Charities - Where do you donate?

[nurikabe]

I've decided to donate 1/3 of the amount I "pay to myself" every month. Probably this will be to the Dana Farber Cancer institute and to Wikipedia.

Just wondering to what causes others out there might be donating.

[M13]

Habitat for Humanity and Doctors without Borders. Both Nobel Prize Winners

[tropicality]

Charity Navigator - America's Largest Charity Evaluator

Even though I don't donate to charity as I do not have a steady income at this age yet. I feel that most people are giving to the wrong ... 'sector' of charity so to speak.

I will try to explain, for example: the reason the 3rd world countries do not produce enough food to feed themselves, is because within the past century or more the World Bank has been giving 3rd world countries huge loans... and because farming is subsidized in 1st world countries resulting in very cheap prices of these food products that these 3rd world countries had always been producing.... these 3rd world countries then are forced to grow luxury crops such as tobacco and cotton so that they can sell these on the market to pay back their loan! Thus instead of all kinds of food crops growing everywhere resulting in easy access to food - it now has to be shipped to them which the 1st world countries have to do - resulting in more expenses from these 3rd world countries just to feed their population, and as a result of their now corrupt governments (which the 1st world governments played a big part in by the way) the food often gets 'hoarded' and rationed out to the people.

So instead of simply paying some charity that ships them food - covering up the symptom and not hitting the source.. We need to focus on the problems that the Monetary banking system of today as well as the money hungry corporations and our governments are causing. I am not sure of any charity's like this - I am sure you can find some that are trying to expose the truth and get the government or UN to do something about this disaster though.

Another thing is breast cancer, DID YOU KNOW that a few years ago a company was allowed to PATENT A BREAST CANCER CELL?!?! Meaning -- any company/university who had previously been studying that cell to try and find a cure - was now no longer able to, because they would be charged ridiculous fee's by the corporation who now owned the patent! I am sure this has been happening to other things as well. So what good does donating to breast cancer research foundations now have? They are very limited in the research they can now do - other than the corporation who owns the patent.

This is absolutely ridiculous and we need to put an end to these sorts of problems instead of paying some charity that in essence is only a money hungry corporation. Did you know that many of the major charity's only pay out an average of .40 of every $1?? Meaning they keep .60 for every dollar you donate!

The best thing we can do is to expose this kind of information to the population. I will be compiling a list of links to such documentaries for this forum soon that can be copied to dvd and passed around. And I hope that everyone will take part in exposing the REAL "News" of this millenium!

There are much bigger problems in this world than meets the eye of the sheeple.

[trekr5]

How do you decide what charity to give your money to? Do you find a cause close to your heart and do you also look at their financial accounts to see how your money is spent?

[dor]

Originally Posted by trekr5

How do you decide what charity to give your money to? Do you find a cause close to your heart and do you also look at their financial accounts to see how your money is spent?

At least here in the US, the better business bureue rates charities - what % goes to helping people, ect.

I give to:
salvation army
american anglican council
nature conservancy
american farmland trust
aubodon
national trust for historic preservation.

I try to give 10% every month - it's sort of fun looking for places/causes to support

[chicagosuccess]

The two places I give money to (outside of church) are Mercy Ministries and Outreach America.

[Mayo]

If you want to give to a group abroad:

News | Grameen Foundation : Resource Center

If you want to help your local community then give to the needy ones, i would go in helping orphans, if you want help then help someone who is still pure in heart!

[jbischke]

It's not a charity technically but i love (love love love!) Kiva.

The problem with many charities is they make people dependent. I have no interest in that. My goal is to help to empower people. That's what Kiva does.

I realize that if someone is drowning you don't stand on the shore giving them a lecture on how to swim. However, there are a lot of worthy organizations out there working to get life preservers out (e.g., World Vision, one.org, etc.). However, there are precious few that are giving people the ability to lift themselves out of poverty, famine and other crushing conditions. Most any money I donate going forward will be given to organizations focusing on the latter in the hopes that we can break the cycle for future generations.

[Mayo]

The worst problem that our society pushes uneducated people in TWC into the river without giving them the basic lectures about how to swim.

I am lucky enough, to have at least a broadband connection, and have no censures on what can i talk about. Now the only way i can see empowered people is through education, and education is achieved through liberal information approach.

[Stephen]

UNICEF Ireland is the children's charity which works for & with the world's poorest children

[alexander.kharlamov]

I feel like I really have to mention Worldvision. For $30 a month, a child in a third world country will get food, clothing, health care and EDUCATION. I agree with the post above about covering up the effects without going for symptoms.. and I feel like the more people in 3rd world countries get a decent education, the better chances are of a permanent, long-term improvement over there.

[ticktockclok]

Originally Posted by tropicality

Charity Navigator - America's Largest Charity Evaluator

This is absolutely ridiculous and we need to put an end to these sorts of problems instead of paying some charity that in essence is only a money hungry corporation. Did you know that many of the major charity's only pay out an average of .40 of every $1?? Meaning they keep .60 for every dollar you donate!

You know, charities don't just hand out money. There are tons of other costs too.