Author Topic: What "charities" do you NOT give to, and why  (Read 22717 times)

Davids

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Re: What "charities" do you NOT give to, and why
« Reply #50 on: December 31, 2016, 02:08:18 PM »
I do not give money to homeless people. With so many people scamming out there it is impossible to tell who is really homeless and who is simply a scam artist.

MicroRN

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Re: What "charities" do you NOT give to, and why
« Reply #51 on: December 31, 2016, 03:40:01 PM »
Nothing to religious organizations, with a very occasional exception. If they truly do good in an area that is unserved by secular organizations, I'll give.  There have been some local church-run food/diaper banks that I donated to.     

Animal rescues that make a big point of raising multiple thousands of dollars for a surgery for one specific animal that should most likely be euthanized.  Reasonable medical care that will result in a good quality of life after, sure.  If you're trying to raise $10K for an amputation and prosthetic leg for a donkey, I don't feel that you're managing the rescue's money well.  I'd rather my $50 go to spay/neuter/vaccinate or feed multiple animals.

United Way.  I HATE their strongarm tactics in workplaces, that often mean people living below the poverty line are pressured into donating through their payroll.  I've even heard people say that donation was mandatory!  I refuse to donate or even fill out the form that says I won't donate.

Cassie

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Re: What "charities" do you NOT give to, and why
« Reply #52 on: December 31, 2016, 03:46:06 PM »
The reason that Goodwill and some other agencies are allowed to pay below minimum wage to some disabled people is that the person works so slow that they would lose $ if they paid them minimum wage.  I spent 25 years working with people with disabilities to get them to work.  However, many of the workers make minimum wage or more.  So a person with a severe disability say moderate intellectual disability with some physical issues is still able to work, have a place to go everyday, people to socialize with, etc instead of sitting home. This person would also be receiving SSI since they won't make enough to support themselves.  Now that being said the quality of the Goodwill programs really vary and depends on the management.  I have seen them really work with people so they can keep their jobs and I have seen them fire many of the people with disabilities that have worked there a long time when there is a change in management. 

etselec

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Re: What "charities" do you NOT give to, and why
« Reply #53 on: December 31, 2016, 04:15:01 PM »
Salvation Army. I disagree with their stance on LGBT issues, and I don't like how they discriminate against the people they serve. I also don't give to animal charities — helping humans is a higher priority for me. In general, my default is not to give unless I've done research and believe in the organization.

I don't give to homeless people or folks on the street, not because I think they're lying necessarily, but because where I live, I pass the same 5–10 panhandlers nearly every day (often multiple times a day). It would be exhausting and stressful to constantly have to think about "am I going to give anything today? who will I give to? how much?" every time I leave my house, so I just don't.

Cassie

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Re: What "charities" do you NOT give to, and why
« Reply #54 on: December 31, 2016, 04:33:43 PM »
Salvation Army does not discriminate against the people they serve. When I worked for the state they helped so many of our clients. They take very little in salaries and use most of the $ for their programs.  I am not religious but they are high on my giving list.

Gin1984

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Re: What "charities" do you NOT give to, and why
« Reply #55 on: December 31, 2016, 05:29:22 PM »
Salvation Army does not discriminate against the people they serve. When I worked for the state they helped so many of our clients. They take very little in salaries and use most of the $ for their programs.  I am not religious but they are high on my giving list.
Cassie, there have been mulitple cases of it.

Cassie

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Re: What "charities" do you NOT give to, and why
« Reply #56 on: December 31, 2016, 06:07:26 PM »
So I went and looked up the stats and only 14.5 cents of every dollar donated goes to administrative needs. The rest goes to help people. There have been instances of discrimination but as this is a huge organization I would say it is not the norm. In the states that I have lived in they have been awesome. I don't agree with their religious views but it does not take away from all the good work they do.  I have known a lot of people from my job that have went through their programs for drugs/alcohol and it was what they needed to get off the street and get on their feet being provided shelter and food for 6 months. 

Vanguards and Lentils

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Re: What "charities" do you NOT give to, and why
« Reply #57 on: December 31, 2016, 06:45:58 PM »
Salvation Army does not discriminate against the people they serve. When I worked for the state they helped so many of our clients. They take very little in salaries and use most of the $ for their programs.  I am not religious but they are high on my giving list.
Cassie, there have been mulitple cases of it.

