P.T. Barnum Was Right
By Leo de Natale
The problem with sending money to various charitable organizations is the metastasis that occurs after you’ve sent a contribution. Day in, day out, there’s a barrage of junk mail from these beggars. Example One: My wife and I are dog lovers. We sent a $100 check to the ASPCA after they mailed a predictable tear-jerker letter describing the depressingly sad story of an abused, emaciated mongrel that nearly died from inhumane conditions. The accompanying photographs were devastating. One of the predictable “gifts” – mailing labels containing pictures of the woebegotten critters.
Sending the money was a BIG mistake. We were placed on a patsy mailing list. That’s what these non-profit groups do. They prey on the sympathy gene and then sell your name to other organizations that redistribute your name, address, telephone number, or email address.
Soon we began receiving similar solicitations from the Humane Society, Save The Horses and innumerable animal rescue groups. They, too, enclosed return address labels and an occasional cheesy shopping bag made from “100% recycled materials”.
Example Two: Many people receive mail from veterans and military groups that also play upon our sympathy. Wounded Warriors and disabled veterans group behave the same way. Send $50 to one veterans and an avalanche of other groups are no different. Following soon are police organizations seeking donations for K-9 police dogs. Photographs of sad-eyed German Shepherd Dogs are enclosed.
There are organizations that gather information pertaining to specific interest groups. The tipoff is the addressee. They often misspell the given or surname. That’s a dead giveaway as to who sold your identity. Your name is sold near and far. They often enclose “gifts” that are used to increase the guilt factor.
Everyone has his hand out.The most egregious – and insulting—example was yet another veterans group that sent a tee-shirt, Size Large, with a Bald Eagle emblazoned with the phrase, “Land of the free, Home of the Brave”. You would think an non-profit that’s appealing to patriotism and love of country would not make a fundamental and insulting mistake. Upon inspection of the tee shirt, its label has the all-to-familiar imprint: “Made in China”.
I called the organization’s toll free telephone number. A woman answered.
“Wanting my money to support Americans and distributing a garment from the country that’s economically crushing us is very bad optics, madame,” I said.
“Oh, I’m so sorry. Yes you’re right,” she replied. “But you gotta understand we’re trying to keep our costs down.”
“Let me ask you this: how do you think the veterans feel?” I said. “You’ll not be receiving a penny from me. Supporting China’s economy is very uncool.”
It’s well known that a modicum of money received from these solicitations goes to the stated goal. It is estimated up to 80% of the contributions is dedicated to salaries. That’s a pretty big overhead. Just ask the United Way. In 1992 William Aramondy, disgraced former president, was terminated after a scandal embezzling $600,000 that covered European junkets and high style living. Between 2002 through 2018 there were four additional scandals involving United Way executives.
You start wondering how much money is going to the veterans and all charitable groups. There’s never a disclosure statement of who gets what and how much money.
It reminds us of the P.T. Barnum adage: there’s a sucker born every minute, especially those who receive a Chinese tee shirt in the mail.
leodenatale.com 