# Question about telethons/fundraisers. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 14, 2016, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-telethons-fundraisers/774694 "2016-12-14T17:18:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2016, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-telethons-fundraisers/774694/1 "2016-12-14T17:18:06Z")
If you promise to donate to a telethon/fundraiser/what have you type thing and then decide you cannot do it for some reason, what authority, if any, do they have to get the money from you? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2016, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-telethons-fundraisers/774694/2 "2016-12-14T18:54:31Z")
They can beg and plead and send you annoying mailings and phone calls and make you feel guilty about it. That’s about it. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2016, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-telethons-fundraisers/774694/3 "2016-12-14T19:12:41Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > They can beg and plead and send you annoying mailings and phone calls and make you feel guilty about it. That’s about it. Just remember: Elmo knows where you live! ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2016, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-telethons-fundraisers/774694/4 "2016-12-14T19:15:55Z")
Kinda what I thought. ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2016, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-telethons-fundraisers/774694/5 "2016-12-14T21:12:25Z")
In practice, if you renege on your $5 or $50 or $500 pledge, the worst that will happen is some letters and phone calls. But there is the legal principle of “detrimental reliance” or “promissory estoppel.” Let’s say you pledge $500,000 towards part of the cost of building a new wing of a university library and, in reliance on your pledge, the university goes out and hires a contractor and starts putting up new walls. The university comes to you for payment and you say “Are you kidding? I was just joking around.” Depending on the state and the exact circumstances, your pledge may be a legally enforceable contract. [Inside Philanthropy: When Donors Back Out: Are Charitable Pledges Legally Enforceable?](http://www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/2015/11/4/when-donors-back-out-are-charitable-pledges-legally-enforcea.html) ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2016, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-telethons-fundraisers/774694/6 "2016-12-14T21:25:49Z")
> [@Alley\_Dweller](#): > > In practice, if you renege on your $5 or $50 or $500 pledge, the worst that will happen is some letters and phone calls. > > But there is the legal principle of “detrimental reliance” or “promissory estoppel.” Let’s say you pledge $500,000 towards part of the cost of building a new wing of a university library and, in reliance on your pledge, the university goes out and hires a contractor and starts putting up new walls. The university comes to you for payment and you say “Are you kidding? I was just joking around.” Depending on the state and the exact circumstances, your pledge may be a legally enforceable contract. > > [Inside Philanthropy: When Donors Back Out: Are Charitable Pledges Legally Enforceable?](http://www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/2015/11/4/when-donors-back-out-are-charitable-pledges-legally-enforcea.html) Gee whiz, who does that sound like? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2016, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-telethons-fundraisers/774694/7 "2016-12-14T22:11:06Z")
If you’re implying what it looks like you’re implying, that’s a question better suited for GD. ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-telethons-fundraisers/774694/8 "2016-12-15T10:20:17Z")
> [@Alley\_Dweller](#): > > In practice, if you renege on your $5 or $50 or $500 pledge, the worst that will happen is some letters and phone calls. > > But there is the legal principle of “detrimental reliance” or “promissory estoppel.” Let’s say you pledge $500,000 towards part of the cost of building a new wing of a university library and, in reliance on your pledge, the university goes out and hires a contractor and starts putting up new walls. The university comes to you for payment and you say “Are you kidding? I was just joking around.” Depending on the state and the exact circumstances, your pledge may be a legally enforceable contract. > > [Inside Philanthropy: When Donors Back Out: Are Charitable Pledges Legally Enforceable?](http://www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/2015/11/4/when-donors-back-out-are-charitable-pledges-legally-enforcea.html) But wouldnt there be a long procedure before this? I mean $500,000 is alot of money. Wont both parties sit down and discuss all of this? Like say just how, when, and where the money will come in? I remember some issues years ago where say a person donated the value of some stocks but then those stocks took a hit and were not worth as much. The charity then expected the donor to make up the loss which they could not. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-telethons-fundraisers/774694/9 "2016-12-15T11:11:58Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > But wouldnt there be a long procedure before this? I mean $500,000 is alot of money. Wont both parties sit down and discuss all of this? Like say just how, when, and where the money will come in? True. But the OP’s question is: What if they change their mind? The following sort of thing can and does happen: The donor and organization come to a happy agreement about the donation, but the money hasn’t actually changed hands yet. Then, the organization - or even a high-ranking member of the organization - or even a middle-ranking member of it - does something that offends the donor. Or even merely says something that offends the donor. Or is even merely accused of doing or saying such a thing. So the donor changes their mind and threatens to withhold the donation. In the best situations, the donor and organization come to some sort of agreement, but sometimes, the lawyers - or even the courts - get involved. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-telethons-fundraisers/774694/10 "2016-12-15T11:24:32Z")
I thought that charity fundraisers took the money from the phone credit - “Text 10 to 1234”, or asked for a credit card if you phone in. I think that a university chancellor would be foolish to enter into a contract without a guarantee that the cash would be forthcoming. At a lower level - sponsored sky dives etc - the individual has to collect the promised donation. In my experience, there will always be some who have never got the cash handy. Whenever I sponsor anyone, I usually pay up in advance to save them the trouble. ---
**Author:** ![USCDiver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uscdiver/32/354_2.png) [@USCDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USCDiver)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-telethons-fundraisers/774694/11 "2016-12-15T12:42:58Z")
When I was in medical school, I got a cold call that convinced me to donate to a policeman charity of some sort. After I got off the phone I thought, “wait a minute, I’m living off student loans, I can’t be donating to that!” I got a couple followup calls but that was it. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-telethons-fundraisers/774694/12 "2016-12-15T17:59:07Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > I thought that charity fundraisers took the money from the phone credit - “Text 10 to 1234”, or asked for a credit card if you phone in. That’s the modern way of doing things. Back when, it really was a promise to send the money. You’d give them a name and address, for example, they’d send you reminder with return envelope, and you pay later. (All these posts and not a single “[Help me Jebus!](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missionary:_Impossible)” reference. Tsk.) ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-telethons-fundraisers/774694/13 "2016-12-15T21:14:05Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > (All these posts and not a single “[Help me Jebus!](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missionary:_Impossible)” reference. Tsk.) What am I, chopped liver? ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-telethons-fundraisers/774694/14 "2016-12-15T22:21:53Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > What am I, chopped liver? D’oh! ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2016, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-telethons-fundraisers/774694/15 "2016-12-16T07:36:37Z")
Is there a charity fundraiser or telethon that _doesn’t_ incorporate the actual payment into the “promise” bit - a form to fill in or a phone call that extracts your credit card details? ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2016, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-telethons-fundraisers/774694/16 "2016-12-16T22:57:59Z")
30 or more years ago they did not always take credit cards when you called. They relied on you to pay after the call.