grumpy bird...

...I hate junk mail. Hate it with a passion. I sign up to things, I send things back, but still it comes. And charity junk mail annoys me more than most.

I was once told that lots of people responded on their fifth mailing! Fifth mailing! How many trees? How much - relatively to the cost of mailings - does it really raise?

I take a hard line on charities these days. I support a smallish number regularly. I try to give more around Christmas, figuring if I can spend all that money on gifts I can contribute a little more to those that need it. I buy stuff in charity shops, and donate stuff to charity shops. I buy the Big Issue. If a cause particularly catches my eye, I may make a one off donation. I tend not to donate to animal charities - though I did buy The Doctor a goat for Christmas. Well he's always wanted one, and this way it doesn't live in our back garden. Yes folks, I'm a capra-NIMBY.

Sorry.

Anyway... I don't deliberately support animal charities - so I've no idea how I got on IFAW's mailing list. Not only did I get a begging letter but I also got a membership card - to be activated when I made a donation, and a whole pile of blank cards.

I'm not going to give a donation. I don't have capacity at present, and I'm annoyed to be put in this position. And more to the point - what do I do with the cards? Throwing them away is a waste, and using them suggests I support an organisation which is currently in my philanthropic dog house.

What to do?