fred_mouse

This is kind of a whinge, and definitely exposing my middle class privilege. 

Right Now, I am completely over begging letters sent by charitable organisations - there were only two letters in the mail today, one asking for money for Nepal, and the other from the Australian Conservation Foundation asking for money for something so nebulous that I didn't quite get what it was. The first one, at least I have an existing relationship with the organisation, as we have an existing tithe. The second, no idea how I got on their mailing list*. 

I don't think I've ever donated money in response to such a letter. We have a handful of existing mobs that we give money to, and maybe we could be giving more, or maybe we could be responding to disasters individually, but I kind of hope that some of the money that we are already giving is in somewhat earmarked for whatever disaster is currently on the radar. Especially as the number of reasons for begging letters seems to have gone up. And maybe there are people out there who only give in response to identifiable disasters. But I think that there are many many day to day disasters, and that happens to be where our money is going - to projects that are empowering communities, that are improving access to water/improving sanitation/increasing food available to children/introducing sustainable agriculture/educating the next generation. Because these aren't newsworthy, but they are damn important.

I've now sent one email, and one contact form (that demanded Far Too Many pieces of id for just 'get me off your mailing list'). And anything else I get like this, I'll be doing the same. Except the MS society, because they just send us raffle books, and charge us for them, and we've been doing that for years. *That* is an agreed relationship.  

* their letter says "... as someone who has taken action with us in the past.." Really? no idea what that might have been, but it sure as hell wasn't an invitation to keep sending me letters.