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I would caution people about how they donate to the ACLU. I made a donation last year and since then have been awash in solicitations for donations from SCLC,

I would caution people about how they donate to the ACLU. I made a donation last year and since then have been awash in solicitations for donations from SCLC, Planned Parenthood, Grean Peace, PETA, and other leftist organizations. While I don't object to many of these organizations, I take my privacy very seriously and I wasn't aware when I donated that my personal information would be given/sold out the way it has been.

whichdan 10y ago
If you check out the donation form, people are opted-out of that by default now. (Not sure how it was previously.)
buechs 10y ago
there's an option on the donation page where you can opt-in to the ACLU sharing your details with other charitable organizations. (the default is opt-out).
- cptskippy 10y ago
  I verified via the wayback machine and the page is the same today as it was when I made my donation. I'm fairly certain I would not have checked that box. I make it a point to read checkboxes very carefully as companies are so prone to anti-patterns to get you to agree to share your info or join mailing lists.
  - mynameisvlad 10y ago
    Except, you know, they're a bunch of lawyers so any abuse of their own privacy policy is not really going to fly with them, especially from an optics perspective. It's far more likely that you did, in fact, click the checkbox, and just forgot about it than the ACLU deciding to ignore your request and forward your information anyway.
  - jrockway 10y ago
    I also didn't check the checkbox and haven't heard from the other organizations you cite.
  - therealdrag0 10y ago
    One data point: I have no idea if I checked the box, but I'm a regular subscriber and I've never had solicitation from any of those other companies.
  - jonknee 10y ago
    Always possible you donated to another group around the same time...
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nowarninglabel 10y ago
Yes, I experienced this as well, though it was about 8 years ago. I was really disappointed in the ACLU, I would have thought of all people they would be the last ones to sell off private information. It bothers me that all these groups have spent more money on sending me mail in the ensuing years than the original donation amount to the ACLU. At least now it seems like they let you opt out. This is a problem in the non-profit industry that should get addressed, especially given younger generations are less likely to respond to mailers anyways.
- cptskippy 10y ago
  As an employee of an old world charity trying desperately to connect with younger generations, I completely agree with you. Our organization struggles to unsubscribe people from mailing lists. It's kind of ridiculous.
nommm-nommm 10y ago
I don't think you can fault the ACLU? In my experience: I donated a few times in the past and now I am a guardian of liberty (monthly donation) and I've never gotten any solicitations from any other charity/organization. However in college I never donated to any charity (wasn't stingy, just prioritizing being able to eat and pay rent at that time...) And I got piles and piles and piles of solicitations for those organizations you've mentioned. I don't know where the "leak" came from.

whichdan 10y ago

If you check out the donation form, people are opted-out of that by default now. (Not sure how it was previously.)

buechs 10y ago

there's an option on the donation page where you can opt-in to the ACLU sharing your details with other charitable organizations. (the default is opt-out).

cptskippy 10y ago
I verified via the wayback machine and the page is the same today as it was when I made my donation. I'm fairly certain I would not have checked that box. I make it a point to read checkboxes very carefully as companies are so prone to anti-patterns to get you to agree to share your info or join mailing lists.
- mynameisvlad 10y ago
  Except, you know, they're a bunch of lawyers so any abuse of their own privacy policy is not really going to fly with them, especially from an optics perspective. It's far more likely that you did, in fact, click the checkbox, and just forgot about it than the ACLU deciding to ignore your request and forward your information anyway.
- jrockway 10y ago
  I also didn't check the checkbox and haven't heard from the other organizations you cite.
- therealdrag0 10y ago
  One data point: I have no idea if I checked the box, but I'm a regular subscriber and I've never had solicitation from any of those other companies.
- jonknee 10y ago
  Always possible you donated to another group around the same time...

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nowarninglabel 10y ago

Yes, I experienced this as well, though it was about 8 years ago. I was really disappointed in the ACLU, I would have thought of all people they would be the last ones to sell off private information. It bothers me that all these groups have spent more money on sending me mail in the ensuing years than the original donation amount to the ACLU. At least now it seems like they let you opt out. This is a problem in the non-profit industry that should get addressed, especially given younger generations are less likely to respond to mailers anyways.

cptskippy 10y ago
As an employee of an old world charity trying desperately to connect with younger generations, I completely agree with you. Our organization struggles to unsubscribe people from mailing lists. It's kind of ridiculous.

nommm-nommm 10y ago

I don't think you can fault the ACLU? In my experience: I donated a few times in the past and now I am a guardian of liberty (monthly donation) and I've never gotten any solicitations from any other charity/organization. However in college I never donated to any charity (wasn't stingy, just prioritizing being able to eat and pay rent at that time...) And I got piles and piles and piles of solicitations for those organizations you've mentioned. I don't know where the "leak" came from.