I do not want to give to charity

[BWillie]

I go to Panda Express about once a week. Every single time they ask me if I want to donate money to dying children. I used to just give them money, and round up. But now - I suppose I'm evil I've just not been doing it. And I'm getting tired of places like this asking me to give money after I've just purchased something.

The people with the bell...fine I guess...it's just kind of annoying & awkward asking me this at the cash register after I've just bought $300 worth of shit. You know damn well I have the money to donate.

There are tons of places doing this now. I'll get a sandwich somewhere and they'll be like - do you want to help dying children? I kind of just want to reply - I ****ing love dying children. They are the best kind. Thanks for ruining my day. I'm tired of them soliciting from me because all they want to do is be able to say in their commercials how much money they've raised for charity to in turn get more business to show the world just how much they really care!

I am a horrible person. I realize this.

I do charity on my own time. Every year I've helped at a soup kitchen or a salvation army drive. I just don't want to donate money at a business so they can brag about how much they did so they can become more profitable.

[ROYC75]

Originally Posted by loochy

I don't trust those businesses to be wise stewards of donations.

I don't trust our government!

I paid in for 43 yrs and it was nothing but a Big Charity that was used wrong.

I trust giving to charity's more than the U S Government!

[ROYC75]

Originally Posted by TribalElder

They keep the money at least 90% of it

Proof or speculation?

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by CaliforniaChief

Take whatever the change is and put it away in your own 5-gallon container. Then at the end of the year, tally it up and use it to help someone anonymously or give to a cause you DO find compelling.

If you're disenchanted with big charity companies and bullshit, the bolded cannot be understated.

When I was in college, I was the president of my fraternity and we always did a fundraiser for an entirely local battered women's shelter.

Anyway, when I was president, we had a dinner at the house with the director of the shelter and a bunch of faculty. When I handed over the check the director said a few words of thanks and broke down in tears when she said how much our measly little amount mattered to the shelter.

It was powerful and had a tremendously profound impact on me. Now, I don't know a single person that went into that shelter and the only contact I had with them was the director, but man, that had a heck of an impact on me.

I'd encourage whomever is disenfranchised do some looking, some volunteering, something. Make your donations impactful.

[007]

Originally Posted by ROYC75

I don't trust our government!

I paid in for 43 yrs and it was nothing but a Big Charity that was used wrong.

I trust giving to charity's more than the U S Government!

Nobody should trust the Government.

[PunkinDrublic]

I wish someone would try to shame me. I’ve helped dozens of single mothers working their way through college. Now you tell me who’s more generous with their time.

[FAX]

I think it has gotten a little out of control. These opportunities are now everywhere. I was in Walgreens the other day and, as she was ringing up my order, the cashier lady asked me if I wanted to donate a dollar to something or other (I think it was to save sick children from an even worse fate).

I found the encounter troubling on several levels. First off, the sign on the counter was very obvious and I assume they place the sign there assuming that the customers are literate (I didn't need to have the opportunity explained to me). Secondly, her attitude was a little abrasive in the first place. If she had a sick child, I'm pretty sure the child would try to run away from her. Third, it put me in an awkward position. If I say "okay", it felt like it was her idea - not mine. If I say "no thanks" I feel like a total greedy bastard who ranks Mammon above Human Compassion.

In my worldview, charitable giving is a private matter. Not a public one. If I am both capable of reading the sign and capable of giving to a worthy cause, I'm good. I don't, however, want to feel some sort of social pressure to donate to some unknown charity while standing in a line with 3 or 4 other people who are evaluating my generosity (or lack, thereof). Besides, how do I know she's promoting a legitimate organization? After all, Walgreens partnered with Theranos, for crying out loud.

I'm all for doing what I can to save all the sick children in the world. If I was a true bastard, I would have told the cashier lady that I would match every dollar she put in the pot. But I didn't ... that would have been rude.

FAX

[Frazod]

Originally Posted by FAX

I think it has gotten a little out of control. These opportunities are now everywhere. I was in Walgreens the other day and, as she was ringing up my order, the cashier lady asked me if I wanted to donate a dollar to something or other (I think it was to save sick children from an even worse fate).

I found the encounter troubling on several levels. First off, the sign on the counter was very obvious and I assume they place the sign there assuming that the customers are literate (I didn't need to have the opportunity explained to me). Secondly, her attitude was a little abrasive in the first place. If she had a sick child, I'm pretty sure the child would try to run away from her. Third, it put me in an awkward position. If I say "okay", it felt like it was her idea - not mine. If I say "no thanks" I feel like a total greedy bastard who ranks Mammon above Human Compassion.

