On my recent trip to the grocery store, I swiped my card and the machine asked me if I'd like to make a donation to People With Disabilities. It's a smart way for charities to solicit donations because people are already spending money, and adding an extra $5 to the bill doesn't seem like much when you're already shelling out $100. Have you made a donation while checking out at the grocery store?
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Have You Made a Donation at the Grocery Store Checkout?
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I said no -- it's too hard to know who you're donating to. I like to research my charities to make sure I know where the money is really going! Donating to "Let's totally help the children!" sounds awesome, until you realize that they're helping the children by introducing them to Xenu, and that some guy is skimming 75% of the donations. I'd rather go home, research my charity and donate it to a charity I trust.
1Agreed, wmoonw!
2Most grocery store/chain store donations are to reputable charities such as March of Dimes, American Cancer Society etc. I usually will donate a dollar or so because I don't believe there is any research necessary. I have my own personal charities at home that I will obviously donate more to, but a dollar here and there doesn't bother me.
3No, because I have my own set of charities. I almost quit shopping at one store because the clerks were giving customers grief when they didn't donate.
4I said yes but really it was the hubby who was paying for the groceries.
5yes, stop and shop was selling $1 cards for childrens cancer from MSK so its a known cancer hospital, and i got a free chocolate bar from the scratchoff anyway lol
6Yeah, I've done it...One of our local hospitals was raising money for their foundation and you could just round up your total to the next dollar and the change would go to the foundation. It was a really smart idea because it's a small enough amount of money that people wouldn't really miss it.
7i've done it once or twice but most of the time these days i don't. and then i feel like a bad person. they always get you!
8I help out society by a method called taxes. It's a dialectical battle ie I try to not pay and society tries to make me pay more. Is giving freely a value? Then should not one practice one's values? Consider a company collects say 10000. Cannot it write that 10 k off it's bottom line?
9Asking for donations at the checkout is not appropriate. There are a lot of so-called 'non-profit' charities paying huge salaries and giving only a small percentage of what they receive. And one should never donate to a charity/cause he/she does not fully agree with or understand. Try being charitable on a personal level instead of donating to huge organizations who only claim to be charitable.
One person pointed out to me that charities as a whole help perpetuate the status quo of exploitation. In a sense they help compensate exploiters who pay low wages to increase their profit margins, or those who charge outrageous amounts for essential services, like medical services.
Whether you agree with this argument or not, it is not appropriate for you to be put on the spot at the checkout register. Many people say yes while resenting it. A weak 'yes' gets us into trouble in so many ways and allows others, including big corps, to get over.
Tell the manager of the store you do not like to be bothered at the cash register, and are tempted to take your business elsewhere should it continue. If enough people do this, the practice will stop, I assure you.
Be willing to brave other peoples' negative thoughts about you; let them swallow the propaganda if they wish, and be an unconscious slave. Stand up for yourself and be different.
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