I have to agree with Cassie on this. They have discriminatory hiring practices, but I can't find any cases of discriminating against the people they serve. Whether you like their hiring practices is another issue. They are a church after all.

azure975

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Re: What "charities" do you NOT give to, and why
« Reply #58 on: December 31, 2016, 10:14:27 PM »

Animal rescues that make a big point of raising multiple thousands of dollars for a surgery for one specific animal that should most likely be euthanized.  Reasonable medical care that will result in a good quality of life after, sure.  If you're trying to raise $10K for an amputation and prosthetic leg for a donkey, I don't feel that you're managing the rescue's money well.  I'd rather my $50 go to spay/neuter/vaccinate or feed multiple animals.


Yes, so much this. I volunteer heavily with animal rescues so I've seen this firsthand. I am now focusing my donations specifically on spay/neuter projects because I feel like my money has a much bigger impact. I'll donate to an animal charity but make it a restricted donation for their spay/neuter clinic or initiatives.

Pizzabrewer

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Re: What "charities" do you NOT give to, and why
« Reply #59 on: January 01, 2017, 12:12:12 AM »
Here's why I hate the United Way.  Years ago I was hired by a company 1200 miles away from where we lived.  Negotiated salary, moving expenses, benefits, the whole works.  We quit our jobs in Louisiana, packed up and moved to Pennsylvania.

First day on the new job the owner (who I reported to) called me in to his office and explained that he was on the local United Way board and he would be EXTREMELY displeased if I didn't donate.  He pretty much made it mandatory and told me the amount I should (would) be donating.

So it was basically a 1.6% pay cut my first day on the job.
« Last Edit: January 01, 2017, 12:15:51 AM by Pizzabrewer »

iris lily

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Re: What "charities" do you NOT give to, and why
« Reply #60 on: January 01, 2017, 10:20:14 AM »
The reason that Goodwill and some other agencies are allowed to pay below minimum wage to some disabled people is that the person works so slow that they would lose $ if they paid them minimum wage.  I spent 25 years working with people with disabilities to get them to work.  However, many of the workers make minimum wage or more.  So a person with a severe disability say moderate intellectual disability with some physical issues is still able to work, have a place to go everyday, people to socialize with, etc instead of sitting home. This person would also be receiving SSI since they won't make enough to support themselves.  Now that being said the quality of the Goodwill programs really vary and depends on the management.  I have seen them really work with people so they can keep their jobs and I have seen them fire many of the people with disabilities that have worked there a long time when there is a change in management.
I have always wondered about the GW programs for the disabled.
I hang around several GW stores, I shop them often and have been for years. I have NEVER seen persons  with obvious disabilities.

What are typical rasks performed by those in the disability employment program, and would I be likely to see them?

BlueMR2

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Re: What "charities" do you NOT give to, and why
« Reply #61 on: January 01, 2017, 12:57:37 PM »
- United Way due to the horror stories about them I've heard from people in big corporate
- Salvation Army as the local sites have "no guns" signs on the door
- Sierra Club due to their part in the travesty of paving the road up to Pike's Peak

...and more generally the whole collection of well meaning, but misguided and terrorist tactic using "environmental" groups (I'm a conservationist at heart, but I cannot abide the level of hypocrisy and downright evil that's so pervasive in that entire class of "charity")

rtrnow

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Re: What "charities" do you NOT give to, and why
« Reply #62 on: January 01, 2017, 01:16:36 PM »
I also do not give to overtly political groups, such as the Boy Scouts with their stance against gays.

The BSA is an interesting case study.  I was an Eagle Scout and one of my kids is heavily involved in the program, but I agree that their politics are gross.  It's the primary reason I have resisted becoming involved as an adult leader.

But their stance against gays has softened over the years.  The Boy Scouts of America no longer kicks out gay scouts, and as of this year they don't nationally prohibit gay adult leaders (though individual units can and do still prohibit gay adult leaders). 

Their policy against atheists is still disgusting, though, and far more discriminatory at every level.  It's blatant and uncontested religious bigotry, and it's not what I want my kids to learn.  I'm sure the KKK can teach you how to build campfires, too, but it's not worth it when it comes with a side order of hatred and intolerance for diversity.

Pretty much all of this. I'm a gay atheist Eagle Scout. I look back on my time in scouts as some of the best in my life, but I still do not donate money or time. I'm happy to see their softening their stances in some ways. While there was a religious aspect to scouts it was never front and center. I picked up a lot of skills and gained a great appreciation of the outdoors. I also lost my virginity in a tent in the woods. :)

I don't donate to the salvation army for the same reasons. I instead make most of my donations to local LGBTQ charities especially those aimed at helping struggling youth and hiv patients.

