Aug

27

who do you donate to and why?

Filed Under ethics, giving 

I think that people should donate money or time, including atheists like me and theists, to good causes. I also think that you should carefully consider your choice of good causes.

I donate money to Oxfam, a large overseas aid and development charity, and to Scope, a charity that supports individuals with cerebral palsy. I am a member of Amnesty International and contribute a little bit of money there. I also donate time to a local organisation that promotes among other things inter-religious dialogue.

I explicitly chose to donate to Oxfam because overseas development is a cause that I believe is important, and it also presents are reasonable and realistic response to the HIV/Aids crisis in Africa and Asia, as well as campaigning on behalf of the disenfranchised.

I chose to become a member of Amnesty International and contribute money because I am aware that I have the privilege of living in a country with relative freedom of speech, press and conscience. Not everyone has this privilege.

I donate my time to the local organisation because I was asked to and because I believe that the organisation is important.

I donate to Scope because I was suckered into it at a train station once, and I haven’t got the heart to cancel a direct debit to a charity. I think that I would rather donate to Shelter, the homeless charity instead, as unwelcome things on your own doorstep tend to be forgotten.

Those of you that do donate money or time, who do you donate to and why?

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Comments

6 Responses to “who do you donate to and why?”

  1. Monica on August 27th, 2007 3:54 pm

    I primarily donate to my church and to . My church because it’s a community I belong to and support. MCC because I am very familiar with the organization and I know it does good work. They do development and peace & social justice work both in North America and abroad.

    I have in the past given money to political parties but I don’t anymore.

  2. Brip Blap on August 28th, 2007 2:09 am

    Easy question! I donate to the Russian Children’s Welfare Society (rcws.org) for three reasons:
    1. I lived in Russia and saw firsthand the horrific fate of abandoned and neglected children.
    2. Almost 100% of their income goes directly to support their children (the charity is run by a wealthy set of foundations and individuals)
    3. If you know anything about Russia, the stories of children in Russian orphanages and particularly the victims of the slaughter in Beslan will tear at your heart.

    I give plenty of money to them and never for a second have felt like it’s wasted - or enough. One of my goals at some point is to have enough money to really significantly contribute to a Russian orphanage or even adopt an orphan.

    – Just as a point of clarification I lived in Russia for several years and my wife, although living in New York since long before I met her, is Russian by birth, so we have a particular concern for Russian issues.

  3. Chief Family Officer on August 28th, 2007 4:09 am

    I donate to Children’s Hospital LA, because I keep thinking, “There but for the grace of God go I.” I always thank God for my kids’ health when I send that donation in.

    I donate to World Hope International’s microfinance program because I think it’s a wonderful way to effect change in a very real, grass-roots way. When I was looking for a microfinance program to donate to, I used sites like Charity Navigator to find one that was efficient and would get the most out of my money.

    I also donate to a couple of other programs because I think they’re good causes. I *hate* getting random requests for money, especially by phone, but I have learned to say that my money is budgeted for other good causes and please don’t call back (the latter part requires them by law to take us off their list).

  4. plonkee on August 28th, 2007 8:18 am

    I also hate the random requests, and the unsolicited phone calls from the charities I already donate to. I find that I am far too busy to talk to them ;) . For me, charity is a budgeted item, so its just a case of picking who gets the money.

  5. tehnyit on August 28th, 2007 1:07 pm

    Looking back, I have donated to the Royal Children Hospital in Melbourne, the cancer council and the Salvation Army Red Shield. I have actively chosen these groups as they have affect me in one way or another over the years. eg, the children hospital as then have seen our son in the past and has really helped his medical issues.

    I truly believe that donating to a group needs to come from the heart, and to a cause that you have a passion for. Otherwise the donation lacks a meaning to it.

  6. MoneyChangesThings on September 15th, 2007 9:06 pm

    We tithe, giving away at least 10% our income. I like having a budget, so I know where I stand and how much I can give. We give to a balance of personal, local based (synagogue, religious organizations) and national/international environmental, civil rights, et al. One of my favorite organizations is Trees for the Future. They plant trees in the developing world which help with water retention, erosion, beautification, as well as providing income for villagers.
    Here’s a description of how we tithe.
    http://moneychangesthings.blogspot.com/search?q=schedule+T+tithing

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