NationStates Jolt Archive

I've decided to donate money to a charity. Ideally, it should be humanitarian, have a positive effect on the community I live in (Pacific Northwest, US) and preferably secular.

I'm curious to know which charities you donate to or have donated to in the past and why you chose them in particular. I also welcome advice/recommendations.

Discuss!

Donate to make-a-wish. It helps let children with cancer have their one possible wish.

I donate mostly to faith based charities who feed children in countries like Haiti. I am unaware of a secular agency that does the same.

My oldest really is heart broken over the situation for children in Haiti.

donate to the local food bank. this year its more necessary than ever.

St. Jude Hospital.

Seconded on the food bank. Most of them are really being hit hard so they need it.

Now, I'm not a charity expert, but I do know that you should research your charities. Last thing you want is to give money ot a charity only for them to thank you with a letter saying they'll use the money to help teach impoverished children about jesus/allah/xenu!

donate to the local food bank. this year its more necessary than ever.
A food bank would also probably have a local effect. I've nothing against helping children on the other side of the world, but if you want a positive effect in your community that would be one of the surer bets.

I do a lot of shopping at Whole Foods Market. They support a number of charities and make it easy to give. At checkout, they have tables with already bagged and priced groceries (ranging from small bags at $2.00/bag to large bags at $15.00/bag) - you can add these bags in with your purchases and they'll be given to needy families in the area. They also have a basket at the customer service desk for "gently used" clothing as well as sales of "tickets" ranging from $2 to $10 dollars that go the the Whole Planet Foundation (this money goes into interest free, no deadline micro loans to help people in Third World countries start small, sustainable businesses, it also helps pay for business advisors to aid in their start-ups). This is where most of my donations go. That and the Salvation Army.

I also knit and crochet blankets and hats for at-risk newborns in my area.

Bah! Salvation Army is a scam. They're a religious group, they're homophobic, and they don't even donate stuff but sell stuff.

A food bank would also probably have a local effect. I've nothing against helping children on the other side of the world, but if you want a positive effect in your community that would be one of the surer bets.

Well, this is what I ended up doing. Thanks all.

I always give to the RSPCA myself mostly because I'm a monster but also because I love puppies and kittens >.>

some of the supporters sell me cookies dammit I'd like to see the Congo beat that!

I always give to the RSPCA myself mostly because I'm a monster but also because I love puppies and kittens >.>

some of the supporters sell me cookies dammit I'd like to see the Congo beat that!

ASPCA does rule. Yay puppies and kittens! :D

ASPCA does rule. Yay puppies and kittens! :D

now now its not just to save the cute ones I also give money to save bullshit animals like badgers...apparently

Bah! Salvation Army is a scam. They're a religious group, they're homophobic, and they don't even donate stuff but sell stuff.

Why is the selling part bad ? Just giving money or stuff away for free does not stimulate people to make an effort to get it, nor does it help their pride. There is a reason foreign aid organisations are embracing the micro-credit system ;)

now now its not just to save the cute ones I also give money to save bullshit animals like badgers...apparently

Badgers? Badgers!?! We doan need no stinkin' Badgers!!!

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=aKIAn2UlAX4

:D

I pick 5 charities a year to donate to. All get equal shares. My biggest criterion is the percentage of donations that go directly to the cause, and not to administration. Secondly, I try to entertain local charities to help those in need closest to home. Thirdly, I remember to record the transactions for tax deduction purposes.

now now its not just to save the cute ones I also give money to save bullshit animals like badgers...apparently
Badgers are a much less bullshit animal than foxes :tongue:

The past two years I've donated to Child's Play (http://www.childsplaycharity.org/) by way of LRR's now-annual Desert Bus for Hope (http://desertbus.org/) event.

Not only does the money go to help give children's hospitals a hand, it prolongs the misery of the Desert Bus team, since the length of the marathon is dependent on donations with each additional hour of them having to play that godawful game costing more money (so that it WILL have to end eventually.) Plus Child's Play is relevant to my interests since the other way to donate entails buying toys (often video game-related) for the kids stuck spending a dreary holiday in the hospital.

Bah! Salvation Army is a scam. They're a religious group, they're homophobic, and they don't even donate stuff but sell stuff.

Fail

Bah! Salvation Army is a scam. They're a religious group, they're homophobic, and they don't even donate stuff but sell stuff.

I've lived in North Dakota my whole life. I was here when the Red River flooded in 1997, spilling its banks and flooding my city for 2-3 weeks in April. So it kept freezing and thawing, sewage lines broke ... it was not pleasant. The Salvation Army brought hot meals to people cleaning out their houses.

The Red Cross left when the cameras left. Grand Forks had to sue the RC to get the money donated to flood victims.

It doesn't take much to see why I support the Salvation Army, because until you've been there, you don't know the good work they do. Just my $.02.

Donate to make-a-wish. It helps let children with cancer have their one possible wish.
Agreed. They were amazing to my cousin -- and threw her a kick-ass Sweet Sixteen at West Point, complete with cute young cadets in an honor guard. This was after giving her a dvd player and dvds to watch while undergoing her chemo.

I always suggest Make-A-Wish to people who ask. Good, good people.

Bah! Salvation Army is a scam. They're a religious group, they're homophobic, and they don't even donate stuff but sell stuff.

They sell donated items in their thrift stores for fund raising purposes. They use those funds to feed people and help disaster victims and help women who are abused and pay for rehab for people and hire people who can't get jobs elsewhere.

donate to the local food bank. this year its more necessary than ever.
*Nod* I do this as well. And many supermarkets make it possible with donations right at the register.

