It’s the giving season – that time of year when you’re likely being solicited by a variety of causes and charities encouraging you to donate. Whether it’s a phone call during dinner, an online advertisement or a flashy flier in your mailbox, many organizations (even ours!) are making their case for why they need your support. But not all of them are being honest in their claims.
We’re collaborating with Florida’s Tampa Bay Times on a new story looking at charities that use professional fundraising companies, such as telemarketers and direct mail firms, to make such solicitations. We want to hear your experience to give us a better idea of how different folks approach charitable giving.
One thing we’re looking for: Any examples of unusual solicitations you’ve received this holiday season. For instance, some charities promise cars or other large prizes if you donate. Others include gifts or a dollar bill in their pitch, hoping you’ll donate in return. If you have any such examples handy, you can email a photo to me at cgoins@cironline.org, tweet us a picture of the mailing at @CIRonline or mail the solicitation to our office at 2130 Center St., Suite 103, Berkeley, CA 94704.
In addition, we want to hear your insights on charitable giving to help inform our reporting. Take a few minutes to fill out the form below and tell us your experience. Everything you share within the Public Insight Network is confidential unless you give us explicit permission to publish it.
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