How to handle aggressive charity solicitors
Dec 18, 2024, 10:15 PM | Updated: 10:34 pm
MURRAY — Imagine walking out of a store only to be cornered by a pushy person trying to raise money for charity.
That’s what happened to a man I spoke to outside a store in Murray. He says that’s where someone jumped in front of his shopping cart, gave him the name of a charity, told him their mission was to help with teen bullying and insisted on an immediate donation.
“It was particularly aggressive,” the man said of his experience.
When he told the fundraiser he wanted time to think about it, he said he was guilt-tripped.
“I steer around to avoid him, and he yells out, ‘Don’t you have any kids!’”
Ironic for a charity that purports to stop bullying, right?
Not normal fundraising
“This is not normal fundraising,” said Bree Fowler, senior writer at CNET. “They’re (typical charities) not going to have a problem with you taking a beat, thinking about it.”
Indeed, aggressiveness can be a huge red flag, Fowler says.
“You should vet charities,” she said. “You need to be absolutely sure that you are dealing with a legitimate charity.”
Vetting is exactly what the man I spoke to did.
“I went to Charity Navigator and saw that they got a zero-star rating.”
He says he is glad he didn’t cave to the pressure applied on him by an aggressive fundraiser. So aggressive, he says, that he didn’t want to be identified in this story over concerns it would trigger an aggressive reaction from the guy asking for money.
Still, he wanted to share his experience.
“And then they’re – boom – they’re right in your face,” he said. “You haven’t had a chance to research that charity.”
Where you can vet a charity
Indeed, Charity Navigator is a good resource for vetting a charity. GuidesStar also provides a wealth of information about non-profit organizations, as does the BBB Wise Giving Alliance.
