Ask the Experts: How do I get charities to stop calling me?

Q. I enjoy giving money when my heart responds to a certain cause, but it seems I’ve ended up on a charity “hit” list. How can I get them to stop calling for donations if they’re exempt from the federal Do Not Call list?

A. Once you give to one charity, your contact information may quickly turn up on other lists. One way to slow the flow of calls is to tell the charity that you do not want it to rent, sell or exchange your name, address and phone number with any other group. Say you won’t donate again if it doesn’t follow your wishes.

It’s true that charities are exempt from the National Do Not Call Registry, but many maintain their own Do Not Call lists. So tell any callers to add your name to their lists if you do not want to receive calls.

If you’re getting solicitations by mail, write to the source. The American Institute on Philanthropy has a sample letter you can use to tell the charity to stop or reduce mailings to you. You can find it at www.charitywatch.org/articles/fundraising.html.

Source: Sally Hurme