saying that I’d donate but not go on her mailing list or be signed up. She had no capacity to even accept donations.

It saddens me that a worthwhile cause like amnesty rejects donations in favour of avaricious marketing tactics.

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It was problably this post: http://the-riotact.com/?p=1790

Amnesty, in common with many other “charities” uses a professional fund raising organisation to raise funds. Collectors, like this girl are paid a commission by that organisation. It is a successful means to raise funds, without Amenesty being immediately involved or distracted from its raison d’etre. You should just be aware that not all you give is going to them. And I am not sure how the tin can gets accounted for either.

so you offered a donation to someone who wasn’t equipped to take it, and she didn’t take it.

oh. my. god.

why is this news? this girl is paid to sign people up as monthly contributors, not just to receive small donations. so what? if you want to donate to them then visit their website – i am sure you will find out a way you can do that. i am sure you’ll find it is the same with the greenpeace chuggers (not buggers, as far as i’m aware), or msf, or world vision, whoever, that you’ll find in gareme place or shopping malls. they are paid. and they are paid on the basis that they sign people up. they are not equipped to take little donations. paying people to do that would hardly be effective – that is why amnesty runs its annual candle day and has *volunteers* on that day – it is just a different fund-raising tactic.

I’ve worked on an Amnesty stall in Canberra before. We had a tin for donations. People could choose a small Amnesty badge or sticker (or not), and donate as they saw fit.

Heavs – see posts on ‘chuggers’ (as they have been dubbed elsewhere) and how to avoid them from a couple fo weeks ago. Hot tips as to how to not let them spoil your wanderings.

Absent Diane4:19 pm 13 Jan 06

Especially when some of them are fakes…. the guy reading from bible comes to mind…. I hope you got him booted

normally i avoid these people also, but i actually went out of my way to go over to the amnesty stand.

ive seen beggars on the walkway into westfield and summoned security to have them moved on.

in this country no one *needs* to beg.

Many big international charities are morphing into political lobbying organisations at a fast rate. Hence their desire to capture your heart with newsletters and not so much your money at first.

People like this are called buggers. Begging muggers. It’s totally retarded that you are made to dodge these bastards, who are paid per churn in some cases, just to have a stroll at lunch. I refuse out of principle.

Idiots…

I used to donate to AI fairly regularly in my youth, but now I’d rather give it to the Salvo’s to try and sort out our own back yard first. I’m not saying that AI don’t deserve it – but when there is only so much bulldog to go around.

It gives me that shits that people who are fighting a seemingly good fight ostracize potential sypathisers and supporters by coming on too strong. By scaring of bonfire – that’s up to three hundred newsletters that the do-gooders, lefties and greenies will now have to do without…. Who will feel sorry for these people if nobody can read about it?

Fucking clown-shoes.

Absent Diane3:22 pm 13 Jan 06

I have encountered that heaps of times….. they are simply shooting themselves in the foot..

no tin, no receipt book. she told me that she had *no way* to accept my donation.

That’s just nuts! I mean, you wanted to support them, and couldn’t???? I can’t believe they don’t have a tin or something you could have put your money into. Surely you aren’t the only person who doesn’t want to go on a mailing list. They must be losing out on quite a lot of donations.

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