EricL

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Re: What "charities" do you NOT give to, and why
« Reply #63 on: January 01, 2017, 02:53:05 PM »
Charity Navigator is great for big, national orgs, not so much for the small, local ones. Like the difference between a big box store and shopping local, the economy of scale is different and basing decisions for local giving based on Charity Nav really hurts those organizations.

I don't mind seeing a higher percentage going to overhead for local charities. I think people who choose to work at these charities should be paid fairly (I know it is a pipe dream to ever expect what they get paid in the private sector) but they should absolutely be paid a decent living wage. I know probably 2 dozen (at least) people who work full time in small nonprofits who qualify for foodstamps and live at below "official" poverty level.

Also, programs don't run themselves, or are created out of thin air. Most of the grants available are program specific or have restrictions against being use for admin, and you are not allowed to use for overhead, so who covers those wages, and pays the electric bill?  Generally, I look at the overall mission of the org and what they are doing and how big of an impact they are making.

Charity Nav actually hurts many of the the very small orgs, and they are usually the ones on the ground locally making a difference. There are some other rating programs in the works, not sure what stage of development they are at or the metrics they will be using.

The biggest problem for Charity Navigator and small charities is that lots of small local charities fly under the radar.  They are not even listed let alone rated.  But just because it's local doesn't mean that it's smart/honest/efficient.  Many local charities have been found to be awe inspiringly corrupt.   Sleazeballs don't just live in Third World countries or in Florida. Many live comfortably next-door disguised as good Christians/atheists/puppy lovers/whatever.  The positive is that, since it's local, you can do investigation on your own and simply ask members pertinent questions and see actual results.

GetItRight

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Re: What "charities" do you NOT give to, and why
« Reply #64 on: January 01, 2017, 04:48:04 PM »
So long as there is a federal income tax I will not give to any charity not involved in reducing the size and scope of the federal government.

talltexan

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Re: What "charities" do you NOT give to, and why
« Reply #65 on: January 01, 2017, 06:04:43 PM »
I no longer give to any colleges or universities. Seems like they all have billion dollar endowments.


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BlueMR2

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Re: What "charities" do you NOT give to, and why
« Reply #66 on: January 02, 2017, 12:53:20 PM »
The BSA is an interesting case study.

Truer words have rarely been said (typed)...  As a child I was pulled from and/or denied entry into quite a number of programs (in one case I remember it was being pushed by our local government!) once my parents found out that the BSA was the real sponsoring party pulling the strings from behind the scense.  I come from a very religious family and the generic religious requirement is abhorrent.  It violates our religious beliefs as much as it violates an atheists beliefs.

I've now had to leave a couple of other clubs as an adult that I was in once finding out that they were doing special deals with and donating to the BSA.

Bicycle_B

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Re: What "charities" do you NOT give to, and why
« Reply #67 on: January 02, 2017, 01:22:12 PM »
Charity Navigator is great for big, national orgs, not so much for the small, local ones. Like the difference between a big box store and shopping local, the economy of scale is different and basing decisions for local giving based on Charity Nav really hurts those organizations.

I don't mind seeing a higher percentage going to overhead for local charities. I think people who choose to work at these charities should be paid fairly (I know it is a pipe dream to ever expect what they get paid in the private sector) but they should absolutely be paid a decent living wage. I know probably 2 dozen (at least) people who work full time in small nonprofits who qualify for foodstamps and live at below "official" poverty level.

Also, programs don't run themselves, or are created out of thin air. Most of the grants available are program specific or have restrictions against being use for admin, and you are not allowed to use for overhead, so who covers those wages, and pays the electric bill?  Generally, I look at the overall mission of the org and what they are doing and how big of an impact they are making.

Charity Nav actually hurts many of the the very small orgs, and they are usually the ones on the ground locally making a difference. There are some other rating programs in the works, not sure what stage of development they are at or the metrics they will be using.

Worthy remarks!

I have done some (volunteer) accounting for nonprofits, and analyzed a number of other nonprofits' published finances in comparison to what I could see of their operations.  To me it looks like a lot of the nonprofits with 1% or 5% rates are simply not accounting for many of their resources, so the basis of comparison is somewhat deceptive. 

Efficiency can be poorly measured if 80% of the time spent is off the books.  It can be argued that each dollar is going a long way, but I personally concluded that a dollar where 20 cents is paid for "administration" and 80 cents pays for $5 of results is better than a dollar where 5 cents is administration, $4 is inefficient volunteer time off the books and the 95 cents still gets only $2 of results.

