My 91 year-old-client, Dotty, was continually pestered by charities. She received several unwanted mail solicitations every week. Several of these non-profits sent her “gifts” to thank her (in advance) for her donation: return address labels, calendars, note paper, wrapping paper, and even coins. Dotty felt she had to send money to “pay” for these unrequested items.
Although many of the charities were well known, too many were soliciting Dotty. I was determined to put a stop to the barrage of this unwanted mail. Anyone can opt out of receiving unwanted commercial mail by going to www.dmachoice.org. But this does not stop charity solicitations. Instead, I took a guerrilla approach. Now only a few requests show up in Dotty’s mailbox each month, most from the organizations she chooses to support.
Here is how I stopped the torrent of unwanted mail from 68 different charities.
I used the organizations’ websites. I typed into the website’s search bar “mail preferences,” “mailing list” or similar words until I located an on-line form or instructions on how to remove Dotty from their mailing lists.
When I could not locate the opt-out option on a website or did not have time to search, I used regular mail.
I returned the donation forms with instructions to stop soliciting. I preprinted mailing labels with the words, in bold red type:
“DO NOT SOLICIT. Please remove me from all mailing lists and databases. Do not sell or share my name and address with other organizations.”
I put the labels on the donation forms and sent them back without a contribution.
I returned the donation forms to headquarters. I didn’t automatically use the enclosed return envelope. Instead, I sent the forms back to the return address on the envelope in which the solicitation arrived. This returned the “do not solicit” instructions to the organization’s headquarters and the people who manage the mailing lists – rather than to a mailroom that only processes donations.
I realized this process would take time. Charities have their mailings queued up as much as six months in advance of the send date. It takes that long for your name to get on the “do not solicit” list and for the mail to stop. With Dotty’s mail, it took a year-and-a-half. Once some charities’ solicitations stopped arriving, others, from new organizations, popped up.
I kept a list of every charity and the date I made the first “do not solicit” request. If solicitations were still arriving six months later, I sent the request again.
I continue to maintain vigilance. Now, when Dotty makes a donation to her preferred charities, I write on the donation form:
“I am happy to make a donation to your organization. However, do not sell or share my name and address with other organizations.”
Many charities sell their mailing lists to make money. Unless you instruct otherwise, your name will go on a saleable list and the endless stream will begin once again.
Eighteen months and 68 organizations later, the flow of unwanted charitable donation requests has slowed to mostly just the few charities Dotty wants to support. This is a huge relief for her. She no longer feels stressed about the volume of requests and her inability to send money to every charity. She no longer feels obligated to send money for the unsolicited “gifts.” When a new organization’s solicitation arrives in the mail, I immediately put the kibosh on the request.
This blog is published to provide you with general information only, and is not intended to provide specific or comprehensive advice. Money Care, LLC encourages individuals to seek advice from competent professionals when appropriate. The names of the individuals in this article have been changed to protect their privacy.