In my worldview, charitable giving is a private matter. Not a public one. If I am both capable of reading the sign and capable of giving to a worthy cause, I'm good. I don't, however, want to feel some sort of social pressure to donate to some unknown charity while standing in a line with 3 or 4 other people who are evaluating my generosity (or lack, thereof). Besides, how do I know she's promoting a legitimate organization? After all, Walgreens partnered with Theranos, for crying out loud.

I'm all for doing what I can to save all the sick children in the world. If I was a true bastard, I would have told the cashier lady that I would match every dollar she put in the pot. But I didn't ... that would have been rude.

FAX

As I mentioned earlier, these employees are required to pester customers about this shit. They don't do it because they want to.

[007]

Originally Posted by FAX

I think it has gotten a little out of control. These opportunities are now everywhere. I was in Walgreens the other day and, as she was ringing up my order, the cashier lady asked me if I wanted to donate a dollar to something or other (I think it was to save sick children from an even worse fate).

I found the encounter troubling on several levels. First off, the sign on the counter was very obvious and I assume they place the sign there assuming that the customers are literate (I didn't need to have the opportunity explained to me). Secondly, her attitude was a little abrasive in the first place. If she had a sick child, I'm pretty sure the child would try to run away from her. Third, it put me in an awkward position. If I say "okay", it felt like it was her idea - not mine. If I say "no thanks" I feel like a total greedy bastard who ranks Mammon above Human Compassion.

In my worldview, charitable giving is a private matter. Not a public one. If I am both capable of reading the sign and capable of giving to a worthy cause, I'm good. I don't, however, want to feel some sort of social pressure to donate to some unknown charity while standing in a line with 3 or 4 other people who are evaluating my generosity (or lack, thereof). Besides, how do I know she's promoting a legitimate organization? After all, Walgreens partnered with Theranos, for crying out loud.

I'm all for doing what I can to save all the sick children in the world. If I was a true bastard, I would have told the cashier lady that I would match every dollar she put in the pot. But I didn't ... that would have been rude.

FAX

Exactly how I feel about it. Very well stated as always FAX.

[cdcox]

I give generously to causes I chose and have not a shred of guilt in turning down retail affiliated charity.

[kccrow]

I don't give a dime to those kinds of things either. I'd rather do what someone suggested and buy some things and give them to an organization that I know will distribute them, such as Toys for Tots or Salvation Army. I want my charity to actually go to those in need, not have 50% go to someone else's pocket.

[Why Not?]

Yeah I'm with most of you guys. I give where and when I choose to. I almost never do so in public shopping places.

[007]

Originally Posted by Why Not?

Yeah I'm with most of you guys. I give where and when I choose to. I almost never do so in public shopping places.

You aren't living up to your name then.

[Mr. Flopnuts]

Must be that time of year. OP has been the biggest cheap ass on this board since he got here, and once a year he loses it over people asking for donations. Lose your conscious completely or get some ****ing therapy bro. We know you ain't coming off any coin.

[FAX]

Originally Posted by Frazod

As I mentioned earlier, these employees are required to pester customers about this shit. They don't do it because they want to.

I understand the basics of "company policy" and the fact that hourly employees are necessarily required to follow procedures set down by management.

IMHO, the people who manage Walgreens (for example) should know whether or not their employees are sufficiently competent to invite charitable contributions ... I mean the ones they charge with this responsibility. After all, incidental, spontaneous solicitation isn't an innate skill awarded to everyone. And I think it's safe to say it isn't something that's in the average cashier lady's wheelhouse of abilities. I don't believe that Walgreens (in this case) actually wants to offend or embarrass their customers.

On the other hand, perhaps someone could explain to me how Walgreens chooses the charities they support? If I knew that, I might feel a little differently about this particular encounter. It's really no big deal to me and I know that most people probably don't worry about it ... and this is actually the first time I've commented on the subject (to my knowledge). Now that we're discussing the matter, however, I'd like to know what criteria Walgreens uses to determine which giving opportunities are worthwhile and how they train their bell-ringers.

FAX

[Demonpenz]

You are a successful person. You know it is important to spend, save, invest, and give. That is what all the big players do.