You don’t have to be male, and you don’t have to be that large, either. You just have to put a look on your face that says that anyone messing with you WILL be sorry about it. I learned this look in Las Vegas, and it has served me well. I have since enhanced the look by carrying a large walking staff everywhere. Between the Look of Imminent Death and the Staff of Attitude Adjustment, I very rarely get solicited (for money) in person any more.
We call them chuggers around here. Some charities have withdrawn them because although they increase revenue, they also alienate and agitate the general public. Write a stern letter to the organisation involved complaining about it, then headbutt one of them.
In the UK, they’re known as ‘Charity Muggers’ (or ‘Chuggers’). I don’t have a citation handy for this, but it’s my understanding that they don’t actually work for the charity, but for an agency that specialises in canvassing - the agency agrees to raise X amount of money for the charity by canvassing under their name and the charity provides the logo clothing and leaflets etc.
Once they have raised X amount of money, they (the agency) keeps all the rest - regardless how much that turns out to be.
In Portsmouth, where I work, there’s always about half a dozen of them on the prowl - the same people using the same pushy tactics to waylay people, but for a different charity every week.
I have absolutely no qualms about blanking them or firmly saying ‘no’ when they ask me to stop and talk - it’s not as if I’m offending their sincere support of the charity of the week. If they ever try to stop me by physically getting in my way, they’ll be barged aside. If they try to grab me, I will respond with force.
“Ms Campbell, we’ve talked about this before…” 
It may also help to send out the Rays of Glowering Ill-Will.
I did this over the weekend to a woman ahead of me on line at the barbecue joint, who deliberated endlessly over every item in her huge order, then when they told her how much it was, suddenly realized she would have to pay for it and began digging through her oversized handbag. I sent the Rays of Glowering Ill-Will directly at the back of her head (set to stun). She didn’t appear to notice, but the clerk gave me a free soft drink.
You are morally obliged to punch them if they are hound dogging people. The rest of the people will think you of exceptional character. They may even give you money.
It’s against Association of Fundraising Professionals code to be paid commissions on donations (and for good reason; who’d work in day-to-day fundraising when you could just spend all your time angling for the occasional major gift?)
I don’t know if Save the Children is part of AFP, though obviously their code isn’t law, and the IRS doesn’t crack down on commission-based fundraising AFAIK.
I generally ignore strangers on the street, but blocking my path is a deal-breaker. Block my path and I get an angry, aggressive look. I’m a big guy and can look pretty intimidating. I wouldn’t take a swing (unless he/she swings first;)) but I guess I look like I might.
During a stint of unemployment I interviewed at the company that sends the Save the Children volunteers out onto the street (I had no idea that is what I would end up doing if they hired me when I went to the interview) and we were told that we would get minimum wage plus a percentage of the donation. I chose not to take that particular job and a week later was hired at my current company (which is super awesome) but for about an hour I considered taking that job. I try to be nice to them since I almost ended up in their position and I know what it is like to weigh the pros and cons of horrible, soul crushing work to be able to pay your rent.
Am I doing a business case on them or something? How the heck should I know? All I know is they are aggressively annoying people claiming to represent some charitable institution.
There have been a couple of times where one of these idiots has shoved one of their flyers in my face and I instinctively tore it up and threw it back at them. Sort of like if someone tosses a ball in your face, you just put up your hands to catch it without thinking.
And to think how close you came to an ass-beating.
What if when they step in front of you and blocked your way, you dropped onto your side and yelled: “Help, I’m being mugged! Help! Help! Save the Children is trying to steal my money! Help!”…?
I’m just a few blocks from you (I’m in the Chrysler Building) and these clowns are all too often hanging around bothering people. It isn’t so much their actual presence that bothers me, or their accosting of passersby. It’s their smug, snotty, condescending attitude that makes me want to inflict grievous bodily harm on them (especially the Greenpeace assholes).
I think my appearance makes them think I’m an easy mark. Long hair, rarely wearing a suit and/or tie, kind of an aging (but neat) hippie look. Maybe. But I’m not one of them.
Usually I just ignore them and keep walking, but fairly recently one of the Greenpeace jerks, as I passed him, ignoring his come-on, said “so you don’t care about the environment?” I could not let that pass. I responded angrily (although not violently). I can’t stand Greenpeace. I know enough about them to regard them as absolute hypocrites. I can’t stand their panhandlers. Assholes.
You should punch them hard enough to knock them out, so you can casually walk away. You don’t want a guy with blood running down his face screaming and scaring people.
“Excuse me, we’d like you to have this flower…” (punch) “Donations for the Reverend Moon?” (punch) “Jews for Jesus?” ( Crack!) “Read about Jehovah’s witness?” (kick) “How about Buddhism?” (Whack!)
What are the legal ramifications in your jurisdiction?
Wow, Msmith537, we’re neighbors. (I go to school across the street from Bryant Park. And yes, recently I’ve been accosted every day, sometimes twice a day.)
Lately I’ve taken to saying “Sorry, late for class” whenever they get in my face. But really, why should I have to come up with an excuse at all? I mean, if I say “No thanks” that should be enough for them, but it never is.
I’m female, and the guys are the ones who bother me; the women leave me alone. I have a theory that they target opposite-sex people for money. Generally if women are collecting I can pass them with little trouble. Maybe they are told to flirt for cash or something, and target people they think would be interested…
Bah, amateur! You don’t say “Sorry, late for class” you bark at them wildly like an angry dog and gnash your teeth like you’ll bite.
“Rahr!Rahr!Rahr!” :: snapchompsnap :: “RAHR! Grrrrrrrrrr!”
They shouldn’t bug you for the rest of the day.
I haven’t been bothered by solicitors while walking, but I get them at my door sometimes. This is in spite of having a “NO SOLICITING” sign prominently displayed - I consider that fair warning. You still want to ring my doorbell and bother me for money, all bets are off. It’s amazing how such a simple, clear sign can be interpreted by people who really want to bother you.
Next testing cycle, we will be teaching mid-range staff in the Taekwondo school. I am so stealing these terms for the first class.
Carry around a can that says “Save the Wukalars” or “Eating Plants is Murder” or the old standby “Ban Dihydrogen Monoxide”. Anytime someone asks for a donation, ask for an equal amount in your can. Be obnoxious. Claiming that everything is the fault of <insert group here> helps especially if it is linked to the chugger e.g. when Greenpeace comes by, blame wukalar devistation on liberals.