If you’ve ever donated to a political campaign or organization, you’re probably familiar with the situation: You give once to a candidate or cause you support, and then you’re inundated with messages asking you to give more. The experience has gotten more attention recently. Political fundraising surges Over the past few months, as Election Day drew closer, more people began joining the call for donations.
These messages may seem endless, especially during a heated presidential election, but there is always a way to stop them: these fundraisers are required by law to ask for your consent to send you automated messages. Read on to learn more about modern fundraising practices and what you can do to get closer to your fundraisers.
Also, for more information to prepare for this election season, read how to find out about early voting periods in your state and how to check your registration status.
Why does your campaign send so many automated messages?
In the digital age, automated messaging has emerged as a major part of political campaigning, and text messaging in particular has become a powerful tool for campaign fundraising. Busy Alex Kirishi, CEO of call-blocking company Umail, explained in an interview with Time magazine that text messages are more cost-effective than mail or phone calls and tend to encourage more engagement. This is especially true for younger people, who are more likely to respond to a text message from an unknown number than a phone call, he added.
How do I stop donation text messages and emails?
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requires that these fundraisers get user consent to use automated messaging, which means they must also give users the option to opt out.
Most fundraising text messages include some sort of instruction on how to stop the messages (usually by replying “STOP”), and fundraising companies like ActBlue and WinRed state that adding a phone number is optional on their forms, so you can avoid these messages in the first place.
However, adding your email address is generally not optional. To stop receiving future fundraising emails, you must unsubscribe from your current mailing list by clicking the link at the bottom of the message you receive. You may have to do this several times for each fundraising message, as your information may be on multiple lists used in fundraising efforts.
What can you do about phishing scams?
If you suspect that the email you received is a phishing scam rather than a run-of-the-mill unsolicited donation solicitation, do two things: First, do not click on any links or provide any personal information under any circumstances. Second, disregard the message. Anti-Phishing Working Group Please contact us at reportphishing@apwg.org.
For more, see what each of the major presidential candidates has to say about the child tax credit.