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If the well-known charity is not reputable, or rather has a reputation for strong-arming, I should find your mother a better one that addresses roughly the same aims.
No one has ever come in person to deliver "gifts." The thought of that raises my alert sense to high; this is totally inappropriate IMHO.
Does the same person come each time? Is any acknowledgment provided with the "gift"? And does your mother give her donations to this individual, or does she mail them? If she gives a check to the person, I'd contact her bank and ask who has endorsed the checks. This sounds like a scam.
I'm wondering though if your mother still receives requests through the mail, of documentation and acknowledgment of her donations and well as pleas for more donations.
As others have advised, I would call the charity ASAP and raise the issue; it wouldn't surprise me if they're unaware of this practice. And if they haven't sanctioned it, the next call should be to the police, to alert them. It may be that this scammer is scouting out houses to burglarize, or whatever.
Since your posted this in the Frauds & Scams section, I think you already are wondering the same thing.
I have a "NO SOLICITING" sign on my door, listing in part the kinds of solicitors who are unwelcome: That includes salespeople for windows, construction, pizzas, religion, lawn service, magazines and more. Two women once ignored that, brazenly pushing their cause.
So I monitored them; they rested for a while in a car parked across the street. I had an errand to run anyway, so I drove slowly past the car, jotted down the license plate number, then called the police on my cell phone and advised that there was a suspicious car that had been parked on the street for some time and asked that they check it out.
Even after telling them I am not interested, they would still occasionally show up AND try multiple ways to keep me tied up. UGH. I keep meaning to put a sign at the end of my long driveway to discourage them. Somehow I don't think this will stop them.
One time it almost ended in disaster - I was on my way out and opened the garage door via opener in the car - as I prepared to back out, they are DAMN lucky I happened to glance back, as they were parked RIGHT behind me!
10/30 PCP appointment, if Mom goes, hoping visit begins the path to a diagnosis.
You definitely have a weird situation here.
By the time my mother passed away she had boxes and boxes of greeting cards, wrapping paper, little cheap blankets, dream catchers, note pads, Tibetan prayer flags - and much, much more. But over the three or so years that this was an issue - never, ever, did anyone show up to her apartment in person.
Id be pretty worried, if I were you. See if you can find a way to get your mom to set an appointment with this person - then make sure you’re there to have a little chat with them. Let them know you’ll involve the police if they don’t stop coming around.
Just a thought.
Thanks for your answer - appreciate being validated and heard.
And a "regional office" that doesn't answer its phone or have voice mail? Another bad sign.
This makes my blood boil!
I assume you searched on the number to back trace it? And got no hits?
It might be time to file a complaint with the BBB as well as the charity monitor I mentioned. If I can remember the names of the others, I'll post them for you.
The IRS has a list of fake charities, or those who aren't legitimate 501(c)(3)s, or who/which have been subject to disciplinary action. Several hits are similar, but there are a few different ones to check out. If this so-called charity is on the list, and is still soliciting, the IRS would probably like to know about it.
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=IRS+list+of+fake+charities&t=h_&ia=web
ETA: so they acknowledged she gave them money but wouldn't tell you the details? A good charity would not EVEN acknowledge that someone gave money. Another red flag.
What are your next plans?