While I've been known to give to charitable causes in the past, I've recently become more generous with my money and have begun donating to a number of charities that I believe have a high impact and a sustainable business model, particularly those that are engaged in microlending (ACCION International) and similar activities (Root Capital, Acumen). This got me thinking, what charities do all of you donate to? If none, why? Are you worried that your money will be wasted, or have you just not taken the time to find any that are of interest?
Note: I also support (to a lesser extent) Water.org, SELF, and SolarAid.
I usually do Movember and Make A Wish. Occasionally I'll throw in a charity run that is for whatever cause..
Navy SEAL Foundation
habitat for humanity. interned for them in college, believe in what they do, e.g. "hand up not a handout"
.
Mainly nonprofits that help people turn their lives around who are motivated to do so such as drug rehab, 2nd chance job seekers, etc. Also have a soft spot for environmentalism and conservation organizations
The large ones. And then MaxLove Project for pediatric cancer
My local church.
The world would be a better place if churches were actually charities.
You mean like this?
http://www.ourladyofperpetualexemption.com/mission.html
That's a pretty ignorant statement.
My church is very involved with ministries in developing countries that feed people, build homes/schools/hospitals, and has other ministries that alleviate poverty in my own city.
Most mission trips that churches sent people on do more in the realm of allowing you to take pictures than make a difference. It'd be much better to give the money directly to a charity overseas. As for domestic issues, there are charities that do every single one of the things you've listed without the greedy church intermediary.
I say this after 12 years of Catholic education, working with 2 different churches intimately on financial issues, and a lot of research. I would never give a church a penny of my money. If you want to make a difference, there are a lot of efficient charities to donate too domestically, and some users have mentioned some already.
Do you know what ministries my church gives to overseas (which are in fact overseas ministries, and not mission trips as you so smugly assumed)? Or do you know with guaranteed certainty the work the missions teams do? (like building homes and schools which I hear firsthand of being completed). Are you aware that there are many successful secular charitable organizations that spend far more than half of the money they take in on overhead expense and make churches look like veritable penny-pinchers in comparison? Are you aware that there are many Christian charitable organizations outside of the Catholic church? Or that your sample size of two churches is as about as significant as the dirt on my shoes?
Of course you don't. I see you're a prospective monkey, which leads me to believe that your confidence in your own knowledge far exceeds the actual knowledge that you possess from a still limited set of experiences.
So go crawl back into your ignorant hole, and come back out when you can make a generalization without making yourself look like a child.
Opportunity International. Good business model, microfinance related, interesting programs and strong presence where I'm based (ANZSEA).
I donate to many charities, most those related to children's hospitals. For the most part I am annoyed by charities, there are far too many doing very similar things. They need to merge, cut costs, go lean, and actually do more with the money they are given. I read somewhere that 60 to 70% of all charity dollars donated in America go to actually running the various charities.
I generally tend to put my money into new business ventures. Creating jobs is the best use your money can ever have. Some say my view is too self centered. But if I put up 50K and it helps someone start a company that creates 10 new jobs over the next 5 years. I have changed 10+ peoples lives, made a nice return for myself and contributed to the tax base. Seems like I'm not the greedy bastard in this case.
Freedom From Religion Foundation (separation of church/state) VH1 Save the Music Foundation (puts instruments in schools) Common Cause (good government, clean elections) ACLU (1st, 4th, 14th amendments) Womens Medical Fund (abortions)
Ducks Unlimited because I care more about waterfowl than most people
Frat PAC
Feeding America The Nature Conservancy (nature organization that gracefully avoids politics) United Methodist Committee on Relief (I am not Christian, but the United Methodist Church absorbs the administrative costs, and they bolster religious pluralism in countries with more totalitarian religious situations, so it's sort of a double-whammy for human development.) The Salvation Army (at the very least it's a great way to get a tax write-off for old, serviceable stuff you'd otherwise throw away.)
None.
A wise analyst once said: never give away something you might need in the future. (particularly relevant to money, tithing, charities, and giving change to the homeless)
A Place Called Home ( http://www.apch.org/ )
Whatever Duane Reade announces to the universe as being my option should I be too slow to hit the red button. Goddamn cashiers trying to make me look like an asshole for refusing to donate $1 to diabetic children or breast cancer survivors when I just spent $14 on seltzer water and chewing gum
Wholefoods is the worst with this... trying to use the customer's money (after they rape you on prepared foods, etc) to fund their own agendas. Total BS.
I only donate when I´m on holiday somewhere, my parents did it when I was younger so this past year when I was in Asia I would donate some money to local schools, most of the time I try to buy schools items such as notebooks, pens, calculators etc. instead of giving them cash since that way I know for sure that my money went towards the school not into a corrupt person´s pocket. Most of the time the adults and kids are kind and grateful but sometimes they (most a few of the kids) are really ungrateful and that really hurts my will to continue donating.
The Clinton Crime Family Foundation, usually.
I think the better question is, what charities will donate to me?
Always fascinated by the number of church experts on this forum.
You mean "experts".
My wife and kids get most of my donations. Also, occasionally a Porsche dealer.
It's like I said earlier, "donations" to the economy are far better than donations to people whose sole job it is to "combat" poverty by handing out sandwiches.
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