# Are there valid, cogent reasons for not donating to a children's charity? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 1, 2021, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-valid-cogent-reasons-for-not-donating-to-a-childrens-charity/943377 "2021-06-01T23:35:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![blabbermeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9a140/32.png) [@blabbermeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blabbermeister)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2021, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-valid-cogent-reasons-for-not-donating-to-a-childrens-charity/943377/1 "2021-06-01T23:35:24Z")
I donate plenty of money to charities every year but never to the [XYZ] Children’s Fund. How can I not be for helping hungry children in oppressed political regimes? I don’t have a sound answer for this and I’m hoping other child-related charity non-donors among us can share your reasoning. Thank you very much. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2021, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-valid-cogent-reasons-for-not-donating-to-a-childrens-charity/943377/2 "2021-06-01T23:40:54Z")
There are lots of charities for a lot of causes, which one you donate to or don’t donate to is up to the individual. charity navigator can also be used to determine how much of the money raised actually goes to the charitable cause. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2021, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-valid-cogent-reasons-for-not-donating-to-a-childrens-charity/943377/3 "2021-06-01T23:50:10Z")
Those charities that advertise constantly on TV, with very disturbing videos and a narrator with a throbbing voice, and that offer a T-shirt for donating, and only want $19 per month (forever), sometimes for animals, or hungry children, or very old Jewish people in the Ukraine. I steer clear of those. Instinct. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2021, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-valid-cogent-reasons-for-not-donating-to-a-childrens-charity/943377/4 "2021-06-02T00:06:35Z")
Kars 4 Kids (who apparently created [Hell’s theme song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDjX4-LKqCA)) is [not honest](https://www.charitywatch.org/charity-donating-articles/costly-and-continuous-kars4kids-ads-disguise-charity39s-real-purpose) about what exactly it does with its funding and has been [fraught with controversy](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/kars4kids-charity-misleads-donors-report/). You don’t always know where your money is really going. What if the money goes to training children to be assassins? ---
**Author:** ![blabbermeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9a140/32.png) [@blabbermeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blabbermeister)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2021, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-valid-cogent-reasons-for-not-donating-to-a-childrens-charity/943377/5 "2021-06-02T00:26:12Z")
To amend my original post, even if 100% of the contributed money _definitely_ went to feeding and healing children I still wouldn’t donate to them. If anyone else here feels the same way, why? Thanks again. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2021, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-valid-cogent-reasons-for-not-donating-to-a-childrens-charity/943377/6 "2021-06-02T00:35:10Z")
Lots of charities sustain themselves on emotional appeals aka expensive ad campaigns. Setting aside that issue, and assuming that the charity is well run, it’s still not clear that sending care packages to children is the best way to alleviate suffering. [Effective altruists](https://www.effectivealtruism.org/) compare charitable endeavors according to various criteria. [Efforts to fight malaria](https://www.givewell.org/maximum-impact-fund) top their lists. So I’d direct funds in that direction. I suspect this is not what the OP is after though. I’m guessing the OP is suspicious of sentimentality. But I’m not sure. ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2021, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-valid-cogent-reasons-for-not-donating-to-a-childrens-charity/943377/7 "2021-06-02T00:38:47Z")
I find “Because I don’t want to” to be more than a sufficient reason. You are clearly an empathetic and caring person and if you are already helping others than you can decide how much and where it goes. ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2021, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-valid-cogent-reasons-for-not-donating-to-a-childrens-charity/943377/8 "2021-06-02T01:49:13Z")
I find more enjoyment from putting my money elsewhere. For instances I take 100 low income little leaguers to a MLB game each year. Sure it doesn’t end abuse or anything earthshattering but they get to have good seats at a game they enjoy I find that tremendously satisfying. Beyond that I try to donate to nonprofits that I think benefit the society I live in so most of my focus in on the Zoo and the theater company. Having both enriches my life. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2021, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-valid-cogent-reasons-for-not-donating-to-a-childrens-charity/943377/9 "2021-06-02T03:15:27Z")