It's still worth giving a dollar.  Just look deeper than a simple percentage at some point.

Cassie

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Re: What "charities" do you NOT give to, and why
« Reply #68 on: January 02, 2017, 02:38:47 PM »
IL: yes if they hired people with disabilities you should see some of them. Some will work behind the scenes hanging clothes, pricing items and putting them out.  The guy that takes your donations might have a disability. Unless the disability is physical or an intellectual disability you might not know. Our local GW was so good about hiring PWD's until new management came and fired them. We even paid for job coaches to help our clients learn a new task, etc so they could get or keep a job.

pirate_wench

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Re: What "charities" do you NOT give to, and why
« Reply #69 on: January 02, 2017, 04:48:49 PM »
I do not give to the Salvation Army for three reasons: 1.) I do not give to religious based charities, 2.) They do not disclose their financials  and 3.) I f'ing hate the bell-ringers.


Cassie

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Re: What "charities" do you NOT give to, and why
« Reply #70 on: January 02, 2017, 05:14:41 PM »
 They only spend 14.5 cents of each dollar on administrative costs.

oldtoyota

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Re: What "charities" do you NOT give to, and why
« Reply #71 on: January 02, 2017, 05:27:07 PM »

I also look for charities that have relatively little overhead, to avoid my donations ending up in the pockets of the CEO or Board of Directors of a charitable organization.  Definitely avoid donating to the American Heart Association or the American Cancer Society.  These donations do not benefit cancer patients or research in any significant degree.


With all respect, I don't agree with donating only to charities with low overhead.

I highly recommend this TED talk on the topic:
https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pallotta_the_way_we_think_about_charity_is_dead_wrong

"Activist and fundraiser Dan Pallotta calls out the double standard that drives our broken relationship to charities. Too many nonprofits, he says, are rewarded for how little they spend — not for what they get done. Instead of equating frugality with morality, he asks us to start rewarding charities for their big goals and big accomplishments (even if that comes with big expenses). In this bold talk, he says: Let's change the way we think about changing the world."

CanuckExpat

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Re: What "charities" do you NOT give to, and why
« Reply #72 on: January 03, 2017, 12:18:49 AM »
Audubon Society, for totally petty reasons
My wife made a token donation, partially for the free tote bags. Soon after that we started getting tons of targeted mail and it was obvious they sold our name to related charities.

Now we have a bunch of money sitting in a donor advised fund, none of it is going to the Audobon society, but maybe I will direct some funds to organizations that preserve animals that eat birds just out of spite...

Good tote bags though, in all fairness.

EricL

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Re: What "charities" do you NOT give to, and why
« Reply #73 on: January 03, 2017, 12:35:14 AM »

I also look for charities that have relatively little overhead, to avoid my donations ending up in the pockets of the CEO or Board of Directors of a charitable organization.  Definitely avoid donating to the American Heart Association or the American Cancer Society.  These donations do not benefit cancer patients or research in any significant degree.


With all respect, I don't agree with donating only to charities with low overhead.

I highly recommend this TED talk on the topic:
https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pallotta_the_way_we_think_about_charity_is_dead_wrong

"Activist and fundraiser Dan Pallotta calls out the double standard that drives our broken relationship to charities. Too many nonprofits, he says, are rewarded for how little they spend — not for what they get done. Instead of equating frugality with morality, he asks us to start rewarding charities for their big goals and big accomplishments (even if that comes with big expenses). In this bold talk, he says: Let's change the way we think about changing the world."

I saw that. I'm not in the least convinced. Just because you get on TED doesn't actually mean you're smart.  Plenty of very effective charities have low overhead. Direct Relief (formerly Direct Relief International) is a good example. And charities aren't rewarded for efficiency so much as recognized. On the balance charities that gulp down the big bucks for little output either suck at what they do or they're frauds.

Car Jack

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Re: What "charities" do you NOT give to, and why
« Reply #74 on: January 03, 2017, 09:10:02 AM »
United Way.  This is a big corporate marketing company....not a charity.  CEO Brian Gallagher makes over $1.2MM a year in total compensation with other executives pulling in big dollars.  What direct charity activity do they perform?  None.  They distribute *some* of what they take in to actual charities who have their own overhead costs.

