I Donate Once A Year To HRC... My Annual Membership Donation Of $35.00

[arwalden]

... that's what I can afford, so that's what I donate.

But it pisses me off that throughout the year I get dozens of MORE letters and 4-color printouts asking for MORE money. It's like they're taking ALL of my original donation and spending it on postage, paper, and slick printing jobs. I'm PAYING them to send me more requests for money.

Grrrrr.

[Book Lover]

1. My membership ran out *last year*, and yet

I am still getting their email alerts and paper mailings. Also, when I first joined up, it took several months after they cashed my check to start with the email notices, etc. How far behind can these people be?

[cboy4]

2. My membership also expired but I'm still stealing, I mean borrowing

the HRC logo for my DU avatar! Shhhhhh ;)

[kweerwolf]

3. This doesn't surprise me a bit ...

... I let my membership in ACLU lapse last year because I was unemployed. I still get letters and phone calls requesting donations.

Just about every organization operates likes this. I remember signing some petitions when I went to the March on Washington in '93 and I'm still getting mail from some of them, even after moving. At least the phone calls for donations have stopped, but that may be because I have a new and unlisted phone number.

I can sympathize with organizations needing money and I guess their direct mail and telemarketing must work for them since they keep using them ... but it gets tiresome to get besieged by constant requests for money when it's tough enough to make ends meet as it is. I'd really like to support some of their efforts, but it's not always possible. I even had one organization tell me "the minimum donation is $25" when I offered to send a $10 check. That was the last time I'd even consider giving to them. From now on I try to focus on supporting local LGBT groups and charities where I know the money isn't being wasted on direct mail campaigns every other month.

[RedXIII]

4. here's a report from the BBB.

http://charityreports.give.org/Public/Report.aspx?CharityID=739


Human Rights Campaign Foundation


Human Rights Campaign Foundation March 2005

1640 Rhode Island Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036

202-628-4160

www.hrc.org Expiration Date: March 2006


Year, State Incorporated: 1985, District of Columbia

Affiliates: Human Rights Campaign


Stated Purpose: "to conduct public policy researach and further public education on the social, economic and health issues affecting lesbians and gay men, with particular attention to the AIDS crisis."




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BBB Wise Giving Alliance Comment (Nondisclosure)

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Despite written BBB Wise Giving Alliance requests in the past year, this organization either has not responded to Alliance requests for information or has declined to be evaluated in relation to the Alliance’s Standards for Charity Accountability. While participation in the Alliance’s charity review efforts is voluntary, the Alliance believes that this lack of cooperation may demonstrate a lack of commitment to transparency and accountability.

The BBB Wise Giving Alliance reports on national charities and determines if they meet 20 voluntary standards on matters such as charity finances, appeals, and governance. Without the requested information, it cannot verify if the charity meets these standards. The Alliance does not evaluate the worthiness of the charitable program.




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Tax Status

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Human Rights Campaign Foundation is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. It is eligible to receive contributions deductible as charitable donations for federal income tax purposes.




An organization may change its practices at any time without notice. A copy of this report has been shared with the organization prior to publication. It is not intended to recommend or deprecate, and is furnished solely to assist you in exercising your own judgment. The name Better Business Bureau is a registered service mark of the Council of Better Business Bureaus, Inc.

This report reflects the results of an evaluation of informational materials provided voluntarily by the organization. A copy of this report has been shared with the organization prior to publication. It is not intended to recommend or deprecate, and is furnished solely to assist you in exercising your own judgement. The name Better Business Bureau is a registered service mark of the Council of Better Business Bureaus, Inc.

This report is not to be used for fund raising or promotional purposes.

Return to List of Charity Reports

[terrya]

5. That's irritating as hell.

I've contributed to some other gay/lesbian organizations...Lambda Legal Defense Fund, GLAAD, GLSEN...and none of them match the sheer obnoxiousness of aggressive fund raising like the HRC. And that's what you, I, and everyone else who contributes is doing...paying for the expenses of their fund raising. It's ridiculous.

[sui generis]

6. there is a formula they have to use

The costs of their own marketing campaign with a fixed return on effort has to be greater than the costs of a professional marketing agency campaign that returns ten times the donations.

For instance if the HRC spends 1MM dollars to get back cost plus a 100K in a quarterly campaign they'll give it to a marketing company who will spend 5MM dollars on a wider, fancier distribution to get back cost plus a million dollars and they keep a significant chunk of that for bringing in above threshold for what the company could do for itself.

HRC still comes out much further ahead from the wider exposure, but it is a great deal more annoying and more money is spent on flash and trash because they justify it in the return. I have w-a-y oversimplified for anyone already busy picking this apart on their keyboard.

Professional marketers market, and professional aid organizations provide aid, and the two can't do both effectively.

Just the same it annoys the hell out of me to get crap from Sierra Club or WWF with a NICKEL taped to the letter, or an umbrella in the mail. I would like to be able to opt out of the fancy marketing stuff, kind of like Skinner lets us opt out of the bumper sticker and thank you letter so more money goes to buying Skinner burgers and paying the DU rent and bills.

Save the glossies for the newbies.