Telemarketers and charities—follow the money—it goes to the telemarketer

https://www.salon.com/2018/01/13/when-charities-let-telemarketers-gouge-donors_partner/

This article by OSU professor Brian Mittendorf can help you sort your way through the good, bad and ugly, mostly ugly, of those phone solicitations you receive for worthy causes.  Police.  Abused animals. Women’s needs. Veterans. Cancer.  CAUTION!  Two problems:

“One is legal: State and federal authorities have a limited ability to regulate charities and their fundraisers.

The other is cultural: Charities fight new regulations, arguing that they can police themselves. Yet, they are reluctant to call out their peers who abuse the public trust.”

Charities are making things worse by not policing themselves and by becoming dependent—I guess they figure 10% of the take is better than nothing.

You the donor can police what you do.  I try to know the organization and donate directly.

I'm just reading my script

was her response to my interrupting her "just 4 quick" questions about what did I think about middle class families getting squeezed by American companies getting tax breaks to go overseas. Wow. How many times have we seen that ad on TV? It is Ohio, you know. Well, I threw it right back at her and asked where did she think these companies were supposed to go when our unions and environmentalists have driven them out of our major cities. I told her I was a pensioner, and where did she think my income was supposed to come from, yada yada. Poor thing. "I'm just reading my script" she whimpered. I hope she's getting minimum wage and not being paid under the table or working as a volunteer.