Widely viewed as a bird-lover's association, NAS devotes most of its resources to furthering a radical environmental agenda. For example, NAS works vigorously on issues such as global warming and solid waste management, hardly issues pertinent to birds. These direct mail letters tend to be brief, issue-specific, and lack details. This is especially true when donors are responding to free token offerings and horror stories. The Audubon Society is not the only advocacy group that uses free gifts to persuade unwitting Americans to donate their money to causes they don't understand.
Many groups use free tokens to maximize fundraising.
Scare tactics are another tried and true method to get money. The bigger the scare, the bigger the donation. NOW solicitations fail to mention that NOW opposes all restrictions on abortion, promotes taxpayer funded abortions, and defends partial birth abortion. CRC's new Guide to Nonprofit Advocacy and Policy Groups provides concise descriptions of 100 top groups like the National Audubon Society, including leadership, activities, and revenues.