Debating Reporting Charity Canvasser Who Offered Money for Donation: AITA?

WIBTA for considering reporting a charity canvasser who crossed professional boundaries during a home visit, leaving me feeling conflicted and unsure of my next steps?

Damjan

Published in Interesting
7 Nov 2025

Debating Reporting Charity Canvasser Who Offered Money for Donation: AITA?

In a world where compassion often intersects with caution, a recent Reddit thread has sparked a thought-provoking debate about boundaries, responsibility, and kindness. The original poster, a 31-year-old woman, found herself in an unexpected situation when she invited an 18-year-old charity canvasser into her home to escape the cold rain.

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What began as a simple act of hospitality quickly morphed into a complex encounter that challenged her emotions and instincts. During their hour-long conversation, the young canvasser shared her struggles with job insecurity, mental health, and financial pressure, creating an intimate atmosphere that blurred the lines of professionalism.

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However, as the discussion shifted toward securing a donation, the poster grew uneasy when the canvasser suggested transferring her money to secure the commitment. The tension escalated, leaving the poster to grapple with her initial goodwill versus the implications of the canvasser's unorthodox methods.

Now, the poster is left questioning her actions: Was it wrong not to text the canvasser afterward? Would reporting the situation to her employer make her an antagonist in this already precarious scenario?

As the community weighs in, the thread invites readers to reflect on the balance between empathy and accountability in the face of difficult circumstances. What do you think—should kindness come with conditions, or should we let it flow freely, even when it risks complicating our lives?

Original Post

This is a weird one. Yesterday evening I (31F) invited a door-to-door charity canvasser (18F) into my home to get out of the cold rain.

She was grateful, accepted tea, snacks, an umbrella, and let me dry her soaked gloves. While we waited for the dryer, she opened up a lot.

Said she’s on the “T-list” (up for termination), that her manager recently made her take time off for poor performance, and that she’s been struggling mentally and financially. She said this job is the first steady income she’s ever had, and she’s terrified of losing it.

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At first I didn’t question much. She was wearing company-branded gear for a major humanitarian organization, and I just wanted to show some kindness to someone clearly having a hard day.

We ended up talking for over an hour - mostly her venting about her life. Eventually she logged back into her work tablet and started explaining the donation process.

That’s when I got uneasy. Her language was vague, and something in me said *don’t give your credit-card info*.

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I told her I’d rather reconnect tomorrow, in daylight, after I looked at my finances. I’m in a big life transition and don’t have much wiggle room, especially since the commitment was *a full year at $30/month*.

She started to seem desperate, saying she needed to “lock in” a donor today and how much it would help her. I reiterated that I couldn’t commit that night.

Then she offered to **e-transfer me money from her own account** so I’d have enough credit to make the donation immediately. That’s when I firmly declined.

After about 90 minutes in my house (!!) she finally packed up. Before leaving, she asked for my number.

I told her I’d take hers instead and said I’d text her so she’d have mine. I haven’t texted her, and now I feel like an a*****e.

After she left, I locked the doors and called the organization to confirm they really had canvassers in my area - they did - so I’m confident she did/does do this job for real. But I also know she broke policy by coming inside and offering an e-transfer.

I realize I made a safety mistake by inviting a stranger in, even with good intentions. It felt natural in the moment but probably wasn’t wise.

So AITA for not texting her today? And would I be an even bigger a*****e if I reported the interaction to her employer?

I don’t want to make life harder for someone struggling, but I also worry she’s putting herself in unsafe situations. **TL;DR:** Invited a young charity canvasser in to warm up.

We talked for over an hour, and she later offered to e-transfer me money so I could sign up to donate. I said no.

Now I feel bad for not texting her and am debating reporting the situation.