My experience cancelling some recurring donations

I cancelled some recurring donations just prior to New Year’s evening. I decided I had given to these nonprofit organisations for several years. Some of them I had not heard from in many months and one I had not heard from except when they wanted more money. I thought I would share my experience cancelling some recurring donations.

Varied Experience

My experience cancelling the recurring donations varied organisation to organisation. First, I was impressed some of the organisations had staff responding to emails the week of 30 December. I know from working in the industry that most Australian nonprofit organisations are closed the weeks of Christmas and New Year’s. Of the six recurring gifts I chose to cancel, I heard back from three charities. The other organisations responded with an automated out of office message that I would hear from someone the week of 6 January.

Here are other findings:

• One organisation responded by telling me they had actioned my request. Thank you for your email. I have cancelled your donation to <name of organisation>. Kind regards, <Name of person>.
  • This same organisation has not communicated with me over the course of the past two years.
• Another organisation responded by stating they have instructed their team to cancel my recurring donation. The staff person suggested I should reach out to him if I wished to discuss my donation.
• The final responding organisation asked to speak with me. Her email stated the need for recurring support to find their critical programs and she was very kind to offer to change the interval of the donation or to change the dollar amount.
  • Later in the day, the staff person placed a call to me, which I was unable to take because I was in the USA at the time. Clearly this organisation does not want to lose me as a regular donor.

The variance just amongst these three responding organisations is interesting. I will be anxious to see how the other organisations respond after 6 January.