My Opinion, for 5¢

Last Halloween when my kids came home from trick-or-treating with their filled Unicef boxes, I counted out the coins ($32 worth!) and wrote a personal check to make it easier for the person at school who was collecting all the money to send off to Unicef. Bad idea: Now I'm on Unicef's mailing list as a hot commodity. Today I received two—count 'em, two—direct mail solicitations from them. The first contained the usual request for more money, plus a plastic membership card with my name embossed in gold letters, identifying me as a 2008 Contributing Member. I'll be sure to carry it with me everywhere I go from now on. The second contained another request for donations, plus 45 lovely address labels (they really are quite pretty, decorated with fruit and butterflies), as well as a nickel glued to the return form. "The enclosed nickel could save a child's life!" proclaims the envelope. Well, then, why the hell don't they give it to a starving child instead of to me? And how much did it cost to print up these letters and envelopes, not to mention the address labels and membership card, and mail it all to me? Why not use that money to help save a child's life? I understand that a certain amount of money needs to be spent in order to bring in donations, but I think this is excessive.

Comments

[Bill]

I get Dimes in my mail.

[Janeen]

Now that I work in the wonderful world of fundraising for a non-profit I will tell you that this stuff works for the organization. It's really not that expensive, and it makes a huge difference in the returns they get on their direct mail fundraising efforts. I do have to laugh, however, at them sending you a nickel and then telling you it could save a child's life.