Cashing In: Donations and the Ultimate Paper Trail

I like to donate money. If I have a bit of extra income, I try to pay it forward. But donations are an eco-gamble.

I've donated through PayPal before. I've donated with a check before. I've donated in memory of a loved one. I've donated by mail and I've donated in person. Unsurprisingly, many of these donations came with a price.



You see, there is a paper trail. The charities, as well-meaning as they are, quickly become stalkers. They send letters. They send postcards. They send catalogs and bumper stickers and free t-shirts.

According to the Better Business Bureau, "For a national direct mail campaign, a charitable organization may mail from a half million to ten million or more letters." SmartMoney totals the cost of direct-mail solicitations last year to $1.8 billion. "Small donations, such as $25, barely cover the costs the charity incurred in soliciting the gift. To recoup those costs, many charities will simply sell the donor's name to another charity doing similar work," as Charity Navigator points out.

On average, charities need to make contact seven times before they get a donation. I understand that they need to recoup these costs. They need to take every opportunity to remind me that the whales still need to be saved, homeless pets still need homes, cancer still needs to be cured, bands still need uniforms...

I sympathize. I really do! But I don't want to be hounded every week. I don't want to constantly feel like I'm not doing enough. And above all else, I don't want to contribute to the waste that comes with these efforts. So, the moral of this story?

Give cash.

I may be one of the few people I know who still carries it, but I swear it comes in handy sometimes. When I'm standing at the register and I see one of those plastic coin boxes to help feed the hungry, I slip in a $20. Whenever I'm enjoying the scenery at a national park, I find the donation box near the ranger's station. Whenever a band geek asks me if I want to buy an overpriced candy bar, I fork over the $5.

It's nice to be able to pay it forward without the environment having to pay the price.

Not interested in carrying cash? Check out this article for more tips on donating without the mail solicitations.