I would love to be able to find a worthy charity to donate to in a number of fields, but the more I look into them, the more disappointed I am at how they spend their money.
I’d like to give money for research for cancer and other diseases, to help those truly in need, for education. One of the few charities that DOES put its money to good use is the Salvation Army. I also like the Semper Fi fund and Fisher House for supporting our troops.
Another factor I like in a charity is that they show some progress. Those that can show me what they accomplished last year with their donations move up on my list in comparison to those that are perpetual black holes of need with no positive results for my “investment.”
There is a great book out there called "Begging for Change". It was written by a man who started a soup kitchen in DC with a different philosophy.....he judged success on not seeing the same people ever again.
His belief is that charities should not be judged by how little money get skimmed off the top for administrative pay, but by how they solve the problem. If a charity does not try to actually solve the problem in a realistic way, it deserves no money.
Habitat for Humanity also has very low overhead in many of its organizations. There are numerous regional associations of Habitat and some are better than others, presumably because in some areas supplies cost more to buy and transport than in others and also land on which to build the housing costs more. Not totally sure about that.
Just ignore Jimmy Carter. Habitat is a worthy cause.
Local charities are the most accountable to their contributors. Also you can visit them, meet the staff and see what they’re doing. It’s convenient to volunteer locally and actually feel you’re making a difference if it’s really a cause you believe in.
“I would love to be able to find a worthy charity to donate to in a number of fields, but the more I look into them, the more disappointed I am at how they spend their money.”
Yes. When I was working, we were urged and urged to donate to United Way. To the point where the Administration would make comments about those who “haven’t turned in their donation cards to the office”. There were several who didn’t, especially when the United Way was in the news in a bad way! I believe the best charity to donate to is one through one’s local church, military organizations or helping someone you know is in need.
“The more I look into them, the more disappointed I am at how they spend their money.”
Thats because liberals are so good at spending other peoples money, they find a way to get themselves into the spending departments of these charities just like in the media. Often the money raisers and the givers are conservatives.
You could donate to a cancer center.
My mother-in-law just died at the University of Maryland Cancer Center. They did a wonderful job of treating her and giving her two pretty good years that she wouldn’t have had without them.
If you want to donate, find a teaching or research hospital in your area, or in another one, and give the money directly to them. Likely, they already have a foundation that accepts donations just for this purpose. Someone in another post suggested Sloan Kettering. There are others, in other areas of the country, so you could find someone more local to you.
I started riding a 200 mile bike tour to raise money for Multiple Sclerosis researcha nd help for patients about 12 years ago. I did a little research and found that only 11% of the money raised goes into admin and salaries. 89% goes toward the cause. Since then, I’ve become a little more active in fund raising. I usually raise about $2,000 every year.
Plus it gets me the benefit of having to ride my bike a lot for training.
Try Charitynavigator.com