I have never contributed a dime to United Way, despite workplace pressure from the higher ups.  If I want to give $50 to a local charity, I'll give $50 to them instead of giving $150 to United Way so that $50 can trickle down to the actual charity.

tonysemail

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Re: What "charities" do you NOT give to, and why
« Reply #75 on: January 03, 2017, 02:19:51 PM »
a few years back, we gave to Red Cross after natural disasters like Haiti.
Then I read ProPublica's series of articles on Red Cross and I haven't been able to give to them since.
I looked at charity navigator's score for Red Cross and it's not as bad as I feared - 3 out of 4 stars.
I'm not sure what that says to me.
Maybe the scoring system in charity navigator is too easy to game.

p.s. After watching Spotlight, I gained a better appreciation for investigative journalism, so I will steer my dollars to ProPublica instead.

azure975

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Re: What "charities" do you NOT give to, and why
« Reply #76 on: January 03, 2017, 03:12:22 PM »

Now we have a bunch of money sitting in a donor advised fund, none of it is going to the Audobon society, but maybe I will direct some funds to organizations that preserve animals that eat birds just out of spite...


Alley Cat Allies!
There has been a long-standing feud between bird-lovers and cat lovers. It is getting a bit ridiculous.

Pushkina2

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Re: What "charities" do you NOT give to, and why
« Reply #77 on: January 03, 2017, 05:08:06 PM »
I never give to Salvation Army due to my atheism.

Their beliefs, such as the following, which can be found on their website, make my skin crawl:

"We believe...in the general judgment at the end of the world, in the eternal happiness of the righteous, and in the endless punishment of the wicked."

Even if I gave them a quarter they'd still think I was destined for eternal damnation. No thank you. I'd rather my $ go to a secular organization.

EricL

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Re: What "charities" do you NOT give to, and why
« Reply #78 on: January 03, 2017, 11:36:10 PM »
I never give to Salvation Army due to my atheism.

Their beliefs, such as the following, which can be found on their website, make my skin crawl:

"We believe...in the general judgment at the end of the world, in the eternal happiness of the righteous, and in the endless punishment of the wicked."

Even if I gave them a quarter they'd still think I was destined for eternal damnation. No thank you. I'd rather my $ go to a secular organization.

I can understand an atheist not wanting to donate to a religiously motivated charity. Other posters have the same sentiment. But what you're saying here instead is that you're more motivated by what that charity thinks of you.

sol

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Re: What "charities" do you NOT give to, and why
« Reply #79 on: January 03, 2017, 11:50:37 PM »
what you're saying here instead is that you're more motivated by what that charity thinks of you.

I think it's more accurate to say that Push is motivated by the charity's philosophical perspective on hatred and bigotry.   

Maybe the KKK runs a great bookmobile, but they're still evil.  That doesn't change depending on whether I can read or not.

EricL

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Re: What "charities" do you NOT give to, and why
« Reply #80 on: January 04, 2017, 09:30:04 AM »
what you're saying here instead is that you're more motivated by what that charity thinks of you.

I think it's more accurate to say that Push is motivated by the charity's philosophical perspective on hatred and bigotry.   

Maybe the KKK runs a great bookmobile, but they're still evil.  That doesn't change depending on whether I can read or not.

Maybe what Push meant to say was that but what Push said was the regard the charity had for him played into his decision. If you're an atheist who doesn't give because they believe religious organizations represent something between ignorant and actively wicked, that's one thing. But considering how such regards them is another.

Anyways, I'm gonna stop before I derail the thread.

Spork

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Re: What "charities" do you NOT give to, and why
« Reply #81 on: January 04, 2017, 09:36:21 AM »
what you're saying here instead is that you're more motivated by what that charity thinks of you.

I think it's more accurate to say that Push is motivated by the charity's philosophical perspective on hatred and bigotry.   

Maybe the KKK runs a great bookmobile, but they're still evil.  That doesn't change depending on whether I can read or not.

Maybe what Push meant to say was that but what Push said was the regard the charity had for him played into his decision. If you're an atheist who doesn't give because they believe religious organizations represent something between ignorant and actively wicked, that's one thing. But considering how such regards them is another.

Anyways, I'm gonna stop before I derail the thread.

I don't think it's so wrong to care about what they think about you.  If every time you tossed a quarter in the Salvation Army bucket, the guy said "Burn in Hell, asshole!", you'd probably stop dropping quarters.  I know I would.

Mezzie

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Re: What "charities" do you NOT give to, and why
« Reply #82 on: January 04, 2017, 09:38:25 AM »
I research my charities and am generally happy with them. I'm surprised by the Goodwill stuff -- I used to sing with the regional manager in my area, and I know she wasn't making three figures. I wonder what the differences of practices are by location; it's something I'll have to look into. I've got plenty of time; I just made my big annual donation.

