Choosing a Charity

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  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
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    toys for tots watching those kids open up presents is such a cool experience. otherwise i agree with another poster I'll accept donations.

    The few I've belonged to are Animal Human, Vital Life Foundation, and St. Baldricks.
  • Derpes
    Derpes Posts: 2,033 Member
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    Examine how efficient they are by:

    - Looking at how much of their budget is spent on fundraising/overhead costs - the lower the better

    -Can they demonstrate measurable results? Look and even ask for statistics
  • whierd
    whierd Posts: 14,026 Member
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    toys for tots watching those kids open up presents is such a cool experience. otherwise i agree with another poster I'll accept donations.

    That one is really near and dear to my heart. I grew up poor so T4T was common in our house at Christmas. It definitely made it a more enjoyable experience for me.
  • rachelmorgan77
    rachelmorgan77 Posts: 131 Member
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    Give to charities that you feel strongly about. Got in shape at the Y? Then donate to them. Is your mother in a long term care facility? If they're a non-profit, they would probably love a donation. Do the arts bring you joy? Then what about your local community theatre or performing arts center? Do you have a local community foundation? We have one in our town, and they house funds for other non profits in town as well as distribute grants and scholarships. They might have a good idea of what is needed out there in the community, and their entire purpose is to match donors to projects/organizations they love. Depending on the size of gift, you could always consider setting up an endowed scholarship fund, so you know it will be around forever. Good luck!
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
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    toys for tots watching those kids open up presents is such a cool experience. otherwise i agree with another poster I'll accept donations.

    That one is really near and dear to my heart. I grew up poor so T4T was common in our house at Christmas. It definitely made it a more enjoyable experience for me.


    http://www.toysfortots.org/

    Looks like you can make monetary donations if you dont have time to buy toys
  • TheRoadDog
    TheRoadDog Posts: 11,793 Member
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    Charity begins at home. Open up a College Fund for your child.
  • SOCOLOCO87
    SOCOLOCO87 Posts: 128 Member
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    Wounded warrior project
  • samammay
    samammay Posts: 468
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    toys for tots watching those kids open up presents is such a cool experience. otherwise i agree with another poster I'll accept donations.

    The few I've belonged to are Animal Human, Vital Life Foundation, and St. Baldricks.

    Thats a really good idea. I love the idea of T4T. Every kid deserves a present.

    We volunteered at the St Baldricks event this summer. It was special.
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
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    We volunteered at the St Baldricks event this summer. It was special.

    Oh that's so awesome! I didnt raise much money for them, but it was an amazing experience. I gotta post the link!

    http://www.stbaldricks.org/
  • walleyclan1
    walleyclan1 Posts: 2,784 Member
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    I prefer, if possible, to donate to causes that will have a long lasting impact on people. For example, I have participated in donations to Samaritan's Purse in the past, and you can purchase a goat, or group of chickens, or stock a fishing pond etc. This type of donation will allow the family blessed with the gift to have a food source for a long period of time and also the ability to barter or sell their product. The whole "give a man a fish and he will eat for a day...." philosophy
  • BigDaddyRonnie
    BigDaddyRonnie Posts: 506 Member
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    Foodbanks are always my first choice. Everyone needs to eat, and I can see first hand that my donations are being used appropriately. Churches and homeless shelters are close behind. Wounded warrior is another good one.

    That is what I have a problem with - making sure my donations get to the end result. Its a challenge to know that our charitable givings are being used for what we intended and for what the cause said they would be used for. I will not just write a check and place in the mail.
  • teresamwhite
    teresamwhite Posts: 947 Member
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    I support charities near and dear to my heart...local food banks, the Wounded Warrior Project, literacy initiatives and cancer research. (@walleyclan1 -that's awesome about the Samaritan's Purse, I will have to look into that one!)

    They all represent causes I can feel good about supporting because I am a chef, a parent, a veteran and a cancer survivor. I think its untenable the number of people who go hungry in this country and around the world every day. I push education for my children and think its important to push education for every child. As a veteran its my priviledge to support my brothers and sisters in uniform, and the families of those who didn't come home. And cancer is an ugly enemy that no one should have to face.

    The charities you choose to support should reflect who you are and what you stand for, and show, rather than tell, your children that you care about the world around you, IMHO.
  • PennyM140
    PennyM140 Posts: 423 Member
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    I've always wanted to have enough extra money to donate anonymously to someone that is struggling to make their life better. Like a single mom going to school, or someone who has lost everything and is trying to get back on their feet.
    I'm sure that you have a connection with someone who knows someone like that who could use a lump sum to make a huge difference in their life.
    Make the donation anonymous so they don't feel like they owe you anything. I bet you anything they will repay the favor to someone else one day.
  • Lrdoflamancha
    Lrdoflamancha Posts: 1,280 Member
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    Yes: Guide Dogs for the Blind San Rafael Ca.
    Your church


    No: All of the giant nationwide charities.
  • tmm_0127
    tmm_0127 Posts: 545 Member
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    You should pick a charity that supports something you care about / believe in. There are so many to pick from, and there are lists out there that can help you see where your donation is actually going: a lot of charities, especially non-profits, use the money themselves and only small amounts go to the people the charities are actually there for. There are a also a bunch of different ways you can donate like sending a physical check, donating online, and calling their donation operators (when you call the operator generally gets a cut of the donation as well).
  • digitalbill
    digitalbill Posts: 1,410 Member
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    I give to two charities.
    1: The Ronald McDonald house. They assisted a family member who had a child with all kinds of medical probbels from burth. Sadly, the baby passed away but, those 22 days of fighting were made easier with the support of the Ronald McDonald house. They put up family members, made things as comfortable as possible and generally made a horrible situation a bit more bearable.

    Second is the Wounded Warrior Project. Just something I take personally.

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