Five of the funniest responses given to face to face fundraisers
Howard Lake | 22 December 2017 | News
Some of the more elaborate reasons for not donating to charity given to fundraisers this year by members of the public have been shared by a fundraising agency.
Hampshire-based Personal Fundraising Services (PFS) is a face-to-face fundraising agency which works with some of the country’s largest and best-known causes. It has raised over £30 million for charities in the past four years.
It is marking the festive season by sharing some of their favourite rejections encountered during fundraising campaigns around the country in 2017.
Vaughan Thomas, managing director for PFS, said: “As December draws to a close we always use this time to look back on the past twelve months and take stock of what we have achieved. While we were at it, we thought it would be a chance to get into the festive spirit by sharing some of the more inventive reasons heard for why people aren’t able to give.”
5 reasons why people didn’t give
1. “I haven’t got time to sign up now, the dog is alone in the kitchen and I’m worried he might be playing with matches.”
2. “Sorry, I only give when my girlfriend is around so she thinks I’m generous.”
3. “I can’t give to charity as it’s against my religion – I’m a Jedi.”
4. “Sorry I won’t give my details out. How do I know you’re not a Russian spy?”
5. “I would love to donate but charity begins at home and this isn’t my house so I can’t help you.”
Not a Force for Good?
Thomas notes that, while this is a light-heard look at some funny responses, people should not of course feel like they have to give an excuse – of any sort – to PFS’s teams.
He said: “It’s great fun to share some of the most imaginative reasons for not giving we’ve heard this past year, but it’s also an important opportunity to point out that people shouldn’t feel under any obligation to give.
“We know there can be any number of reasons why someone isn’t able to – or chooses not to – give, and although some of these excuses are hilarious, we don’t want people to feel they have to go to such outlandish lengths to avoid making a donation.”
PFS provides ongoing training to all of its fundraisers, both in the office and in the field to ensure that it meets high standards of practice. Anyone working with the agency can expect daily coaching, with regular briefings on compliance as well as fundraising technique.
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About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.