Let’s say you win £50million on the Euromillions. In the UK, that’s tax-free, so for the sake of this hypothetical let’s say it’s tax-free for you too. And let’s say that you decide to pass some of that good luck on to some charities. I mean, you can buy a nice house, help out your family, etc, and still have a lot left over.
If you don’t want to donate to any charities or causes for whatever reason, even in a hypothetical, this thread is not for you.
I’d choose:
The hospice my Grandad died in that a very good friend is now in
The dance company my daughter used to go to for free
A local AIDS hospice that also happens to help out people with other diseases
The Celia Hammond Animal Trust
The Blue Cross
The National Autism Society
Childline
MIND
The Globe Theatre
All because they’ve helped me or my friends out in the past and it would make me feel good to pay it back. Also because they’re good organisations that need the money, but I admit that feeling like I was paying something back would be a major motivator. There’s another organisation that sort of helped me out in the past (by providing discounted classes for my daughter) but they really don’t need the funds.
Also I’m fairly certain, due to my personal interactions with them, that they’re above-board and my donations would actually help.
Plus:
Wateraid
Oxfam (they have some issues but they have economies of scale that make them worthwhile)
Helen Keller International
Ronald McDonald House Charities (perhaps accompanied by a statement that I’m doing this because they don’t actually get any direct funding from McDonald’s, just from the pots left at the counter and donated to by customers)
The Innocence Project
Setting up a trust in my name or whatever name and distributing funds according to applications would be more than I could ever do, even in this hypothetical.
In the hypothetical world where I hit a big jackpot, I’d set up a foundation to award scholarships - does that count as a charity?
The two main causes I support locally are the animal rescue groups and the local women’s shelter, so both of those would benefit. Beyond that, I’m inclined to bypass big organizations and help directly, altho I’m not sure how that would work.
Obviously all a dream, since I can’t even remember the last time I bought a lottery ticket…
I would start an elephant sanctuary. Really. There is one in Tennessee and I think it’s a cool idea. I do love elephants and they are so mistreated. I would also give money to my alma mater, the Kentucky Horse Park and the Salvation Army.
The day I got married, I swore that if I ever had a windfall, I’d pay to have the church in which I got married air conditioned, and set up a trust to maintain said air conditioning, so I’d do that.
Heifer International.
NORML. Kiva.
Something for the conservation of habitat and species, but I’d need to do more research.
If I REALLY had a ton of money, I’d buy up a bunch of land that was about to be bulldozed into a strip mall or something and open a sanctuary for wildlife, with a focus on the less-popular critters. (No offence meant, **peedin **- your dream is a truly lovely one as well.)
20% to hunger relief charities, particularly groups that serve children
20% to NAMI and/or any other group working to destigmatize mental illness and improve treatment options.
20% to Diabetes research
10% to arts education
10% to animal shelters
10% to my church
5% to my alma mater
5% to as many kickstarter/go fund me campaigns as I could.
Mostly everything goes to charities providing medical of food relief in the third world, most of the rest to to charities providing education or running orphanages in the third world, a bit goes to Amnesty international, a bit for the latest war/tsunami/earthquake.
The same charities I already make donations to. No reason to change.
I didn’t notice it was that much money (£ 50millions).
In this case, I create a foundation and run it on my (now) free time. Still for third world food relief/medical relief/education. Except that I now pick specific projects to fund. It probably ends up in a big scandal when it appears that I funded an international network of child rapists running orphanages as a cover and drug traffickers pretending to ship rice out of Mexico.
I’d like to donate money to help educate prisoners and inmates, and to help them get back on their feet and find work after being released.
I’d like to adopt an elementary school and have a fund set up so that no child is ever denied breakfast, lunch, or afterschool care if their family needs it and can’t pay.
I’d set up an investment trust fund, & donate half of all annual profits to a different charity yearly.
That way, I can create a constant & growing stream of funds for a long time.