1. I want a receipt for tax purposes.
2. I don't necessarily trust these setups will get to the charity.

Besides, is a buck here and there, I don't sweat it because I am not doing it to help my tax obligation. I do it to help others.

Just to kick this response.

but 100% goes to help the homeless.

I also donate blood regularly and coordinate blood drives. No tax deductions there either. I guess I suck at charity.

I contribute to THE CONTRIBUTOR every single week and I don't count that on taxes. I do however use the Charitable Contributions category to claim up to our allowed amount without receipts. That seems fair to me since we give much more without receipts than we can claim.

FYI, I will use this to promote one of the great things we are doing in Middle Tennessee to help the homeless.

I want to thank you for your blood contributions, both in blood (hee) and your time. I am unable to give blood due to a medical reasons but the rest of the family does so. I think you do 'charity' just fine.

Last edited Tue Jul 1, 2014, 03:37 PM - Edit history (1)

I have a lot of that too in my area. I get that it's an upsell, given that you've just spent 50 to 100 dollars on groceries, what's an extra 1 dollar? It's sneaky and if they'Re doing it, it'S because it works. But I'll agree, it's quite annoying.
______________________________________
google sniper

If so, call the IRS and the police. That is very illegal and easy to prove.

They don't get it or, to my knowledge, any benefit from it other than PR. I don't mind it, especially for organizations like St Jude Children's Hospital (which is one that Kmart collects for) and food banks. It's easy to say no if you can't or don't want to. I like to do it for St Jude whenever I can. It was the charity of choice of my dear friend. Whenever they offer me a sign to full out, I write, "in loving memory of xxxx".

I am all too happy to grab an extra jar or two of tuna or peanut butter and add to their collection.

corporate office.

At least it might make me feel a little better.

I mean, having to tell someone you don't want to donate is such a drag, that this meaningful collection point for their charity should be shut down.

Just because people do not like to be asked to contribute to charities when making commercial transactions does not mean that they don't want to contribute to deserving causes. The problem is that there are so many people asking for contributions that it is not always easy to tell whether it is a well run charity or not and how much of the money actually goes to the needy. If I have never heard of a charity before - I am sorry, but I am inclined not to contribute. And I do not particularly like being asked to contribute just because it is a convenient, "meaningful collection point" for their charity. If I have a choice, I will patronize another establishment which does not hit me up to support particular charities every time I make a purchase.

If corporations wish to contribute to a charity, they should do it out of their profits and not expect their customers to pony up for them. It is a form of emotional blackmail to put people on the spot while they are making a purchase. Well run charities do not use these tactics. If a business wishes to give the public a chance to contribute to a charity there are less intrusive ways to do it.

the poor, misplaced, diseased, a bit better. Why are you worried about you? Do they twist your arm and not let you out of the store?

I too would not mind it on occasion, but it is now continuous--one campaign after another. I budget carefully what I can afford to spend on charitable causes and give monthly directly to a half dozen that are very personally important to me. So, saying no is uncomfortable to me, especially when I shop frequently for a handful of items. I will however, go along with the "rounding" up to the nearest dollar, which is what Safeway usually does. That is a simple gesture that doesn't put people too much on the spot and probably does add up, nonetheless.

Even if that is true, which I highly doubt, the store would first have to claim the receipt of the money as income. Thus, they have now forced themselves to claim income (say, a million dollars), just to get a million dollar deduction that is now potentially limited (charitable deductions cannot exceed ten percent of taxable income for a corporation).

It appears you are just making stuff up for some reason.

Discussionist if that is the kind of combative interaction you are seeking. Uggh. Just nasty for no reason.

FWIW, this is what my CPA told me when asked about the best way to make charitable deductions. If he is wrong then demonstrate the error, rather than attacking others with baseless accusations.

So, it hits their book as a transaction between donor and the recipient. Your CPA must have an ax to grind because since it's in their computer system as a donation, there is no benefit to them to claim it as a donation. It already shows that SOMEONE ELSE donated it.

