Charities - how do you choose?

[soulmama]

There are so many out there after our donations... which ones do you give to and why??:unsure

And how do you get out of the ones you don't want to donate to?? :(


I tend to give to children's cancer charities mostly followed by other children's charities then the Variety club etc due to our own experiences. :wink2

I don't give to charities who knock on my door or ring me at home... just kind of annoys me really. I'll choose who I wish to give my money to and I don't appreciate someone watching over my shoulder. :tongue_smilie

Usually if they ring or turn up on my doorstep, I tell them I'll donate to their charity if they donate to mine.... funny I've never had anyone take me up on that... although once a lady did send me a lovely card in the mail. :rofl

[Kathryn]

:rofl @ SM

We sponsor a child through World Vision and an Aussie's kid's educational costs through The Smith Family. We started this on the anniversary of my dad's birthday at DH's suggestion as we were trying to think of a constructive way to commemorate him.

I'm a happy giver - I like to share the love now we are feeling a bit more financially stable (well, this week, lol). But DH doesn't really like to just give money away, so it's good for him to be able to 'see' that it's directly affecting a 'face' iykwim.

I do give a few dollars to door knockers. If someone asks me for a donation, I figure if I can afford to have lunch out or coffee when I fancy it, I can afford to donate a few dollars here and there too, especially if it's a charity so close to a neighbour's heart they are spending their time collecting.

I *do not* give money to people who call on the phone. That just bugs me. I just say "I don't donate over the phone" which tends to end the conversation quickly.

I give money to various community-type things, school, kindy, scouts, etc, and to the red cross or oxfam when there are international crises (although in reality they are happening all the time, but it's only some of them that get reported in the media to give me a nudge.)

I'm also make a small monthly donation to ACF, although they are bugging me by sending too much paper mail.

So my answer is that I'm not very good at deciding... I like to be able to have an idea of where my money is going, and do prefer charities closer to home, but then seeing how much more dire some situations abroad are, it seems right to divert some money there too. I wanted to be a unicef 'global parent' but need to find the funds.

Gawd, I sound like a right philanthropist. I'm not. It doesn't add up to a fortune. Sometimes I think it would be better to give more to fewer charities. Dunno.

[Donna]

Great question C!

I think with me it comes down to what has affected me personally.

I always buy a red nose every year. This stems from a friend who lost his baby to sids when T13 was a baby. They were the same age. And then my own pregnancy loss when I had just hit my second trimester.

And now my mission to raise money for Breast Cancer. This is something I have always had there in my mind, how many women it affects etc. But it didn't hit home really... properly, until last month when my dear friend Cath was diagnosed. And then when I started asking questions, reading... and now talking to so many women who themselves, or their Mothers, Sisters, Aunts, Grandmothers have been diagnosed or affected... it has given my a drive I can't explain to do something that just might help some other Woman or family not go through what they have. I think I have found my cause.

I've never had a door knocker... but I've always lived rural... and then only the religious people like to travel that far... only to find out they have wasted their time.

[Pinky]

we give to the Canadian Wildlife Federation (http://www.cwf-fcf.org/en/what-we-do/)... they buy land in canada and protect it so that no one can develop it.

They focus on swamps and other natural filter places.. but do lots of good.

I also give to the OFI (http://www.orangutan.org/).

I dunno... I see so many charities for abused cats and dogs, children who live in slums and sick kids and for some reason they don't move me the way the environment does.

I think it is sadder to kill off an entire species than anything else that is sad in this world. dunno why.

[melchpeppi]

I generally support Watoto, I like that they are run 100% by missionaries and there is no corporation to fund - that and I love their vision (although a little religious) for Uganda and its people.

I will not support any charity in malls (they pay their 'volunteers' up to $25/hr to harass people). I verge on rude when it comes to them LOL!

RSPCA is another charity that I cant help but donate to. There are others also but Watoto is my big one :D

[*bunty*]

I donate to Guide Dogs. I just think they are a really useful charity and one dog can transform a vision impaired person's whole life. I also support Oxfam when I can. We always donate to the Queensland Cancer council because DHs mum died from cancer and it is a cause close to his heart. There are so many to choose from and I find it hard to say no. All are important in their own way.

[Savannah]

I'm not big on donating money, just because I don't think money will fix all problems. And I like to keep things local.

Lately, I have been donating plants and time locally to a program that is teaching young mums to grow food for their kids.

I joined a local environment group and have given money to them, but also time and resources.

I donated money to a local charity that is working in the hospital here with families with sick children.

We give money and the occassional bag of pet food to the local RSPCA and blankets to the Salvos annual blanket collection (I try to crochet or sew them myself but have been known to buy them in the end of winter sales for the next year)

I am hoping that the little things we do are having a ripple effect within our community and that by keeping it local we can really make an impact.

Things that we support that aren't local are a micro-loan scheme for women in India and Africa who are trying to start a business and send money to some NZ charities who are working in DH's family region.

I guess we could do more but I am dubious as to where my money goes and what it gets used for.

[SeaStar]

It is sad but true to think we need to have concern of where the money actually goes. We support a variety of charities when we can.

[Kathryn]

*warning - rant*

R has been asking and asking and asking if we can do a Christmas Box as the school are collecting them to give to kids who wouldn't otherwise get presents. Not a bad idea, I thought, but we do do a regular toy donation each year before Christmas to the Salvos, so wasn't sure whether we would take part in that collection too.

Soooo... R's class had some show-type-thingo in assembly this week and the parents were invited to attend. Dh & I turn up late and stand at the back (we turned up early one time and swore never to again - assemblies are boring when you are actually in school, never mind as an adult!) We walk in to see all the kids watching a video on this Christmas Box appeal, complete with lots of pictures of kids in Africa having nothing and then receiving a box and their life being immediately fixed. Sigh. Oh well, they obviously want to get some kids involved.

Then they get a lecture from the school chaplain about how they all need to contribute. If every person gets involved, blah blah blah...

And then they put on ANOTHER video for them, this time in cartoon format with 'characters' for the things they could put into the box and happy kids all around, making jokes and generally making sure all this information gets stuck in their gorgeous little sponge-brains.

And then they let it slip "and this is a great tool for ministry"

Ah.

That's it.

It's a tool for ministry.

Not happy Jan. At least now I know why R has mentioned it so many times...

Now, that is not a charitable cause I will be supporting. And you know, I probably would have if I hadn't witnessed how they indoctrinate state school kids to nag their parents to do 'at least one for every person in the school'. Sigh. :sneaky2

[Karena]

Wow K, not sure what to say to that one :roll

I usually give to charities that support causes that have personally affected me. SIDS is a big one, breast cancer research etc. I also donate to local charities as much as possible that support local families and children. These are my passions so I want to help them as much as I can

[Kathryn]

Oh, and apparently the chaplain has been to their classroom and given them a personal lecture too. I'm thinking of writing to the principal.

[melchpeppi]

Hmmmm, disturbing to say the least :(

[soulmama]

Interesting you should mention something like that Kathryn... it correlates with another thread I need to start to do with morals/values.

I am sorry to hear that the children have been indoctrinated like this whilst at school. I'm wondering if these chaplains are allowed free reign in all schools... :ohmy