A Tsunami of Pleas for Money

These days, in election season, our mailbox is filled with requests for funding for all sorts or people running for office. Most, but not all are Texas-based, both state-wide and local. Yet we receive numerous donation requests from (especially) candidates for Senate in a wide number of other states. Based on these, I have to assume these are productive or otherwise they would not keep coming. I'm probably like most as I try from time to time to support someone. But that clearly must trigger some sort of "address/name sharing" tsunami as one or two of these results in tons of new requests.

The other source of cascades of mail are pleas for philanthropic support for medical and charitable organizations. At this point, my wife and I average at least five a day! After realizing I was writing checks without any system of tracking, I started a spreadsheet three years ago to track these organizations and any financial support my wife and I offer. The results are sobering! If one simply has way too much money or way too little means of tracking that support, these organizations will drain the donor dry! DRAIN that person DRY. Some will send requests for support every two or three months, including the month immediately after receiving your check! There seems to be no limit on how often they will do this. I suppose it must work, or they would not do it. The psychological tools used are clever and must be time-worn successful. These include sending little notepads, silly (to me) little verses, as well as actual checks (valid within sixty days) for one or two dollars. I suppose someone has calculated the percent of people who cash these things and whether those people donate, and how much. The accounting system must determine whether the system is profitable, or the charity would not continue it. I used to cash the check if it was a fund I already supported, but now tear them up on the spot, even if the fund is one that I support. Of course, getting someone to write a check sooner than that person normally would is a way to increase cash flow by itself.

Right at this moment, I have a stack of nine (nine, count 'em!) requests for charitable donations, received in the last three days, all of which my wife and I already support at the rate of one donation a year. We try to be good people and are not church members, so there is no religious financial support ... therefore we try to help other needs ... and there are plenty of requests for which we do not respond. But in this small stack of nine requests that are about to hit the trash container, each and every one of these is legit and is seeking multiple donations each year. It seems a real and honest need for charitable support is going way overboard. Thank goodness for simple tracking spreadsheets.

Comments are welcome and will be published, pro and con. Make your observations below or send them to me via email at n3bb@mindspring.com. Email commenters will not be identified unless requested.

Enjoy life; it's the only one we will get.

J.K. (Jim) George

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