How can one donate to Kamala and other Dems and not get inundated with calls, texts, etc. requesting more?

[dutch777]

We made donations to Biden last election and were overwhelmed with follow on requests from every Dem in the country to help them too. We are all for the cause but despite assurances it seems our contact info was shared far and wide. We want to $upport Kamala but will not be subject to this avalanche of begging now and onward into the next election cycles. We do realize to comply with campaign finance laws our identity has to be provided for substantive donations.

[edisdead]

1. Donate or not if you have a phone yet gon get hit up

Swipe to the left. Delete or block.

[CCExile]

2. Yes, please! From me also!

Provide an opt out or no $!

[debm55]

30. Same here. Ten per day, I just delete.

[democratsruletheday]

36. Same, BUT I will say I've donated in the past to

ACT Blue and NEVER got spammed with texts and/or emails. I believe they do a great job personally. The rest are suspect IMO

[Lebam in LA]

3. Not possible

I get at least 20 texts daily plus 10-20 emails.

[dutch777]

6. Yes, my fear. I have done dead end emails and burner phones before. May have to again. Dumb of the DNC et. al.

[Ms. Toad]

14. They all have ways to stop it by opting out.

Last edited Fri Jul 26, 2024, 12:55 PM - Edit history (1)

Mine were triggered by being involved in voter protection. I just used the code word for turning off the flow, typed exactly as directed, and they stopped. Sometimes there were multiple sources for the same issue/candidate, so I had to stop each one. But it didn't take long.

[intheflow]

22. When I've replied STOP I've get the same text from another number minutes later.

It only blocks that one number, everyone else with your number can still contact you ad infinitum. Worse is when I have replied STOP and then gotten a follow-up email yelling at me: "You agreed to receive our texts when you donated/took our poll!" Sure, a text every now an then but not being spammed non-stop from a million different numbers all asking for money. It's obnoxious. Worse, it's a Newt Gingrich tactic, the text version of spam and physical junk mail.

[Ms. Toad]

24. It does only block the specific sender (for both email and text).

But I've never had more than a half-dozen repeat from a different source, usually within a couple of days, and then they stop (when I opt out of each). Most of the time it is only a couple.

If you get a follow-up phone (text) contact after you follow their directions for opting out (regardless of whether you opted in at some point), and your number is registered with the do not call list, report them.

I always opt out of subsequent contacts when I use a website (they typically auto-check the opt-in so you have to look for it).

[snot]

27. Sorry, but I can't tell you how many times I've done that,

without stanching the flow. I assume I'm not actually continuing to get texts from the same phone number, but it's obvious that they keep using different, new numbers to get past my "STOPs" and other blocks.

I'm literally considering getting a new phone number.

[Ms. Toad]

32. Your experience is different from mine.

I always opt out exactly as they say (capital letters, or lower case, or mixed, in the subject line, in the body, etc. - exactly). Occasionally after a brief spurt of contacts from a different source (different phone number/different email), they all stop. It hasn't ever taken me more than a week to get rid of political ads once they start. (Non-political ads are much harder for me to get stopped.)

[snot]

34. Yes, very different.

This has been my experience for several years, although there's been a surge for Harris since Biden resigned. I don't get junk texts from other sources, just re- Dem candidates, and from all over the country.

I've tried unsubscribing per the instructions, blocking their numbers, designating them as junk, and even calling them to ask where they got my number (if anyone answers, they just say my number was on a list and don't know how the list was compiled).

[Ms. Toad]

40. I've gotten zero emails or texts since Biden resigned.

Aside from those directly related to voter protection (rather than a candidate) - they are gearing up for training for November.

They are the source of the "gimmee" texts and emails I received in 2020 in relation to the Georgia runoff elections and in 2022 in relation to Sherrod Brown. Voter protection those years generated multiple emails and texts, which I was able to stop very quickly, both times.

[snot]

54. I envy you.

[Ocelot II]

4. You can't, unless you send cash in an envelope with no return address

or deposit it in a sack on a campaign office doorstep and run away. That's just the way it works these days.

[Xavier Breath]

21. I was thinking they could just stop by the nearest campaign office

and discreetly slip a twenty under the door and leave. Of course the interns inside would just use it to buy coffee, but hey, you still contributed to the effort.

[rubbersole]

26. Send a postal money order with no return address or name.

You'll feel better and remain anonymous.

[50 Shades Of Blue]

5. It's really pissing me off! I must get a dozen hands' out texts a day.

I now have my default text tone set to "none" just so I'm not hearing it constantly. I assign text tones to my regular contacts so I do hear them.

[Mossfern]

7. I was able to unsubscribe to some

but a few are quite persistent.
I just delete them, it doesn't take that much effort.

[blogslug]

8. Do you have paper checks?

If so, you can write one to the campaign and send it here:

HARRIS VICTORY FUND
PO BOX 96663
WASHINGTON, DC 20077-7085

https://kamalaharris.com/donate-by-mail/

You'll probably be trading unsolicited mail for text messages but 🤷

[BoRaGard]

9. Good question

Campaigns should offer donors the option to opt out of having their contact info abused, sold, exploited, and all the other shit.

