According to the organization, about 89 percent of its funding comes from 5.7 million donors worldwide. The rest comes from "governments and international organizations."

I just returned from a vacation trip to Vienna, Austria, and DWB had a major display set up in one of the city's parks. Tents, signage, pamphlets, etc. OK, it's a major European city, sympathetic to the cause, and it's, well, Europe.

But then shortly after I returned home, I received a letter soliciting a donation. It was a big, fat envelope, like most begging letters go. Why did I get it? I've never donated before, and other than my church, a museum I have an interest in, Hillsdale College, and the Wounded Warrior Project, I am not a known donor. That makes me think DWB has gone on a major fundraising campaign.

So, who's given them a hefty chunk of change? I respect the overall intention of the organization, but I'm a little leery of them trying to build a political base. Maybe I'm just too suspicious?

quote:

But then shortly after I returned home, I received a letter soliciting a donation. It was a big, fat envelope, like most begging letters go. Why did I get it? I've never donated before,

Your phone knows where you've been.

I get solicitations from them frequently. They likely got my name from another charity that I do support. I have never donated to DWB.

I got one too. It had one of those cheepy reusable tote bag type things in it with their name on it.

I have never donated to them either.

I donate to MSF and get solicitations from charities I’ve never donated to, never heard of, and wouldn’t donate to if I had.
I suspect mailing lists get shared.

As for DWB/MSF, I don’t agree with all of their social/political positions, but that’s true of the NRA or any other organization I can imagine. When I did write a letter objecting to one of their missions that I thought was an unnecessary use of donors’ money (like mine), at least I received a personal reply—not something I could probably say about most charities.

I have donated to MSF and a select number of other charities. I assume all of them sell or provide their mailing lists to other charities. That's fine with me because (1) few if any of them call me which I don't like and (2) I toss envelopes from charities I don't want to donate to unopened in the recycling bin and forget about it.

They all sell their lists to each other...
I donate to Shriners Hospitals because they helped my brother when he was little.
Mrs Mike donates to St.Jude.

I give to the CIA Memorial Foundation. They never release donor addresses.

I tried giving to the NSA Memorial Foundation, but they don't admit they exist, never release their address, and sent an armed team in a black helicopter to interrorize me. It worked, starting when they shot my mouse.