Donors seeking worthy recipients (phillyBurbs.com) | Courier Times

Donors seeking worthy recipients (phillyBurbs.com) | Courier Times: "Donors seeking worthy recipients

By MARION CALLAHAN
Bucks County Courier Times

He gives more during the holidays than the average family makes in a year.

So, come holiday season, the letters pour in.

A Methodist church in Ohio needs money. So does a college in Chicago and a Korean War organization.

By year's end, Telford business entrepreneur Alex Rankin, 73, sees about 620 requests, many of which are duplicates from organizations that bombard him monthly. Most are legit, some are not. He spends a big chunk of his time sorting through the piles of letters soliciting money for everything from surgeries in third world countries to political groups rivaling Hillary Clinton.

'I get things from groups all over the country that I haven't even heard of,' he said. 'I have to know what they do and what they stand for. I only write one check a year. Otherwise, you'll fall into the trap of writing a check every week.'"