The Charity of Charities

Something that I'm very appreciative of is the large number of pre-printed return address labels that I get from various charities hoping I'll give them money. I'm not sure how these charities get my name. I think perhaps the other charities that I HAVE given money to--such as the 9/11 Recovery Fund and the American Red Cross after Hurricane Katrina--all sell my name to other charities.

I don't know anything about these other charities, but they all send desperate pleas for money, and accompanying these desperate pleas for money are quite often a bunch of return address labels with my name and address already printed on them. The letter usually says something like, "We know you'll plan to support us, so please accept in advance this Bonus gift--a set of personalized correspondence Labels. It's our way of saying Thank You."

I don't know why charities feel the need to send these along with their beggings. Maybe they feel like I'll be guilted into sending them some money. But I never asked them to send me the return address labels, so I feel no need to respond in kind. I always just tuck the labels in with my stamps and envelopes and throw the rest of the letter away.

I have quite a collection of them, from charities as diverse as the Easter Seals to the Arbor Day Foundation to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Thanks to all of these wonderful charities, I may never have to write my name on the outside of an envelope again!