If you can’t feed your own kids, why feed someone else’s? I think that is a pretty damn good reason. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2021, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-valid-cogent-reasons-for-not-donating-to-a-childrens-charity/943377/10 "2021-06-02T03:22:49Z")
You don’t need a reason not to donate, you need a reason TO donate. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2021, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-valid-cogent-reasons-for-not-donating-to-a-childrens-charity/943377/11 "2021-06-02T03:23:34Z")
> [@swampspruce](#): > > I find “Because I don’t want to” to be more than a sufficient reason. You are clearly an empathetic and caring person and if you are already helping others than you can decide how much and where it goes. This. Let’s assume, as the OP suggested in post 5, that the children’s charity is legit, and your donation goes directly to helping children. There are a lot of legitimate charities, and a lot of worthy charitable causes, including (but not limited to) those that research cures and treatments for various diseases, those that help the homeless, those which help with environmental causes, those which help wounded veterans, etc., etc. Unless you’re made of money, you need to choose which sorts of charities and causes are ones which are important to you. I donate to diabetes research, because I’m diabetic. I donate to breast cancer research, because my mother, and several other women who are dear to me, have suffered from that disease. I donate to environmental causes, because that’s an important issue for me. I don’t donate to children’s charities – not necessarily because I don’t think that they are worthy organizations, but because my own priorities are in other places. ---
**Author:** ![JaneDoe42](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janedoe42/32/14104_2.png) [@JaneDoe42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JaneDoe42)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2021, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-valid-cogent-reasons-for-not-donating-to-a-childrens-charity/943377/12 "2021-06-02T05:59:12Z")
I agree with @kenobi_65, unless you have unlimited money to give away, you have to choose where it goes. It’s your money. The only one who gets to judge how you spend your money is you. The only reason I carry cash is so I have some to give to panhandlers. I donate to charities who help families. I have never been inspired to donate to an XYZ children’s charity. Perhaps if I knew someone with a child who had XYZ illness I would, but I don’t. When I used to use cash to purchase things, often the coins would go into the charity jar on the counter but I doubt that’s what the OP is talking about. ---
**Author:** ![Keith1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6de8d8/32.png) [@Keith1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keith1)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2021, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-valid-cogent-reasons-for-not-donating-to-a-childrens-charity/943377/13 "2021-06-02T11:47:53Z")
I donated to a children’s hospital once. In the mail I received a very expensive information/welcoming package along with some worthless trinket that I was supposed to do ? with. Clearly it was all put together by some expensive ad agency. All this told me was that they certainly don’t need my money. They will never see another dime from me. I don’t donate to any organization that spends an enormous amount on promotion. Very little of what’s donated will ever see its way to where (they tell you) it’s intended. These are for profit businesses. Or if not ‘for profit’, there are people taking home very decent salaries. Want to donate? Drive to a poor section of town, park your car, and find someone that looks like they could use some help. Hand them some cash they can buy food & clothing or what they need with. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2021, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-valid-cogent-reasons-for-not-donating-to-a-childrens-charity/943377/14 "2021-06-02T11:57:07Z")
Yes. Beware of “charities” because some of them manage to keep way more of your money than is needed. My charitable donations go through the ELCA because they only keep 6% for operating costs. That’s very low compared to a number of others. [**Welcome to Give.Org**](https://www.give.org/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIz53U6PH48AIVqyCtBh14Rg_cEAAYAiAAEgKc4PD_BwE) ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2021, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-valid-cogent-reasons-for-not-donating-to-a-childrens-charity/943377/15 "2021-06-02T17:55:40Z")
I get lots of cheap crap from children’s charities, so I no longer donate to them. I do donate directly to a children’s hospital. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2021, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-valid-cogent-reasons-for-not-donating-to-a-childrens-charity/943377/16 "2021-06-02T18:05:07Z")