Generally, I skip animal charities. I like animals, but I feel obligated to help people more. A lot of my friends volunteer/donate to animal rescues and such, and I respect that. It just isn't for me. I don't think I could look a kid in the face and say, "I chose to feed this dog over feeding you."

That said, I know a LOT of my purchases are pretty evil when looked at in that light. "I chose to watch this movie instead of feeding you... I chose to get a haircut instead of feeding you..." Thinking that way constantly is a good way to go insane. But occasional thoughts like that can keep me grounded.

sol

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Re: What "charities" do you NOT give to, and why
« Reply #83 on: January 04, 2017, 11:50:09 AM »
If every time you tossed a quarter in the Salvation Army bucket, the guy said "Burn in Hell, asshole!", you'd probably stop dropping quarters.  I know I would.

You don't even have to drop a quarter.  Every time they wagglee that little bell they are shouting it at you, whether you donate or not.  Just like the KKK and their burning crosses, constantly out there reminding you that they exist, and that they hate you.  Merry Christmas!

Generally, I skip animal charities. I like animals, but I feel obligated to help people more.

I'll do you one better:  I actually support animal testing.  I would murder ten adorable innocent puppies in order to save one homeless drug addict.  Smear experimental lipstick into the eyes of a bunny rabbit, break a chimpanzee's legs to test medical devices, shoot a dog into space to die terrified and alone.  We do these sorts of things every day to advance our own species, at the expense of other species  I don't see how anyone can even object to these horrors, when we slaughter innocent animals by the millions just because they make our burritos tastier.

With that said, my house is full of animal pets that are part of my family.  They are loved and cared for and provided an amazing life, but I don't pretend they are people.  They may sleep in my bed, but I would not hesitate to strangle my fur babies with my bare hands to save my human babies.  Every despicable degenerate drug addicted sociopath is someone's human baby, and deserves the same consideration.

Pushkina2

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Re: What "charities" do you NOT give to, and why
« Reply #84 on: January 04, 2017, 11:53:13 AM »
I never give to Salvation Army due to my atheism.

Their beliefs, such as the following, which can be found on their website, make my skin crawl:

"We believe...in the general judgment at the end of the world, in the eternal happiness of the righteous, and in the endless punishment of the wicked."

Even if I gave them a quarter they'd still think I was destined for eternal damnation. No thank you. I'd rather my $ go to a secular organization.

I can understand an atheist not wanting to donate to a religiously motivated charity. Other posters have the same sentiment. But what you're saying here instead is that you're more motivated by what that charity thinks of you.

I'm motivated by what the charity thinks of a large portion of the world, which happens to include myself.

And I'm a "she" :)

Pushkina2

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Re: What "charities" do you NOT give to, and why
« Reply #85 on: January 04, 2017, 11:54:26 AM »
what you're saying here instead is that you're more motivated by what that charity thinks of you.

I think it's more accurate to say that Push is motivated by the charity's philosophical perspective on hatred and bigotry.   

Maybe the KKK runs a great bookmobile, but they're still evil.  That doesn't change depending on whether I can read or not.

Very nicely put :)

EricL

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Re: What "charities" do you NOT give to, and why
« Reply #86 on: January 04, 2017, 02:26:39 PM »
I never give to Salvation Army due to my atheism.

Their beliefs, such as the following, which can be found on their website, make my skin crawl:

"We believe...in the general judgment at the end of the world, in the eternal happiness of the righteous, and in the endless punishment of the wicked."

Even if I gave them a quarter they'd still think I was destined for eternal damnation. No thank you. I'd rather my $ go to a secular organization.

I can understand an atheist not wanting to donate to a religiously motivated charity. Other posters have the same sentiment. But what you're saying here instead is that you're more motivated by what that charity thinks of you.

I'm motivated by what the charity thinks of a large portion of the world, which happens to include myself.

And I'm a "she" :)

Sorry. I try not to assume anyone's sexual identity from what they say about themselves on the internet.  Occasionally I fail.

Getting back on track. I do occasionally make contributions to political/social causes. But I don't really consider these charities though some straddle the line.

StartingEarly

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Re: What "charities" do you NOT give to, and why
« Reply #87 on: January 04, 2017, 05:12:16 PM »
Salvation Army for discrimination against LGBT persons, especially leaving LGBT youths who are very vulnerable on the streets.

Vanguards and Lentils

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Re: What "charities" do you NOT give to, and why
« Reply #88 on: January 04, 2017, 05:33:51 PM »
Salvation Army for discrimination against LGBT persons, especially leaving LGBT youths who are very vulnerable on the streets.

