"Need a Bigger Mailbox" in Madison

ONE CENT:

I think you are probably right about this depending upon what kind of charities you are giving to.  If you are giving to a large charity, most likely they have a large marketing campaign, with mail solicitation many times a year and other advertising campaigns.  If you give to a small charity, it could be that your $25 is given more directly to those that need it.   The current economy makes us really think about getting the most bang for our buck, so this is a great question to help us focus on how our money (for spending and giving) is used for its greatest purpose.  Doing some research on the groups we give to is always a good idea. 

TWO CENT:

Dear Mailbox,

Hello -- Your gut instinct is absolutely correct!  Giving $25 barely covers the costs of the increased mailings you will receive.   According to Charity Navigator, "The quickest and most surefire way to wind up on mailing lists is to make lots of small charitable donations. 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.  Charities obviously tend to be much more protective of donors that give large gifts. The charitable marketplace is crowded with many charities pursuing similar missions. Since the majority of donations come from individuals and not foundations, corporations or the government, charities are in competition with each other for your donation. A charity would never divulge a mid- to high-level donor's personal information to another charity. The revenue it could generate by selling the donor's information simply doesn't outweigh the risk of losing that donor to the other charity. If you've taken the time to find an efficient and effective charity whose work in which you believe, then it shouldn't be too difficult for you to decide to concentrate your giving on that charity instead of spreading your money around to many charities with whom you are less familiar."