When it comes to things I regret, answering yes to the question, “Do you want to donate a dollar to help fight muscular dystrophy?” shouldn’t be among the top contenders. But it is.
I’ve mentioned before that volunteering your time to charity is a good way to help others and add to your resume during a jobless slump. But donating money is something else entirely.
From that single dollar, I have been sent requests for more money that, counting postage, must have cost at least $15. This also happened when I made donations to other organizations as well. I imagine that hundreds of dollars of donations have gone towards sending me mailings to donate more. And I have requested several times to be removed from such lists, but to no avail.
Since then, I’ve shifted focus. Donations of canned goods, toys, school supplies and so on are still made, but monetary donations have been cut out. And if I ever feel the need to do more, I volunteer. This way I know that my donation will be used to help those who need it.
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