Tithing to Charity
- Thread starter turbolapp
- Start date
- Status
National charities are nothing more than bureaucracies designed to suck up any money that gets poored into them. IMO its best to donate around your area, help out the locals a bit. At least you know you're money will go to the people who need it instead of susanne sarandon's fat ass.
Unlike atheists most Christians or Cookoos as someone referred; dont go around talking about Giving.
My choice is salvation army and the local homeless shelter.
My choice is salvation army and the local homeless shelter.
I know this is a far fetched idea but did anyone catch any episodes of the Secret Millionaire? The show was kind of lame the way it was presented with all the dramatics but a couple episodes were really good. The people went out in a poorer community and got to know people and donated at least $100k to whoever they felt deserved it. I thought it was a great way to actually get to know the people you are donating to.
Maybe there are some local places you could visit to see first hand how you could help out.
Maybe there are some local places you could visit to see first hand how you could help out.
Direct donation is the best way.
If you cannot do that though, check what percentage of the total funds of a non-profit organization has been earmarked for the needy. Some of them have 70% "administrative/staffing/fund raising expenses". i.e., if you donate $100, only $30 reaches the people who need it.
You can find out the percentage of "waste" through Charity Navigator (I posted the link above). An example:
Look at the National Save the Sea Turtle Foundation: Charity Navigator Rating - National Save the Sea Turtle Foundation
They have 90% fund raising expenses. So, out of every dollar, 90 cents disappear right there. Only 4.7 cents are available for the program.
If you cannot do that though, check what percentage of the total funds of a non-profit organization has been earmarked for the needy. Some of them have 70% "administrative/staffing/fund raising expenses". i.e., if you donate $100, only $30 reaches the people who need it.
You can find out the percentage of "waste" through Charity Navigator (I posted the link above). An example:
Look at the National Save the Sea Turtle Foundation: Charity Navigator Rating - National Save the Sea Turtle Foundation
They have 90% fund raising expenses. So, out of every dollar, 90 cents disappear right there. Only 4.7 cents are available for the program.
Yeah, chalk up another vote for Kiva. It's such an amazing organization.
That, or support your local no-kill animal shelter
That, or support your local no-kill animal shelter
Seva Foundation: Compassion in Action Seva has served people around the world who are struggling for health, cultural survival and sustainable communities. They have low overhead and most of your $ actually gets to their causes.
I also usually choose local food banks. I hate thinking of hungry families and kids. just search your city/county+food bank
I also usually choose local food banks. I hate thinking of hungry families and kids. just search your city/county+food bank
I think it's a cop out to say all national charities are worthless bureaucracies. Sites like CharityWatch and CharityNavigator are made to differentiate between the crap charities that spend all their money on admin and the ones that actually do good. If the charity is 501c, then they have to make their books transparent to the public as far as I know. I also recommend a local food bank or no kill shelter. There is one locally for me called Paws For Life that seems pretty good.
Well that's why I was asking for charity websites that had clear financials listed. Something like :
https://www.ikat.org/about-cai/financials/
https://www.ikat.org/about-cai/financials/
Heifer Project
Turbo, one of my favorite charities is the Heifer Project. They give animals to poor folks to raise for milk or meat. They breed the animals and must pass along one of the offspring to another poor person thus repaying their initial gift. Take a look at Charitable Gift Giving that Makes a Difference | Heifer International. They do cattle, goats, rabbits etc. "Teach a man to fish....."
Turbo, one of my favorite charities is the Heifer Project. They give animals to poor folks to raise for milk or meat. They breed the animals and must pass along one of the offspring to another poor person thus repaying their initial gift. Take a look at Charitable Gift Giving that Makes a Difference | Heifer International. They do cattle, goats, rabbits etc. "Teach a man to fish....."
@Audax Yep Smile train gets some money from us every year . Amazing what a few hundred dollars will do for a kid with a cleft palate. Give them a normal life.
I went down to help out for Disaster Relief stuff in Gulfport and Biloxi MS from Sept and Oct 2005. I saw what the Red Cross was doing, and while the volunteers were tremendous, they are SERIOUSLY mismanaged. They had all this food that was literally spoiling and going to waste because it was either improperly allocated (to a town that didn't really need it, or to a population where most of the residents had actually left) or because of miscommunication. Unless their organization has undergone a COMPLETE overhaul, I've seen them in action- they suck. 60% of your dollar (as of 2005) is going to overhead and salaries first.
--------------------------
The charity I would volunteer to the crowd (for Dog/ Animal lovers, anyway) is the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.
They were founded when an MD, at medical school, was appalled by the experience of breaking a dog's bones just to fix them- removing organs in the name of learning trauma surgery - you name it. What sucks the most, imho, is that most of these dogs were neglected or abused in the first place.
Read about why they were founded
Page on giving
This organization has done a pretty great job of getting the number of medical schools that do this down to eight- but the last eight are goliaths like Hopkins.
If you were as appalled to learn about this as I was, they could sure use your help.
/rant
@ Turbo, remember, people first. I used to give to the environmental and animal groups but I don't like beating a dead horse or cow or dog. Maybe we need a People First website. Non profits can be very profitable, I hear.
- Status