We mostly donate to charitable/activist organizations that are devoted to the environment, animal shelters/training for working dogs and disaster relief/food pantries. The latter undoubtedly benefit children along with adults. The only child-centered charity we’ve donated to has been one for evidence-based research into causes and treatments for autism. I can understand being turned off by the overt guilt-mongering that pervades ads for certain kids’ charities, but there are others that are evidently doing valuable work. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2021, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-valid-cogent-reasons-for-not-donating-to-a-childrens-charity/943377/17 "2021-06-02T20:56:05Z")
Even Jeff Bezos has limited funds; me, much more limited. Should I give a little to a lot of charities or more to a select few? I choose the latter by donating to ones that are nearer & dearer to my heart; maybe because some friend or family member has that disease or condition. There’s a big difference between being for Charity X & being neutral about them. I may even think Charity X has a wonderful mission but donating to them would mean less to fund research into a disease/condition/situation that affects people I know. There’s nothing wrong with helping hungry children in politically oppressed regimes but if that was something I wanted to donate to shouldn’t I donate to hunger relief efforts in this country (leaving aside all comments about whether the US is/not politically oppressed; this ain’t GD) & further, to the food pantry in my community, many of which have been hard hit over the past year due to Covid shutdowns (less restaurants to donate excess food, less people working to be able to afford to donate, more people un/der employed & in need of assistance themselves. Is the hungry kid in Africa any more or less deserving than the hungry kid in my community? Others may feel differently stating that they get more bang for the buck feeding hungry kids in Africa where you can feed that kid for 3¢/day. Neither one of us is right or wrong It boils down to which set of criteria are most important to _you_; whatever _you_ choose affects the raking of the most important charities to _you_. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2021, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-valid-cogent-reasons-for-not-donating-to-a-childrens-charity/943377/18 "2021-06-02T21:29:31Z")
I’m far from against donating to worthy causes, but I feel like the current proliferation of charities, all of which are reasonably valid, is somehow an ethical trap, or at least misleading- they’re ALL valid, and they ALL need as much of your money as you can spare. I mean, who’s against helping the [White Rock City of Hope](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjd1IP-7_nwAhWCaM0KHcNpATMQFjAAegQIBBAD&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwhiterockcenterofhope.org%2F&usg=AOvVaw1-z-r92lmH0cpgQBId5iNQ)? Or [North Texas Food Bank](https://ntfb.org/)? Or [The Bridge Homeless Center](https://www.bridgehrc.org/)? Or the [Austin Street Center](https://www.austinstreet.org/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw2NyFBhDoARIsAMtHtZ7WFU9i-38o7oRR2wcH4Z-hG_TfBvtXTYvGCYCXZQ_BnVwx2HVynoAaAnHMEALw_wcB)? Or the [Susan G. Komen Foundation](https://www.komen.org/)? [Scottish Rite Hospital for Children?](https://scottishriteforchildren.org/) That’s just a sampling of the _ **LOCAL** _ ones. Maybe I’m lucky to live somewhere oversupplied with charitable organizations, but I suspect not. There are lots of other ones out there within my community. And that’s not even considering the poor abused animals with Sara McLachlan wailing in the background, or the kids with cancer that Marlo Thomas shows on her commercials. So that’s where I struggle- where and how much to donate. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2021, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-valid-cogent-reasons-for-not-donating-to-a-childrens-charity/943377/19 "2021-06-02T21:47:03Z")
Actually, quite a few people are or were down on the Susan G. Komen Foundation, such as after it [withdrew funding from Planned Parenthood](https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/susan-g-komen-stops-planned-parenthood-funding-who-does-the-decision-hurt-more/2012/02/01/gIQAEvdLiQ_story.html), or [when people learned how little it spends on actual research](https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/2019/12/11/does-komen-need-a-cure-of-its-own). No person or organization is perfect and it’s up to you to decide what level of imperfection you are willing to accept. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2021, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-valid-cogent-reasons-for-not-donating-to-a-childrens-charity/943377/20 "2021-06-02T21:52:06Z")
Anything fishy about the Shriners Hospitals For Children? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-valid-cogent-reasons-for-not-donating-to-a-childrens-charity/943377.md?page=2)