Help me give away my money

[Tigranes]

These days, I have a stable, if miniscule, source of income. As such, I thought it was high time I started giving away some of my money in some form of aid or charity.

 

However, I am not exactly a paragon of virtue. So I want to start small, around 20-25NZD (15-18USD) a month, and work my way up. I want no letters from African kids or any such involvement at the moment. I would preferably like to help young children on areas of education and health. So:

 

(1) What would be a reputable organisation I can trust to use the dosh properly and productively? None? All?

(2) Does every little bit help, or am I better off raising the $ to something more substantial in order to actually be helpful?

(3) General commentary.

 

The only name that comes to my mind is World Vision who are very active at advertising in these parts, but my credit card wont' work with them at the moment anyway, so I'll take ideas from you all.

[Purkake]

Animal shelter?

 

Think of the puppies and kittens(and koalas)!

[Walsingham]

I've been a supporter of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children for about twenty years. They take a broad and layered approach to reducing child abuse, and I think they do a fair amount of good.

[Guard Dog]

Sorry Tig, I am only famliar with US based animal groups and the American Red Cross. The ones I contribute to regularly are listed in in the "communisim-is-great-and-you-should-be-killed-if-you-don't-agree" thread. One new one I'm adding next year it a local Memphis charity: Memphis Oral School for the Deaf. They are now offering free Cochlear Implants for low income deaf children allowing them to hear again. Many for thr first time.

 

One thing I have heard several time and it makes sense I guess is that if you want your donations to benefit a certain country, donate to a group based in that country. Operating costs of international groups crossing borders and dealing with multiple governments are such that they tend to be financally inefficient with just 20-40% going to actual work and the rest lost in bueracracy. So if you wand you money benefiting New Zealand pick a group based there. That is not to say groups like Amnesty International, Doctors Without Borders, International Red Cross, etc don't do a lot of good in the world, just it costs more to do it.

[Walsingham]

The Medecine Sans Frontiers guys are very cool as people in my experience. Plus they don't give a **** if a situation is in the news or not, they just go.

[Pidesco]

Use the money to aid the people in your life who are closest to you and need help or just moral support, instead of sending it to some impersonal organization.

[Walsingham]

Use the money to aid the people in your life who are closest to you and need help or just moral support, instead of sending it to some impersonal organization.

 

I see what you're saying, but giving to people close to you can be very messy. Look at me and my brother.

[Pidesco]

Obviously it isn't a situation of "here's a check" and leaving it at that. It should be carefully and thoughtfully planned and managed. Also, it doesn't have to be a gift of money. It could be organizing a party for someone who's depressed, for example.

 

I don't recall what happened to you and your brother, though...

[Tigranes]

That's something I (try and) do already, though. I don't think it's a stretch to do a little of both.

 

MSF sounds and looks good at the moment. I might take a couple days to fish round for any well-run and non-discriminatory Christian initiatives other than World Vision, and/or anything that looks at disadvantaged children in my country of birth (South Korea).

[Walsingham]

You basically filled in the blanks for me, Pids. Yes it has to be carefully managed. This is the problem.

 

Years ago I did some volunteer work with kids who had cerebal palsy, and later at an orphanage. I found it drawing me in, and I knew I had to make a decision to either throw my entire life that way or continue as planned with my own pre-existing talents. I just couldn't give to people that close to me at weekends and then ignore them all week.

 

Conversely my brother shows another problem, which is that if you help people who are very close then they can come to hate you for seeing them and knowing them at their weakest. A factor I've seen with a couple of people I've helped out of suicidal urges. They're really greatful but they can't bear being near you.

[Killian Kalthorne]

I tend to look for local stuff. In my experience the local charities tend to use the money more efficiently.

[Walsingham]

I think effiiciency needn't be the be all and end all. Sometimes transnational effects are required. For example with child abuse images. A local effort isn't going to deliver on an international trade.

[Killian Kalthorne]

I think effiiciency needn't be the be all and end all. Sometimes transnational effects are required. For example with child abuse images. A local effort isn't going to deliver on an international trade.

 

You have a point there, but there are local charities that do help to keep child from being abused in the first place. One that is very active on that front is Youth Shelter Services, YSS, here in Iowa. I just do not trust international or even national charities all that much. The money tends to go elsewhere, like beaurocratic nonsense, than those who need to most. Not saying that all large charities are like that but one bad apple ruins the wheel barrel.

[Walsingham]

I'm not saying I agree, but I can definitely see why you might feel that way. I probably mentioned this already but I actually met and was tutored for a while by one of the founders of Oxfam. He quit because publicly many years ago saying the charity existed purely to make the financiers feel better. To put his original statement perhaps more clearly he felt Oxfam existed to feed people, not to make sure they were fed.

 

Anyway, that's another matter really.

 

So what have you decided, Tigs?

[Shryke]

Tigs if you're wanting something local how about the Ronald McDonald House?

[SteveThaiBinh]

If education is your interest (as it is mine), then I'd recommend Book Aid and One Laptop Per Child as worthwhile projects you could support.

 

Volunteering is fantastic, fun and tremendously rewarding - I spent three years in Viet Nam as a VSO volunteer and enjoyed it greatly.

[I want teh kotor 3]

I'm not a big giver to non-local stuff outside of Invisible Children, so I can't help much, but wouldn't it be easier and cheaper to do community service-type stuff rather than donations? In any event, those big international things like AI, etc rarely do anything.

 

The ones I contribute to regularly are listed in in the "communisim-is-great-and-you-should-be-killed-if-you-don't-agree" thread.

 

:lol:

[Blarghagh]

I'd like to add another recommendation for MSF. Some old internet buddies of mine I lost touch with but still have fond nostalgic memories off volunteered for them, and they needed all the help they could get.

[Purkake]

Oh, I totally forgot about Penny Arcade's Child's Play charity. It goes well with the whole games theme we got going here.

[Enoch]

On the local v. non-local issue, nearly every study on donation efficacy comes out strongly in favor of well-run international charities.

[Trenitay]

I like local ones mostly cause I get to do things like haunted houses to raise money.

[Walsingham]

I like local ones mostly cause I get to do things like haunted houses to raise money.

 

Surely doing exorcisms would raise more money?

[Tigranes]

To be absolutely honest, I'm staying clear of actual volunteer work for now because I find strangers very uncomfortable. I've done very small-scale one-time stuff with the church and such and it hasn't been pleasant. I plan to begin with the impersonal bags of money first then work up to some regular involvement for my adult days, though.

 

I considered all the names mentioned here, and I've decided to start with small but regular donations to the MSF. I like the sound of them and I probably want to help make sure kids get life-saving medicine, then add on education donations later on.

[Gorgon]

Tigs if you're wanting something local how about the Ronald McDonald House?

Is that a joke ?.

[Hell Kitty]

Tigs if you're wanting something local how about the Ronald McDonald House?

Is that a joke ?.

 

What's wrong with Ronald McDonald House?