That "inconvenience" reduces the amount they can use for good work by ~3% by increasing their total admin costs. In addition, because your tax receipt includes those fees, the tax payers of Canada are indirectly subsidizing the CC companies. That may or may not concern donors. I mention it only because I doubt most have ever considered it.Jucius Maximus wrote: ↑I should point out that CanadaHelps is a registered charity itself, though it is true that CC companies will make interchange fees. But the only way to avoid this is by cash or cheque (edit: or pre-authorized bank debit). Too inconvenient for me IMO.
Charities who spam donors (by e-mail, direct mail, telemarketing, etc.) are spending donors' funds (again aided and abetted by taxpayers of Canada) on activities other than what those donors intended. Smaller charities and selected larger charities, who take their mandates more seriously, don't tend to spam. So IMO a more effective way to reduce spam than using CanadaHelps to donate anonymously is to more carefully choose which charities to support in the first place. Again this may or may not resonate with everyone. But it's an option to consider.I am not sure what the second issue has to do with CanadaHelps - the whole point is you can withhold your information so you don't get spammed. And if charities spend a lot on marketing or will spam other people, then just don't give them money by any means. I use a unique e-mail address for CanadaHelps and it also has never received any spam.
[I used to support the Canadian Red Cross. But they're among the worst spammers. A month doesn't go by without a mailing from them. Usually those include tchotchkes like cheap pens (that often don't even work...) That costs them considerable fundraising money. It's my money that doesn't go to where it's really needed. So I've switched my support to Mennonite Central Committee. They do much of the same sort of disaster-relief work as CRC but are more frugal and more dedicated.]
veni, vidi, Visa