A Charity Calls Asking for a Pledge: A Script for Year-End Calls
Giving Tuesday is December 1 and fundraising calls are already ringing. A polite script, the questions callers must answer, and how to give on your own terms.
“Thank you for your generous pledge last year. Can we count on you again?” You may not remember any pledge, and you do not have to decide on the phone. Here is a script that keeps you generous and in control.
Giving Tuesday falls on December 1, 2026, and the weeks around it are the busiest of the year for fundraising calls. Most come from real organizations and the paid fundraisers they hire. A few come from people who borrow a charity’s name or invent one. You do not need to work out which is which during the call. You only need a routine that sends your money to the charity you chose, by a payment method you chose.
Why the caller is often not the charity
The FTC’s page on giving to a charity says a caller is “most likely a paid fundraiser, not the charity itself.” That is legal and common. It also means part of what you give over the phone may go to the fundraiser. If you would rather the whole amount reached the program, donating directly to the charity is the simplest fix.
Fundraisers who are paid to call must follow the Telemarketing Sales Rule. The FTC’s guide to complying with the rule says these for-profit “telefunders” must disclose, promptly and before asking for money, the name of the charity they are calling for and that the purpose of the call is to ask for a contribution. They may not misrepresent the percentage or amount of your gift that goes to the charity, and if you ask, they must answer truthfully. Charities that make their own calls are not covered by the rule, so the safer habit is the same for everyone: ask, then check.
The script, line by line
| Caller says | You say | Why |
|---|---|---|
| “Thank you for your pledge last year” | “I don’t have a record of that. Please send it in writing.” | The FTC: “If the fundraiser says you already pledged, stop and check.” |
| “We’re helping families this holiday” | “What is the charity’s exact name, website and mailing address?” | The FTC lists these as the first questions to ask |
| “Every dollar helps the kids” | “Are you a paid fundraiser? How much of my gift goes to the program?” | Paid telefunders must answer truthfully if asked |
| “Can I take your card number now?” | “No, I’ll give on the charity’s own website.” | You choose the route and the timing |
| “It’s for the police / firefighters / veterans” | “Is this a charity or a political committee?” | The FTC notes gifts to political action committees are not tax deductible |
| “You can pay by gift card or wire” | Hang up | The FTC says not to donate to anyone who insists on cash, gift cards, wire or crypto |
A real fundraiser can live with every one of those answers. Someone who gets angry or pushes harder after “send it in writing” has told you what you needed to know.
Rules callers must follow, and how to use them
Calling hours
The FTC says fundraising calls are generally not allowed before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m.
Do Not Call
Fundraising calls are allowed even if you are on the National Do Not Call Registry. To stop them, ask to be put on that charity’s do not call list.
Caller ID
Caller ID must show the charity’s or fundraiser’s name and a number you can call to get on its do not call list. The FTC also warns: don’t trust caller ID, because it can be faked.
Recorded calls
Prerecorded fundraising messages are allowed only to members or prior donors, and must offer an opt-out.
The do not call request is worth using. If one fundraiser calls you every few weeks, a single sentence ends it: “Please put me on your do not call list.” Make a note of the date and the organization’s name.
After you hang up: check, then give
- Look up the charity yourself. The FTC points to the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search tool to confirm an organization’s status, and to NASCO’s list of state charity regulators to check whether it is registered in your state.
- Find its website through a search you run, not a link from a text or the caller. The FTC’s October 26, 2026 alert says scammers use real or similar charity names in social media and search ads.
- Give by credit card or check. The FTC calls it “the safest way to donate.” Keep the receipt with your tax papers.
- Write down what you gave. Next year, when someone thanks you for a pledge, you will know.
Set your giving plan before the calls start
The strongest protection is a decision made in November rather than on the phone in December. A one-page plan is enough:
- A total you want to give this year.
- Two to five organizations you have already checked.
- How you will give: the charity’s own site, a check by mail, or a workplace giving program.
- A line for “new causes I hear about,” which you research in January rather than paying on the spot.
With that page on the fridge, a caller’s request becomes easy to sort. If the charity is on your list, you can give on its website later. If it is not, it goes on the January line. Nothing needs a card number today.
Text, email and mail appeals
The same rule carries over. The FTC’s August 2026 donation alert says to verify a text-to-give number on the charity’s own website before using it. Its December 2025 Giving Tuesday alert adds a reminder about crowdfunding: money given on those sites goes to the organizer, so check who that is. For letters with QR codes, see our quick check for codes on mailers and charity flyers. If you are giving after a hurricane or wildfire, our guide to verifying the charity and the payment route after a disaster covers the extra checks.
For a parent who gets many of these calls
Older relatives who gave in the past may be on many lists. Help them write their giving plan, keep a short list of the charities they support by the phone, and agree on the one-line answer at the top of this page. If they want to keep supporting a cause, set up the gift once on the charity’s own website so the calls have nothing to add. Our callback routine for unexpected calls uses the same idea for banks and shops.
If you already gave a card number to a caller you now doubt, call your card issuer, say you want to dispute a charge and replace the card, then report the call to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to your state charity regulator.
Sources
- FTC: Before giving to a charity
- FTC: Complying with the Telemarketing Sales Rule
- FTC: Spot scammers impersonating well-known charities and sweepstakes (October 26, 2026)
- FTC: When donating, support those in need, not a scammer (August 27, 2026)
- FTC: Donate to charities (not scammers) on Giving Tuesday (December 1, 2025)
- NASCO: State charity regulator resources
- GivingTuesday