The current practice does indeed inhibit lots of people, and for good reason.

Stop pestering us for having donated. Give us a flipping break.

[Hekate]

45. It's called the Unsubscribe link at the bottom of the emails

[ret5hd]

10. donate using your republican neighbors...

name and email.

[dutch777]

11. Oh, that is so evil. I LOVE it!

[CrispyQ]

12. You can't. Our electoral process is a profit making industry.

I thought by not having an ActBlue account I'd get fewer requests but it says in the fine print that you agree to get texts/emails when you donate so your only choice is to block the numbers as they come in or delete as they come in.

[brooklynite]

13. You can donate through Oath.vote

They have links for all major candidates and don’t sell your contact information.

[Cirsium]

17. Good option, thanks

From the Oath.vote website:

"Political fundraising is broken. We all receive way too many spam texts and desperate emails without any clear indication of how donating will actually help. Oath is the solution for YOU - donors, activists, and everyday people who want to make a difference in our political system."

Also:

"Every cycle, Democratic donors waste millions of dollars giving too much to long shot candidates, safe seats, or donating too late to make a difference."

[Alice B.]

20. THANK YOU

I was getting texts asking for more within hours of donating. From the same campaigns!

[Hekate]

48. Never heard of them. ACT BLUE works for me, as I know they send the money where I intend ...

Also, this is an odd statement you quoted:

"Every cycle, Democratic donors waste millions of dollars giving too much to long shot candidates, safe seats, or donating too late to make a difference."

It sounds like they are actively discouraging Democrats from donating at all. Long shot candidates need the dough in order to get ahead. Safe seats won’t be safe if they don’t have the dough to fight the lies from the MAGAGOP. Late in the game is still not too late — money is needed to pay the bills right up to the election and beyond.

Exactly what is the donation sweet spot for these guys, and where are they getting their name from?

[Frank D. Lincoln]

52. Hmm.

I didn't think of that.

[Cirsium]

53. I can see that

Good point. At the same time, I do think it is important for funds to go where they can do the most good. I am not sure they are discouraging Democrats from donating, rather I read it as encouraging people to pay attention to the races where your donations can have the greatest effect. Often an opponent of a particularly loathsome nationally known Republican candidate rakes in massive amounts of cash even though there is little chance of victory, while dozens of state level races that are very winnable are starved for funds.

By the way, I was not necessarily endorsing the organization nor expressing agreement with that statement, I was merely quoting from the site.

My wife and I contribute every cycle to many, many campaigns. We are deluged with text messages and emails. We are more than willing to endure that inconvenience ourselves, but it is annoying.

Thanks for your thoughtful response.

[Frank D. Lincoln]

39. Thanks for that wonderful recommendation.

I'd never heard of them before.

[Hekate]

49. See post #48

[Nimble_Idea]

57. looks good, have you used it?

did you never get a follow up spam?

[UTUSN]

15. I've gotten zero response from my Senate & House candidates about fence large signs.

And on the other side, when the MAGAT took over the erstwhile Dem House district that was Gerrymandered and I emailed to ask they take me off their mailing list for self-promoting brochures, they still send the (free postage) brochures *AND* ever since non-stop emails. Once I marked "REFUSED" on a brochure and put it in the post office, but worried I would be getting visited by goons.

[patphil]

16. I've experienced that also. I pick and choose who I want to give money to.

I've given to Jackie Rosen of Nevada, and Ruben Gallego of Arizona. These are "battleground" states, and it's important to win both these races. Plus, if they win, it will make it easier for Kamala Harris to take those states.
Of course I donated to the Biden campaign, and will give to the Harris campaign.

However, many requests just get grey filed. Can't help them all, and, besides, I donate to several charities and causes on a regular basis. For example, the local food bank, and Planned Parenthood..
There's just so many dollars in the donation pile. When it's depleted, that's it for the month.

[Rachel M at 6 pm]

18. Text reply: STOP

Within hours of my first donation to Harris I begin receiving texts from her campaign asking me to donate.

These were coming in about every four to five hours.

After the fifth text I replied with the word STOP and now all texts from her campaign have ceased.

This doesn't prevent me from continuing to donate, so no harm done.

[snot]

29. I've done that countless time; but

the flood continues. I assume I'm not actually continuing to get texts from the same phone number, but it's obvious that they keep using different, new numbers to get past my "STOPs" and other blocks.

The texts concern Dem candidates from all over the country, too, including states I've never lived in. I've tried everything – texting "STOP," blocking them on my phone, designating them as junk, even calling to ask where they got my number (if they answer, all they can tell me is that my number was on a list and they don't know where the list came from).

This has been going on for several years, although yes, there was a surge for Harris after Biden resigned.

I'm literally considering getting a new phone number.

[moonscape]

19. Get a Google Voice number. Use

that plus a throw-away free email.