I saw this pop up in another thread. Do you have proof of this statement? (Technically I leave LGBT youths on the streets, too, despite being LGBT myself and sympathetic.) They do discriminate in hiring for some positions, but they are a church, which means they are allowed to.

StartingEarly

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Re: What "charities" do you NOT give to, and why
« Reply #89 on: January 04, 2017, 05:50:00 PM »
Allowed to and right are two entirely different things.

Vanguards and Lentils

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Re: What "charities" do you NOT give to, and why
« Reply #90 on: January 04, 2017, 06:06:14 PM »
Allowed to and right are two entirely different things.

I think it's both "allowable" and "correct" for a religious institution to hire those who espouse their beliefs, for leadership positions. Do you have any idea what you're suggesting?

wenchsenior

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Re: What "charities" do you NOT give to, and why
« Reply #91 on: January 04, 2017, 06:38:43 PM »
Allowed to and right are two entirely different things.

I think it's both "allowable" and "correct" for a religious institution to hire those who espouse their beliefs, for leadership positions. Do you have any idea what you're suggesting?

Lots of organizations have f'ed up beliefs? LOL.

sonjak

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Re: What "charities" do you NOT give to, and why
« Reply #92 on: January 04, 2017, 08:48:33 PM »
Audubon Society, for totally petty reasons
My wife made a token donation, partially for the free tote bags. Soon after that we started getting tons of targeted mail and it was obvious they sold our name to related charities.

Now we have a bunch of money sitting in a donor advised fund, none of it is going to the Audobon society, but maybe I will direct some funds to organizations that preserve animals that eat birds just out of spite...

Good tote bags though, in all fairness.
I think this is hilarious because I have specifically NOT supported organizations who give tote bags and similar free gifts because they end up spending way more money than I donated on the free gift and the constant follow-up mailings asking for more money.  That is why I quite donating to Amnesty International (and I told them so). 

I agree with you on selling my name though - they did that too.  That is another sure-fire way to piss me off and make it so I don't donate to you again.

Gin1984

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Re: What "charities" do you NOT give to, and why
« Reply #93 on: January 05, 2017, 04:34:21 AM »
Salvation Army for discrimination against LGBT persons, especially leaving LGBT youths who are very vulnerable on the streets.

I saw this pop up in another thread. Do you have proof of this statement? (Technically I leave LGBT youths on the streets, too, despite being LGBT myself and sympathetic.) They do discriminate in hiring for some positions, but they are a church, which means they are allowed to.
The originally reason many in the LGBT and ally community stopped supporting Salvation Army was a specific person telling a story about him and his boyfriend needing help within their mission and the Army saying that unless they separated, no help.  That was twenty years ago but multiple people have come forward in that time with similar stories of their own, though the Army says the other stories beside the original are untrue.  You also have the religious aspect where the Army requires you to pray for any help you get (which they do admit), which for many of other religions, goes against their religion (keeping in mind that for disaster relief they get funds from the federal government) and for others like LGBT may feel like an attack if you have previously had someone/ groups of somones say you are going to hell based on that religion.

GuitarStv

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Re: What "charities" do you NOT give to, and why
« Reply #94 on: January 05, 2017, 07:06:32 AM »
Generally, I skip animal charities. I like animals, but I feel obligated to help people more.

I'll do you one better:  I actually support animal testing.  I would murder ten adorable innocent puppies in order to save one homeless drug addict.  Smear experimental lipstick into the eyes of a bunny rabbit, break a chimpanzee's legs to test medical devices, shoot a dog into space to die terrified and alone.  We do these sorts of things every day to advance our own species, at the expense of other species  I don't see how anyone can even object to these horrors, when we slaughter innocent animals by the millions just because they make our burritos tastier.

This is an interesting problem.  For me, gut reaction says this:

Animal testing for medical purposes: OK
Animal testing to advance science: Case by case basis (this one can be tricky).
Animal testing for cosmetics: Not OK, this is unnecessary cruelty.

Killing animals to eat them: OK (provided it's done humanely)
Killing animals for clothing: OK (provided it's done humanely)
Killing animals to stuff them as tropies: Not OK, this seems unnecessary.

You're completely right regarding killing stuff, my gut reaction is not logically consistent.  Killing a cow to eat it isn't any more necessary than killing a deer because you want some antlers to hang on your wall.  There's no need to wear animals.

aceyou

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Re: What "charities" do you NOT give to, and why
« Reply #95 on: January 05, 2017, 09:28:08 AM »
Generally, I skip animal charities. I like animals, but I feel obligated to help people more.

