I am very sad how the concerveation council is trying to get more money...Today we got two envelopes in the postbox, one for me and one for my husband (where do they get our contact details from, as I never give my address only email) In each envelope are three bleached white A4 pages and another envelope. The envelopes are at least not bleached and look like recycled paper. The information on the pages is no news, it's what I've been posting here and is all over the news.
They are using my name at least 8 times, so they must have a PR computer program to personalise each letter and all of these sentences are aimed on donating money.
My problem with this kind of spam is that:
- They spend a lot of money on this, money they want us to donate to spam more!
- They are using a lot of paper, while I am also on their email list and always get their digital posts to donate money as well.
- They are not working on a better world, as because if they would do so they wouldn't spend this money on killing more trees!
- They would at least ask you to reuse the envelop it came in instead!
- Instead of using another paper and envelop to tell them how much money you want to donate, why not give an BSB and Account No. so we can do it with internet banking? As you need a credit card or those old fashioned cheques made of paper... I use neither!
- They mention that they could, with my support, see these critical areas protected under Commonwealth legislation before it is too late. But they don't mention how! Only that they will get the message out into the media...
That's what we are doing with a lot of different groups here in Perth already!
These envelopes confirms my ideas about the concervation council even stronger! In 2007 I volunteered for the Walk Against Warming, organised by the concervation council, as I thought it would be to gain awareness, and that it was! The only thing volunteers were to do was rattling buckets in front of peoples noses to donate so they could pay for the "lousy quality ugly cheaply made in China t-shirts" we had to wear! This was so dissapointing that my view on volunteering changed a lot!
Like the German guy I spoke in Claremont last year, he was asking for donations to save the black cockatoo, we started chatting about it, he had never seen one, but the work, standing in the street with the donation box, earned him far more than a job at a fast food chain! He got paid for it! So that means you are paying his salary by donating!
I think we can get a lot of awarenes by giving good examples, talk to our friends and family and suggest a better way of living for the environment instead of asking for money all the time!
I am spending a lot of time on the environment, for free! Like many others, because we believe in it. This blog, which I fill up for the last three years with interesting info on the environment and sustainability is an example of that.
What do you think about this idea of raising money to buy more paper to raise awareness?
Update August: And they did it again, another two envelopes in my postbox... so there is were all that donated money goes... into killing trees to create more paper...
I don't mind donating a bit of money now and then, but I agree with you that they need to get a more modern method for it! The ACF is worse - 6 pages of vague rambling in my mailbox every few months. I'd rather get an email with a short list of what their current projects and needs are, at least then I'd know what I was contributing to. And a bank transfer would be so much more efficient and safer than mailing cash or credit card details.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure it's gotten worse lately too, the ACF used to have short letters for a specific campaign. I wish the Conservation Council wouldn't copy them in this very irritating method of asking for donations.
So they are not the only ones, that's even more sad.
ReplyDeleteI looked up the ACF statement:
The Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) is committed to inspiring people to achieve a healthy environment for all Australians. For over 40 years we have been a strong voice for the environment, promoting solutions through research, consultation, education and partnerships. We work with the community, business and government to protect, restore and sustain our environment.
So they should set an example!