I think someone needs a new CPA.

Once they take it in, it's a priority liability that must be paid, even ahead of their own bills. It's not their money, in any way.

that business collecting for charity write it off as their OWN then you should politely seek your financial counsel elsewhere. that is hideously wrong...

sP

I believe you but I want backup when I talk about this.

I always plan out (mostly) which charities and how much I will contribute to the year before. Others here have said he (the CPA) is wrong. So, I don't now who is right.

As I said in the post, I'm not against the idea, do it not infrequently when purchasing at the grocery store (especially the programs that just have you round up each time) and, would never tell anyone who to donate to or who not to.

I make a conscious decision in my budget each year of who will get and how much of my charitable contributions. For the last few years now, it has always been either the CT Food Bank or a local soup kitchen. Hunger is so basic to human life that I feel compelled to give whatever I can, as a senior on a fixed income. But I always give.

in which I know all or most of the donations reach the actual people in need. Our local homeless shelters/training centers, our community food bank, and sometimes homeless people if I have the cash.

when I use my American Express card. Don't know if there's some stereotyping going on or what.

but my local Walgreens has never asked for donations, and I have shopped there frequently. The only charities I ever donate to are cancer charities because my mother and sister both died from cancer.

They don't get any financial benefit otherwise since it is not their money they are donating.

I'd say it is once a month around here - I don't mind it (nothing compared to the total bill!) but I can see how it might bug people. I really don't like charities who call at home, and I just tell them I already donate to charities.

it's sort of a scam also

and

any charity/non-profit if it allows you to get a tax deduction is also part of a large scam

Fuck that shit.

Also, forced to say, "Hello," and "Welcome to (blank)" like robots, every time the door opens.

customers questions like about signing up for their special card or whatever.

Ridiculous. I donate directly.

At least not for any tax purpose. The store can claim in it's advertising that "XYZ Stores and its customers raised $XXX to support the Human Foundation," which is a factual statement. But the company cannot write off the investment as a charitable contribution, unless they match the amount raised by their customers.

I cannot believe the number of people posting crap. We are supposed to be the party of charity. We are supposed to be the party of helping out others. This shit I have read in this thread is disgusting. People not wanting to be bothered with the plight of others. People think all charities are a scam. Absolutely amazing...

I personally do not support United Way and it can get irritating to be bugged about it for a month at work. This is because my wife and I budget and donate to charity. Additionally, I don't like Unite Way because all it does is add an additional layer of admin costs between me and the recipients. That said, I support it because I know there are people not as diligent with their money who do not take the time to donate. This gives them an opportunity to stop for a minute and donate to a cause they support.

Same thing with supermarket checkouts. I probably decline more often than not, but have no problem because it provides an opportunity for other to donate and it does go to a good cause. I am not about to shut that down because I don't like being asked. Kind of a first world problem compared to the those the charity is helping are facing.

that's lost income for the government. less money means they either have to adjust budget..or go in debt

once an organization qualifies as non-profit... it costs all of us money lost, whether we like that organization or no

Many anti Democratic organizations are such entities.. non profit
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YOU may like a b and c, but x y and z get same benefits

Just because it is a business asking does not mean it is a well run charity which has a good record of most of the money going to the actual need. It is not about people not wanting to be bothered about the plight of others, it is about wanting to know when one gives a dollar that at least 90 cents of that dollar is going directly to the need. When someone asks you to give to a charity you have never heard of you cannot be sure of that.

own commitment. Just because many here want to CHOOSE the charity and give DIRECTLY does NOT equate to not being charitable.

On that score, given your undeserved sanctimony, rude accusations and general attitude towards others here, I would think many here might well be questioning your charitable assertions, instead.

This reminds me of an experience I had right out of college. I was walking to lunch with some co-workers downtown and we passed a homeless person asking for money. Someone made the comment that it should be illegal and "these homeless people need to stick to alleys because they depress me." Everyone laughed and thought it was a great joke.

