Charity

[lanion]

I'm about to pick a charity to run a big fundraiser for.

So far http://doctorswithoutborders.org/ is my big winner.

anyone have a better suggestion?

[bobman1235]

Just make sure that whoever you pick gives most of their proceeds TO the charity. THere are so many charities out there where their "administrative costs" end up being 30-40% of what they take in - ridiculous.

[lanion]

Agreed. This charity has about 1% admin costs.... but they are above average in their fund raising costs (about 10%).

So 88% of each dollar goes out. Some charities do less fundraising and get in the mid 90s, but since this charity won a Nobel peace price they are pretty solid.

[Conradicles]

GIMI...or better known as Gateway International Missions Inc.

Trust me...they are doing a tremendous work for Africa and helping that nation. That is whom I support and love and know the folks who work for them.

[obieone]

I hear ACORN needs some help....with their LEGAL fees!:D

[jdwmap]

I am not a big believer in administrative costs being the overriding factor in what makes a charity worthwhile. Some places with high administrative costs provide a lot of help to communities. Big Brothers Big Sisters provides and excellent resource in our area for underprivileged kids and single parent children. The 2 employees they have do a great job, could easily make more in a different area of employment, but the admin costs are about 65-70% of the annual budget. However, keep in mind that that money is all deposited back into the local economy as well.

The YMCA here also has a high admin cost, but provides services at a fraction of what you would pay elsewhere for . .

There are other charities with no admin cost, but all of the money that is donated ends up in larger cities or in other countries. I have no interest in seeing my money being used elsewhere.

I would pick a charity that you either have an attachment to or could see yourself helping out with your time as much as with your funding.

[bobman1235]

Every charity does plenty of good - that's kinda the meaning of the word - but I"d prefer to give my money to one that actually uses that money for charity, rather than wasting it. Awesome, I give a hundred bucks to a charity and only thirty-five of those dollars go to actually helping who I want to help, while SIXTY-FIVE of those dollars go to admin costs?! And that seems reasonable to you?

[everpress]

I've done some work for these guys:
www.kimmiecares.com

who is directly affiliated with these guys:
www.pfacf.org

They seem to be a good hearted group just starting out.

[jdwmap]

Every charity does plenty of good - that's kinda the meaning of the word - but I"d prefer to give my money to one that actually uses that money for charity, rather than wasting it. Awesome, I give a hundred bucks to a charity and only thirty-five of those dollars go to actually helping who I want to help, while SIXTY-FIVE of those dollars go to admin costs?! And that seems reasonable to you?

It does considering what the 65.00 out of 100.00 goes towards. You won't likely find 2 individuals to spend 45 hours a week doing the interviews w/potential volunteers, performing police checks, organizing and planning outings for kids on the waiting list and running the organization. While it may be fine and dandy that some people are independently wealthy and can volunteer 100% of their time, others are not. If you didn't pay someone to do these jobs, there would be no organization there to help some of these kids and they would fall farther and farther behind. This is not an organization that brings in 100's of thousands of dollars a year, they raise about 95k a year, and i would rather see it stay in my community, not somewhere else. You can certainly view it differently, I just don't see myself donating to something that doesn't help people in my area.

[markmarc]

I do like Mercy Corps, as when they go into a disaster zone they pay locals cash every day for the work they do cleaning up. Instant kick start to the local economy. 88 cents on the dollar goes directly into programs (BBB report).

Another fine one is The Heifer International Project. They provide an animal (cow, chicken, sheep, etc.) that can provide income to the family long term. 75 cents on the dollar goes directly into programs. (BBB report)

[SKsolutions]

Not to go off tangent, but The great thing about be free to donate, is that you can pick the who where and when. Kudos for whatever you choose Lanion.

I did some work for a non-profit, and the admin and operating cost was close to 100%. The board of directors were all volunteers. There were a number of shelters and transitional houses for women, children and men that would not have been open had we not be able to generate donations large and small from within the community. What was paid out was necessary to keep it open, and thousands were helped off the streets. That money stayed in the community, not shipped overseas, so it ended up back in the hands of those that donated.

See "10% shift" for some of the effects of keeping your money local.
http://www.10percentshift.org/

[TroyD]

NAATD

National Association for the Advancement of Troy Dion

[treitz3]

Yeah, the Githens Center. Near and dear to a senior member of this forum.

[George Grand]

Thank you.

Doctorswithoutborders is as good as it gets. People risking life and limb to perhaps save the life and limb of a complete stranger? It doesn't get any more unselfish.

[Polkersince85]

+1 on the Docs^

Another good one is the Wounded Warriors Project.

http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/