I'll do you one better:  I actually support animal testing.  I would murder ten adorable innocent puppies in order to save one homeless drug addict.  Smear experimental lipstick into the eyes of a bunny rabbit, break a chimpanzee's legs to test medical devices, shoot a dog into space to die terrified and alone.  We do these sorts of things every day to advance our own species, at the expense of other species  I don't see how anyone can even object to these horrors, when we slaughter innocent animals by the millions just because they make our burritos tastier.

This is an interesting problem.  For me, gut reaction says this:

Animal testing for medical purposes: OK
Animal testing to advance science: Case by case basis (this one can be tricky).
Animal testing for cosmetics: Not OK, this is unnecessary cruelty.

Killing animals to eat them: OK (provided it's done humanely)
Killing animals for clothing: OK (provided it's done humanely)
Killing animals to stuff them as tropies: Not OK, this seems unnecessary.

You're completely right regarding killing stuff, my gut reaction is not logically consistent.  Killing a cow to eat it isn't any more necessary than killing a deer because you want some antlers to hang on your wall.  There's no need to wear animals.

Yeah, ethics is always such a difficult thing to come up with "rules" for, isn't it.  So easy to find ourself inconsistent based on our own personal experiences and beliefs, which often change back and forth as we meander through life and encounter new circumstances. 

It's actually one of the reason I like MMM and this community in general.   I think it's great to acknowledge that we are "a@#holes" occasionally and just do our best to be better and better each day. 

I think it kinda goes along with the quote: “The problem with the world is that the intelligent people are full of doubts, while the stupid ones are full of confidence.”

Given the choices, I'd rather be surrounded by a bunch of intelligent people who question their assumptions each day.

Ok, back on track, organizations I don't donate too...

Religious organizations - because they are often full of confidence about things they can't prove, and in ways that often very unkind towards others.  for example... to say that gay people will spend an eternity of damnation, despite the fact that you can't even prove or disprove the existence of a higher power...no thanks.  If a group is going to get my money, they're gonna have to do better than that.  Disclaimer: I am aware that many INDIVIDUALS in these organizations do NOT espouse these beliefs, and that some things these groups do is in fact positive, but that's enough to earn my dollars. 

United Way - pressure tactics. 


talltexan

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Re: What "charities" do you NOT give to, and why
« Reply #96 on: January 06, 2017, 08:49:13 AM »
Many members of churches (disclosure: I am in this group) find giving to that church to be an important, nourishing act. I find it interesting that the data show so few people engage in "tithing", which is the practice of calculating 10% of income and giving to the church.

A set of Evangelicals--including many who are vocal about personal finance--espouse this fraction claiming biblical support for it. But I think most studies show that hardly anyone achieves this level.

Poundwise

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Re: What "charities" do you NOT give to, and why
« Reply #97 on: January 06, 2017, 08:58:50 AM »
Giving to our church, and how much, has been an ongoing subject of push-pull between my husband and me, and within myself. I've finally come to terms with it as considering it part-entertainment, part-therapy, part-educational, part-charity expense.  We don't come close to tithing, but we do find it a positive to have a beautiful, calm place to go to every week as a family, where ethics are discussed, cared about, and acted on.

sol

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Re: What "charities" do you NOT give to, and why
« Reply #98 on: January 06, 2017, 09:47:55 AM »
we do find it a positive to have a beautiful, calm place to go to every week as a family, where ethics are discussed, cared about, and acted on.

Awesome.  This is the part of religion that I love. Building a community of caring individuals is absolutely integral to a happy life, IMO.  I even support the idea of paying for it.

I just wish more people could do that without being asked to publicly declare that they believe in magical fairy tales.  Every church I've ever attended has told me that they are saved and I am not, because I won't say I believe in magic, and most of them then add that I will suffer an eternity of torment for being different from them.  That sort of takes the wind out of their sails in the whole "caring community" pitch.

BlueMR2

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Re: What "charities" do you NOT give to, and why
« Reply #99 on: January 06, 2017, 10:20:01 AM »
Many members of churches (disclosure: I am in this group) find giving to that church to be an important, nourishing act. I find it interesting that the data show so few people engage in "tithing", which is the practice of calculating 10% of income and giving to the church.

Churches typically claim that tithing should be 10% of pre-tax income from one's job.  I consider it to be 10% of one's yearly budget.  If you want 10% of my "earned" income, you'll be very sad when I'm retired, whereas 10% of my budget is sustainable for the future of the church.

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!