It’s your child’s naptime and the door rings, the dog barks and there stands someone who may have overlooked your “No Soliciting” sign outside the door. Has this happened to you? Alright, what about after you’ve sat down to dinner with your family and you hear a knock at the door and there stands a person quickly stating, “I’m not here to sell anything…”? This bothers some families more than others; I too am one of those who are bothered by my uninvited company.
Sadly, most of us can’t help but be skeptical of the motive behind a stranger asking for money. Some Christians have a difficult time saying no to people asking for money for missions though and scammers know this. It’s hard to know if in fact our donation would really go to the organization stated without further investigation. If you should agree to hear the door-to-door representative out considering a donation to their charity, here are some things you ought to keep in mind:
- Don’t be quick to pull out your wallet or checkbook. Instead, take down the organization’s name, address, phone number and tax identification number or any other information you can and do some research. If the company appears reputable to you, then consider mailing in a check or dropping off your donation.
- At any time, don’t hesitate to say “no thank you” and shut the door. As impolite as you think this might be, consider the alternative of agreeing to something out of guilt or pressure.
- If you should make a legitimate donation and change your mind, United States law gives you three business days to cancel your contribution in many cases. Restrictions do apply.
- Remember the door-to-door representative’s name, their approximate height, weight, complexion and build. If for any reason you have reasonable suspicions to the person’s legitimacy (for example, you hear from your neighbors the representative is giving different stories around the neighborhood and you believe them to be a con artist) don’t hesitate to contact your local authorities.
State laws vary so it is a good idea to know where your state stands on door-to-door solicitors. Fewer and fewer organizations are sending collectors door-to-door nowadays. If you would like to donate somewhere, pray about it. If a person is coming to your door in the name of any Christian faith based organization, they should understand too your desire to seek God as to where and how much to give.
Please visit these related blogs:
Top Ten Resources for Charitable Giving, Part I
Four Ways to Teach Your Children About the Importance of Giving