I am on every do not call list known to man and God. 

I have an unlisted phone number.

Obnoxious charitable giving phone calls irk me the most.  Especially having to do with breast cancer.  The last time one annoyed me I wrote about it.

It was in October and the charity was “getting solicitation calls from breast cancer survivors foundation?”  It is one of the most popular post on this blog.

Well I have a new charity to add to my hit parade: United Breast Cancer Research Society.  Newly minted in 2010, maybe 2011 – can’t tell.

Anyway I get a dinner time call from some old bat with a whiskey and cigarettes voice representing the “United Breast Cancer Reasearch Society” .

So I said to the woman “How did you get my unlisted phone number? Who sold you my information?”

There was no reply  – and she called me as a breast cancer survivor. So someone sold my information, damn them.

So then she takes a breath and  tries to steamroll into this solicitation push, and I stop her and say:

“Let me guess – IF I make a pledge THEN you will send me information on the charity, right?”

“Yes , ”  she says indignantly and continued,   “and we will also send you a pledge envelope.”

Sound familiar?

So I asked her how much money her charity actually paid towards legitimate research projects versus overhead costs like professional fundraisers?

“How am I supposed to know- I work for a fundraising company?”

BINGO!  Been there, done that, have this T-Shirt. NO THANKS.

This broad then goes on to give me crap saying I better watch myself that this is a legitimate charity out of Washington D.C. (“Deee Ceeee”)

And she accentuated the “D.C.” like it made a difference. (And I had a mental visual of a pen or seat twirl and a possible head bob.)

So I told her I was so impressed and I bet they all had tea with Michelle Obama on a regular basis too.

Then she told me she didn’t have to take my crap.

You called me at dinner time, remember, I reminded her.

So she gives me a phone number to call – 1-800-688-5363  .  She tells me that she works for a professional fundraising office in NJ and this phone number is in Green Bay Wisconsin.  Then she hangs up.

I call the number.  Verify they are in Wisconsin and they say they are the answering service for Community Support in NJ.   The woman at the end of the toll-free number would not tell me the company she worked for taking these calls.

So I went to the web.  Soon I will upload what I found on United Breast Cancer Reasearch Society.  However, I will start with saying they have NO Guidestar seal.  Washington State also has a blip on them – they note paid fundraisers and a bullshit mission blip from the charity “To promote  research in areas of benefit to mankind with special reference to the healing  arts. (Read more )  ”

I found a few documents on West Virginia’s website too. Those are the public documents I am posting. The Better Business Bureau in Wisconsin kind of panned them – this “charity” hasn’t responded to their requests for information it seems.

This United Breast Cancer Research Society is registered in WV  AK AL AR AX CA CO CT DC FL GA HI IL KS KY MA MD ME MI MN MS NC ND NH NJ NM NY OH OK OR PA RI SC TN UT VA WA WI.

This “charity” was given a seal of approval by something called PCRM.org – I gave them a ringy dingy to tell them what I thought about them for giving these people a seal of any kind of approval.  Among other things, who the hell are they anyway? And let’s get real, how can you as the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine endorse a charity that has done nothing?

So I can’t find any 990s on these people and they just smell of more of the same.   If you can’t research a non-profit and the person calling can’t tell you anything other than to ask for money, PASS.  There are PLENTY of legitimate breast cancer charities large and small.  But the ones with the “professional” fundraisers? PASS.

Breast cancer charities I find worthy?  Living Beyond Breast Cancer, BreastCancer.org, Save 2nd Base which benefits the Kelly Rooney Foundation, and Great Guys Group. THESE CHARITIES ARE THE REAL DEAL AND I HAVE NEVER GOTTEN A SOLICITATION CALL FROM ANY OF THEM.  You can research them too.  Even actor Alec Baldwin’s mom has a legitimate breast cancer charity! (Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer Research Fund, Inc  if memory serves.)

So save your pennies. If you are a breast cancer survivor, charity begins at home.  If you have something to spare, look into these charities before you pledge one red cent.  Pressure sales are not the hallmark of truly legitimate charities in my opinion.

And oh yeah…back to Community Support of NJ – found them – and called them up.  They were a little surprised to get an in-bound call, that’s for sure.