Looking for an Honest Charity group to donate money to.?

Question

I had Christian Children in mind till i heard rumors of them taking half of all donations and also that they send picture of one kid to many different families.

The fact about spamming the same picture does not bother me, I only have a problem with them lieing.

Please help me.

Answer 1

I know exactly what you mean.  I think charity business can be big business with all of the people working and having their hands into it so that where it is intended to go to is short changed. I hate the ones where it's for the law enforcement fund.  They were very pushy at trying to get X amount of dollars.   I finally told them I would donate a quilt that they could raffle and even though they could have easily made 2 grand or more on it, they said, no we really just need money. lol  So I guess they can beg, but to work for it was another story.

Personally, I would check into the food pantry.  There is never enough stock in our area, so yours may also be the same, who knows.

We also have a great local one called The David Stivison scholarship fund which is run by C.O.A.D. for those who would not otherwise go to college. 100% goes into the funds and C.O.A.D. also is matched dollar for dollar.  Unfortunately there is never enough money to go to the applicants and they have to be selected by need and their grade point average.  Usually only 6 get to go, so if you are interested in that one, I would gladly give you the info on it however the funding is limited to applicants from Appalcha Then again, you might have something simular going on in your are.  

United Way is a great one.  My husband use to be on the board.  Requests are sent from various organizations of how much they need and what it exactly will be going for.  From there, they will grant monies depending on their severity.   My husband now volunteers his time with the 317 board.

For me, my charity is providing quilts for social services.  It's amazing how many kids actually end up being taken out of their homes and don't have a thing to their name and just the fact that they can pick out a quilt to hang onto with a smile on their face is all I need.  I wish I could afford more supplies to do  a lot more, but I guess we can't all save the world by ourselves, however we can all make a difference bit by bit.

Answer 2

PETA

Answer 3

My favorite charity is RedLightChildren.org  It's a charity for children (and adults but mostly children) who have been kidnapped or sold into s*x slavery.  It's a much bigger problem than most people know because it doesn't get much media attention.

Answer 4

I suggest you start by looking in your own area.   Of course our ministry http://www.caringhandsministries.com would like to have your help and of course I know we are honest however there are probably groups in your own back yard helping in similar ways.  

Since children seem to be important to you you could ask a counselor at your local to tell you how to contact a family shelter where homeless kids can stay with their parent.    Did you know the average homeless person in the US is a 7 yr old child?   Also ask the counselor is there are ways you can help homeless kids through the school like providing school supplies, or rain coats, or maybe tuition at a summer camp or day care program so the child has a safe place to be this summer and will have food to eat.   This is important bec a lot of homeless families are not in shelters they are in cars or camping or moving from one friend's floor to someone else's couch to somewhere whom knows where.  In summer the kids don't get the free school lunch and breakfast and there is often no consistent place as school provides.   You could also go to http://www.secondharvest.com and find where the foodbank is in your area by clicking the get help link at the top of the page.   You can contact the foodbank and ask what places are doing kids summer food or food and fun programs and perhaps support one of those.  Hopefully in doing something local  you can personally see what is done and whether there seems to be real caring and a real difference made.    There are also children's hospitals and places kids stay for rehabilitation after an illness or injury, places like Ronald McDonald Houses where a family of a sick child can stay to be near them in hosp or a child and family can stay together for outpatient treatment,camps for kids in need,  perhaps riding therapy and other special needs kids programs.   I do not know where you are so I can not provide specific names of those near you.    Your United Way or even the yellow pages of your phone book can.  There are also food pantries that serve both kids and adults including elderly folks who do not have enough to eat.  On that Second Harvest site you can see the child and elderly hunger stats for your area. They probably will shock you.    

Doing things locally you can see for yourself where your money goes, how it is used, check out real life references, and hopefully perhaps become a bit hands on involved too so you get more out of helping.

Answer 5

I like Habitat for Humanity.

  I have not heard of any scandals surrounding them, and I have personally worked on building a house, so I can see the actual fruits of their charity, and see that families are really being helped to help themselves.

Answer 6

Samaritans Purse, Feed the Children are good.

Answer 7

There are lots of great organizations to donate to.  The United Way is an excellent one.  They distribute money to volunteer organizations all over the country.  I work at a Victim Center and that's where we get a lot of our funding.  Make trade fair is another excellent organization.  They work with farmers in third world countries to help them get paid fairly for their produce.  This allows them to keep their children in school and put food on their tables.  Amnesty International is another great organization.  They fight for human rights.  These are all legit agencies that I have worked with for years.  There are so many organizations out there.  Do a little research before you start donating to see if you are comfortable with the organization and to make sure the money goes exactly where they say it will.  Good luck and thanks for helping out society.

Answer 8

Build the Future USA www.buildthefutureusa.com

Operational Christmas Child

Samaritan's Purse

Campus Crusade for Christ/Keynote

Focus on the Family

What kind of things are you interested in, it's better to make a donation to something you believe in--you're more likely to continue giving and more likely want to give.

Answer 9

Good luck, they are mostly scams. Your best bet is to donate directly to a local shelter for abused women and children, or a local food bank. The administrative costs associated with most charities are for luxurious offices, walnut desks, and huge executive salaries.