Charitable Donations, what cause should I donate to? Please read as have specific requirements.?

Question

Can someone help me. I have a company that is looking to donate a few thousand dollars a year to a specific cause. I wanted feedback on some charities, and causes that meet the guidelines. We are trying to really make a difference. I know any money makes a difference, however we really want some cause that we can impact them.

Meaning if we donate 10k a year to the Cancer Society it is needed, but 10k to children in Africa for rice I feel would make more of a difference.

Please post suggestions about causes and specific websites that we can visit to see if they are up for a donation. We want some causes that really will impact lives and has a low cost to impact that change.

For example there is a dental care service in the US that can give a child a full treatment for $10. A Breast Cancer Screening Service for a mamagram for $25. I really want to impact peoples lives in the US that have a low per person cost.

Please help

Answer 1

I highly recommend that you spend some time investigating programs that need support in your local community. While there are terrific groups that have a National or International presence-the programs they offer in local communities may vary; and there are likely additional nonprofits that are effective and are solely local efforts.

Your desire to make an impact, to have your money do the most good, is grand. However, it is difficult to list individual programs that would meet your criteria because there too many. Consider narrowing your search to how you want to make an impact. Are you interested in helping with preventative health care (mammograms)? Access to healthcare? Serving children? Seniors? Housing? Education? Employment? Food?

Here are some examples from my personal experience over the last 20 years:

Engineers from one of our large defense contractors formed a partnership with local schools; the engineers are mentors to middle school students in 'high risk' areas-they visit weekly, tutor, advise, plan activities and field trips, and donate funds for math and science education at the school.

I donate to and have volunteered for two local health care clinics. One clinic focuses on people who are homeless, it uses paid and volunteer staff members, operates a clinic 6 days a week, and also has outreach teams that check on clients wherever they are staying. The other hosts weekly clinics for anyone who lacks insurance; there are several clinics, each opened one evening a week using facilities at schools or donated by private offices, the doctors, nurses and other staff members are all volunteer, supplies and equipment is borrowed or donated.

I do casework locally and nationally with an large volunteer organization; we operate solely on donations, at my local chapter we have over 25 volunteers for every paid staff member, and I have assisted people as they recover from some horrendous circumstances.

Other causes/groups: Dress for Success (distributes donated business clothing to needy women seeking work), Meals on Wheels (delivers food and provides companionship to vulnerable senior citizens), Habitat for Humanity, build playgrounds, donate instruments to needy students to participate in school bands, plant trees, support local youth recreation/educational programs, Reading is Fundamental or Adult Literacy programs......

Ok, I'll stop...there are just too many. My main point is that the most effective way to ensure your money is well spent is to become involved with assessing and working in your own community. Good luck, and thanks for being so thoughtful about your contributions!

Answer 2

aside from donating it, you can use the money to run a sustainable program that would teach people "how to fish"..

Answer 3

I can't tell you where to put your $. Though I want to applaud you for wanting to help our own right here. While there is so much needed throughout the world, we often forget those we pretend not to see right here in our great country. Our country could be so much greater if there was less need amongst our own, so my kudo's to you!

Here are 2 links to charity rating sites. They look at the charity's overall effectiveness & how it spends it's donations. They should help you choose the best place to donate to.

edit:

I just read the above poster... so many that with just a bit of help can achieve so much. Congrat's to you! I hope that many see & learn from your own experience!

Answer 4

Look into the homeless charities, then.  Homeless charities are varied, so you can give to one that fits your specific criteria, such as one that provides night shelter in a safe and warm location, or one that feeds people at a certain time every week, or every day, or one that provides temporary shelter (a sort of 'halfway house') to help people have an address, find a job, and put money away so they can get a place of their own.  Helping the homeless helps both children and adults, it also helps stop drug use and alcoholism in many cases.  And if you think that the charities that help the homeless do no good ... my husband and I were both homeless ... he got a 'one year free at a community college' where the took Web Management from a 'homeless charity' ... we now have our own apartment, he has a good job, and makes over $60,000 a year ... and we give to the homeless charities every year, at least 5-10% of our income, so others can get out of the 'homeless gutter' too ...

Answer 5

spread the love and donate a little every were to make a big difference. and make sure to help save the panda.