We all like to be charitable, right? Well, most of us anyway. But there are so many and no-one can give to them all. So you have your favourites, you have causes you give priority, charities that use your money most efficiently for the most good. What are they?
Do animal charities deserve time when so many humans still suffer? Do disaster relief charities take priority over long running issues? Does your bank account look like Gandhi’s?
Planned Parenthood is my favorite charity because I feel the the impact of their efforts do more than any other organization to reduce poverty, crime, and ecological damage.
Chordoma Foundation.
I’ve been thinking about giving to the Southern Poverty Law Center. Any comments on this idea would be appreciated.
Amnesty International.
Kiva, although I’m not sure that counts.
I donate to The Human Fund.
I donate to UNICEF because I would like to see polio eradicated.
My latest favorites:
Team Rubicon - American veterans plus medical personnel acting as disaster response teams, providing volunteer labor to help rescue, clean up, rebuild, and otherwise serve people in need. Currently deployed in the aftermath of Hurricane/Superstorm Sandy.
Doctors Without Borders (aka Medecins Sans Frontieres) - Doctors from all over the world serving in desperately needy areas, bringing medical care to those who might never otherwise see a doctor, to epidemics, etc. Serving/served in the US recently in the wake of Sandy, to assist those in need here.
The Night Ministry - A non-denominational, non-discriminatory charity in Chicago, bringing food, clothing, blankets, a roving free clinic, contraceptives, STD testing to homeless and very needy people. They also provide their clients with job-search assistance and other concrete ways to try to get people off the streets and back into society when possible.
Red Door Animal Shelter of Chicago - A no-kill shelter for dogs, cats, and rabbits (not to mention the occasional other random critter that gets brought in) with a devoted, kind staff of volunteers. They sponsor “spa days” for people’s pets to raise money for the shelter, among other services and fundraisers. Since Easter this year alone, they have managed to rescue off the streets 39 abandoned pet rabbits (alive, that is - domestic rabbits do not live long on their own outside, and not all were so lucky), and that’s not even including all the dogs and cats that have been brought in.
Planned Parenthood. Not just because they may be the only option for an abortion in an entire state. Not just for contraceptives. Because they provide checkups of various kinds for women, men, and children, plus vaccinations, cancer screenings, and so on, and on a sliding scale based on ability to pay.
WINGS. (It’s an acronym. Women In Need Growing Stronger. I’m not yelling.)
Save-A-Pet. (That’s where I adopted the baby.)
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, which has one of the best ratios of funds used for actual research vs. administrative costs, and which has helped come up with some dynamite new drugs and treatments which have extended individual lives by decades.
I’m the medic for our annual local CF fundraising walk each year. The Mrs. does a great job organizing the walk and raising money.
“Money For People”? Now there’s a slogan I can get behind.
Scleroderma Research Foundation - Funds research for a cure.
Scleroderma Foundation - Funds patient support, public education and research.
Amnesty International
Red Cross (when disaster strikes)
Good Will (goods)
Meals on Wheels (time and money)
Childrens’ Backpack Lunch Program (local small effort, goods & time)
Doctors Without Borders
The local animal shelter
I’m sure there are others, but I can’t recall at the moment.
Just the one I work for, indirectly, in the form of lower wages than I’m worth. I love the place, I love the work, have been here for 10 years.
If I did have extra cash, I would probably give to organizations that assist people in terms of education, learning trades, and help with getting jobs and learning to keep them. Looking for charitable start-ups like the Chicago Honey Co-op Training Center would also be places I’d be interested in supporting.
American Red Cross
USO
St Jude’s Children’s Hospital
Nothing too obscure.
I primarily donate money to a couple different local food banks.
I donate a lot of time and some money for an arts council. More importantly I donate food to the food bank. They use to get money, but there was some embezzling going on, so I stopped giving money.
I donate through a university’s foundation to support a cancer research lab.
Another regular donation is a memorial contribution to the Volunteer Fire Dept where a family member was active.
American Heart Association, because of my mom.
National Kidney Foundation, because of my dad.
Alzheimer’s Association, because of my grandfather.
American SIDS Institute, because of my nephew.
United Network for Organ Sharing - the transplant list, for Doug. He was my BFF who went off to UGA at 18 and died in a car crash 2 months later. His organs helped many others live.
I had a very bad few moments this week when the police called to let me know my son - the UGA freshman - had been hit on his motorcycle. He’s fine, but I had flashbacks to 1986 for a few moments, and my heart stopped for about 10 minutes…:mad:
And, every couple of months or so, I’ll buy a cheap car at an auction and give it to someone who needs wheels.
These things have taken my family. I fight them the only way I know how.
Ontario Boxer Rescue - They gave us Kaia and she more than worth a yearly donation.
Heart and Stroke Foundation - My FIL has serious heart issues and although it’s unlikely the dollars I contribute to research will bear fruit in time to help him, others donations funded the developments that helped keep him with us this long.
Princess Margaret Hospital (not linking, an ad for their new campaign is spamming the site, http://thepmcf.ca if you click around the ad it seems to stop, close doesnt work) - Their cancer research centre is top notch and does great work
Toronto Sick kids Hospital - I do a monthly donation to them.
I believe in medical research to alleviate suffering and I’ve been contributing to it in various forms since I first started earning money. Personal impact charities tend to come and go.
Guide dogs. I figured since I can’t get a dog, this would be a better cause than my own dog, who wouldn’t do anything.
The ACLU is my favorite charity. They are the only one I donate to monthly. They protect civil liberties even when it’s unpopular to do so, and I love getting their updates in the mail.
The NJ Food Bank is another good one. Also the Human Rights Campaign. Also major props to Planned Parenthood.
I donate periodically to the Palmer Foundation, an organization for Philadelphia youth set up by my favorite and former professor.
I work at a non-profit community education organization, so if that counts as support, I guess I support them the most.
In the future I’d like to support NPR.
