Feeling Un-Charitable

Warning: contains uncharitability toward charitable organizations. If you are offended easily, please go play with a puppy.

Dear Non-Profit Body Parts Associations:

Stop contacting my dad. Deceased means dead.

Thank You.

My dad is still getting requests for donations even though the organizations in question have long been advised of his demise.
Now that’s optimism.

He gave money to a wide variety of organization like STARS Air Ambulance, the Heart and Stroke Foundation, the Kidney Foundation, assorted cancers, World Wildlife Fund, and many others. Good for him.

I had his mail forwarded here after he died and got several requests over the months. I sent them back with his name circled with the notation “party deceased.” Each handwritten note included a request to please remove his name and all permutations thereof from the organization’s contact list.

For the past few months now I’ve gotten mail for him with my address on it. I puzzled over this for the longest time, but then I understood.
I suppose they ought to get some points for the sheer cheek of it. They’ve clearly decided that deceased simply means ceased to reside at the original address. They’ve obviously decided that what I meant to say was it’s a change of address only.

No. It means get his name off your list.

You will not get a donation from a dead person and you aren’t going to get one from me now either based on these sad antics.
Do I sound harsh?

Good.

These organizations depend on the good will of the public to survive. I have very little left for them right now.

Part of the money from donation goes to cover costs. Those costs include the postage out and back as well as maintaining a 1-800 phone number. This is money wasted when it goes to solicit money from someone who isn’t around any more.

I used the 800 number to call one of the organizations last week to make sure dad’s name was removed.

I certainly hope it worked.