The Math: Street Charity and the Rules of Engagement

Image: Chris Skiles
$47,961
Amount canvassers-for-hire company Public Outreach raised for charities such as UNICEF, Amnesty International, and Save the Children Federation in 2010, according to the Secretary of State’s office
1
Number of complaints per 3,500 contacts with the public claimed by Public Outreach
$10,000
Amount Dialogue Direct, whose canvassers solicit for Children International, paid in legal fees after the Attorney General’s office accused it of misleading donors
1
Footsteps a canvasser is now permitted to take toward a Seattle pedestrian, per a code of conduct agreement signed by charity solicitation companies in December 2011
6
Total rules in the code of conduct agreement, including no aggressive begging, no blocking a pedestrian’s path, and accepting rejection politely
8
Blocks—only between Pike and Pine streets from Ninth Ave to Pike Place Market—where the agreement applies