St. Jude Hospital.
Another of my faves.... as well as Toys for Tots....

Bah! Salvation Army is a scam.... and they don't even donate stuff but sell stuff.

Fail
http://search.newyork.bbb.org/reports.aspx?action=search2&page=0&cid=1035&Name=Salvation+Army&Region=Any&Category=Any&letter=&Ranking=&meetLetter=m

http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/www_usn_2.nsf

Be informed.

Another of my faves.... as well as Toys for Tots....

Yea, I donate to St. Jude, to local organizations that help battered women and children who been abused, and I help out at the soup kitchen.

http://search.newyork.bbb.org/reports.aspx?action=search2&page=0&cid=1035&Name=Salvation+Army&Region=Any&Category=Any&letter=&Ranking=&meetLetter=m

http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/www_usn_2.nsf

Be informed.

I am informed.
Yes, they do sell a lot of the stuff they receive, but the also, when the condition of the items meet the standards necessary for it (i.e. new or near mint condition) give the items to the needy.

My charities are Cancer Research UK and Amnesty International.

Cancer Research got me outside the union while I was at uni, 2 days after my aunty died of a brain tumor and I've never had the heart to cancel the direct debit.

Badgers are a much less bullshit animal than foxes :tongue:

you have clearly never hit a badger with your car

SNIP

I'm not sure if this makes you an inhuman monster or not :p

First of all, if they were a true charity, they'd have no problem accepting slightly damaged objects. Did you know that a single scratch is enough for them to refuse to take something? Given a choice between sleeping on a bed with a single scratch and sleeping on the flood, everyone except [billionaire] would pick the first.

Second of all, I've been to the local salvation army office on a school trip. They don't raise as many warning bells as those nigerian emailers, but they defintiely feel wrong.

Third of all, have you even read about their issues? They refuse to let higher-ranked staffers marry people outside of the organization. They do what they can to cut dowb the nbubmer of LGBT workers there and strip them of their benefits. They support abominations like prop 8. They don't even get tax-free status as a charity, but as a church.

Yes, Dyakovo, we do have failure here, but not on my side.

I don't get where you think they don't accept things... they take everything. They give the new stuff away, and sell the worn items at greatly reduced prices... and put the money back into food and other programs.

Read the BBB report on them rather than simply saying "I don't like the vibe I get." It's a lot more accurate than your suppositions.

As for the rest of what you're saying, where is your proof of it? Surely you can source it?

The Salvation Army is a charity -- it's on the BBB registry as a charity. That it is associated with a church doesn't keep it from being a charity. See also: Maryknoll Lay Missioners, AMIT Women, et al.

Third of all, have you even read about their issues? They refuse to let higher-ranked staffers marry people outside of the organization. They do what they can to cut dowb the nbubmer of LGBT workers there and strip them of their benefits. They support abominations like prop 8. They don't even get tax-free status as a charity, but as a church.

Yes, Dyakovo, we do have failure here, but not on my side.

Yea, I'm going to have to join Kat here and ask for some proof.

SNIP

SNIP

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvation_Army#Controversy

Section VII of the U.S. Civil Rights Act of 1964 explicitly guarantees its right to discriminate on the basis of its religious beliefs in its hiring. To reinforce its position, it threatened to close all soup kitchens in New York City when the city government proposed legislation that would require all organizations doing business with it to provide equal benefits to unmarried domestic partners

dear lord they ain't getting a penny out of me

I usually give to the International Campaign for Tibet, Shelter Against Violent Environments, and ARF, Tony LaRussa's Animal Rescue Foundation. None of those are really local, though (although LaRussa started ARF when he was in Oakland).

As a public school teacher, I have to say that donating to a struggling school can be a wonderful gift.

As a public school teacher, I have to say that donating to a struggling school can be a wonderful gift.

that it may be but they usually expect you to either come watch some shitty play/come to those money sucking community events/be on the board of governors (though I hear they save time and just kill you quickly now)

that it may be but they usually expect you to either come watch some shitty play/come to those money sucking community events/be on the board of governors (though I hear they save time and just kill you quickly now)

Only because they feel bad about just taking your money without giving you something in return. I don't feel bad about it, though, so if you want to throw $20 to my class, I promise you won't be forced to participate in a thing! :D

I don't feel bad about it, though, so if you want to throw $20 to my class, I promise you won't be forced to participate in a thing! :D

you'll just gonna use the money to buy more Shakespeare that kids have to read! :mad:

At this point in time basic services are in need. Food banks or a service that helps with utilities is a attractive choice right now. In the past I have given to education facilities that provide adults with education to get themselves working. This year may be different. Still havent decided myself.

They sell donated items in their thrift stores .

here they throw alot of donated items away that are ok and could be sold along side staff that can't be sold

you'll just gonna use the money to buy more Shakespeare that kids have to read! :mad:

No I'm not! Really, I--it's for--oh my god, look at that!

*takes money and runs... to the bookstore*

Curesearch, Make-a-wish, or St. Jude's.

Curesearch is by far the best, but it is not donated to enough.

Call To Power's link explains their homophobia and their brutal restriction on who members can marry. Unforutnately, I can't give the damning evidence that I've heard in first person, and I apologize for that. I can, however, link you to outside sources in case you're one of the people that underestimate wikipedia's accuracy:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2001/07/10/politics/main300601.shtml

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9402E7DE1F38F932A25754C0A9679C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all

http://www.chicagopride.com/news/article.cfm/ArticleID/1824489