Just because YOU don't want to donate to that specific charity or can't afford to, it is pretty pathetic that you would look to do away with the practice that does in fact provide benefits to many struggling people because you are uncomfortable with telling someone no. In my mind, that is no different than the person who wants the homeless people swept into the corner because they are uncomfortable with the sight of them.

Nor are they advocating to do away with it, but expressing their response to it.

You are being totally disingenuous.

really puts people off and they don't want to listen to you even if they agree with you. You are using the same tactics that you decry from the "other" side and sites.

Secondly, did it ever occur to you that the very poor and disadvantaged that you are attempting to advocate for might also be many of those who are being publically hit up like this and that they may not have anything more available for such donations? Or that they may be some of the millions who are just on the edge and need to be very careful with every dollar and that they may have just given somewhere else, either at another store or establishment or directly? Especially since this happens everywhere all the time now.

I know that my own mother has extremely limited monthly income and tries to do what she can at these places when doing necessary shopping (and the basics is really all she can afford), but there are times when she simply has no more available, not even another dollar and not even after help from us. She then feels badly after being made to feel guilty, which pisses me off, because she's the nicest person ever who'd do anything for anyone. So maybe you need to quit nastily broadbrushing. Browbeating and guilting people into charity never does any good. It actually backfires a lot of the time.

I didn't win any money, but it also included a coupon for a free pack of gum. Weird. I think it was for children with cancer or something healthcare related.

I started shoping at Giant when my hippie co-op closed. Their workers are unionized.

Giant workers are union? We have Giant in PA and none in our area are union. They are anti-union, actually. They pay pretty low wages, keep you under hours so you can't get insurance, sick days, vacation, etc. Their practices are similar to WalMart, though their starting pay is a wee bit better.

the members are proudly supporting their union badges and discuss it freely along with their benefits that they bargained for.

I didn't know Giant was in PA. I worked at a Giant Eagle in PA back in high school and that was not union.

Farmer's mkts galore here.

We have a fair amount of farms in my area. Giant pricing can be deceiving - people assume they are the cheapest. I can get better produce deals at Whole Foods on occasion and Trader Joes (though selection is worse) most often.

No union dice here.

Giant has been here for many years. They are everywhere.

We don't have any Giant Eagle in my area of PA.

It doesn't seem like an issue worth getting bothered about to me. I usually just say yes, but I also buy the prepackaged bags of food that go to the local food shelves. Somehow, I'm not bothered by requests for donations to help people.

Your mileage may differ.

Just say no, if you don't want to donate.

No DU Rec for this post. It's a petty issue.

you would seem pretty trivial to me.


Have a nice day.

A genuine first world problem, I think. I provided my opinion of your concern. This is DU. We discuss things here.

If I post something you consider trivial, I invite you to comment on that post, but I don't need to. It's DU. Anyone can comment on anything here.

I fold 33% of the time.

really not that difficult.

A lot of really good organizations get major funding from this and I'll often but not always add a buck onto a bill to help out.

Sites like this are the only way to be sure. Most of the time with these requests I have never heard of the charity before or was able to check it against one of these lists.

http://www.charitywatch.org/toprated.html

When some cashier names a charity out of the blue I have no idea exactly what they do, how efficient they are, and so on. Also I don't want to save a bunch of $1 charitable donation receipts. So I always say "no".

I often give the extra dollar - the money always seems to be collected for a good cause. A lot of organizations are having trouble raising enough money to do their work since the economy hasn't been doing well the past decade or so, and they've book looking for new ways to raise money. This is a new way for them to raise the money they need. Just say no if you don't want to give.

Most of the charities in these cases seem to be "in-house" charities. There is no way of knowing whether it is a good cause or how much of the dollar actually goes to the need. If I am giving a dollar I want to know that at least 90 cents is going to go to the need. There is no way to tell in these situations and no accountability.

the ones I've seen have always been for well-known charities, often involving children.

