Even if you can afford it it makes no sense. Impulse giving is not a solution to systemic food insecurity, homelessness, insufficient healthcare, etc. If there's a societal problem, there should be a societal solution. I don't turn to Walmart to meaningfully address these issues, nor do I trust them to.
Care-washing: the greenwashing-adjacent pretending to give a shit about anything other than sloppy blowjobs for your board, top executives, and large shareholders.
They're not even ending hunger that's the worst thing. At best you're paying their taxes.EDIT: Apparently this is a common misconception. At worst you're also funding fascist 'charities' if they decide to just lie and put the money towards "end transness foundation" or the "kill all gay people fund" instead.
Just so everyone is aware, when companies ask you to donate, they have ALREADY PAID for the donation and they are trying to get their money back by nickle and diming their customers. Don't fall for this.
Suspected as much, donating money is an easy way to get a tax break in most places. Wouldn't be surprised to see most companies donating just enough to be sure they got the full tax break from it.
Maybe even match the donation, or even half of it. I get that a penny here and there adds up really quickly to an enormous brand like McDonald's, but seriously matching it even for pennies on the dollar would go far to prove that they're not just trying to associate themselves with being charitable.
If you have any to spare, give your money directly to the victims of capitalism: homeless people.
Most charities under capitalism are an excuse to overpay MBA board members with your donation dollars and then brag about being on that board in capitalist circles. Most corporate drives are a way for those corporations to lower their own tax bill on your dime. Most things that need charity under capitalism are glaring reminders of what parts of society capitalist greed leaves out in the cold to starve.
If the homeless spend it on liquor, good for them, a slight reprieve and numbing of the pain our society inflicts on them 24/7 for the crime of being sub-optimal capital batteries. What, did you think $20 was enough for them to pull themselves back from the abyss the capitalists sent them to to die of exposure and police oligarch defense force brutality?
And if you won't do that because you won't get a receipt from the homeless human beings to write your donation off on your own taxes, starving the commons of revenue, then fuck you, that isn't charity. Charity is giving with no expectation of return, save a warm fuzzy feeling inside.
There's a name for giving money and expecting something tangible back in return like a tax break: a transaction.
If the homeless spend it on liquor, good for them, a slight reprieve and numbing of the pain our society inflicts on them 24/7 for the crime of being sub-optimal capital batteries.
I fully agree with you, expect for this part. Not because I want to control what they do with the money, but because I don't want to give means to substances that will most likely extend how long they are in that situation.
I know the US has very little social services, but substance use is often comorbid with homelessness. In that way, how can I give money -- in good conscious -- to someone I'd be worried could be making their situation worse? Or should I just accept that everyone has free will and that they themselves know what's best for their futures?
I always refuse based on principle. You're really going to guilt me in public into giving a few cents even though you're a corporation who could easily afford millions or billions? Fuck you.
Canada does it all the time as well. I don't feel even a hint of guilt denying it. They also want my name, phone number, address and postal code, all of which I refuse to give, even if I can save 25% on whatever I'm buying.
It is. It was being pushed on me by a cannabis store to get cheaper weed a couple weeks back. So its fresh in my mind. However, not giving out my information has resulted in no spam calls on my phone, and that peace and quiet is worth a few extra dollars.
She claimed they would never sell or use that information except to get me to confirm my phone number in a text.
It reminded me of when I was at Cabela's about ten years ago, and gave them my name and email, only she misspelled my name real bad, and I didn't correct her. I got spam emails for years with that misspelling afterwards.
I'm not really offended by the asking for donations at the register thing, as long as those donations go 100% to the charity and it's a good charity, then doing something to make it easy for people to contribute who wouldn't otherwise take the time is ultimately a good thing.
The one that annoys me is where they match the donations. It feels like a method to guilt people into it by making their refusal to donate $1 into $2 not being donated.
I think you're both right here. Making it easy to donate to a cause with which you believe, by making a donation box available, is awesome. Guilt tripping you into it is wrong. Asking you loudly at the register is wrong. Matching my donation (a form of shaming if you don't donate) is wrong. A grocery store around here use to do a "we are donating $x to this charity, help us if you can by adding to the pile" thing, which was nice. They donated what they donated, and you added on top of that if you could. They made it easy. Then they got on the "we'll match your donation" train, and that, imo, was wrong. Pure chutzpah. I stopped donating at the stores when that happened. I'll still donate directly to the organization, though, if I agree with their cause.
In Vancouver the expected % of tipping has become higher than the interest rate of a grocery store credit card. Even moral purists who think they're saving the world by tipping are starting to say no.
Would you like to buy the single use plastic water to provide safe drinking water to people? No.
How about make a donation to starving kids? No.
How about buying these socks to support shelter for some country? No.
Are you a member? No. Would you like to be a member? No.
Would you...... "NO. JUST LET ME PAY FOR MY T SHIRT"
In Canada, there is no tax write off or anything that compliments them in donations. It is totally and utterly a cock measure for "lookie at what we done!" for PR by making their employees ask people to their face for charity on behalf of the corporation. And the charities will encourage this because, well they get it all and they're name also gets said directly to the face of the consumers.
essentially they replaced a separate paid mall santa with an already paid teller and feel good about it.
So please, tell Y'all Mart to fuck off. Find a manager to explain your distaste and disgust. Legit, go to customer service and get a manager. If you think you're super cool and clever with "smrt cuments" or anger towards the poor fuck who has to ask, no. You're an asshole and just being a cunt to ruin someones day. It's not the worker, stupid. Many rely on those charities and it is doubly insulting and embarrassing to even bring it up.
"I might need those har har har" fuck you. the person you are being a tard to is already on them. Shut. The. Fuck. Up.
If you mean it, and feel that desire to say it, take it to the fucking manager. Keep those pricks standing there for hours. You'd actually be getting your message into the correct channel, and likely doing the clerks a favor because i have never met one that felt good about having to ask people for money like that.
Oh noes, the manner in which I communicate is not on par with this nazi of linguistic purities!
Please, oh please tell me how to better tell you to go fuck yourself for being a cunt to workers and feeling proud of defending such attitudes because of your trigger words!
Skip the entire message for your petty bullshit. No wonder people think you are a fucking moron.
If you, the civilian, donates to a legitimate cause, the billion dollar company won't be able to claim that donation on their tax deductions.
If they donate, it's a zero sum game. Maybe 5 mins in the spotlight for alturism.
But if you give them the money to donate on your behalf? They don't spend a cent and are able to get tax deductions for "philanthropy". It's the best possible outcome (for the company).
The billion dollar supermarket chain should donate a fraction of a percent of their wealth and make more difference than begging their customers will. If they're so eager to donate, donate their 'own' profits already exploited from the customers, workers and suppliers. It's bullshit virtue signalling, no different to when they put up their pride month stuff then do nothing in terms of providing real support.
No they don't, this is tax fraud and illegal. Companies are not allowed to claim donation round-ups as their own for tax purposes. They may match donations, which they can claim, but they cannot claim money they did not spend as their own donations. You, however, can, if you keep your receipts.
"Just because it's illegal doesn't mean they don't do it" -- Fair point, but this is the IRS we're talking about. I doubt big business are willing to fuck around that particular avenue. Other avenues, definitely.
And just like Reddit, the quickest way to get accurate information is to post inaccurate information and then get 10 super snarky corrections by know it alls in the comment replies!