would you like to donate $1 to..

[SandEagle]

<insert charity name here>?

how do you deal with this when asked at a cash register? i donates tons of stuff a year to goodwill and write checks to local charities, but i usually say no when confronted at any retail store.

i felt like such a cheap ass at the register. the cashier gave me a cold look when i awkwardly said no. there were people behind me probably thinking 'what a cheap fvcking foreigner!' this humiliation has to stop. what do you guys do?

 

[KaOTiK]

I say no. My friend had a good response to it though when we were at the store the other day. She said, no I already did last time I was in here, even though she really didn't lol.

 

[lxskllr]

"No thank you", and that's it. They can think what they want. I have certain charities I give money to, and none have advertised at cash registers. When the FSF or EFF have a store campaign, I'll likely say yes.

 

[KentState]

Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. Really depends on what the charity is.

 

[reallyscrued]

No.

I rarely know the specifics of the relationship between charity and the business in question. Why in the world is a business asking me to donate money anyway? You're a business, probably run by a board of directors or CEO whose only job day in and day out is to serve shareholders. What the hell has that got to do with helping people?

 

[coldmeat]

The cashiers don't want to ask you anymore than you want to be asked. I just say no and everyone moves on.

 

[TecHNooB]

when purdue alumni association called me, they asked me if I wanted to donate and the minimum donation was ~100? I flat out said no

 

[Meractik]

my answer to everything such as this is "no thank you" whether its the donation crap at the register or the guy at the car wash trying to upsell a detail I don't need when I go for the regular $5 car-wash, or mcdonalds asking me if I want to get a cookie with my meal, or at 7-eleven when I get my coffee and the attendant asks if i want to purchase any breakfast items, or any of that other stuff, If i wanted it I would of asked for it or bought it. I am a very hard sell and I do not feel the least bit bad. "No Thank you" is very versatile, some people call me cold and blunt but I don't buy any B.S.

Once I drove to a car wash and the guy was asking me which package I wanted and its one where you get out of your car and they drive it through for you and hand dry afterwards, well I said just give me the regular deluxe please (it was $8.00) he had time to kill so he stood by my window waiting for the cars in front of me to move up and he started to ask me "Do you love your car?" i knew exactly where he was going and he was going to say to me that I needed to spend more money If i really loved my car (its not even a super nice car it is just a honda accord, lol) I just kept repeating to him "Deluxe package please" and he just smiled and laughed at me because he knew I was onto his games.

When it doubt just be polite and say "no thank you." to many people out there try to take advantage of the fact that someone doesn't want to look like a grinch, stand up for yourself and don't be easily bullied, just because you choose not to give at that moment doesn't mean that you will never give, the opinion of those behind you in line does not matter in the least.

 

[cKGunslinger]

"No thanks" and smile.

I'm the most paranoid and socially-pressured person I know, but I've never really felt bad doing this, and no cashier has ever seemed to think twice about it.

 

[Meractik]

when purdue alumni association called me, they asked me if I wanted to donate and the minimum donation was ~100? I flat out said no

I had my alumni association call me too and was told that the minimum donation was 100, the girl on the phone tried to act all super nice and chatty asking me how my day went... I really hate when people like that cal and introduce themselves really fast and I do not understand or even know who it is yet they act like I should know them. My response is always "excuse me, what did you say your name was and who are you associated with?" which is also my standard response for telemarketers and other such people.. EVERYONE gets annoyed by this tactic and I can hear the annoyance in their voice that now they have to repeat themselves. If its a telemarketer or someone I have absolutely no desire to talk too when they say their company I ask them to explain to me what they're company does because I never heard of it.... this really really annoys them and before you know it they get real short and rude with me and ultimately leads to these types of people not bothering me anymore.

 

[grrl]

I just say no. The grocery store I go to often asks for donations and I find it really annoying. In another grocery they have a small board at each register with three different donation tickets ($3, $5 and $10 IIRC) for a local food bank. That to me is more effective. I donated money that time, largely because no one was asking me to.

One of the dumbest requests came from a clothing store though. "Would you like to buy some (overpriced) candy to help us win the daily sales award?"

when purdue alumni association called me, they asked me if I wanted to donate and the minimum donation was ~100? I flat out said no

So if you had offered 50 they would have said "Sorry, that's not worth our time?"

 

[RossMAN]

Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. Really depends on what the charity is.

Same here and we're more likely to donate if they ask to round up to the next dollar.

Plus our credit card offers 2% cash back on grocery store purchases.

 

[amdhunter]

I ask them to give me a dollar.

 

[Reasonable Doubt]

I almost always donate.


It's only a dollar or two.

 

[TecHNooB]

I just say no. The grocery store I go to often asks for donations and I find it really annoying. In another grocery they have a small board at each register with three different donation tickets ($3, $5 and $10 IIRC) for a local food bank. That to me is more effective. I donated money that time, largely because no one was asking me to.

One of the dumbest requests came from a clothing store though. "Would you like to buy some (overpriced) candy to help us win the daily sales award?"



So if you had offered 50 they would have said "Sorry, that's not worth our time?"

what I really should have said was purdue took all my money already.

 

[pcslookout]

I donated to Newtown.

 

[DaveSimmons]

"No thanks"

I donate my loose change at Wendy's to the adoption charity, since I hate carrying around change. Other than that, "No thanks."

On the phone, I either say "no thanks" or that I have a set list of charities that I donate to.

FYI, most of the police, fire and veteran's charities that call you are scams, where 80% or more of the money goes to the fund-raisers not to help anyone. Just say no.

 

[QueBert]

Was at Carl's and they were asking for $1 for the fallen soldiers charity. Guy ahead of me said "no thanks I served in the Marines" I gave a buck and they gave me a coupon for a free 6 dollar burger. He was pissed lol

 

[ultimatebob]

Honestly, I only donate $1 if they offer coupon books like Wendy's does.

I prefer to give bigger donations where I get a receipt, so I can deduct it on my taxes.

 

[Sho'Nuff]

I always politely say no. There are tons of charities, and I already donate to a few (Boston Children's Hospital and Leukemia and Lymphoma Society . . . both of which have played a great role in my life . . . for better or for worse . . . )

 

[bigrash]

"No, thank you. Maybe next time."

 

[SsupernovaE]

when purdue alumni association called me, they asked me if I wanted to donate and the minimum donation was ~100? I flat out said no

When I get calls from the university of Virginia and MIT alumni associations, I just laugh. Do you know how much those schools are worth?

 

[Red Squirrel]

I usually say yes just to not seem cheap, I just hate when I have to fill something in. Just shut up and take my money!

 

[gevorg]

I rarely give small donations, but when I donate, its usually at $100-1000+, with receipt for tax purposes. Even then, I only give donations to organizations with minimal administrative expenses, as well as other factors that I look for when researching more about them. For all you know, that grocery store chops off 20% from your donation for some ridiculous reason.

 

[Red Storm]

I just say no thanks. Already donate to various charities on my own, I don't like they try to put people on the spot like that knowing they're more likely to say yes out of guilt/pressure. However, if it's anything related to kidney research for kids or Children's Hospital or the Ronald McDonald house I always donate. My little sister is still alive thanks to those organizations.