The food bank I volunteer at gets food and donations from these evil corporations thanks to people giving a dollar here and there.

amount. In store solicitation is less of an inconvenience that having the charity call you. Aslo it bypasses the corrupt charity fundraising scams/companies.

Well run charities do neither and neither inconvenience should have to be tolerated. The store can set up a display with the information. Many do. There is no need to be harassing people in the check-out line. I don't have time to check out a website when I am standing in the check-out line. I am not going to be rude in return, I will just say "No, thank you." But then I will go somewhere else the next time where this rude behavior is not practiced.

complaints about a human asking another human a question.

To the question, "Would you like to help charity X?"

The answer is either "yes" or "no."

Hard to believe this qualifies as harassment. Maybe everyone will be happier when low paid registers clerks are replaced with soulless automatons. Maybe all the damn kids with cancer, the hungry, and the battered should just go away so everyone doesn't have to be inconvenienced.

I am sure their wishes have nothing to do with this. They are being asked to do it by management. You may not be annoyed by this, some people are. If a business wants to annoy me, fine - I will go somewhere where they don't think it is ok to ask their clerks to hit up customers for their favorite charity. I don't ask random strangers to give money to my favorite charity. Just because a business has a captive audience of customers in the check out line does not make it ok for them to do this. It is a matter of courtesy. How do we know the dollar is going to the kids with cancer, the hungry, and the battered if we have never even heard of this particular charity before? You want me to consider giving a dollar? Put up a display explaining the charity and showing how the dollar is going to be spent, as well as the rating by an independent charity rating organization.

You said: "There is no need to be harassing people in the check-out line."

Someone asking you a question is harassment?

When they ask paper of plastic is that harassment too?

You don't want to give to charity? Then say no.
If you can't afford to give to charity? Then say no.
You aren't familiar with the organization? Then say no.

But bashing those who legitimately raise funds to help the unfortunate is disgusting.

The entire rest of your argument is bs too. The grocery store and the checkout counter always has signage about the donation and the receipt shows your donation too.

Train your clerks so that they know the products and don't have to ask me what kind of vegetable that is.
Train your clerks so that they can pack a paper bag efficiently and not have it fall over or be too heavy that the bottom breaks out.
Train your clerks so they can answer simple questions about the shelf life of various products and which ones need to be refrigerated as soon as I get them home and which ones don't.
Train your clerks - about the products the store sells. Don't train them about how to ask for donations in order to maximize the performance in the charity drive. That is not why they are there, that is not why the customer is there.
It is called customer service.

for the Food Bank of Delaware. When I have time, I do the bag, which comes to more like $15. As long as I can spare it, I know the Food Bank would rather have the food than the money.

stand in their lobbies instead of outside. Wonder what the store has to do with that clerk asking for a charity.

bit busy. What you might like to try is manners.

soon as I recognized that I was having trouble. I scan a lot of articles and if I am familiar with a situation I sometimes post. I was not aware that only experts are allowed to post. Guess I will have to quit DU also because I don't read the entire article every time.

I'll even retract my snarky comment if you want.

The jist of it is that the companies basically get free PR from this. I know the chains tend to get their stores to compete against each other by offering some inconsequential "prize"to the winners while they get to present big check to the charity and get their picture in the paper.

Some companies really mean to do well and match customers' contributions, some are out to get as much out of it as possible while doing as close to nothing themselves as they can get away with.

I hope your busy day is going reasonably well!

Julie

how it worked. Spending time on DU is my way to take a break in between cleaning the house and chasing the children. I just sent them out to the chicken pen with a bowl of bread crumbs to throw over the fence. They love to do that.

Sounds like you've got a great environment for them!

Julie

that you are not as involved in things that are happening in town. Access is a big problem, especially if you do not have transportation. We have a rural bus service but if you get one you can be riding up to an hour picking up and letting people all over the country. Not something young children like to do. I am thankful for the bus though when I need it.

