A fundraising manager has apologised after it was accused of pressuring people into donating to charity with pre-recorded calls.
2GB listener John yesterday told radio host Ben Fordham he had received a call over the weekend from The Fundraising Centre.
The caller sounded like a young Australian-accented woman, but John said the tic of momentary delays before her responses made him suspect the call was automated.
He recorded some of the call, with the Nine radio station airing the audio.
Originally, the caller asked John if he could spare a one-off donation of $25 to help alleviate food insecurity.
“Oh, not today,” he replied.
“What’s really great is we’re able to hold off on the processing of your donation for a date that suits you best,” the caller responded.
John said he had told the caller “no” five or six times.
“Before I transfer you to my supervisor we just simply need to establish the level of support that’s most comfortable for you,” the caller says in another part of the call.
“No, I don’t wish to support today,” John said.
“So we’re at least asking all of the community if they can support with at least $20 today. So can we put you down for $20 today?”
“Honestly, every dollar goes such a long way, so how much are you comfortable to help with today?”
Another listener, Josephine, said she had received a call that went along the same lines.
“She was so persistent. She didn’t let up and I felt so guilty afterwards,” she said.
“My husband and I are about 70, we’re both on a pension, we just felt so guilty for days.”
In a statement, a Fundraising Centre spokesperson said the centre had been made aware of a recent call that involved repeated requests for donations, and that it apologised for the “unacceptable experience”.
“This is not how we operate and we are reviewing our processes to ensure this isn’t repeated,” the spokesperson said.
“We recognise it’s important to treat all potential donors with respect, including when they decline to donate.
“The Fundraising Centre supports many loved and valued Australian charities and the funds we help raise from generous Australians support a variety of worthy causes.”
9News understands that the centre does not use AI for its soliciting calls, but that some involve pre-recorded messages managed by a human caller.
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