I assume that readers of this blog share my passion for habitat protection and wildlife conservation and, therefore, regularly donate to organizations that promote those causes. However, I also assume that many of you, like myself, are dismayed by the weekly mailings and unwanted "gifts" that arrive from many of those organizations. At times, I feel that the majority of my donations are consumed by this relentless solicitation and that, in fact, I am supporting an army of communication specialists rather than the conservation efforts that I hope to foster.
Of course, the organizations will cite the importance of their recruitment programs and likely have data to demonstrate the effectiveness of their mail campaigns. Nevertheless, one wonders how conservation groups, mindful of deforestation and global warming, are so unconcerned about the tons of paper that they produce and the carbon footprint of their advertising and solicitation divisions. A quarterly email would be far more appropriate.
For many of us, there is also an undercurrent of concern that many conservation organizations are, at heart, just money-making businesses, mimicking the deceptive nature of commercialized religions and some relief organizations. Aware of the large and often affluent population of conservation-minded citizens, they may be primarily devoted to income generation (though they are, as an organization, officially nonprofit). Perhaps my concerns are unwarranted but I have stopped supporting groups that respond to my check with a deluge of mail and thank you gifts.