If we had proper levels of government support for charities they wouldn't have to do this.

And I don't really mind the grocery store soliciting the donation.

And keep in mind, the cashiers are probably required to ask for the contribution as part of the job. I don't know if the employees are tracked by the percentage of customers they ask, but it wouldn't surprise me. Take it up with management if it bothers you. I don't think the cashiers are doing it just to annoy you.

Management has been on my case lately, they want me to solicit more donations. I have the worst record in the company in this regard. They do keep statistics, they are keeping track of which clerks solicit how much.

It seems official enough but maybe I'm being naive again about business. Not sure if they get anything in exchange for soliciting but it makes me uncomfortable to ask people repetitively.

I keep having to ask, "credit or debit," after a while I sound like a frog.

The customers are being bombarded by discount card offers, flash sales, customer profiling on the computer, and charity solicitations. We cashiers aren't having fun with this either.

I'm doing very well in most categories, I think they are going to keep me a while.

So I absolutely couldn't donate to these causes. I didn't have the money. Even the dollar stores ask for these donations. I understand what they are doing, but I hate having to feel like a bad guy because I got asked to donate a dollar nearly every single time I had to buy something. Those dollars add up quickly when you make $1000 a month.

Every time I check out at a store. They want my phone number, my email address, whether I want their stupid "discount" card, whether I want to donate to this or that charity; etc. After about five minutes of repeatedly saying "no," I'm about ready to strangle somebody. Enough already.

I was at a small, independent book/gift store to make a purchase for a teacher. At the check out, the clerk asked for the name of the teacher. Then he asked my name and even though I told him, I said I knew I wasn't in their system. Then he asked for a phone number. I asked if that was required to make a purchase. He said no and then gave me some lame reason for wanting it...something about when they lose power, they lose information in their system. Then he asked for my email and said it would be to send me updates and coupons and I said no thank you. He then assured me they don't use it for any other purpose, only for themselves in case they need to reach me. (???) I got a little impatient at that point and asked if I could make my purchases or not. He rang up the order but he kept telling me why they ask for this info the whole time.

I feel like the first and only question he should have asked is if I WANTED to provide him with further information. That's it.

Not trying to see how long you can keep them and the people behind them standing there cooling their heels while you extract information and donations out of them.

they are not really charity. They only have to give 1.00 per month per machine to whatever cause they are sponsoring and can keep the rest. I never give to anything like that because I don't trust a one of them.

If it's something like the once a year Muscular Dystrophy telethon or something that I know is legit, I might.

I do give to charities of my own choice. I don't like feeling coerced to give to the particular charity that some store has decided to support.

And the stores may all be legitimate, but they also make interest off the money from the time you donate it to time that they actually send the check to the charity which may be some time. They also (as explained up-post) use it to show their community service interests.

But I always just say "No thank you." That's the end of it. I doubt the cashiers enjoy having to ask either.

And, it's not a tax write off, unless they have an agreement to do matching funds. If you do it and look at the receipt, the receipt clearly shows it as a donation to MoD. It's never really KMart revenue.
GAC

With the new leadership at MoD, i'm ok with donating to them.

Save the Children, for example, is 90%.

http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=12847#.U4Yy2vldWac
http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=4438#.U4Y1gvldWac

Whenever they offer me a sign to fill out, I write, "In loving memory of Dookus".

I would just as soon not have 20 cents out of my dollar go to pay for fundraising. Point is, that is my choice, and I would just as soon not get asked about it every time I check out. I see charity as a private thing. I should be able to give/not give without others knowing about it. And that includes the clerk.

...I'd pay just to get them to shut up and not do that.

I'm looking at you Kmart, Dollar Tree and Burlington Coat Factory

a cowbell.

Actually, Costco is the one exception to my "no donations at stores rule" because I trust them. For disasters we usually drop off a check at Direct Relief International or Red Cross, but this time Costco got to us first.