[Chakaconcarne]

23. Do NOT donate through your phone

Donate through a computer/laptop and don't include your ph#

[IronLionZion]

25. How to donate to US elections without getting spammed to death

http://plasticbag.org/archives/2020/07/how-to-donate-to-us-elections-without-getting-spammed-to-death/

Google voice number and a dummy email account that's not your main one. You'll also have to unsubscribe from any mail/emails you get. And when they call, say "please add me to your do not call list". Dems use a ton of groups to reach various demographics so it could take a while.

[dobleremolque]

28. Sympathize, but I think it's a futile effort. I finally figured out how to install a filter on my email client and

based on keywords in the subject line, those go straight to the spam/junk/trash folder. I wish there were something similar for text/sms messages, but swipe left does the trick for now, (even though it has almost become the way to get my cardio in for the day.)

[Bucky]

31. Donate in cash neatly stacked in a brief case

Make sure you wipe it down for fingerprints before dropping it off at the prearranged bus station. Wear sunglasses.

[Frank D. Lincoln]

41. That made me laugh.

Good one.

[DeepWinter]

33. 100% understand

Donated to Act Blue and have been completely spammed with solicitations. Have unsubscribed, blocked, "STOP" messages, junk mail, you name it. Never again.

I only donate directly to the specific candidate now. So frustrating.

[TommyT139]

35. What if I use paypal?

Through a website?

[keithbvadu2]

37. Also be wary of entities that take a percentage cut of your donation.

Also be wary of entities that take a percentage cut of your donation.
One that I looked at had two entities taken a percentage cut.

At one time Herschel Walker said that Trump was collecting money for him and keeping 90%.

[Imalittleteapot]

38. 110 donation request messages since Sunday!!!

I’ve been counting. I donated via text maybe 5 times months ago thru Act Blue. Now I contribute online. Doesn’t matter. They have my cell #.

[fargone]

42. New account

Set up a new email account. Donate from it. Then just ignore that account.

Give them the wrong phone number.

[DFW]

43. Donate by check. That's what I do.

You'll still get junk mail, but you can toss that without opening it.

Besides, if you donate online, the credit card companies take their share, which is usually 2.5% to 4% and if you use Act Blue, they rake off another 3.95% for themselves. And yes, your email address and phone number get sent EVERYWHERE.

The begging goes on forever, no matter what. The only way to avoid that completely is to donate $20 bills anonymously into drop boxes.

[Hekate]

44. Cash in a plain brown envelope with no return address. Sorry, was that not the answer you wanted?

Seriously, you have just gotten your intro to the modern world of donations. It’s not personal.

Here’s what I do:

Never say yes to getting texts. In fact, never give your phone number
Give only what you want, when you want, and ignore the rest. You know where to find them when you want to give again
Look at the bottom of the emails for a tiny print “Unsubscribe” link and check that
Go through your in-box every couple of days and Delete the latest 4-dozen pieces of junk-mail
Rinse and repeat

Like I said, it’s not personal — just annoying as hell.

[honest.abe]

46. Yes please.

It’s ridiculous. I’m sure many don’t donate because of this issue.

[Jeebo]

47. I get 100-200 of these e-mails every day.

I have to spend 30 to 45 minutes every day just going through my inbox and deleting them. I can't just blanket-delete them because they are mixed up with e-mails I want to get. I started a thread about this topic a few weeks ago:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100219064671

-- Ron

[Hekate]

51. Does Unsubscribe not work for you at all? That is a ghastly number of emails.

[Lebam in LA]

55. Unsubscribe works for some

Not all emails come from the same source. I also get texts and emails from every Democrat running. Not sure if its somehow linked to actblue. I do "STOP" texts and unsubscribe but someone new keeps popping up.

My fault for sending $ to everyone I can

[Hekate]

61. It's good of you to be generous. I know mailing lists get swapped around and some of them get sold...

BUT I make it a point to Unsubscribe to everything I did not sign up for, and even with the ones I actually did donate to I check to see if there is an alternate such as “only send me the most important notices” or “send fewer emails.” I am about to Unsubscribe the Harris campaign, as someone there has gone bonkers with the messaging. I am hoping to buy a coffee mug eventually, and already have sent a bit of money thru Act Blue. I know where to find them when I’m ready to give more. Meanwhile…

[lotusblossom]

50. I always unsubscribe. I don't get that many communications anymore.

[ecstatic]

56. alternate email and google voice number

Everyone should have one.

That said, I've broken both those rules and am completely overwhelmed with emails, texts and calls.

For email control, you can try filters. Maybe any email that contains ActBlue but not Receipt, move to another label/folder.

[Nimble_Idea]

58. block and report as SPAM, .....been reducing the # but they still come every now and then

[JI7]

59. Create and email you can use just for campaign contributions

then you can just delete all emails recieved.

[tavernier]

60. Did you ever throw a peanut to a pigeon?

Same scenario.

[John Shaft]

62. Email comms?

Use filters.

Telephone? I guess block the numbers?