Can anyone recommend a charity for me ?

Question

HI all,

I would like to give some money to charity. It is important for me to feel that :

- The money is for a good cause.

- The money actually reaches the people who need it and I can see some evidence that their life has got better

- That the charity itself doesnt take any profit from my money.

Anyone have any ideas ?

Answer 1

I think there is a little cynicism here, but I suppose when Eton College can claim charitable status, then you have every right to be. To take each of your points in turn:

1. Good cause: I suppose this is really a value judgement: you need to think what you personally see as a good cause.

2. Here is a problem. I personally tend to consider charities working in exploited, under-developed countries, and there are two broad approaches here. Firstly, you have the "adopt a child/family/village" where you can directly find out what has happened to your money, and see how it has affected a small number of people. Unfortunately, many see these as not a teribly effective way of changing a situation: partly because it can only affect a small number of people, and partly because it can hugely affect the economics of small communities if one person/family suddenly has a huge (if relative terms) increase in wealth.

Secondly, you have the more organisational, large-scale approach which tend to focus on a wider area, addressing specific concerns, that require a large amount of money, and operate to change  a large number of people's lives: eg. educational programmes in regions or countries. The problem here is that it is very difficult to really identify the impact of a single person's charitable input, but the nature of the entrenched problems of many of the poorest countries in the world require a macro response, and it is much more cost-effective to pool resources and work at this level.

3. I'm pretty sure that MOST (but probably not all) charities don't make profits: I think this is a defining principle of any organisation that can legitimately call themselves a charity. there may be some money taken for running costs (necessary if you take a macro-level approach), but most charities tend to fund administration costs through specific corporate donations, ensuring that individuals' donations do go directly to "the cause".

Short answer, though: I think Oxfam do an incredible amount of good work worldwide. If you want a 'direct affect' go for the Oxfam Unwrapped, where you actually buy a specific "gift" eg. a goat, some educational or building materials etc. See the link below.

Answer 2

do you necessarily have to to "give money"  or can you just "help out"? because a lot of organizations just want you to make a personal effort to further the cause like make phone calls to representatives, sign petitions, conserve more, attend/hold local meetings....you should choose a cause you're passionate about so that it's not a chore. Greenpeace and the One organization are two I support.

Answer 3

What about the Anthony Nolan bone marrow trust they test people from all over the world to try and get matches for people with leukemia if you are a match they fund you to go to london whilst they collect your bone marrow to hopefully save anothers life? all there money goes on patients and trying to find matches.

why a thumbs down????

Answer 4

Cystic fibrosis

Answer 5

Try a local Kiwanis Club. Generally all money donated to their charitable foundation goes back into the community. Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to changing the world one child and one community at a time. Your local club will have local projects that they are supporting with both money and hands-on efforts.

You can find a local Kiwanis Club by going to the Kiwanis International web site at Kiwanis.org and doing a search for a local club.

Answer 6

why not call the salvation army and ask them about a family in need?they help family's that need not only clothes but also with things like bed's for their children car repair new stove's etc,many people are made homeless every day for a family that has lost one source of income and the salvation army with our help.....help others that are trying to help them selves.

Answer 7

By definition, charities do not make profits! Who do you think benefits, if not the cause for which the chairty was set up?

Answer 8

The primary way I determine which charity does a good job with my donations is to be actively involved with that charity. Try working with local charities, volunteering or serving on their boards. This will give you first hand knowledge about how your money is being used.

I'd also suggest that you make sure that the charity is listed by the IRS as a non-profit and is also registered with your State as a non-profit.

IRS Publication 78: lists all organizations that are eligible to receive tax-deductible charitable contributions and how much is exempt.  You can search for your charity through the IRS site:  

http://www.irs.gov/charities/article/0,,...

You can also use these websites that rate how well charities use their donations:

Charity Navigator

http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cf...

Give.org

Better Business Bureau Giving Alliance

http://give.org/news/caresfaq.asp

GuideStar.org

http://www.guidestar.org/

Answer 9

Perhaps you can contact a local church as see if they have a family in crisis.  Most charities have volunteer client caseworkers who evaluate the needs of the client and dispense the appropriate action, but the criteria has to meet with the charities guidelines.  A more direct route would be through your local church, or perhaps battered womens shelter, homeless shelter.  Why not volunteer and find your passion and become a involved in your community.

Answer 10

MacMillan Foundation

Answer 11

I work directly with Mathias Zimba from Rising Fountains Development Program in Zambia. Since he runs a smaller nonprofit, he does not the overhead costs that the larger groups have. He has been honest and trustworthy and I have partnered with him through my organization, The Pencil Project.  You can sponsor a specific child or help with one of their monthly causes. Currently they are trying to buy a vehicle to transport people to and from the hospital (right now they use a donkey cart!)

He is also seeking donations for blankets since 165 of his students were recently displaced with the horrible flooding there. You can email him directly through his website:

www.risingfountains.org

Tell him Maria sent you and good luck!

Answer 12

Medecins sans frontiéres ( doctors with no borders ) is my favourite charity. To know more about what they do, visit : http://www.msf.org