But no cowbell, thank God. That would have been a turnoff.

Taco Bell around here is collecting to "help kids graduate high school" -- you kick in a buck, and get a coupon for a free taco, which is almost an even trade. Of course, the taco only costs the Bell about a quarter, and I'll probably misplace my coupon, but whatever.

The Speedway gas station chain here has "donate your change" jars at all the registers, and collect huge sums of money that they donate to "Children's Miracle Network" -- ostensibly they'd get no net tax deduction, but do get the public relations boost, like when 7-11 used to present Jerry Lewis with an oversize novelty check for $500,000 on the MDA telethon.

It's not the clerk's fault.

Is when I go into walgreens and they ask me if I want to buy candy bars "for the troops".

I think they finally ended that promotion.

That's how I help people I don't know. And, some foundations need that money, too.

If I can spare a dollar, or a bit of change, I always give if it's ACS, MS, MD, etc. It's the human thing to do.

If I couldn't spare that, I don't think I would be dogging the efforts of others on a message board.

if it's a group I don't agree with or support, because, frankly, not all of these groups are equal. The main one is Autism Speaks, which is known in the ASD community (I raised an aspie son, so got very involved with these things) as "Autism Squeaks". It is nothing less than a hate group against those with autism, or a "curebie" group as it is derisively known. The fact that the only ASD they had on their board, a well-known businessman named John Robinson, (author of "Look me in the Eye&quot quit last year and was very clear in his letter as to why and that they needed to quit promoting hurtful propaganda, misinformation and inaccuracies regarding ASD, and that they needed to quit promoting the negative views of it as a disease that needed to be eradicated and quit advocating for hurtful policies against those with ASD (like my son), is just the tip of the iceberg where they're concerned. It is a dangerous, dangerous group and I will have absolutely nothing to do with it and will not give them one damned penny.

But try telling any of that to stores and establishments that participate in one of their relentless, ubiquitous campaigns. In the previous rural community I lived in, the main convenience/gas store had a huge campaign for them, with post-its all around with the names of people who'd donated so far, and you couldn't make any transaction at all without them asking if you wanted to add any donation for them to your bill, even if you were buying a fucking candy bar. Drove me crazy, and their guilt over my refusals made me nuts. I finally explained why, but they still didn't leave me alone. Pissed me off royally.

stop gap action for the population. Instead of voting in progressive people to office and demanding that medical research and other programs that actually help people are more fully funded, the population is asked or chided or guilted into continually donating for this or that charity. Yes, it adds up, but it's not near the amounts needed and is essentially feel good busy work.

Donate $1 to help homeless pets. I always decline because most of the time I am in there getting food for my foster dogs. I figure I am giving to homeless because I am taking care of them until they get adopted. Besides, I know that when I feed my fosters, my donation is going directly to the dog.

My current fosters

There are a number of ways that charitable organization pursue donations from the public. For example, you can rely on direct mail, phone solicitations, or door-to-door solicitations; you can sit back and hope money will come in on its own, you can set up a Salvation Army style donation booth outside a trafficked area. Compared to those approaches, accepting the assistance of a retail outlet that collects money on your behalf at the retailer's point of sale has the advantage of involving virtually no cost for the charity. So why wouldn't they add this to their arsenal? Because it alienates some people? So do direct mail and phone solicitations (particularly when you get hit up repeatedly after you make a contribution) and door-to-door solicitation.

Personally, I virtually never give in response to retailer point of sale requests. I also never give in response to phone solicitations and try not to give in response to mail solicitation. For the most part, i give to a group of charitable organizations through direct deposit donations spaced out over the year (which have the benefit of generally avoiding constant solicitations). I also sometimes give as a memorial gift in memory of a friend or relative that has passed away.

But to the extent that charities benefit from point of solicitations by getting money at virtually no cost, I have no reason to complain about it.